Elon Musk's departure signals end of DOGE

Elon Musk's reported imminent departure from his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project signals the end in failure of that attempt to limit government.

The Empire Strikes Back | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

April 28, 2025 - "News this week that Elon Musk will soon be departing his 'Department of Government Efficiency' (DOGE) is a grim reminder of what happens when you challenge big spending DC.... President Trump rode into office with the help of Elon Musk’s ambitious plan to cut two trillion dollars in spending and slash useless and bloated government bureaucracies. Opinion polls demonstrated the huge popularity of the 'Department.' Americans were excited when DOGE came to DC.

"The exposure of the real harm being done to the country by agencies like USAID and others reinforced the idea that much of the 'Federal bureaucracy' was simply not needed. Although Musk became a figure of hate for the entrenched special interests, to the large chunk of America forced to pay for Washington’s excesses he became a hero.

Trump and Musk. Composite by Buadh, Wikimedia Commons.

"Many in Congress, seeing its popularity, actively embraced DOGE. Suddenly those who helped us rack up $37 trillion in debt were talking about making huge cuts and posing for photos with Musk. 

"Unfortunately, after the photos were taken and the hoopla had died down, Congress returned to doing what it usually does: nothing. There is no way for a DOGE to succeed without the Legislative Branch enshrining those cuts in legislation. But when the massive 'Big Beautiful' spending bill was introduced, the spending cuts were nowhere to be found.

"In the end it was the Beltway addiction to the global US military empire that may have hammered the final nail in DOGE’s coffin. The 'Big Beautiful' spending bill actually increased military spending even after President Trump hinted that a 50 percent cut was possible. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth bragged about presiding over the 'first' trillion-dollar defense budget. Starting a war on Yemen – at over a billion dollars a month – and saber rattling over Iran are the most obvious evidence that the empire has struck back. And of course the DC hawks want to 'confrontz' China.

"This isn’t the first time a populist, popular movement to tame the Beltway beast was embraced then defeated by that same beast. The 'Tea Party' movement was launched in December, 2007, with volunteers supporting my 2008 Presidential campaign holding a record-breaking 24 hour “money bomb” on the anniversary of the 1773 Boston Tea Party.... The 'money bomb' success got Washington’s attention – money is the lifeblood of the political class – and before too long politicians of all stripes declared themselves to be part of the 'Tea Party'.... But actually cutting government? Not so much.

"The first thing these newly-minted 'Tea Party' members rejected was our demand for an end to the unsustainable, bloated military budget and our aggressive foreign policy. Eventually they backed away from other spending restrictions and within a few years the “brand” was diluted and tossed away.

"What is the lesson here? Is it all futile? Hardly. The popularity of DOGE shows that Americans still want a much smaller government. That is great news, and the country owes a debt of gratitude to Elon for reminding us of this. But until Americans elect Representatives who have the courage to follow through beyond photo-ops, we will sadly continue down the path toward bankruptcy and collapse."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.

Read more: https://ronpaulinstitute.org/the-empire-strikes-back/

Polling shows Canadians sharply divided

Polling on the Canadian general election shows a nation sharply divided by region, by sex, and by age. 

Liberals lead by 5 points over Conservatives in a ‘nation divided between East and West’: Nanos | CTV | Phil Hahn:

April 25, 2025 - "A three-day rolling sample by Nanos Research conducted on April 22-24 has the Liberals at 43 per cent over the Conservatives, who are at 38 per cent nationally. The New Democratic Party is at eight per cent, followed by the Bloc Quebecois (six per cent), Green Party of Canada (three per cent) and the People’s Party of Canada (one per cent).

"It’s a 'nation divided between East and West,' said Nik Nanos.... 

• In Ontario, the Liberals went from a double-digit advantage earlier in the week to seven points and they’re at 47 per cent versus the Conservatives at 40. The NDP is at eight. 
• The Liberals have widened their lead in Quebec and are at 41 compared with the Conservatives at 21. The Bloc Quebecois is in second place at 26 per cent.
• In the Prairies, the Conservatives remain far ahead with 57 per cent of those surveyed backing them, versus 30 for the Liberals. The NDP is at nine. In B.C., the Liberals are at 39 per cent versus 41 per cent for the Conservatives. The NDP is at 13.
• The Liberal lead in the Atlantic region remains strong at 62 per cent versus 34 per cent for the Conservatives. The NDP remains far behind in the region at three per cent....

"A gender breakdown shows women continue to be more likely to vote Liberal than men. 

