You also do well to point out why the Cons might be pushing so hard, especially given the success as a wedge issue that was seen in Ontario. Check out the way the hysterical left reacted on babble, and quickly launched a feeding frenzy on one of their very few potential allies at Queens Park. Check out the way the ONDP leadership capitulated to all of those who rather than engage the issue with ethical compassion and intellectual honesty responded with vitriol and unfounded condemnation. ONDP Leadership throws a caucus member under the bus to capitulate to the 30 disillusioned members of the hysterical left and the handful of Islamists who disingenuously scream out in faux indignation. For what, in the name of politics and vote getting. Except that the NDP is no good at brokerage, flip flop wishy washy “brokerage” politics. The Liberals own that type of politicking. The irony, most of the angriest self-righteously indignant voices don’t even vote. They’re part of the hysterical left that are too pure in their politics to play with the rest of us.

I want socialism too, but I want to get there through democracy, truth, and love. Another irony. As I understand it, there is far greater range and intelligence of debate in Israel itself than there is in Canada where two hysterical monologic voices own the podium (to borrow a phrase): the neoCon imperial right and the frightened posturing pure Left. Their common ground: neither are willing to entertain anything other than that which solidifies their ideological moorings, which, yes properly is part of all ideology, but some ideologies could begin from a place of compassion and leave open the possibility of change.

I’ve never been a fan of Rawls, but his notion of public Reason seems relevant here. I mean do we not need to establish some ground rules in the war of ideologies? Or do we abandon thought and rely on passion alone.