Bringing Classical Liberalism to South London
We were recently joined from the United States by Lisa Ekman, author of Deprogramming Democrats & unEducating the Elites: How I Escaped the Progressive Cult. Here is Part 2 of our wide ranging interview with Lisa.
Find out more about Lisa and the book at https://deprogrammingdemocrats.com. Purchase from Amazon at:
We were recently joined from the United States by Lisa Ekman, author of Deprogramming Democrats & unEducating the Elites: How I Escaped the Progressive Cult. Here is Part 1 of our wide ranging interview with Lisa.
Find out more about Lisa and the book at https://deprogrammingdemocrats.com. Purchase from Amazon at:
When Douglas Adams wrote about the bureaucratic and officious Vogon in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, I can only assume he had just experienced passport control at Entebbe International Airport, the airport for Kampala. Once navigated, I met-up with the hotel driver.
As a former British Protectorate, Uganda reassuringly drives on the correct side of the road. You might not be aware of this when you see the ubiquitous motorcycles traveling the roads, but broadly they do. The driver pointed out we were on a Chinese built highway, the tolls from which would apparently go back to China for 50 years. The original roads still existed and were busier but for those who paid (the hotel driver chose the route) this was by far the quicker option. This has always struck me as a good way of getting roads built in the UK. With no money in the Treasury, we could upgrade our network with private enterprise to fund toll roads for those willing to pay. In what was a theme, once he had established I wasn’t American, the driver wanted to talk football, and about his love of Arsenal.
“Armed guards at the front of every major building and indeed my hotel, didn’t fill one with a sense of confidence”
Growing up next door to a Ugandan Asian family, like many my first thought of Uganda is of Idi Amin. Amin ruled the country from 1971 to 1979, despite his relatively short period of rule, and its ending over 45 years ago, the shadow of his time can still be felt. Uganda has one of the fastest growing economies in Africa, at about 6% per annum. Kampala the capital, however, feels part of a chaotic country. Armed guards at the front of every major building and indeed my hotel, didn’t fill one with a sense of confidence. Also as pre-warned the safety evident in Kigali is not readily felt here.
The new morning brought about a tour of some major sites and a chance to experience rush hour traffic. It is unfair to compare most countries roads with the UK which are some of the safest in the world. I am used to countries where people drive in a more disorderly fashion, however this is normally done at a slow or at least slower speed than we tend to drive in the UK. In Kampala the omnipresent motorcycles drive not only with little concern for the rules of the road, but they drive at speed!
“The people I met were overwhelmingly polite and friendly, but my tour driver told me not to open the windows in busy places”
Peoples Christianity and Islamic faiths are very openly displayed here, given the risk from traffic, I can fully understand this. The people I met were overwhelmingly polite and friendly, but my tour driver told me not to open the windows in busy places. I noticed when we stopped in traffic, he and other drivers would make sure the central locking was engaged.
Kampala has stark contrasts between modern high rises, more historic buildings, low rise small business blocks and areas that have the look of shanty towns. At one point on our tour, Google maps was telling the driver to turn onto a new road, one that I could see displayed on the map. “Road”, interesting terminology to describe the deep ditched mud path in front of me. This was not in the countryside or even the suburbs, this was half a mile from the British and Rwandan High Commissions in the centre of the city.
“I encountered some of the friendliest and open people I have ever met. The markets are crowded and full of people wanting a sale but also contain some amazing fresh fruit and great conversations”
A walking tour gave a great opportunity to see more of the city up close. One guide was keen to point out you must never trust a zebra crossing in Africa, and once you learnt to navigate them having three motorcycles driving at you from two different directions was not so concerning! My experience was Ugandans are outwardly tough, the Luganda language spoken by locals appears brusque. Yet also I encountered some of the friendliest and open people I have ever met. The markets are crowded and full of people wanting a sale but also contain some amazing fresh fruit and great conversations. One market I visited was full of second-hand clothes, originated in western countries and transported by the Red Cross. I was told the number of donated clothes overwhelms those in need, and these are often meant to be burned but make their way via criminals to the markets. I personally thought this was a great use of the clothes, as someone who has donated my share of old cloth, why not let someone make a few bob from it. I would hope they can find a way to take out the criminals and let some free enterprise flourish.
Arriving during an election period (local and a general election are being held in January 2026 and have a long run in), provided an opportunity to learn about the local politics. Uganda however is not a place it’s wise to ask too deeply about political leanings. The country has a president who is both head of state and head of government. Yoweri Museveni (M7 as he is known) has been the president since 1986. The Parliament of 557 members is elected with a mix of constituency, woman only, and other group representatives. Freedom of the press is limited, although both online and in the street, I did see papers appearing to criticise the government.
Still, it was interesting to see the election posters adorn many of the streets for both national and local elections. The posters make politics appear more straightforward than in the UK with many candidates calling for a ‘Protest Vote’ and a range of parties running including one straightforwardly called the Peasants Party. One driver I asked told me the election campaigns were everywhere, with occasions of people fighting each other. He went on to say he didn’t get political and “as long as the country is peaceful, I’m good”. Uganda has never had a peaceful transition of power, and perhaps the best summary came from a visit to the statue of Luhondeza. He was the first gorilla who, with his family group, allowed people to get close to take photos. This action (or rather his lack of it) opened tourism to large parts of Uganda. It is said he has done more for the people of Uganda than any president had.
