Kyle Neal is an Olds-based writer, and small businessman who works in precision agricultureWe’ve wrapped this country in an anxiety blanket. Layer after layer of bureaucracy, spending, and regulation have been added — not to solve problems, but to shield us from having to face them. It’s the political equivalent of a weighted blanket: soothing in the moment, but ultimately ineffective at building the resilience we need to actually stand up and face the challenges of tomorrow.Throughout my youth, I tended to have more sympathy for liberal policies — and the optimism that often comes with them. The ideals of fairness, protection, and support for the vulnerable felt right. But over time, I’ve come to see that good intentions aren’t enough. You can’t borrow endlessly, expand the state without limit, and expect that reality won’t catch up. Cost of living isn’t rising because we care too little — it’s rising because we’ve stopped being honest about what works and what doesn’t..When Mark Carney entered the political conversation, I was actually optimistic. He’s clearly capable and intelligent, and I think it’s a sign of a healthy democracy when there are two serious, competent contenders putting ideas on the table. I don’t see one party as always right and the other always wrong. If anything, I’m encouraged that we’re not trapped in the kind of populist stalemate we've seen elsewhere — like the U.S., where the last election felt more like a spectacle than a contest of ideas.But what frustrates me is how crisis is used — not acknowledged, but leveraged. From COVID to climate urgency to the threat of rising authoritarianism, each crisis becomes justification for massive, often unchecked spending. The assumption is always the same: the threat is external, so extraordinary measures are required..What was missing during the election campaign and what I wonder if we'll ever see, is any serious reflection on how our own decisions and systems have left us so vulnerable in the first place.That’s why Poilievre’s message had — and even after the election, still has — resonance. He's not pointing to the world and saying “we’re under siege.” He’s pointing inward and saying “this system isn’t working.”Of course, as someone who hasn’t held power, he’s untested and will remain so for four years. He hasn’t had the chance to make mistakes. But if given that chance, he’ll face the same challenge: to reflect, adapt, and take ownership of the outcomes he creates. That’s what leadership is supposed to look like.What troubles me is the contrast: it’s somehow acceptable to say the world is in crisis, but radical to suggest the system is broken.That contradiction revealed more than people realized. You can’t have it both ways. If the stakes are as high as we’re told, we need more than spending — we need reform. We need to stop insulating ourselves with comforting narratives and start asking hard questions about what we’ve built, what’s failing, and how to fix it.Some of the crises we face aren’t just accidents of history — they’re the result of choices. And no amount of borrowed comfort will spare us from the consequences of pretending otherwise.Time to take off the blanket. Will Mr. Carney do so?Kyle Neal is an Olds-based writer, and small businessman who works in precision agriculture.
