9/10 Approve? I say 8/10 just don't understand

I saw a billboard in town that was promoting the public ownership of Manitoba Hydro.  The billboard said "9/10 Manitobans prefer to keep Hydro public."  
I, of course, would like to end all government run monopolies such as Hydro, Liquor Commission, Lotteries, Public Insurance and certainly the Wheat Board.  I also have a growing suspision that statistics, such as the above, are fairly useless. 

I wager that the majority of the citizens interviewed in that poll just don't think about the full ramifications, and what they mean, to have the government own a resource.  I am willing to bet that 8/10 people interviewed simply feel the service is good/adequate and so they wouldn't change it simply because they are happy with the rates and service.  I will expect maybe 1/10 people interviewed to have some socialist beliefs that the governement should own the resources because it keeps the resources and profits from greedy, lying, rich corporations which socialists hate. 

I also don't use the word "public company" very often.  Have no illusions, this is a state run monopoly.  The word "public" just makes it sound nice and fair.

The fact is, the state run Manitoba Hydro does not allow free people (us as citizens) from entering the marketplace and that is just wrong.  People should be free to open and run businesses in a free market, which we obviously do not have.  That should be a god given right, to open, own and operate businesses. 

I also have to argue the significance that the majority of Manitobans agree that Manitoba Hydro should stay public.  We do not choose our laws based on the majority.  If we did, we probably would have a law that child molesters should be castrated and handed over to the victims families for punishment.  We don't because our laws are based on principles and rights, not what the majority chooses.  The fact that the majority of Manitobans do not think about freedom principles, does not make the government owned hydro a good idea.    

What is a Patriot?

After the recent Canada Day and Independence Day celebrations in the U.S. and Canada I am left to wonder what a Patriot truly is.  We see people waving flags, wearing flag colours etc.  Most of those people would agree that the country we live in is great and that they are proud to be Canadian (or American). 

Many use the following to define a patriot: "A patriot is someone who feels a strong support for their country".  I have even seen a description that mentions the following:  "Patriotism is a devotion to one's country for no other reason than being a citizen of that country."  Thats pretty empty and in my opinion, slightly dangerous.

Too many times, when a citizen disagrees with his or her government, they are branded as unpatriotic.  As in we should just blindly follow our leaders, and any questioning of their policies amounts to an un-patriotic view.  We see this a lot when it comes to the question of war.  If you don't support the war, you don't support our troops and therefore you are unpatriotic.  

How about this person (from Canada.com)?  This lady is protesting the Canadian troop activity in Afghanistan.  Is she being unpatriotic?  She is showing a dissenting opinion against the war in Afghanistan that has no bearing on our national security.  She doesnt want their citizens killed by our troops, she doesn't want our troops killed and doesn't want Canadians paying for the bill.  In other words she cares for her fellow Canadians well being.  Is she not patriotic?

Should patriotism not include care for your fellow citizens?  

We, on this side of the world, first heard the term applied to British North Americans who were fighting for their rights as free men and were fighting to separate themselves from the British Crown.  These patriots didn't sit back and wave British flags while the crown taxed them excessively and took away their guns...they fought back.
Yet nowadays we are told we need to stop questioning our governments and what they do.

I am happy to live in Canada, especially compared to other places in the world, but I still find some of the intrusions in our lives rather disturbing.  Others are disturbed about it as well, and some are hopping mad about it.   

I believe the true patriots are those who speak out against the erosion of our personal and economic freedom that we find ourselves faced with.  There are a select few who protest these events not only for themselves but for their fellow citizens.