Central Kampala has a very distinct uptown district, full of shops apparently only government officials can afford to use and a clearly poorer but more colourful downtown area. I was told getting a good job “is not easy, you have to be connected. Someone in the Government has to know you”. You also need to speak 3 languages, the local language Luganda, used for business and most interactions. Swahili, spoken by the Army and used for unity within it’s ranks and to connect with other East African armed forces, and finally English.
Some interesting discoveries for me included the separately owned Catholic and Anglican banks, used by their respective communities. Strange though this may seem, it was not so long ago here, that this distinction was common for the Royal Bank of, and Bank of Scotland. It’s important to show respect to your elders, when arranging a taxi for me my guide needed to chat to the elderly taxi drivers for a while to show them some respect before passing them business. One of the things you notice is what a young country this is, with a ‘old’ building being pointed out to me from 1930, and an ‘old’ market from the early 1900s. I visited the historic site of the Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs, Namugongo, where 25 martyrs were killed for refusing to renounce their Christianity. An event that happened only in 1885.
“Despite being a republic, Uganda has at least 5 kingdoms. Kampala is in the largest and the one the country gets its name from, ‘Buganda'”
No visit to Kampala is complete without a stop at the Gaddafi National Mosque, yes that Gaddafi. The National Mosque of Uganda as it is also known, has a capacity of 25,000 (although not for the first time what I was told and what I can verify online differs). Opened in 2008, work was started in 1972 by Idi Amin, stopped in 1976, and in the early 2000s Colonel Gaddafi picked up the effort to complete the build. Sitting on Kampala Hill and with a 272-step minaret it can be seen from many vantage points across the city.
Despite being a republic, Uganda has at least 5 kingdoms. Kampala is in the largest and the one the country gets its name from, ‘Buganda’. The Kingdom has had 36 Kings in an 800 year period, and old Kings, are said not to have died, but only, to have gotten lost. The first son never becomes King but is instead an advisor to the second son who takes on the role. The Kabaka Palace, located in the city and modelled on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, looks down to the Kingdoms Parliament. The road between the two buildings has a prominent roundabout with a gate used only by the Kings car. The King is said to only go in straight lines, and as such he needs a path through the roundabout.
The Palace, and Kingdom has been part of many political events since independence, but now they are ceremonial, and the Parliament discusses only cultural issues. My guide was trying to explain that although she is Ugandan, she sees her main identity as Bugandan, with her Ugandan identity being secondary. She had thought these multiple identities might be difficult for someone who is both an Englishman and a Brit to grasp.
Sadly, part of the history of the Palace was the site serving as the torture chambers for Idi Amin. Milton Obote was the second and seventh President of Uganda. His first period of office, and his actions towards the opposition was so bad people initially celebrated when Idi Amin overthrew him. I asked a guide if he was any different the second time, the guide said yes, as the second time “he had grudges”. Still Amin was by far worse, the small concrete basements in the Palace grounds would hold 100 people in them. The last one of which would have people piled up to die, to make room for more to come in. In this you could see the marks of people clawing to get out on the walls. It is believed some 25,000 people died in these chambers, just some of the 100,000 – 500,000 people who were killed by his period in power. Despite this some people in Uganda still think he was a good leader, although these are apparently mainly the families of those who were given the businesses of the Asians who he expelled.
“these very slums reflect the rapid urban growth and increased prosperity of the country”
The Kampala metropolitan area of ~8 million people is a crazy, busy city. People in bright modern clothes can be seen exiting slum housing, but these very slums reflect the rapid urban growth and increased prosperity of the country. The number of motorcycles (and I might add repair shops) indicates the level of industriousness in the country. Hopefully the economic progress can be coupled with some political progress for a more stable and peaceful future.
First impressions count they say, well my first impression of travelling to Kigali International Airport impressed. So many countries could learn a thing or two from their arrivals. Exiting the plane, you are straight to passport control, which is staffed sufficiently for the number of arrivals. Once through, bags arrived quickly, and you are straight through customs to exit with hotel pick-up drivers waiting and a taxi rank nearby.
I appreciate the numbers through an airport matter for this. But not having to walk miles through an airport or to a taxi rank positioned as far as possible from arriving passengers is quite the pleasant surprise. It’s almost as if making people feel welcome is, welcoming. One thing to add, Rwanda has a closed currency with the Rwandan Franc not readily available to purchase overseas. So, at the exit of the airport they have a bureau de change, handily positioned to remind those of us about to walkout with no local currency.
“On the journey into the city, we quickly bonded over the international language of football”
Hotel pick-up was smooth and as my first trip to Rwanda the driver and greeter were keen to speak with me. On the journey into the city, we quickly bonded over the international language of football. The driver was a Liverpool fan, and the greeter was a Manchester City one. Both were suitably impressed I had a Crystal Palace season ticket. They were keen to talk about Arsenal, one of the majorly supported clubs in the country. Also, one who advertise ‘Visit Rwanda’ on their shirt. We spoke about who might contend for the league title this year, and all laughed at Manchester United, the other majorly supported club in Rwanda.
The extent to which European but especially Premier League football is followed here is astonishing. English football (along with the odd Barcelona and Bayer Munich) shirts are commonplace to see in the streets. All my guides on tours spoke to me about football after finding out I was from England. The hotel restaurant I was staying at had constant reruns of Premier League matches. The laughing at Man U became a theme. Including with the guide who as a Man U fan felt deeply embarrassed by their lack of success in recent years.
“I also wanted to be somewhere where the economy was on the up and people looked forward to a brighter future, so getting out of Labour’s Britain was a must!”
