A buddy of mine in Texas is a student of history and because of what he has learned about how democracies can decay, he has begun doing something that, under normal circumstances, would sound almost absurd: he is trying to camouflage his political identity. He has studied what happens after authoritarian movements consolidate power, particularly to people who have been branded enemies of the state. Authoritarian politics has a predictable appetite for enemies because they need their followers to have someone to fear, someone to fight, someone to fault for every failure. Jean-Paul Sartre captured the psychology in Anti-Semite and Jew: “If the Jew did not exist, the anti-Semite would invent him.” His point was that antisemitism often tells us less about actual Jewish people than about the psychological need of the antisemite to manufacture a scapegoat.

Looking around the United States today, my friend sees plenty of scapegoats being supplied. Immigrants have been portrayed as criminals and rapists, even though research has repeatedly found that undocumented immigrants are not more crime-prone than native-born Americans. The LGBT+ community has become another convenient cultural target. In Texas, Muslims increasingly find themselves drawn into the political crosshairs. And on a national level, Trump has repeatedly described political opponents and Democrats in language suggesting they are enemies threatening the country from within. My friend is a liberal living in Texas, and watching the rhetoric ratchet upward has made him nervous, especially being on the left, and thus one of the “enemies”. So, partly to protect himself and partly to protect his business, he decided it might be a good idea to look a little more Republican than he actually is. Apparently we have reached the stage of American democracy where political camouflage is becoming a hobby.

Your ballot in a general election is secret, but participation in a party primary can reveal which party’s primary you chose to vote in. So my friend voted in Republican primaries, selecting what he considered the most moderate candidates available. He quickly discovered that “moderate” can be a remarkably flexible term. Finding the least extreme candidate sometimes felt less like choosing between shades of grey and more like deciding which flamethrower had the friendliest safety label. Nevertheless, he voted, and somewhere along the way his phone number apparently entered the Republican fundraising ecosystem. Soon came the texts. And more texts. Candidates wanted $5. Candidates wanted $25. Candidates urgently needed $47 before midnight to stop civilization from collapsing due to the evil, communist Democrats.

Then something different arrived: a questionnaire (bottom). The first question asked him to grade President Trump: A, B, C, D, F, or Unsure. Holding his nose (figuratively), he chose A. Then came another question, and another, and another. He kept answering in ways he believed would make him appear Republican. Then he reached a question that stopped him cold: 

Which is more important to you?

• Loyalty to President Trump
• Standing up to Both Parties
• Unsure

That word, “loyalty”, disturbed him deeply. In a constitutional democracy, loyalty is supposed to run upward toward the Constitution, the law, and the country, not downward toward the individual occupying the presidency. Personal fealty is the language of monarchs and Führers, not republican government. Yet because the entire purpose of his little political masquerade was to appear loyal, he selected Trump anyway. He disliked the answer even as he clicked it. But only a few days later, when another message arrived, he finally understood what the questionnaire had really been measuring.

The message (right) offered an invite to the 2026 Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas. Suddenly the questions looked different to him. This was not simply a political survey, it was a tool to identify the sort of supporters most likely to enthusiastically participate in a highly pro-Trump event! And more so, as he would see on a YouTube clip, to pledge allegiance to an authoritarian which came next.

During the 2026 Republican Midterm Convention, Trump asked supporters to publicly pledge themselves to him and used rhetoric about cheating “like hell” in the midterm elections. Watching it, my friend felt the pieces snap together. The questionnaire was not only a “survey” used to find the right attendees, but to find extreme, enthusiastic supporters who could fill an arena, perform their loyalty publicly, and produce powerful television images of thousands of people falling enthusiastically in line behind the leader.

The psychology behind a public loyalty ritual like this is deeply disturbing. It is not just political theatre. It can change how people think, how they judge dissent, and how willing they are to question the leader later for the following reasons:

