CHOICE, OPTIONS, and CHANGE … vs ... SCAREMONGER, FEAR, and PEREMPTORY

Do any of the following words sound dangerous, scary, or unhealthy to you?

CHOICE … OPTIONS … CHANGE

In looking at the definitions ascribed to them by Merriam Webster, ‘CHOICE’, ‘OPTIONS’, and ‘CHANGE’ certainly don’t sound dangerous, scary, or unhealthy, as you will note by the following:

Definition of the word CHOICE

… the act of choosing … power of choosing

… a number and variety to choose among

… care in selecting

Definition of the word OPTIONS

… an act of choosing

… the right to choose (freedom of choice)

Definition of the word CHANGE

… to make different in some particular

… to give a different position, course, or direction

… to replace with another

… to make a shift from one to another

… to undergo a modification

To those who believe in a democratic society the words Choice, Options, or Change should never be considered to be scary … instead I think that most would consider them to be healthy.

Those four things stand out to me, as having clear direction … a vision so to speak … of what government should do, and the role it should play in our society

I woke up on Sunday evening with the word “Vision” going through my mind.  Of course it was attached to something that is often on my mind, which is politics.  I believe that in BC we have suffered from a lack of elected officials, and leaders, that have had a real sense of vision on what our province can be for us, and the future it can hold for our children and grandchildren.

But first … what does the word ‘vision’ actually mean?  Here are just a few descriptions:

• a thought, concept, or object formed by the imagination
• the act or power of imagination
• mode of seeing or conceiving
• unusual discernment or foresight (a person of vision)

Each of the three main political parties in BC has a vision of how they would govern – and if you are interested you can see what they have to say by visiting their websites.  The one that has resonated for me has been the direction, and vision, presented by the BC Conservative Party.

The first four guiding principles of the BC Conservative Party say it will be guided by the following principles:

1. A belief in clearly defined public policies and programs that are affordable and effective and for which delivery is accountable to all the people of British Columbia.
2. A belief in managing the government to the highest standards of integrity and transparency and British Columbians are entitled to full knowledge of services rendered and their costs.
3. A belief in the rights and responsibilities of all British Columbians and that Governments at all levels are responsible to serve and respect all individuals and their families, including freedom from unnecessary laws and regulations and excessive government.
4. A belief that Members of the Legislative Assembly are primarily responsible to represent the interests of their Constituents.

Those four things stand out to me, as having clear direction … a vision so to speak … of what government should do, and the role it should play in our society.

Can the word ‘progressive’ be used in context with being a conservative?

Yesterday, a friend messaged me to say, “I wish people of our political stripe would quit using the term "progressive" because in political parlance it means ultra-left wing.”

He then went on to provide the following description of “progressive” as:

… (of taxation or a tax) increasing as a proportion of the sum taxed as that sum increases : steeply progressive income taxes.

… (of a card game or dance) involving a series of sections for which participants successively change place or relative position.

… archaic engaging in or constituting forward motion.

… (of a group, person, or idea) favoring or implementing social reform or new, liberal ideas : a relatively progressive governor.

Leadership means putting the best ideas to work

YES … putting the word ‘progressive’ together WITH ‘conservative’ generally is NOT a good plan, and in fact one could end up with an "Oxymoron" … and as he said, heavy emphasis on ‘moron’.

That said however, in context, and with a comma after the word ‘progressive’, and before ‘conservative’, it can also mean being open-minded (that's good), as well as making use of (or interested in) new ideas, findings, or opportunities.

Misleading the public isn't the same as lying … but it sure comes close

BC New Democratic Party leader Adrian Dix

"I'm going to be bold," he (Adrian Dix) told the NDP convention in Vancouver.  "But I'm going to be modest in my agenda, recognizing that we cannot accomplish everything in the first term of government."

Vancouver Province opinion writer, Michael Smyth, called that ...  “confident, or overconfident”.   

Smyth then went on to say that, “… before Dix starts campaigning for a second term in office, he's under increasing pressure to say what he would do in the first one, and how he would pay for it. How much would that cost? He didn't say, though he repeated a promise to hike corporate taxes to help pay for it.”