You might wonder what took me to Rwanda. Well, I fancied a city break. No gorillas in the mist or safari for me. I wanted to see a rapidly developing city in an economically growing state. With the capital being voted a top 3 city for travellers in Africa, and a country with the continents 6th fastest growth rate at ~8%, Kigali fitted the bill. I also wanted to be somewhere where the economy was on the up and people looked forward to a brighter future, so getting out of Labour’s Britain was a must!
Whenever I visit a country, I like to find out a little about the local politics. Given the tragic events of the early 90s, here one must tread carefully. On the journey to the hotel, I was already being regaled about what a great man the President, Paul Kagame is. On arrival at the hotel the Presidents picture was centred above the check-in desk. On two subsequent tours the guides were keen to tell me what a good government they had and how it was focused on Security, Education and Health.
It’s worth noting Wikipedia states “Rwanda has low corruption levels relative to most other African countries; in 2014, Transparency International ranked Rwanda as the fifth-cleanest out of 47 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and 55th-cleanest out of 175 in the world.”
My general impression was that there is much love and respect for the President. Still, it’s important to say, Rwanda is an authoritarian, de facto one-party state. I could read about this and criticism of the government on the internet from my hotel room. This is something, post the Online Safety Act, I’m less sure about in the UK. However, given the events of the genocide in April 1994, one can understand why many of the people of Rwanda are keen to have strong, stable government.
“Rush hours see busy roads full of taxi motorcycles. These dart around seemingly driving at anyone and anything until it moves!”
One of the immediate impressions was the youth and vibrancy of Rwanda. The median age at 20 years old is a full 20 years younger than the average age in the UK. Rush hours see busy roads full of taxi motorcycles. These dart around seemingly driving at anyone and anything until it moves! Another immediate impression is how green the city is. Houses rather than blocks of flats are the main accommodation, and the main streets are tree lined.
“Women would walk down the street carrying heavy loads on their heads with a mobile phone in hand. Mobile phones were everywhere, and the country seems to run off ‘WhatsApp’”
Kigali is named after the largest hill in the area. It is all hills, and the views are amazing from almost any point. The outdoor feel and developing nature of the city, made it to me seem somewhat of a cross section between Goa and a Spanish island. Murals are commonplace often reflecting on the rebuilding post genocide. The mix of old and new was all around. Driving down the modern roads you often see a street cleaner brushing away the sands and earth with a very traditional brush akin to a witch’s broom. Women would walk down the street carrying heavy loads on their heads with a mobile phone in hand. Mobile phones were everywhere, and the country seems to run off ‘WhatsApp’. This was how all my tour guides contacted me, and whose logo was used on many a shop and even for the hotels lift maintenance. Although I had mobile data, Wi-Fi was commonly available.
The streets were safe to walk, although I did attract some attention in the downtown and market areas. This was unsurprisingly less true in the areas frequented by ex-pats. Although the country has rapid growth, my impression was alongside unemployment, there is a fair amount of underemployment. On a brief visit outside the city, you could see a drop in wealth. Motorcycle taxis turned into bicycle taxis, and the streets were full of impressive shop fronts to not so impressive buildings. This compared to a city with a mix of very modern and older but still good conditioned buildings. All this said, I saw none of the slums I’ve seen in other developing nations but did see lots of new building work and rapid development.
“The music in them blended seamlessly between western and African tunes. The short walks between bars were along what felt like very safe streets with taxis if needed, readily available”
An organised tour of some of the nightlife took in a few spots. All were more like Mediterranean restaurants with entertainment, than like a pub in the UK. The music in them blended seamlessly between western and African tunes. The short walks between bars were along what felt like very safe streets with taxis if needed, readily available. The only challenge was the steep hills, made no easier by the cheap and strong drink available.
Sadly, no visit to Rwanda is complete without visiting some of the memorials of the genocide from the early 90s. It’s worth first noting some background on the country. Rwanda is populated by Bantu peoples who are believed to have arrived in the area about 1000 BC. Originally the people were organised into clans with countries beginning to emerge in the 1600s. The Kingdom of Rwanda emerged as the dominant state and reached its greatest extent during the 19th century.
The Berlin Conference of 1884 assigned the territory to the German Empire, although the first European to cross Rwanda didn’t do so until 10 years later. In World War 1 Belgian invaded Rwanda, and from 1922 ruled under League of Nations mandate. During the colonial period Rwanda was ruled though its monarchy which continued until a referendum voted for its abolition in 1961, a year before its independence from Belgium.
“I neither have the knowledge or desire to write extensively about the genocide in 94. I will however mention a few of the sad memories I will take away”
Rwanda’s relationship with Belgium is complex, many in the country speak French and the memorial to the Belgium UN Peacekeepers in Kigali is well respected. There are also some Belgium cultural references around. However diplomatic relations were severed in March this year over actions in the Congo.
I neither have the knowledge or desire to write extensively about the genocide in 94. I will however mention a few of the sad memories I will take away. The Ntarama Church Memorial has a stain still on the wall of the Sunday School from the blood of the children whose heads were smashed against it. I was told the militia had felt it was a waste of bullets to shoot the children. Many of the sites had piles of victims clothing still covered in blood, this included clothing of children and babies. One site had 5000 bodies buried in it, with 300 recently added after being discovered earlier this year in a pit, next to the site of a roadblock used in April 94. Another site had 45,000 bodies in it, with 10,000 having been killed on site.