• Public pledges deepen commitment and make defection harder – Once someone publicly declares loyalty, they feel pressure to stay consistent with that pledge. Walking it back later can feel embarrassing, disloyal, or like admitting they were fooled. The pledge does not merely express belief; it can reinforce it.
• Repetition reduces resistance and normalizes the extraordinary – What initially feels extreme can become ordinary through repeated exposure. Show the ritual often enough, repeat the language often enough, and yesterday’s outrage becomes today’s oddity and tomorrow’s tradition. Which may explain why, after my friend declined the convention invite, he was thoughtfully offered the livestream version of the indoctrination package instead (below).
• Crowds create social proof and silence dissent – When thousands of people stand, cheer, chant, and pledge together, the message is powerful: This is what people like us do. Even those who privately feel uncomfortable may stay silent because everyone else appears enthusiastic. That appearance of unanimity can become stronger than the actual support in the room.
• Politics becomes a loyalty test instead of a policy debate – The question shifts from “What do you believe?” to “Are you with us?” Those who demonstrate devotion are welcomed into the faithful, while those who hesitate become suspect. Supporters may even begin competing to show who is most loyal and who loves the Führer most.
• Identity begins to fuse with the leader – The leader is no longer simply a politician someone supports; he becomes part of their identity. Criticism of him can feel like criticism of them, their family, their tribe, their religion, or their way of life. That makes independent judgment much harder.
• Moral judgment can become tribal – Instead of asking, “Is this right?” people begin asking, “Did our side do it?” Behaviour they would condemn in an opponent can become excusable, humorous, necessary, or even admirable when performed by the leader. And when the leader signals that rule-breaking is acceptable, some followers may take that as permission to cross lines they previously would not have crossed.

And when that leader flirts with rule-breaking, even jokingly, another psychological phenomenon appears: permission. Some followers will interpret his words literally, others metaphorically, and still others as a signal that previously forbidden behaviour is now acceptable. The precise intention matters less than the atmosphere being created. If the leader repeatedly suggests that normal rules are obstacles erected by enemies, supporters can gradually begin viewing rule-breaking not as misconduct but as courage.

So my friend watched the pledge to Trump on YouTube with a mixture of fascination and fear. From his perspective, the sequence seemed disturbingly logical:

Identify loyalty ➜ invite loyalists ➜ encourage a public pledge ➜ televise the spectacle ➜ normalize personal fealty, and ➜ strengthen the emotional bond between leader and followers.

Every step designed to shift loyalty away from the Constitution of the United States and toward fealty to the Führer.

This along with being labelled an enemy of the state is why my friend worries so much about where the United States is heading. He would seriously consider moving to Canada (yes, buddy, I know you’re reading this, and I still think you should), but his business and livelihood remain in Texas, so packing up and crossing the border may be too much of a challenge. So for now, he stays, votes, watches, and hopes.

And I hope, too. I hope enough Americans turn out in the midterms that sheer participation overwhelms whatever barriers, intimidation, or suppression voters encounter. Democracies can deteriorate, but deterioration is not destiny. Hungary recently demonstrated that even after many years of increasingly illiberal government, voters can still produce dramatic political change when enough of them participate. Americans should take that lesson seriously. The antidote to authoritarian enthusiasm is not authoritarian enthusiasm from the other side. It is participation… massive, peaceful, stubborn participation. But I fear that, for our neighbours to the south, the damage may already be too deep, especially after hearing what an acquaintance recently expressing how “fascism can be good“.

P.S. I haven’t spoken with my fascist acquaintance since. Saying “fascism can be good” is just one of those phrases that makes me quietly back away toward the exit.

P.S.S. I know I should probably be writing about lighter topics like how Oakville Maids won the Oakville News Readers’ Favourite Award for our amazing house cleaning, or how to survive the back-to-school cleaning rush without losing your mind. But expressing my thoughts and feeling about the dysfunction south of the border has become a form of therapy for me. Cheaper than a therapist, I suppose.

Complete survey follows, compliments of my Texan friend:

The post The Trump Loyalty Pledge: Allegiance to Authoritarianism in America appeared first on Oakville Maids | House Cleaning Services.

Today I woke up early, noticed the date, and immediately knew why my mind felt heavy. It was 9/11. A flood of memories came rushing back as I thought about where I was and what I was doing that morning. I was a recent University graduate, now a young professional working in high tech. I had the television on while getting ready for work, watching the first images from New York and trying to understand what was happening. Then the second plane hit the towers, and in that instant, the confusion disappeared. We knew this was not an accident. It was a deliberate act of evil.

