Raymond Samuels
Encyclopedia
Raymond Samuels is a Canadian
author, businessman and politician. He is the founder and leader of the unregistered Cosmopolitan Party of Canada
, and has campaigned for public office three times. He also uses the names Raymond Samuels II, H. Raymond Samuels II and H. Raymond Carby-Samuels II.
article, Samuels has an Honours Bachelor of Arts
degree from the University of Toronto
in international relations and labour-management relations. He is also described as an associate member of the Law Society of England and Wales
, although he is not a lawyer.
in the 1988 federal election
. He appears to have started the Cosmopolitan Party of Canada for the first time in 1993, when a report in the Ottawa Citizen
lists him as having held an open house meeting for the party in Ottawa that attracted about thirty people. Samuels called a "full integration of cultural diversity", and unsuccessfully attempted to register his party with Elections Canada
. He later affiliated with Mel Hurtig
's National Party of Canada
, and campaigned under its banner for Ottawa—Vanier
in the 1993 federal election
. A newspaper report from this period lists him as twenty-five years old.
Samuels subsequently formed the Cosmopolitan Party of Canada (Ontario) at the provincial level, and registered the party with the Ontario Commission on Election Finances in late 1993. He claimed that the party would "involve more people in decision-making" and develop "a more positive conception of society". He may have intended to field candidates under the party's banner in the 1995 provincial election
, but did not do so. Samuels campaigned provincially in the 1999 Ontario general election
, and finished eighth out of eight candidates in Trinity—Spadina
. He was listed on the ballot as an independent, although earlier in the year he had submitted a request with Elections Ontario to register the "Cosmopolitan/Cosmopolite Party".
Samuels joined the Progressive Conservative party in the late 1990s, presumably as a supporter of David Orchard
's leadership campaign. He sought the Progressive Conservative nomination in Ottawa Centre for the 2000 federal election
, but lost to David Longbottom, who subsequently resigned. Samuels later affiliated with Paul Hellyer
's Canadian Action Party
for the election, and finished eighth out of nine candidates in Ottawa—Vanier.
for Ottawa Centre
, but did not actually appear on the ballot. He described himself as a government relations consultant. The Cosmopolitan Party is unregistered, and does not appear to have fielded any candidates in the 2004 or 2006 elections.
The party's website calls for donations to assist its "Campaign for Public Enterprise". Members are offered a choice of four gifts in return for a $200 donation, one of which is a copy of Samuels's book, National Identity in Canada and Cosmopolitan Community.
A press release from early 2006 lists Samuels as the editor-in-chief of a newspaper called The Canadian. He held a press conference on free trade and violent crime during the 2006 election
.
for social inequality in Canada, and calls for government intervention to promote the quality of life. The party also advocates social justice and environmental concerns, and argues that Canadians have a basic right to food, shelter, and other necessities.
Samuels claims that the Cosmopolitan Party follows the legacy of historical figures such as Jean Talon
, John A. Macdonald
, John Diefenbaker
, Tommy Douglas
, Lester Pearson, Pierre Trudeau
and John Turner
. He supports cultural diversity, and strongly opposes Quebec
separatism and free trade with the United States of America. He has also championed a proposed social science called "quantuum economics", which is said to combine elements of economics, health and ecology.
His political works include the following:
Samuels has also issued several works on e-commerce, and at least two guidebooks on erotica
and erotic fiction.
Sources: The Agora (book titles), Blackwell's Online (search for "Raymond Samuels").
. Rappaport writes that the book is filled with "fiery rhetoric and inane gibberish" and "inflated, incomprehensible prose — chock full of jargon and superfluous words". He summarizes the book's argument as follows: the English and French elites of Canada, along with several prominent social institutions, have promoted official multiculturalism as a means of discriminating against non-English and non-French persons.