Some of the identifiable remains were in rows of family coffins you were invited to walk down. Many were not identified as the whole families had died. One site had a display cabinet with about 140 skulls on display where you could see the club, arrow, and machete marks that had killed them. The Kigali Genocide Memorial had pictures of those mutilated, the worst being those of the children on a looping video which no one I saw, me included, could stomach to watch all of.
“The MDR, one of the major political factions in Rwanda at the time had a motto of “Death or life. We will triumph”. As I said, the warning signs were there”
The stories of the events leading up to the genocide gave me many thoughts to ponder a few of which are below:
“my break wasn’t about the past. It was about seeing a burgeoning city of today with a bright future”
However, my break wasn’t about the past. It was about seeing a burgeoning city of today with a bright future. The untold story of the 21st Century has been the massive economic boom seen in Africa. Rwanda is very much part of that. Kigali International is a major hub airport for the region, and various conversations suggested there is a lot of trade and personal connections with nearby countries.
My one concern was how much change was government led. My impression was there was more room for private enterprise to keep growing the economy. If current growth rates are sustained in 10 years, the economy will have double in size. Rwandans are proud of the rebuilding their country has undergone and the high level of safety in the country. It would be great to make a future trip to see that progress. For now, however, next stop Kampala.
A pro-market, pro-merit, pro-freedom and pro-Indic civilization party, the Libertarian Party of India is promoting a vision of freedom to the world’s largest democracy. We spoke with one of their representatives.
“We are acutely aware of all the untapped potential lying wasted in the country with its demographics, geographic location and natural resources”
Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us a bit about your party?
I am Tushar. I along with my mates were frustrated by the level of discourse going in India. We are acutely aware of all the untapped potential lying wasted in the country with its demographics, geographic location and natural resources. Libertarian ideas found resonance and offered a solution to our situation. Hence, we being of the entrepreneurial mindset decided to start the party. It started a year ago March 28th it started with just a website, few friends and an X handle. Within a year we are at 3 million impression of X and 3 million on Instagram. Each day new people who share our story follow us, contact us. They are from diverse fields and know things can be better with a libertarian system put in place replacing current socialist system.
“Ours is a federal system in constitution but unitary in practice. Hence our towns and municipalities do not have the sufficient resources or say in day to day functioning of civic life”
What do you see as the major challenges facing India and what policies is the party championing?
The biggest challenge we are facing right now is the over centralisation of power. Ours is a federal system in constitution but unitary in practice. Hence our towns and municipalities do not have the sufficient resources or say in day to day functioning of civic life. All these accusations flung at India being misgoverned is an bug of unitary system (similar to Ireland) than something intrinsic to the country. We have always been a strong country but a weak state. This over centralisation of power is an historical aberration and needs to be corrected.
“Free speech is essential for a free civilized society, power imbalances are managed by constant questioning and expressing diverse viewpoints”
If you could introduce policies to change just 3 things in India, what would they be?
Our top 3 Policies are:
Decentralisation – greater authority and budget allocation to municipalities to solve problems and experiment with solutions with people’s feedback.
Deregulation – reducing the scope of bureaucratic corruption and government (politician) intervention in the economy to let free markets operate and offer solutions to people’s problems. This will also lead to reducing tax burden which will eventually be replaced with voluntary contributions and fundraising.
Free Speech and Right to Self Defence. Free speech is essential for a free civilized society, power imbalances are managed by constant questioning and expressing diverse viewpoints. The related aspect of free speech is right to self-defence via arms because it’s human to take offense to different opinions but there needs to be some deterrence to ensure that the discourse continues to remain civil additionally voter lottery elects tyrants time to time it’s important to ensure that people can push back.
How can people find out more about what the party is up to?
We have website at http://libertarianparty.in, we can also be found on X at @libertypartyind and on Instagram at @libertypartyind. We have done a podcast series to get into more details about our ideas available at https://x.com/libertypartyind/status/1891576101484322879?t=YlyUt2L2Nnzjt071ibdo8g&s=19.
The party have also set out a vision of India’s future in an article at https://libertarianparty.in/vision-of-india-2040-a-libertarian-utopia.
With a general election in Canada being held on April 28. David Sabine is the Libertarian Party candidate for the riding of Airdrie—Cochrane. We spoke with David about his decision to stand.
“I am putting my name on the ballot to amplify voices who believe our federal government is too big, too costly, and too corrupt”
Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us what made you decide to run?
I’m David Sabine, running for the Libertarian Party in Canada in the riding of Airdrie-Cochrane, a region near Calgary, Alberta. This western province is known for its rugged landscapes and its energy, agriculture, and forestry sectors. I’ve worked as a management consultant across Canada and beyond, earning degrees from the University of Regina and Arizona State University. I am putting my name on the ballot to amplify voices who believe our federal government is too big, too costly, and too corrupt.
“Albertans, known for their industrious and family-oriented spirit, value their freedom to run businesses and live independently. They’re troubled by Canada’s shift toward authoritarianism”
You’re the candidate for Airdrie—Cochrane. What are the main concerns in the area?
Airdrie-Cochrane faces intense strain from mass immigration driven by Justin Trudeau’s lax border policies — labelled “out of control” even by his own ministers. Albertans, known for their industrious and family-oriented spirit, value their freedom to run businesses and live independently. They’re troubled by Canada’s shift toward authoritarianism, with steep taxes, market interference, and declining rights like free speech and property ownership.
Federal mismanagement, mounting debt, and trade restrictions strike this region hard, where energy and enterprise fuel the economy. Alberta is a resource-rich province and clashes with Ottawa, the federal capital, sending massive “equalization” payments to other regions while facing Ottawa’s aggressive climate policies that throttle local industry.
