The Institution That Is Us

Wilfred Laurier was one of our greatest prime ministers, who just happened to be a Liberal.  Asked to define what liberalism meant to him, he offered:

I am one of those who think that everywhere in humans there are abuses to be reformed, new horizons to be opened up, and new forces to be developed … The principle of Liberalism is inherent in the very essence of our nature, in that desire for happiness with which we are all born into the world, which pursues us throughout life, and which is never completely gratified.  Our souls are immortal, but our means are limited.  We constantly strive toward an ideal which we never attain.  We dream of good but we never realize the best … There is always room for the perfecting of our nature and for the attainment by a larger number of an easier way of life.  This in my eyes is what constitutes the superiority of Liberalism.”

In that one paragraph, Laurier caught the essence of the liberal ideal.  Canadians dream of better lives but require the tools to get there.  The purpose of government is to provide those essentials so that as many people as possible can benefit.  Early liberal philosophers believed in the ability of individuals to self-organize, to orient their lives in a manner where they can progress.  But the philosophers also conceived of the same reality in groups of people – citizens who combine to achieve goals individuals cannot attain of themselves.Those original minds conceived of only one great obstacle that could ruin citizens claiming better lives for themselves – absolutism. To organize, as individuals or as a society, we require above all education and open minds as the stock tools of our trade.  Canada’s history has been a remarkable narrative, one which believed in the ability of citizens to self-organize, with the help of governments at all levels, to achieve a practical life of happiness.  Liberals believe that democracy only works when we have faith in one another and in the self-organizing abilities of our peers.But for Canadian democracy to work it must be vital and inclusive, and it must always respect and provide for the dynamic of processing the lessons we learn in order to improve our condition.  For us to grow, everything has to be put on the table and a process must be followed where new and accurate information causes us to change direction.It is actually the processing and not the information itself that represents the heart of liberalism.  And much of our trouble in Canada’s political world today has been the lack of process in what citizens hear.  It is human nature to categorize and form quick opinions, but the tendency, if unchecked, leads to false assumptions and lines being drawn that split the citizenry.Absolutism is a drug, and its heady appeal is the illusion of certainty it gives us.  It is seductive, empowering and debilitates any society it touches.  Oddly, this kind of surety might have little to do with truth or understanding.  Canada is a huge country, and if it is to progress it won’t be so much because of this or that idea or concept, but the process by which we reason together.  We’ll talk more about this in coming posts.Politically speaking, Conservatives hate Liberals and vice versa.  I see it everywhere I journey in Canada.  And this causes us to speak in absolutes.  When we read in a major newspaper that Lester Pearson was elitist because he introduced a health system for this country, the writer couldn’t help himself because that's just how politics is dealt with in Canada.  And those Conservatives reading the article would simply reply: “Right on.”  Simple enough … but it’s not the truth, not even near it.  Healthcare in Canada was a grassroots movement that swept into Ottawa from the Prairies.  It wasn’t Liberal at all, but was in fact a product of the early precursor to the NDP.  It was about as brilliantly Canadian as anything we have witnessed.As PM, Pearson embraced it for a number of reasons, some political.  But he noted that it was a movement of the people – a momentum whereby they self-organized and fought for their betterment.  In short, it was a liberal principle because it refused to permit the elites to be the main beneficiaries of doctors, treatment, etc.  And in brilliant liberal (and Liberal) fashion, he put it through the democratic process and won the day.  Canadians reading this know this to be true – it’s self-evident.  But some would actually tell you it’s the opposite.  In the very act of creating this confusion, they have willingly attempted to strip citizens of their right to know, to condone, and to emulate.  This is where politics has gone wrong.  And our citizens can often make the mistake of buying into the simple prejudices because it’s just easier.  Well, it’s time all that changed.