The Noble Sacrifice and Toronto

But whoever sits in second place in the final days of the race has to be aware of the candidate lurking in third.  With his core support unlikely to fade, Rob Ford will remain a viable contender right up until October 27 (barring his arrest or death).  As that day approaches, the third-place candidate will be called upon to prove his/her love for Toronto by stepping aside.

Rubbish, of course.

See, we don't believe in society any more - there's no "Toronto" any more than there's a "Canada." That's leftist pandering, trying to manipulate you into committing sociology.

Politics is a free market, right?  To each their own, compete to win?  That which isn't fit doesn't make the cut?  Any candidate who truly believes in a competitive democracy and freedom of choice should fight to the bitter end and do their best to elbow anyone in their wake.  

That's what it takes to win.  

This is the approach increasingly being embodied by Political Parties, but also by voters.  Our laissez-faire approach to politics is exactly why we have a tragedy of the commons.

It's also, I might note, the mindset that landed us with Mayor Rob Ford in the first place.  

Ford, a populist, promised simple solutions, personal wins and an opportunity to punish people you didn't like.  So long as you didn't scratch the surface or connect the dots, his approach sounded great. 

Maybe it still does.  Big-figure cuts and simple solutions still seem awfully popular these days.

This, despite the fact that we know where reactive, selfish choices collectively lead us.

Leadership isn't about individual wins, its about collective success.  Until we start to accept and support this kind of leadership (which exists out there already) we will continue to atrophy as a society.

You get what you pay for, don't you know.