The stated purpose of this project is to examine electoral issues in Canada. Its earliest article concerns the registration status of the Cosmopolitan Party in the 2004 election. The Cosmopolitan Party's Ottawa address is listed as a contact for advertisers, while The Canadian, the Jesustians, the Agora Book Cafe, the Trudeau Society and the Canadian Association for Research on Capitalistocracy are all linked on the front page. The page is not to be confused with www.elections.ca, the official site of Elections Canada.
The "Jesustians" describe themselves as the "Tommy Douglas
Publishing Centre on Spirituality and Social Justice". Their website features prominent articles on both Douglas and Jesus Christ. They have the same mailing address as the Cosmopolitan Party, and Samuels's Capitalism is not Democracy is the only entry in the featured books section.
The stated goal of this project is to defend Pierre Elliot Trudeau's "progressive cosmopolitan" view of Canada as a "Just Society". The Canadian, the Cosmopolitan Party, the Jesustians and the Agora Australia Publishing Consortium are all linked from the site's home page.
This site was once listed as the "Capitalistocracy Book Café", and now as "The Canadian National Newspaper". Three of Samuels's books (Capitalism is not Democracy, Compendium on Capitalistocracy and Corporate Globalization and Constitutionalizing Universal Public Healthcare in Canada) are listed as recommended reading, and several other books by Samuels are listed in the "Featured Books" section.
The Agora Book Café links "Capitalistocracy Books", the Jesustians and "The Canadian national newspaper" on its introductory page. The contact address is the same as that of the Cosmopolitan Party. Quantuum Economics: Wage Slavery or the Quality-of-Life?, co-written by Samuels, is a featured book.
This site lists itself as "Australia's most progressive not-for-profit publishing and distribution consortium". Capitalistocracy, the Agora Book Cafe, The Canadian National Newspaper and the Jesustians are linked from the site's introductory page. Samuels's "The Ozone Layer Conspiracy" is the only featured book.
. All provincial election information is taken from Elections Ontario
. Italicized expenditures refer to submitted totals, and are presented when the final reviewed totals are not available.
The 1999 expenditure entries are taken from official candidate reports as listed by Elections Ontario. The figures cited are the Total Candidate's Campaign Expenses Subject to Limitation, and include transfers from constituency associations.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
author, businessman and politician. He is the founder and leader of the unregistered Cosmopolitan Party of Canada
Cosmopolitan Party of Canada
The Cosmopolitan Party of Canada is a minor socially progressive political party in Canada that began to develop in the 2000s.The party promotes* human rights* social justice* cultural diversity...
, and has campaigned for public office three times. He also uses the names Raymond Samuels II, H. Raymond Samuels II and H. Raymond Carby-Samuels II.
Background
According to a 1999 Toronto StarToronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
article, Samuels has an Honours Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
in international relations and labour-management relations. He is also described as an associate member of the Law Society of England and Wales
Law Society of England and Wales
The Law Society is the professional association that represents the solicitors' profession in England and Wales. It provides services and support to practising and training solicitors as well as serving as a sounding board for law reform. Members of the Society are often consulted when important...
, although he is not a lawyer.
Campaigns
According to the Cosmopolitan Party website, Samuels worked for the Liberal Party of CanadaLiberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
in the 1988 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
. He appears to have started the Cosmopolitan Party of Canada for the first time in 1993, when a report in the Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa Citizen
The Ottawa Citizen is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Canada. According to the Canadian Newspaper Association, the paper had a 2008 weekly circulation of 900,197.- History :...
lists him as having held an open house meeting for the party in Ottawa that attracted about thirty people. Samuels called a "full integration of cultural diversity", and unsuccessfully attempted to register his party with Elections Canada
Elections Canada
Elections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada. Its ongoing responsibility is to ensure that Canadians can exercise their choices in federal elections and referenda through an open and impartial process...
. He later affiliated with Mel Hurtig
Mel Hurtig
Mel Hurtig, is a Canadian publisher, author, political activist and former political candidate.He was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. He is the former president of the Edmonton Art Gallery.-Businessman and Publisher:...