The men who carried out those attacks did not see themselves that way, of course. They believed they were doing something righteous. That is a much bigger subject about how people can convince themselves to do terrible things in the name of deeply held beliefs, and it is probably best left for another blog post. Today, I would rather remember the helpers. I want to remember the firefighters who ran into burning buildings while everyone else was trying to get out. The paramedics, police officers, volunteers, neighbours, and complete strangers who stepped forward to help people they had never met. On one of humanity’s darkest days, thousands of ordinary people showed extraordinary courage. They reminded us that even when hatred creates darkness, there are always people willing to carry a little light into it. And that spirit of kindness did not stop at the American border.

When U.S. airspace was closed after the attacks, hundreds of planes were suddenly forced to land wherever they could. Canada opened its airports and communities to thousands of stranded passengers. We all remember the small town of Gander, Newfoundland. Gander suddenly found itself hosting thousands of unexpected visitors from around the world. The town’s population effectively swelled overnight. Schools, churches, community centres, and other buildings were turned into temporary shelters. Local families brought food, blankets, clothing, toiletries, and anything else people might need. Volunteers prepared meals. Pharmacists helped stranded travellers get prescriptions. People opened their homes and their hearts to complete strangers who had no idea when they would be able to leave. There was no grand plan because there was no time for one. People simply saw other human beings who needed help and said, in effect, “Come in. We’ve got you.”

That may be one of the most beautiful parts of the 9/11 story. The attacks showed us the worst of what people are capable of. But the response showed us the best. And for every person motivated by hatred, there were thousands motivated by compassion. For every act intended to divide people, there were countless acts that brought strangers together. Americans helped Americans. Canadians helped Americans. People from different countries, religions, backgrounds, and beliefs helped one another simply because someone was in need. Twenty-five years later, I think that is worth remembering.

We cannot undo what happened on September 11, 2001. We cannot bring back the people who were lost or erase the pain carried by their families. But we can choose what lessons we take from that day. We can remember the courage, the kindness, the people who ran toward danger, the people who opened their homes, and the people who looked at frightened strangers and decided they were no longer strangers. And perhaps that is one of the best ways to honour those who were lost… by choosing to be one of the helpers when someone else needs one.

The post 25 Years Later: Remembering the Helpers of 9/11 appeared first on Oakville Maids | House Cleaning Services.

It’s been unusually slow lately, and apparently it isn’t just us. I have friends across north America who run house-cleaning companies, and many of them are saying the same thing: business has cooled off. That’s one of the joys of running a seasonal business. Some months you’re wondering how you’re going to fit everyone onto the schedule. Other months you stare at the schedule and wonder if the phone has been disconnected. Ups and downs are simply part of the business.

What actually got me thinking about this was my cousin’s wife, who is also in the cleaning industry. She had been lamenting the slowdown, so my cousin messaged me and asked what I thought. I told him basically the same thing I tell myself: sometimes things get slow. Don’t panic. If you do good work, treat people well, and keep showing up, the business tends to come back. And his wife does great work, so I told him not to worry too much. More money will eventually find its way through the door. Hopefully carrying a mop. Still, I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a little voice in the back of my mind whispering, “Yeah…but what if this time is different?”

Our neighbors to the south have decided to experiment with another trade war, and trade wars generally aren’t famous for making business owners sleep better at night. I suspect cooler heads will eventually prevail and some sort of deal will be reached, probably five minutes before everyone drives off the cliff. That seems to be how these things work these days. I could also use this opportunity to share a few thoughts about a certain orange-colored political figure, but I’m going to be polite and demonstrate tremendous personal restraint.

You’re welcome.

So what does all of this mean for Oakville and Canada? My guess is that the next few years could be uncomfortable as Canada adjusts its supply chains, diversifies its trading relationships, and becomes less economically dependent on the United States. Getting weaned off such heavy reliance on one enormous “special” customer probably isn’t a bad thing in the long run. But anyone who has ever tried to remove a five-year-old from an iPad knows that being weaned from something is rarely pleasant while it’s happening.

There may also be an unexpected upside: talent. History is full of periods when political or economic instability caused educated, skilled, ambitious people to pack their bags and look for somewhere else to build their lives. I have a feeling we’ll see more Americans doing exactly that and Canada is an obvious, and much more calm destination. In fact, some of that is already happening.

If Canada plays its cards right, it could benefit from attracting talented entrepreneurs, engineers, doctors, scientists, tradespeople, technology workers, and other productive people who decide they would rather build their futures north of the border. Now, that would be a tremendous opportunity. Of course, there’s one small problem. We’re going to need somewhere to put everybody.