Separatist tensions, simmering for over a century, are boiling over, with growing daily demands for Alberta’s Premier to hold a referendum on breaking away from Canada.
“cut the power of the administrative state, reduce bureaucratic bloat, end government debt, and enable citizens to shape their own prosperous future”
What do you see as the major issues more widely in Canada and if elected what do you hope to champion?
Libertarian-leaning voters in Airdrie-Cochrane are alarmed by Canada’s authoritarian drift characterized by excessive taxation, market intervention, the erosion of property and civil rights, and an ever-expanding censorship regime. Canadian author, Margaret Atwood, criticized Justin Trudeau and his Liberal party’s “creeping totalitarianism” — the root cause of Canada’s economic fragility and societal division.
Canada’s federal government is too big, too expensive, and meddles too much in provincial jurisdiction. Past Liberal and Conservative regimes have overreached as morality police, selectively enforcing laws to push specific ideologies. A Libertarian in Parliament would influence policy to cut the power of the administrative state, reduce bureaucratic bloat, end government debt, and enable citizens to shape their own prosperous futures.
Canada’s self-inflicted barriers, like interprovincial trade restrictions, pipeline bans, and supply management, inflate costs for essentials and trap consumers. Libertarians propose dismantling these barriers in pursuit of principled free trade with all countries. The Libertarian approach rejects central economic planning favouring individual liberty and economic freedom.
Canada’s economic hardship stems from Liberal mismanagement and their socialist base — trillion+ in debt, overregulation, and policies that stifling growth. The growing calls for separation in Alberta and Quebec underscore this fracture. Given our natural resources and adjacency to the largest economies on Earth, Canadians should be prosperous, resilient, creative, thriving!
How can people find out more or get involved in the campaign?
Visit https://www.libertarian.ca/david_sabine to learn more about me and our Libertarian platform.
With a general election in Canada being held on April 28. Alex Joehl is the Libertarian Party candidate for the riding of Langley Township-Fraser Heights. We spoke with Alex about his decision to stand.
“I feel strongly that there should be a principled, liberty candidate on every ballot in the country… I can at least give the voters of Langley Township-Fraser Heights that option”
Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us what made you decide to run?
I’m a husband and a father, but when you do a Google search of my name they call me a Politician.
I studied Journalism after high school, and though I no longer work in the media industry, my time at college helped shape who I became as a young man. After learning about this history of western economics and philosophy I began to realize that I was a Classic Liberal and immediately began to seek out a political party that shared my views.
I found the Libertarian Party of Canada and in 2008 I ran for office for the first time, under the LPoC banner in Surrey-North. I finished sixth out of nine candidates, garnering 347 votes (1%), and I was hooked on the democratic process. Only by putting myself on the ballot could I guarantee that there would be an option I could vote for in good conscience.
Since then, I’ve run federally three times, provincially three times, and ran locally for Mayor, for Councillor, and for School Board Trustee. I’ve never been elected but that has not deterred me. In 2023 I was selected to be the Leader of the British Columbia Libertarian Party (provincial). Even though we did not elect any candidates, we had the fourth-highest vote total of all parties.
I decided to run this time around because, well, somebody has to. I feel strongly that there should be a principled, liberty candidate on every ballot in the country, and while I can’t do that on my own, I can at least give the voters of Langley Township-Fraser Heights that option.
“Langley is one of the fastest growing municipalities in the country, so naturally a lot of the concerns revolve around infrastructure”
You’re the candidate for Langley Township-Fraser Heights. What are the main concerns in the area?
This is a brand new Electoral District this year. It encompasses a large portion of the Township of Langley and party of Surrey north of the Trans Canada Highway.
Langley is one of the fastest growing municipalities in the country, so naturally a lot of the concerns revolve around infrastructure. As the region grows in population the access to healthcare has not increased, and our public monopoly on healthcare has garnered horrific results, with thousands of Canadians dying each year while waiting for diagnostic tests, for treatments, or even just to see a specialist.
“the governments’ incessant deficit spending puts the nation further into debt, while also inflating the money supply”
Finances are a hot topic obviously — it is very difficult (if not impossible) to purchase a home without some sort of “Bank of Mom & Dad” contribution. Many people are struggling to keep up with their bills — Two-thirds are $200 away from not being able to meet their monthly commitments, and Canada has the highest personal debt in the Western world. Meanwhile, the banks keep benefiting from fractional reserve lending, watering down people’s purchasing power, and the governments’ incessant deficit spending puts the nation further into debt, while also inflating the money supply.
Yet, all we hear about in the news is Tariffs, Tariffs, and more Tariffs, as the U.S. president is challenging our economy with his protectionist policies. Yes, these are important to discuss, but Canadians are being harmed much worse in more ways that we can actually control and undue.
What do you see as the major issues more widely in Canada and if elected what do you hope to champion?
Canadians need to wake up to the source of all of our struggles – the Bank of Canada tinkers with our economy with artificial interest rates and enabling government overspending by monetizing their deficits. And the private banks thrive within the environment that allows them to add to their balance sheets without deposits to back up the credit they lend out.
“our healthcare system is broken, and we need to immediately make it legal for Canadians to obtain the best care they can acquire”
Meanwhile, our healthcare system is broken, and we need to immediately make it legal for Canadians to obtain the best care they can acquire. Canadians should not have to leave the province, or the country, to get timely, appropriate care for their maladies. Currently only a select few — which includes the federal police force and prisoners — are allowed to access healthcare outside the public system. I want to extend that to all Canadians by scrapping the Canada Health Act and extending what the province of Quebec won in the Chaoulli v. Quebec court ruling to the rest of the provinces.