• Forty-eight per cent of women surveyed said they would support the Liberals, compared with 32 per cent who’d vote Conservative. Eight per cent of women back the NDP. 
• Meanwhile, the number of men who said they would vote Liberal is at 37 per cent, compared with 45 for the Conservatives. Nine per cent of men surveyed would vote NDP.

"The Conservative advantage among voters under 35 continues with 44 per cent of those surveyed backing them versus 31 for the Liberals. Thirteen per cent chose the NDP. Meanwhile, it’s a dead heat among those aged 35 to 54, with Conservatives at 41 per cent versus 42 for the Liberals. Seven per cent would vote NDP.... Fifty-one per cent of those aged 55 and up said they would back the Liberals, versus 32 for the Conservatives. Seven per cent in that age category chose the NDP."

Read more: https://www.ctvnews.ca/federal-election-2025/article/liberals-lead-by-5-points-over-conservatives-in-a-nation-divided-between-east-and-west-nanos/

The boomer/millennial divide defining the Canadian election | National Post | Tristin Hopper, First Reading:

March 27, 2025 - "A Leger poll released Tuesday found that a recent surge in support for Liberal Leader Mark Carney is being driven largely by seniors — and that if the election was decided solely by younger voters it would be an easy Conservative victory. Poll respondents over the age of 55 were the single strongest cohort for the Liberals, polling higher than any other demographic except for Atlantic Canadians. Among seniors, 52 per cent indicated their intention to vote Liberal, against just 34 per cent leaning Conservative.

"In the younger age cohorts, the Conservatives were the clear favourite. Among voters aged 18 to 34, it was 39 per cent Conservative to 37 per cent Liberal. Among those aged 35 to 54 set, it was 42 per cent Conservative to 38 per cent Liberal.

"[T]he 2025 election is the first time on record that young Canadians are leaning conservative at a higher rate than their elders.... It’s a trend that’s been showing up in polls ever since 2022, when Pierre Poilievre first won the leadership of the Conservative Party.... By late 2024, polls consistently showed that under-34 voters made up the strongest base of support for the Tories. It’s a trend that has placed Canada wildly out of step with its usual peer countries, all of whom are still adhering to the traditional metric of progressive young people and conservative old people."

Read more: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/boomer-millennial-divide-defining-the-canadian-election

Libertarian Party of Canada running 16 candidates

The Libertarian Party of Canada has 16 candidates on the ballot in the federal general election.

2025 Candidates | Libertarian Party of Canada:

British Columbia 

• Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam - Lewis Dahlby
• Langley Township—Fraser Heights - Alex Joehl

Alberta

• Airdrie—Cochrane - David Sabine

Saskatchewan 

• Yorkton—Melville - Alec Guggenmos

Ontario

• Burlington - Ocean Marshall
• Niagara Falls—Niagara-on-the-Lake - Daniel Shakhmundes
• Orléans - Arlo Arrowsmith
• Ottawa—Vanier—Gloucester - Coreen Corcoran
• Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong - Jacques Boudreau 
• Stormont—Dundas—Glengarry - Karl MacKinnon
• Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt - Justin Leroux

New Brunswick 

• Beauséjour - Donna Allen
• Saint John—Kennebecasis - Austin Venedam
• Saint John—St. Croix - Keith Tays

Nova Scotia

• Dartmouth—Cole Harbour - Joseph Shea
• Sydney—Glace Bay - Michael Pittman

https://www.libertarian.ca/2025_candidates

Misinformation allegations withdrawn over Covid statements by Alberta doctor

Last year Alberta's College of Physicians and Surgeons charged pathologist Dr. Roger Hodkinson with making "inaccurate or misleading" statements that breached the CMA Code of Ethics  during the Covid pandemic, for which he could have lost his license. Hodkinson admitted breaching the Code but not to any inaccuracy, and received a simple caution. 

Outspoken but not inaccurate: medical tribunal makes no finding of misinformation by Dr. Hodkinson | The Democracy Fund (news release):

April 4, 2025 - "Dr. Roger Hodkinson will retain his medical license following a hearing before the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA), which resulted in minimal sanctions against the outspoken pathologist. Dr. Hodkinson faced allegations of unprofessional conduct regarding 17 public statements made in November 2020 and April 2021. His remarks were critical of public health officials and presented an alternative perspective on COVID-19, including the efficacy of masking and vaccines. 

Dr, Roger Hodkinson (courtesy TDF).