Canada already has enough difficulty with housing, so attracting more people without building more homes would be a little like inviting 40 people to Thanksgiving and then discovering you own six chairs. Hopefully we can figure that part out too.

In the long run, though, I think diversifying our trade relationships while attracting the best people from down south could make Canada, and communities like Oakville, stronger. The difficult part will simply be weathering the adjustment period between where we are now and wherever the economy eventually settles.

So keep your elbows up, welcome our refugees… erm, newcomers from the south, support Canadian businesses, and remember, if the economy gets stressful, work gets overwhelming, and you suddenly realize you haven’t cleaned your dirty kitchen in three months…

… there is absolutely no shame in hiring a local, family-owned cleaning company. Hint… Hint…

The post Trade Wars, Brain Drains, and Dirty Kitchens appeared first on Oakville Maids | House Cleaning Services.

I Love Canada. Seriously.

I just got back from five weeks traveling through Malaysia and Vietnam. And it was wonderful with its beautiful beaches, amazing food, ancient streets, tropical scenery, time with family and enough noodles and rice to sustain a small civilization. But after five weeks away, I realized something: I really, really missed Canada. More specifically, I missed Oakville.

There’s something about being away for a long time that makes you notice the little things you normally take for granted. This morning I was walking my dog through one of West Oaks Trail’s trails. The air was cool, the trees were green, the neighborhood was quiet, the lawns looked like they had been individually groomed by tiny landscaping professionals with rulers, and I thought, “Man, it is good to be home.”

I’ve now traveled to around 40 countries and one of the greatest benefits of traveling is that it gives you perspective. You begin to appreciate things you might otherwise barely notice. Clean streets. Beautiful parks. Safe neighborhoods. Trails built simply because somebody decided people should have pleasant places to walk. Cool summer evenings. Orderly traffic (mostly). And, of course, Canadians politely apologizing to each other when neither person actually did anything wrong.

Canada certainly isn’t perfect. No country is. And yes, Canadians complain about politics, taxes, the weather, The Leafs. Probably especially the Leafs. But travel has taught me that sometimes the things we complain about are happening inside a place that is, by almost any global standard, an extraordinarily nice place to live. Coming home to Oakville reminded me of that.

As I walked through my neighborhood, looking at the manicured lawns and beautiful homes, breathing in the cool air and knowing my family was home with me, I felt gratitude. I’m grateful that my family has the opportunity to live here. I’m grateful my kids get to grow up here. And I’m grateful that Oakville has welcomed us and allowed us to build a life and a business here.

Which brings me, rather shamelessly, to Oakville Maids.

When we started Oakville Maids, I wanted to build a company worthy of the community it serves. Because if Oakville is going to insist on having beautiful neighborhoods, perfectly trimmed lawns and houses that look suspiciously like nobody actually lives in them… well, somebody has to keep the inside clean too  That’s our little contribution.

I may travel all over the world, and I hope I always do. There are still countries I want to see, foods I want to eat, beaches I want to sit on, and probably several airports where I will inevitably become confused. But one of the best parts of traveling is coming home. And after five weeks away, I can say it with a little more appreciation than before:

I love Canada.

And there’s no place I’d rather call home than Oakville. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have five weeks of Canadian mail to go through.

The post I Love Canada. appeared first on Oakville Maids | House Cleaning Services.

I was having dinner with a few friends in Mississauga when the conversation drifted to the cost of an education. One friend was venting about how expensive her daughter’s education at the University of Toronto was becoming.

“It’s over $7,000 a year once you include tuition, books, food, and everything else,” she said in frustration.

“Wait… $7,000 a year?” I asked. “Reeally!?”

“Yes!” she replied, as if this number alone should require emotional support and a government bailout.

Now, maybe my perspective is warped from my glory years at Baylor University down in Texas, but I immediately thought back to the 1990s when my education there was already approaching what felt like the GDP of a small nation. So naturally, I pulled out my phone and checked Baylor’s current costs.

Ladies and gentlemen… Baylor University undergraduate tuition for 2025–2026 is $88022.00 CAD per year for tuition only. That’s not counting housing, food, or textbooks, which are priced, on average, at $2200.00 CAD! So, when I showed her the number, she literally gasped. Then she went silent for a moment. Actually, several moments. The kind of silence where your brain quietly recalculates every life decision you’ve ever made.

Then I checked University of Torontos’ tuition to see if she had been exaggerating. Um, she wasn’t.

