Christmas Day has passed, but we are still in the season of Christmas, made famous, though rarely acknowledged or understood, by the "12 days of Christmas" song, so I post my seasonal editorial here, slightly revised from its first, published version. In the scope of history, there was nothing new about the shift in government this past October. Routinely, Canadians tire of Conservative austerity, welcoming Liberal prodigality with a wave of votes. A few terms later, the tide reverses; Canadians clamour for Conservative restraint after Liberal excess. The cycle repeats. Yet, this election upset felt different to many. People spoke of the landside change less in terms of policy and more in terms of emotion: hope. In some ways, the rhetoric of fear that permeated the pre-election landscape is found in our conference and churches as well. How did this happen to followers of the author of hope? The things we fear As millions of displaced people seek shelter, ...
a smattering of brain droppings from a self-styled writer