"Initially, the CPSA alleged that his statements were inaccurate or misleading. However, following negotiations with lawyers for The Democracy Fund, the CPSA limited its claims to arguing that Dr. Hodkinson’s comments violated the ethical code and extended beyond the scope of a general pathologist. While Dr. Hodkinson did not concede that any of his statements were false, he acknowledged that his criticisms of other physicians technically breached the Code of Ethics and Professionalism. He also admitted that he should have clarified that his views were outside the scope of a general pathologist.

"The case was resolved through a joint submission, resulting in Dr. Hodkinson receiving a caution and being required to complete an online course on influence and advocacy.

"Alan Honner was retained by TDF to represent Dr. Hodkinson. 'Dr. Hodkinson acknowledged that he could have used more measured language when critiquing physicians with whom he disagrees,' said Honner. 'However, he did not concede that any of his statements were misinformation, nor did the tribunal make such a determination.'

"Dr. Hodkinson now joins prominent health professional Dr. Jordan Peterson, who[m] their respective regulatory bodies have cautioned for making public comments that diverge from the official narrative.

"Last year, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith pledged to review the province’s regulated professions to ensure that the freedom of speech of professionals is adequately protected. She also committed to legislative changes to ensure that professionals are regulated based on competence and conduct rather than speech. 

"Dr. Hodkinson strongly supports safeguarding free speech for health professionals. 'The essence of progress in all scientific matters, including medicine, is debate regarding scientific findings,' he stated.

"Dr. Hodkinson earned his medical degree from Cambridge University and completed his pathology residency in Vancouver. He has served as an assistant clinical professor at the University of Alberta and as past Chair of the Royal College specialty examination in pathology. With several publications and awards to his name, he had until now maintained a spotless disciplinary record over his 50-year career."

Read more: https://www.thedemocracyfund.ca/outspoken_but_not_inaccurate

REAL ID enables real authoritarianism

REAL ID: Phony Security, Real Authoritarianism | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

April 21, 2025 - "Those who hoped the second Trump Administration would reject big spending, war, and restrictions on liberty continue to be disappointed. A new disappointment came when Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced her department would in May begin enforcing the REAL ID law.

Ron Paul, 2007, Photo: R.D. Young. CC BY 2.0 Wikimedia Commons.

"Passed in 2005, the REAL ID Act created federal standards for driver’s licenses. The law requires everyone applying for a driver’s license to provide the DMV with his social security number, proof of legal residence, and two proofs of his home address. 

"The REAL ID Act allows the Homeland Security Department to mandate, as it sees fit, the including of addition[al] items in the related government database, including 'biometric' identifiers. Biometric identifiers include personal data such as retina scans, fingerprints, and DNA.

"People who doubt that this database will be used to violate the rights of US citizens should ask what a present-day J. Edgar Hoover — a former FBI director who was notorious for collecting private information on politicians and other prominent individuals — would do with a database containing personal and even biometric information on American citizens. They should also consider the IRS’s history of targeting presidents’ political opponents. 

"Americans also have the threat of violations of their rights by hackers. The government has a poor track record of protecting data of US citizens.

"REAL ID’s supporters deny the law turns state driver’s licenses into national ID cards because states have no mandate to implement REAL ID. However, citizens of any state that refuses to adopt REAL ID will be unable to use their state-issued IDs for boarding an airplane or riding on a train. Once the initial uses of REAL ID are established, the government will then require REAL ID for other activities. For instance, local transportation authorities may be offered federal funds to implement REAL ID requirements for public transportation. 

"Several pro-Second Amendment organizations oppose REAL ID because it could be used to monitor gun owners. There is nothing in the law prohibiting a future progressive Homeland Security secretary from requiring REAL ID for a firearms purchase. Imposing a REAL ID mandate on gun ownership would further the authoritarian objective of having a database containing the name and address of, and how many and what type of firearms are owned by, every law-abiding gun owner in the country.

"REAL ID also menaces health freedom. One of the few victories for liberty during the covid hysteria was the failure of 'vaccine passport' schemes to be more widely imposed. These schemes attempted to forbid people from returning to their normal lives unless they proved they were 'fully vaccinated' against covid.

"REAL ID was marketed as a weapon in the 'war on terror.' However, Thomas Massie, the most consistent and courageous defender of liberty in the House of Representatives, pointed out that 9-11 hijackers used passports from their own countries.... 

"Like most post-9-11 security bills, REAL ID does nothing to protect the American people’s safety. It does, though, do much to endanger their liberty. REAL ID could even be the final piece of the transformation of America into a total surveillance society where government monitors, and thus controls, our actions. Americans who understand the danger must work to get the Trump administration to reverse its position."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.