Suddenly both of us were sitting there in stunned silence, realizing that a four-year degree at the University of Toronto can cover only one semester at Baylor. And that’s when it hit me: this is one of the benefits of a social democracy. Stronger protections against price gouging and runaway pricing, lower tuition, universal healthcare, and fewer situations where people need to choose between “higher education” and “remaining financially alive.”

And don’t even get me started on healthcare costs. Americans pay around twice as much as Canadians, even after factoring in taxes. In the U.S., medical debt is the leading causes of family bankruptcy. In Canada, the average person doesn’t fear financial annihilation because they had the audacity to require surgery.

But back to university costs.

Today, a four-year tuition bill at the University of Toronto is roughly $24,000 CAD for many undergraduate programs. My alma mater? Around $149,000 CAD in tuition alone. Which means a full four-year education at U of T costs a little more than a single semester (eg half a year) at Baylor.

Woah. Erm, Sic ’em Bears… I guess?

And this is exactly why I started an education savings plan for my daughters years ago. The funny part is that, based on what I’ve saved so far, I may have overshot the target by… well… a healthy six figures. And they still have 7 and 13 years before university if they attend University of Toronto. Eh, I’d even be happy with McGill. But wither way, seems education is a cost I need not worry about now.

Anyway, sometimes you don’t fully appreciate what you have until you compare it with somewhere else. And after doing the math on the cost of an education here, I have to admit: The grass is looking a little greener here in Canada.

The post The Moment I Realized Cost Of An Education In Canada Is Insane…ly Low appeared first on Oakville Maids | House Cleaning Services.

One of the unexpected benefits of owning a cleaning company is that it has given me the freedom to travel. I’ve always enjoyed exploring new places, meeting new people, and occasionally getting lost because I was absolutely certain I knew where I was going. During those times, I’ve had the opportunity to live in multiple countries and travel to nearly 40 more. I’ve eaten foods I couldn’t pronounce, gotten on trains going the wrong direction, and confidently spoken enough foreign languages to embarrass myself on at least four continents.

Travel has taught me many things, but perhaps the most important lesson is this:

People are a lot more alike than they are different.

Whether I was walking through a small village in Europe, exploring the bustling streets of Bangkok, strolling casually through the markets of Cairo, or chatting with someone here, in Canada, I found that most people want the same basic things. They want their families to be healthy, opportunities for their children, enjoy a good meal among friends, meaningful work, and a community where they feel accepted. And they want visitors to stop butchering their language. Yeah, I learned that lesson repeatedly.

Some of the most welcoming places I’ve visited were Canada, Europe, and Thailand. What made those places special wasn’t just the scenery or the food. It was the feeling that people were generally free to be themselves. Nobody seemed particularly interested in putting everyone into neat little boxes. And that openness creates something special.

It encourages creativity. It attracts talented people. It makes communities more vibrant. And perhaps most importantly, it helps people feel like they belong.

When my family moved to Oakville, one of the first things we noticed was how diverse the community is. People from different cultures, backgrounds, faiths, and experiences all call this town home. As newcomers ourselves, we appreciated that.

It’s one thing to read about diversity. It’s another thing to experience it firsthand when your neighbors, local business owners, teachers, and community members come from all over the world and somehow manage to create something that feels remarkably cohesive. Earlier this year, I wrote about why we love calling Oakville home. Diversity was one of the biggest reasons.

Not because diversity is a buzzword. Rather because diversity means exposure to different ideas, different perspectives, different experiences, and different ways of solving problems. It means learning from people whose life story may be completely different from your own.

Travel taught me that the strongest communities aren’t the ones where everyone is the same. They’re the ones where people can be different and still feel welcomed. That’s one of the reasons Pride Month resonates with me. At its core, it’s about belonging. It’s about making sure people can live authentically and participate fully in their communities without fear of being excluded.

You don’t have to travel to 40 countries to learn that lesson. But it certainly helped me. And after all those miles, delayed flights, questionable navigation decisions, and enthusiastic attempts at speaking languages I barely understood, I can say this:

The places I remember most aren’t necessarily the most beautiful. They’re the places where people felt welcomed. Fortunately, Oakville is one of them.

Happy Pride Month from all of us at Oakville Maids.

The post Happy Pride Month – What Travel Taught Me About Inclusion appeared first on Oakville Maids | House Cleaning Services.