Phoenix Rising
Canada.
The unthinkable has happened here. Under the Liberal Party of Canada led by Justin Trudeau for the past 10 years, everything became demonstrably worse. And yet, the same party has just been voted in to lead the country for another 4 years. And the new leader is arguably worse.
We can, and probably will, get into the details of Canada’s demise and the reasons why this has happened. But for now, it is time for us to discuss the path forward.
First of all, who is “us”? We are the people that see what is going on. We have for years and in some cases, decades. We have discussed, provided evidence, and attempted to change opinions. And yet, everything continues to worsen. And of course, not just in the country of Canada but consistently across many/most countries in the Western world.
It is almost like there is a great plan taking place in lock step. In almost every case it is politics and politicians who no longer seem to be serving the people. They seem to have been captured by outside forces that “we” know and recognize.
Up until now, we have been divided in our pursuit of different solutions. Up until now, much of our energy has been committed to a discussion of a political strategy to end this downward trajectory. We now know with absolute clarity that there is no political solution.
And so, we will no longer allow ourselves to be governed by these systems that seek to destroy us. We will embark upon a path to govern ourselves.
On this, the first day of June, 2025, those who are willing and able will begin the process of coming together to build a new world.
There is a parable in Greek Mythology.
The Phoenix.
We too have been burnt to the ground. But from the ashes we will rise again.
We will begin this process in Canada. No politics, no politicians. Just “us”.
We invite our allies from any country in the world that is similarly under attack to join us.
It is time. We have had enough.
Phoenix Rising
From the ashes, a new world
My thoughts and prayers are with you. ❤ from the US.
I hear the frustration. Ten years of political déjà-vu can make anyone feel like lighting the match. Before we do, here’s what the numbers (and the calendar) actually say.
Election & leadership reality-check
• Justin Trudeau stepped aside last December; the Liberals’ April 28 election win was led by Mark Carney, not Trudeau. It’s their fourth straight mandate—and still a minority, which means opposition parties hold the balance of power.   
“Everything is worse”? The dashboard disagrees
• GDP: grew 2.2 % annualized in Q1-2025 and the IMF projects 1.4 % for the year—hardly boom-times, but miles from collapse.  
• Jobs: unemployment at 6.9 % in April—exactly where it sat in 2015, despite two million extra people in the labour force. 
• Inflation: back inside the Bank of Canada’s 1-3 % target—2.4 % on average in 2024 and 1.7 % year-on-year in April.  
• Household income: median after-tax income hit $74 200 in 2023, up in real terms from 2015. 
• Poverty: official MBM rate is 10.2 %—down roughly one-third from the 14-15 % range a decade ago. 
The sore spot—housing
• Affordability has worsened, no dispute.
• Yet supply is finally moving: April housing starts jumped 30 % to an annualized 278 600 units, the highest on record. Zoning reform and GST rebates on rentals are political tools, not pipe-dreams. 
Crime & safety
• The national Crime Severity Index rose 2 % in 2023, but the level (≈ 80) is 20 % below its 2006 baseline—safer than much of the early 2000s. 
Are the institutions “captured”?
• Canada ranks 14 th / 167 in the 2024 Economist Democracy Index (score 8.69/10). 
• 15 th / 180 in Transparency International’s 2024 corruption index (score 75/100). 
• 21 st / 180 for press freedom (RSF 2025).  
Imperfection? Sure. Terminal rot? Hardly.
Why “leaving the system” usually ends in smoke
History’s DIY micro-states—from CHAZ in Seattle to Lakotah or Catalan mini-secession bids—crumple on the first encounter with boring things like border control, health care, and bond markets. Walking out shuts ordinary people out of levers that still work.
Fix-it ideas that are inside reach
• Electoral reform: a ranked-ballot pilot would break the duopoly feeling without rewriting the constitution.
• Yes-in-my-backyard funding: tie federal transfers to cities that legalise 4-plexes and mid-rise along transit.
• Lobbying-act overhaul: 24-hour disclosure (New Jersey already does this) + real-time AI-readable registry.
• Basic dental & pharmacare: minority governments live on traded votes—this is bargaining power, not utopia.
All of that is politics with a small “p”, not revolution—and it scales.
Bottom line
Canada isn’t ashes; it’s a smoky kitchen. Grab a fire-extinguisher, not a wrecking ball. If we channel the anger into practical reforms, the “phoenix” rises within the institutions we already own.
That’s the Canada I want
Respectfully