Read more: https://ronpaulinstitute.org/real-id-phony-security-real-authoritarianism/

Boudreau runs to give Libertarians a voice

"We have to field candidates so libertarians can have a voice," explains Libertarian Party of Canada leader Jacques Boudreau. 

Libertarian Party of Canada leader enjoys country life near Petrolia | Sarnia Observer | Paul Morden: 

April 14, 2025 - "Jacques Boudreau is the only national party leader to campaign, so far this election, in Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong. Campaigns of other leaders hadn’t stopped in the riding in Ontario’s far southwest as of Monday but Boudreau, leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada, is there daily. He lives in near Petrolia and is running in the April 28 election to be MP for Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong.

Libertarian Party of Canada leader Jacques Boudreau. YouTube.

“'My wife and I moved to Petrolia February of last year,' he said. 'It was a lifelong dream for me to move to the country,” said Boudreau who lived in London. “In terms of lifestyle, I’ve never been this happy in my life'....

"After attending Western University, Boudreau worked as an actuary for 38 years. Now semi-retired, he’s involved in a life insurance startup. He described himself as [a]  'pretty average' swing voter until his early 40s, 'trying to find the right fit' and 'get a government that would get things right.'

"An 'epiphany' came when a financial newsletter he read included a link to mises.org, a website of an institute promoting teachings of Ludwig [von] Mises, an Austrian economist embraced by libertarians. 'I was so taken that for the next, I would say, 15 years, I would actually begin my day' on the site reading about Austrian economics and libertarianism, he said.... 'I could no longer defend my previously held beliefs and became a libertarian.'

"A few years ago, Boudreau noticed a lawn sign for a Libertarian candidate in the London riding where he lived but when he looked at his ballot on election day, it wasn’t listed there. He contacted the party to ask why and discovered what he would later experience firsthand. As a small party, it didn’t have the means to help candidates get on the ballot. 

"'I decided I was going to put my money where my mouth is and ran as a Libertarian candidate for the first time in the 2015 federal election,' he said,  This is Boudreau’s fourth federal election running as a candidate. He has also run in three provincial elections.... 

"Boudreau became national leader in 2021. He started out seeking a deputy leader post, thinking his proficiency in French could be helpful, and then the sitting leader decided not to seek another term. 'In a moment of madness, I put my name forth,' and became leader, Boudreau said.

"Nationally, the party calls for 'a marked reduction' in the size and powers of the federal government. 'I would shrink the government to a fraction of what it is now,' Boudreau said....

"He is disappoint[ed that] only 16 Libertarian candidates are registered to run this election.... Libertarians are independently minded, which is both a blessing and curse, he said. 'One of the things they treasure most in life is to be left alone,' which makes recruiting candidates a challenge, Boudreau said. 'As a political party, we are not a think tank. We have to field candidates so libertarians can have a voice.'”

Read more: https://www.theobserver.ca/news/national/federal_election/libertarian-party-of-canada-leader-enjoys-country-life-near-petrolia 

Socialist magazine warns Poilievre is a libertarian

American socialist magazine Jacobin has warned its readers that Pierre Poilievre is not just another right-wing populist, but has a "radical libertarian agenda". 

Pierre Poilievre Wants Radical Austerity for Canada | Jacobin | Ryan Kelpin:

February 1, 2025 - "Much has been written about [Pierre] Poilievre in recent years, often framing him as the champion of the Freedom Convoy, anti-lockdown politics during the height of COVID-19, or a right-wing populist fighting against woke tyranny. While these characterizations highlight key elements of his political strategy, they risk oversimplifying his ideology. Poilievre is not merely a populist reactionary; he is a deeply ideological figure with a long-standing engagement with ... particularly the ideas of Milton Friedman. His contemporary anti-state politics are grounded in this intellectual lineage.... Understanding Poilievre’s ideological foundations is critical to grasping the broader implications of his rise — and the threat it poses.

"Poilievre has often expressed admiration for Friedrich Hayek and the Virginia School of public choice founders James M. Buchanan and Gordon Tullock. However, his most consistent and fervent ideological inspiration comes from Friedman’s radical libertarian critiques of the state. This is evident in Poilievre’s decades-long proselytizing in the name of two of Friedman’s most significant books: 1962’s Capitalism and Freedom and 1963’s A Monetary History of the United States, 1867–1960. During his formative years in Calgary, he became an avid reader of Capitalism and Freedom, shaping his worldview around Friedman’s ideas about voluntary exchange versus coercion, economic freedom versus the bureaucracy of the welfare state, and the role of inflation and monetary theory. These ideas informed many of his university essays, including his 1999 scholarship-winning 'Building Canada Through Freedom' essay.... 