I’d love to see tax reform because, after all, Taxation is Theft, our Foreign Policy needs to be drastically scaled back, and Firearms Rights need to be addressed.
But we can’t fix those other problems when our ability to save and pay for things are being challenged by government policy and people are dying waiting for a doctor visit.
“I am always looking for volunteers to help evangelize the message of liberty with me, so if anyone has some time to share, get in touch”
How can people find out more or get involved in the campaign?
This 2025 federal campaign will be finished as fast as it started. The new Prime Minister called an election and allowed for the smallest window for the campaign. There will only be three weeks between when I am confirmed as a candidate and the final election date.
Visit my website www.AlexJoehl.com for some unique content, and there you’ll find other ways to contact me, including email and my social media accounts.
I am always looking for volunteers to help evangelize the message of liberty with me, so if anyone has some time to share, get in touch with me and we can figure out how you can assist! Donations will not be accepted this time around, but hopefully a future campaign will be set up early enough to fundraise and mobilize some freedom fighters.
With a general election in Canada being held on April 28. Justin Leroux is the Libertarian Party candidate for the riding of Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt. We spoke with Justin about his decision to stand.
“I refuse to stand by while families suffer and the promise of our nation crumbles. For me, running is not just a choice—it’s a civic duty”
Can you introduce yourself to our readers and tell us what made you decide to run?
My name is Justin Leroux. I was born in Sudbury and raised in North Bay from the age of seven. I completed high school there and studied World Religions and Philosophy at university, initially preparing to become either a priest or a pathologist.
During high school, I completed a priestly assessment at the request of our Bishop. Although I passed, he encouraged me to gain more life experience and truly learn what I wanted to understand. That led me to study the essence of what it means to be human—through both spiritual and secular perspectives. Toward the end of my first year at university, I felt called to serve in the funeral profession, so I moved to Toronto to study at Humber College and began working at one of the city’s historic funeral homes, serving families of all cultures and beliefs.
I’ve since worked across Ontario, including as an assistant manager in Midland and later managing three funeral homes near New Liskeard. My time in funeral service was always centred on advocacy—supporting grieving families through hospitals, with municipalities, and sometimes even in discussions with medical professionals.
Following a back injury, I transitioned into IT services. Today, I run my own consulting business, helping funeral homes modernise and adapt to an ever-changing world. But throughout my life—whether in the funeral profession or IT—I’ve always noticed inefficiency, injustice, and above all else… waste. The sheer amount of it in our government is staggering. Our country throws money at problems it often creates, while families here at home go hungry, neglected.
I realised that so many of the issues we face are the result of artificial dependencies created by government overreach. I’ve lived by libertarian principles long before I even knew there was a name for them. I’m running because I cannot watch Canada continue down this road. I refuse to stand by while families suffer and the promise of our nation crumbles. For me, running is not just a choice—it’s a civic duty. When good people stay silent, the status quo persists. I want to be part of the solution.
“the cost of living has skyrocketed. In just a few years, prices have risen so dramatically that to call it “inflation” feels like a disservice to the lived reality of our people”
You’re the candidate for Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt. What are the main concerns in the area?
This riding covers a vast geographic area and many diverse communities—farming villages, mining towns, and places that once thrived on forestry but are still reeling from the closure of their mills.
Despite the diversity, the concerns I hear across the riding are remarkably consistent.
Affordability is top of mind. Whether it’s groceries, petrol, baby formula, or heating fuel, the cost of living has skyrocketed. In just a few years, prices have risen so dramatically that to call it “inflation” feels like a disservice to the lived reality of our people. Residents are working harder than ever but falling further behind.
Housing is another major issue—both in availability and cost. In smaller communities, housing stock is limited, and in larger centres, it’s simply unaffordable. Young families are priced out of homeownership, and even renting can feel like a monthly gamble. Government intervention has made things worse, not better—artificially driving demand while restricting supply through red tape and regulation.
Mining and natural resources are the backbone of our region’s economy, yet federal policy often works against us. Punitive tariffs and excessive regulation discourage local investment, restrict our competitiveness, and allow foreign interests to benefit from resources we should be refining and utilising here in Northern Ontario. We need to stop handicapping our own industries in the name of political optics.
Lastly, there’s a deep frustration with bureaucracy and disconnection. Many residents feel abandoned by Ottawa—governed by decision-makers who have never set foot in our communities. It’s time for a local voice that understands not just our challenges, but our potential.
What do you see as the major issues more widely in Canada, and if elected, what do you hope to champion?
Across Canada, we’re facing a crisis of identity. We’ve lost sight of individual responsibility and community-based solutions in favour of sprawling bureaucracy and centralised control. We’ve traded freedom for promises of security—and now find ourselves with neither.
“If elected, I will champion policies that decentralise power, cut waste, and restore individual freedom and accountability“
Healthcare is failing—not because of a lack of money, but because of how it’s managed. The system rewards waiting and inefficiency. Housing is unaffordable—not because of capitalism, but because of regulation, land mismanagement, and inflationary monetary policy. And most tragically, our children are inheriting debt and restrictions instead of opportunity.
If elected, I will champion policies that decentralise power, cut waste, and restore individual freedom and accountability. That includes:
“I welcome all feedback, even from those who may not agree with everything I stand for. That’s the beauty of liberty”
How can people find out more or get involved in the campaign?
You can visit nickelbeltlibertarians.ca to learn more about my campaign, platform updates, and upcoming events.
