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The theme of The Great Divide is that the populations of the democratic world, from Boston to Berlin, Vancouver to Venice, are becoming increasingly divided from within, due to a growing ideological incompatibility between modern liberalism and conservatism. This is partly due to a complex mutation in the concept of liberal democracy itself, and the resulting divide is now so wide that those holding to either philosophy on a whole range of topics: on democracy, on reason, on abortion, on human nature, on homosexuality and gay marriage, on freedom, on the role of courts … and much more, can barely speak with each other without outrage (the favorite emotional response from all sides). Clearly, civil conversation at the surface has been failing – and that could mean democracy is failing.This book is an effort to deepen the conversation. It is written for the non-specialist, and aims to reveal the less obvious underlying ideological forces and misconceptions that cause the conflict and outrage at the surface – not with any expectation the clash of values will evaporate, but rather that a deeper understanding will generate a more intelligent and civil conversation. As an aid to understanding, the book contains a handful of Tables directly comparing modern liberal and conservative views across a range of fundamental moral and political “issues” so that curious readers can answer the book’s main question: “Where Do You Stand?” An interesting result in testing this exercise has been the number of people who find they “think” one way, but “live” another.

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Two decades ago <i>The Trouble with Canada</i> sparked a conservative renewal and inspired a generation.<br><br>Now, in this completely revised update, William D. Gairdner rejoins the battle, showing that Canada suffered a disturbing regime change in the last quarter of the twentieth century and is now caught between two irreconcilable styles of government: top-down collectivism and bottom-up individualism.<br><br>The result is a regime besotted with high taxation and big government, a welfare culture that rewards laziness, and a hug-a-thug mentality that betrays justice.<br><br>In <i>The Trouble with Canada … Still!</i> Gairdner puts familiar topics under a searing new light, and recent issues, such as immigration, diversity, and corruption of the law, are confronted head on, yielding many startling – and sure to be controversial – conclusions. This book is a clarion call to arms for Canada to examine and renew itself before it is too late.

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For more than two decades, William D. Gairdner has been a major voice from the conservative resistance, primarily through his bestselling books <i>The Trouble with Canada . . . Still</i>, <i>The War Against the Family,</i> and <i>The Trouble with Democracy</i>. <br><br>Now, in this new book, his passionate, probing, and provocative intellect is hard at work, ranging over hot button issues of the day in the spheres of culture, the family, politics, and science. His quick-hit, entertaining, and rousing chapters include «Late Night Thoughts on Equality,» «Baby Seals and Babies,» «Mourning Marriage,» and «Six Types of Freedom.» Here's what the famous conservative thinker William F. Buckley Jr. said about Gairdner's original publication of <i>The Trouble with Canada</i>: «His mobilizing passion wonderfully animates an analytical precision that should be the reason for a national – binational – celebration.»

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