Hey, I have no problem telling people that I am a Conservative.
Mostly a fiscal Conservative but a Conservative.
Does that mean I don't believe in human rights, social welfare or saving the environment. I don't think those are mutually exclusive.
I think as a humane society we have a responsibility to look after those who cannot look after themselves whether it be a single mom left with 3 kids by some deadbeat guy or the mentally or physically disabled/ill.
We have a responsibility to reduce our impact on the world and nature which existed long before we did. We don't have the right to use the planet for our own selfish purposes with no regard to the impact on future generations.
We have responsibility to ensure that all of us are treated fairly and equally regardless of colour, religion or sexual orientation.
But i also believe that don't need government to take half of what I earn to pay some able bodied asshole to sit at home or "create' employment by hiring more overpaid civil servants.
I believe if you work hard you should reap the rewards and it is my choice if I choose to share my wealth (which by the way I do to the tune of over $20k a year to various charities).
Taxation to fund roads, schools, hospitals, fire, police, etc is absolutely necessary in a prosperous country. My grandfather used to tell me that if you pay a lot of tax then that means you make a lot of money. But currently we also have a lot of taxation which is solely used for redistribution of wealth which has and will never work. As Margaret Thatcher once said, "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money."
And just so all of you know, I did not come from wealth.
I never met my Dad and was raised by a single Mom who relied on help from family until she remarried when I was 8. My (step) Dad was a railway worker. We lived a very modest lower class life with no frills. We wore hand me downs, drank powdered milk and brushed our teeth with baking soda if money ran out before payday. My school lunch some days was 2 pieces of bread with a little margarine and some crab apples from our own tree becasue there was no money for meat, cheese or even peanut butter. Yes I am that old that we could still take peanut butter to school. LOL!
I was fortunate that I was a talented athlete and a good student. i earned a partially paid football scholarship to university and also worked to put myself through school and then graduate school.
Yes I did get some help from the government but I also worked hard and did a lot by myself.
I worked hard my entire career while raising my daughter as a single Dad. Her mother was a career driven alcoholic who left us. I didn't whine to the government. I made it work, Up early, to bed late, working weekends, etc. to get where I am today.
So when the politicians out there call me a tax cheat when I happen to take advantage of a few tax breaks to save for my retirement because I don't have a indexed, taxpayer funded pension like they do and 60% of the population, I get pissed off. When my PM is prancing around India in costumes even Indians don't wear while our energy sector is reeling, I get pissed off. When our farmers are getting boned up the ass by China and our government does nothing, I get pissed off. When coming from a family with a military connection (Great Grandfather, Grandfather, 2 uncles, 1 aunt, 3 cousins and 1 nephew all served or serving) and our government talks about repatriating terrorists who were trying to kill them, I get pissed off. When our PM and government are guilty of trying to improperly influence the rule of law, which is the foundation of our democracy, I get pissed off.
So for me, going to a parade or not is really irrelevant.
J