If you’d like to volunteer, share your concerns, or simply have a conversation, there are contact forms available on the site—and I welcome all feedback, even from those who may not agree with everything I stand for. That’s the beauty of liberty.
At the moment, I am few signatures short for my nomination in our riding, I have a way for people to send their signature or collect signatures from others at – Nomination – Nickel Belt Libertarians.
Together, we can restore freedom, responsibility, and dignity in our communities.
Sam Bidwell writes on Argentina’s nascent recovery.
“Milei promised to cut tax and spending, fire government employees, and get the economy moving again. 1 year on, it seems to be working”
In 2023, after decades of turmoil, Argentinians elected maverick libertarian Javier Milei as President. Milei promised to cut tax and spending, fire government employees, and get the economy moving again. 1 year on, it seems to be working.
But first, some context. In the early 20th century, Argentina had one of the highest per capita GDPs in the world – ahead of countries like France and Italy. Thanks to decades of mismanagement, the economy is now in turmoil – in relative terms, it has declined steeply.
In January, year-on-year inflation had soared to an incredible 211 percent. The country’s rapid inflation is largely the result of public spending. For years, the country has run large deficits, despite sluggish growth, in order to appease the public.
When the Government has been unable to cover the costs of this spending, it has borrowed or printed more money – resulting in inflation. For ordinary Argentinians, this has driven up the cost of essential goods and created an environment in which businesses struggle to grow.
Because of this borrowing and printing, the country has entered into a vicious cycle of debt defaults. Since 1980, it has defaulted on its debt five times – with the latest default coming in 2020. This is an incredible decline for one of the world’s most promising economies.
“When the Government has been unable to cover the costs of this spending, it has borrowed or printed more money – resulting in inflation”
Enter Javier Milei.
Milei is an economics professor, and a self-described anarcho-capitalist, who was first elected to Congress in 2021. He is known for his combative style, and for his contempt for the state. Incredibly, he also owns four clones of his beloved dog, Conan.
Milei emerged as a surprise candidate in the October 2023 Presidential race. After a close first-round, Milei beat establishment politician Sergio Massa to triumph in the final ballot, on 19th November 2023. So what has the maverick libertarian achieved so far?
“He’s ending provision of free healthcare to immigrants in Argentina and introduced new fees for foreign university students”
When he took office, the Argentinian state had about 341,000 employees – today, that figure stands at 317,000, with thousands more cuts to come in the next few years. Retained employees have seen pay freezes or cuts.
He’s ended costly subsidies for energy, rent, and transport, while cutting non-essential local government funding. He’s vetoed Congressional plans to introduce an ‘inflation lock’ on pensions in the country, and to increase funding for public universities. And he’s also taken action on immigration.
He’s ending provision of free healthcare to immigrants in Argentina and introduced new fees for foreign university students. He has also proposed plans to automatically deport foreign criminals from the country.
For Milei, Argentina is a country that needs to learn to live within its means, after decades of inflationary borrowing and spending. With inflation under control, the country should be able to win back international investors, and grow the economy.
“For international investors, falling inflation is a sign that Argentina can once again be trusted as a place to spend money and grow businesses”
But is it working?
Well, the country’s budget deficit has finally turned into a surplus – meaning that Argentina has begun to get its debt repayments under control. Month-to-month, the Argentinian government now spends less than its earns, setting the country back on the road to recovery.
As a result, inflation has started to fall. For ordinary Argentinians, the price of everyday goods has begun to stabilise. For international investors, falling inflation is a sign that Argentina can once again be trusted as a place to spend money and grow businesses.
The country’s most important stock index, the S&P MERVAL, tracks the performance of major Argentinian companies. Since Milei took office, the MERVAL has reached record highs – indicating that investors are beginning to return to Argentina.
Meanwhile, the country’s risk profile has begun to fall, meaning that it could soon enjoy the same premiums as its South American neighbours. The country’s bonds have also hit record highs on international markets, again signalling growing investor confidence in the country.
“Milei ended rent controls across the country early in his tenure – and since that time, the supply of apartments in Buenos Aires has risen by 170%, while rents have fallen by 40%”
According to the IMF, Argentina is projected to grow 5% in 2025 and 4.7% in 2026. That’s compared to 3% in neighbouring Brazil, and 2.1% in Chile – signalling that Argentina could truly be about to fulfil its enormous economic potential.
For many ordinary Argentinians, life is beginning to improve. Milei ended rent controls across the country early in his tenure – and since that time, the supply of apartments in Buenos Aires has risen by 170%, while rents have fallen by 40%. As a result, Milei is popular.
Despite his ‘shock therapy’, his party is leading in the polls for the 2025 legislative elections – and his approval rating stands at around 48%. Economic optimism is also on the rise and stands at the highest level since 2015.
Of course, with three years left as President, Milei still has significant challenges ahead of him. Argentina’s incredible “Milei boom” shows what politicians can achieve with sufficient commitment. It also shows us what can happen when the state gets out of the way.
By cutting burdensome regulations, reducing unnecessary spending, and challenging political orthodoxy, Milei looks set to turn around Argentina’s ailing economy. Politicians across the world could learn from Milei’s example – we should all dare to challenge received wisdom.
Reproduced with kind permission of Sam Bidwell, Director of the Next Generation Centre at the Adam Smith Institute, Associate Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, although views are his own. Sam can be found on X/Twitter, on Substack, and can be contacted at s.bidwell.gb@gmail.com. This article was originally published as a X/Twitter Thread at https://x.com/sam_bidwell/status/1866594098964005206
Sam Bidwell writes on Britain’s Overseas Territories.
“the UK hasn’t been self-sufficient in terms of food production since the 1750s – and in the 1930s, only about 30% of food consumed in the UK was produced domestically”
On the 4th October, the UK Government announced that it would hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius The handover puts our strategic interests at risk – but why? An overview of the Overseas Territories, and why they’re so crucial to our security and national interests.
Here is a map of Britain’s Overseas Territories Together, they form a network of staging posts that allows us to defend our interests abroad. But it doesn’t take a genius to notice that most of these territories are not close to the British Isles – so why do they matter?
For centuries now, Britain has been a trading nation, with commercial interests abroad. For example, the UK hasn’t been self-sufficient in terms of food production since the 1750s – and in the 1930s, only about 30% of food consumed in the UK was produced domestically.
Today, we import roughly 40% of our food and 37% of our primary energy sources. This means that we have an interest in the security of key trade routes and shipping lanes. Disruptions to these routes can drive up import costs, meaning higher prices for British consumers.
Even if Britain became more self-sufficient in food and energy production, we would still have overseas interests. Many of our largest businesses rely on their operations abroad to turn a profit. Also, we still need to collect military intelligence, to help us predict threats.
“The Overseas Territories are a crucial part of our efforts to keep trade flowing and exercise influence. For example, Gibraltar sits at the western entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, which accounts for about 15% of all global shipping”
Economic and military influence abroad also gives us a stronger hand when we deal with other countries – which brings us to the Overseas Territories.
The Overseas Territories are a crucial part of our efforts to keep trade flowing and exercise influence. For example, Gibraltar sits at the western entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, which accounts for about 15% of all global shipping. The RAF and Royal Navy both have a presence here, allowing for quick deployment into the Mediterranean or out into the Atlantic.
If the Strait of Gibraltar were disrupted, this would be a disaster for the flow of global trade – and Gibraltar helps Britain to keep it open. The Rock of Gibraltar is also an outpost for intelligence gathering, perfect for transmitting and receiving intel over long distances.
At the other end of the Mediterranean are Britain’s two sovereign base areas on the island of Cyprus, Akrotiri and Dhekelia from the RAF Base at Akrotiri, Britain can maintain influence over the other entrance to the Mediterranean, namely the Suez Canal. Akrotiri also allows Britain to maintain oversight of the volatile Middle East, both in terms of intelligence gathering and in terms of forward military operations. Akrotiri has been crucial in joint US-UK efforts to keep the Red Sea shipping route open despite Houthi attacks.
Ascension Island in the South Atlantic is home to an RAF facility, which was critical to the success of the Falklands War in 1982 It serves as a refuelling point for Royal Navy ships, a signals intelligence hub, and hosts one of the four ground antennas that enables GPS.
Further south are the famous Falkland Islands, now home to RAF Mount Pleasant. While traditionally not of enormous strategic value, a number of companies are now drilling for oil and gas off the coast of the Falklands – which we should be taking advantage of.
“The British base on the islands, Diego Garcia, allows the British military to refuel and restock when travelling between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. It is also ideally located for intelligence gathering”
Of course, the world’s most important shipping lanes are not in the Mediterranean or the South Atlantic – but in Asia. This is precisely why the British presence in the Chagos Islands is so important – it is a staging post for our operations in East Asia and the Persian Gulf.
The British base on the islands, Diego Garcia, allows the British military to refuel and restock when travelling between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. It is also ideally located for intelligence gathering, with easy access to some of the world’s most important theatres.
Diego Garcia complements British military instalments in the Persian Gulf, including our naval support facility in Bahrain, our military logistics centre in Duqm, Oman, and the RAF outpost at Al Udeid, Qatar. These instalments help us to ensure the free flow of oil.
Diego Garcia also complements British military instalments in Southeast Asia, such as naval facility in Sembawang, Singapore and our military base in Brunei. These instalments help us to ensure the free flow of goods from Asia to Europe and vice versa.
“What’s more, Mauritius regards China as a key ally – and is susceptible to Chinese economic influence”
Under the handover deal, Britain retains access to Diego Garcia for another 99 years – but this is a vulnerable position. After all, Mauritius promised that it would honour Britain’s ownership of the Chagos Islands in the 1960s, and reneged within a generation.
What’s more, Mauritius regards China as a key ally – and is susceptible to Chinese economic influence. Naturally, China has an interest in expanding its own ability to influence global trade routes from this key strategic position in the Indian Ocean.
The deal also removes Britain’s ability to use access to Diego Garcia as a bargaining chip when dealing with the United States. Allowing partners to use the Overseas Territories strengthened Britain’s negotiating hand – after all, we could always threaten to take it away.
Of course, not all of our Overseas Territories are of military importance. Caribbean territories like the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, and the Cayman Islands offer favourable tax treatment, and widen access to capital for our financial services sector.
What is certain is that our Overseas Territories are a key part of a self-interested UK foreign policy – giving us military flexibility and influence, leverage over our allies, and the ability to protect key shipping lanes. Handing over the Chagos Islands was a mistake.
Reproduced with kind permission of Sam Bidwell, Director of the Next Generation Centre at the Adam Smith Institute, Associate Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, although views are his own. Sam can be found on X/Twitter, on Substack, and can be contacted at s.bidwell.gb@gmail.com. This article was originally published as a X/Twitter Thread at https://x.com/sam_bidwell/status/1842213433044861296?s=46.