"Poilievre himself traced this ideological lineage in [a] recent interview with Jordan Peterson, stating, 'I’ve been saying precisely the same thing the entire time . . . building Canada on freedom. The entire piece was on making government small and maximizing personal freedom'.... For Friedman and Poilievre, voluntary exchange occurs in a social and power vacuum. This notion presents a romanticized view of private economy in which real-world consequences and inequality do not exist. Poilievre has expressed this extreme interpretation of voluntary exchange in stark terms, stating, 'Everything the government does, even the good things, is done by the coercive force of taxation, a gun to the head.' He has fleshed this out even further in the House of Commons:

Every exchange in a free market economy, literally every single one, without exception, is based on voluntary exchange. . . . By contrast, every single transaction done by government is done by force, even legitimate, desirable transactions. . . . However, surely, we should also agree that the use of that force should be limited to cases where it is absolutely unavoidable and necessary. We should not expand government into areas people can decide upon and act out on their own volition. The government continually gets involved in areas that are easily done through voluntary exchange. In fact, it replaces free choice with force very often....

"Poilievre routinely draws on not just Friedman but also Buchanan, whose public choice theory influenced Friedman’s later work, including Free to Choose. Poilievre’s rhetoric reflects their shared disdain for the welfare state, which he once referred to in a National Post op-ed as 'truly horrific,' claiming: '[it] ... engenders a self-serving bureaucracy whose survival depends on a growing clientele of poor welfare recipients. To end poverty, this bureaucracy would have to put itself out of business, something it will never do'....

"Poilievre has routinely championed several key neoliberal policy ideas. Dating to his time in the right-wing populist Reform Party, he has supported the idea of balanced budget legislation — or at least the principle of cutting $1 from government spending for every $1 of new expenditure. This approach aims to depoliticize spending by limiting the ability of 'special interests' to extract benefits from self-serving politicians and a growth-focused bureaucracy. Poilievre has also endorsed Friedman’s specific neoliberal proposals, such as a negative income tax system — where people earning below a certain threshold would receive payments to bring them up to that minimum income level — as well as universal basic income (UBI).... UBI, as Poilievre understands it ... would come with a catch: 'Governments would pay for Friedman’s basic income by eliminating all other programs, including housing, drug plans, childcare and the bureaucrats who administer it all.' Poilievre has criticized attempts to use UBI as a distributive tool....

"Poilievre has become most notable for his focus on the inflationary crisis of the 2020s. But there has been little examination of the intellectual roots of his inflation rhetoric — it is a mistake to understand it as simply part of his constructed populist persona. When asked by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation what book on economics he would recommend, he held up one book to the camera: his well-worn and bookmarked copy of Friedman and Anna Schwartz’s A Monetary History of the United States, saying that it 'taught [him] was that money supply was the driver of inflation.' This tome has become a cornerstone of his political philosophy, referenced frequently in interviews, his Friedman-inspired Free to Choose–esque YouTube video series Debtonation [see video] and even on the House floor....

"Poilievre’s views on inflation reproduce Friedman’s monetarism and his argument that the overproduction of money supply drives up purchasing costs and government deficits, characterizing inflation as an invisible, coercive tax created by centralized government. As he describes it, 'You could not design a more damaging and unjust tax than the inflation tax.' In his Debtonation series, Poilievre takes Friedman’s ideas to their extremes, making questionable connections between overproduction of the money supply, inflation, government debt, and even the suicide rate. He doesn’t simply reproduce Friedman’s ideas; he amplifies them to appeal to contemporary political audiences. Poilievre clearly views himself not just as a proponent of Friedman but as his Canadian ideological heir apparent....

"Poilievre’s view of the state and capitalism represents a more radical libertarian agenda than that of any previous potential Canadian prime minister. He is an idealogue, a true believer, but also a pragmatist and convincing speaker. If he has his way in 2025, Canada will continue deepening its commitment to neoliberalism, but with a Friedmanite flavor not yet seen in the country."

Read more: https://jacobin.com/2025/02/poilievre-friedman-neoliberalism-canada-converatives

Debtonation (Episode 1) | Pierre Poilievre | December 27, 2025: