In Canada, we are uneasy about our political parties. We have a minority Conservative government in Ottawa that can't get traction among the people to increase its popularity against a Liberal party that is burdened with an inept, unappealing leader. Polls indicate that if an election were called today, the results would be what they are now. So what's the point?

Recently, on Stephen Colbert's satirical TV show, George Will aptly defined a difference between socialists (liberals) and conservatives. A former sociology teacher at the U of T during the Vietnam war and now a Newsweek pundit, Will opined that socialists tend to be consumed with "equality," while conservatives are fixated on "freedom."

Most of us value both, but if one believes in freedom, one cannot believe in the sort of equality that prevents people from rising above the common herd. Extrapolated to its logical end, socialism becomes Marxism (if not communism), with the masses equal on the bottom without the freedom to be different or rise above the rest.

Anyone recognize liberalism here?

The glue of true conservatism is not what one thinks of issues like same sex marriage, or abortion, or law and order, or whether immigration is out of control, or even if government spends too much or not enough.

For a genuine conservative, national security takes priority over every other issue. If the nation is not secure -- cannot adequately defend its interests or its citizens -- every other issue becomes irrelevant.