's National Party of Canada
National Party of Canada
The National Party of Canada was a short-lived Canadian political party that contested the 1993 federal election. The party should not be confused by an earlier and unrelated National Party that was founded in 1979.-Formation:...
, and campaigned under its banner for Ottawa—Vanier
Ottawa—Vanier
Ottawa—Vanier is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1935...
in the 1993 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
. A newspaper report from this period lists him as twenty-five years old.
Samuels subsequently formed the Cosmopolitan Party of Canada (Ontario) at the provincial level, and registered the party with the Ontario Commission on Election Finances in late 1993. He claimed that the party would "involve more people in decision-making" and develop "a more positive conception of society". He may have intended to field candidates under the party's banner in the 1995 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1995
The Ontario general election of 1995 was held on June 8, 1995, to elect members of the 36th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada...
, but did not do so. Samuels campaigned provincially in the 1999 Ontario general election
Ontario general election, 1999
An Ontario general election was held on June 3, 1999, to elect members of the 37th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, and finished eighth out of eight candidates in Trinity—Spadina
Trinity—Spadina
Trinity—Spadina is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988.It generally encompasses the western portion of Downtown Toronto. In the 2001 Canadian census, the riding had 106,094 people, of whom 74,409 were eligible to...
. He was listed on the ballot as an independent, although earlier in the year he had submitted a request with Elections Ontario to register the "Cosmopolitan/Cosmopolite Party".
Samuels joined the Progressive Conservative party in the late 1990s, presumably as a supporter of David Orchard
David Orchard
David Orchard is a Canadian political figure, member of the Liberal Party of Canada, who was the Liberal Party candidate for the Saskatchewan riding of Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River in the 2008 federal election.Previously, Orchard was a member of the now defunct Progressive Conservative...
's leadership campaign. He sought the Progressive Conservative nomination in Ottawa Centre for the 2000 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
, but lost to David Longbottom, who subsequently resigned. Samuels later affiliated with Paul Hellyer
Paul Hellyer
Paul Theodore Hellyer, PC is a Canadian engineer, politician, writer and commentator who has had a long and varied career. He is the longest serving current member of the Privy Council, just ahead of Prince Philip.-Early life:...
's Canadian Action Party
Canadian Action Party
The Canadian Action Party is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1997. It promotes Canadian nationalism, monetary and electoral reform, and opposes neoliberal globalization and free trade agreements.- Background :The Canadian Action Party was founded by Paul T...
for the election, and finished eighth out of nine candidates in Ottawa—Vanier.
Cosmopolitan Party
Samuels launched the Cosmopolitan Party of Canada again in 2003, and was announced its first interim leader. The party claimed 600 members in 2004, although this figure has not been independently confirmed. Samuels announced his intention to run in the 2004 federal electionCanadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
for Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre is an urban federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968...
, but did not actually appear on the ballot. He described himself as a government relations consultant. The Cosmopolitan Party is unregistered, and does not appear to have fielded any candidates in the 2004 or 2006 elections.
The party's website calls for donations to assist its "Campaign for Public Enterprise". Members are offered a choice of four gifts in return for a $200 donation, one of which is a copy of Samuels's book, National Identity in Canada and Cosmopolitan Community.
A press release from early 2006 lists Samuels as the editor-in-chief of a newspaper called The Canadian. He held a press conference on free trade and violent crime during the 2006 election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
.
Political ideology
The Cosmopolitan Party under Samuels' leadership describes itself as progressive and centrist. The party's platform (which is written in quasi-religious language) blames the open market economy and the rule of mammonMammon
Mammon is a term, derived from the Christian Bible, used to describe material wealth or greed, most often personified as a deity, and sometimes included in the seven princes of Hell.-Etymology:...
for social inequality in Canada, and calls for government intervention to promote the quality of life. The party also advocates social justice and environmental concerns, and argues that Canadians have a basic right to food, shelter, and other necessities.
Samuels claims that the Cosmopolitan Party follows the legacy of historical figures such as Jean Talon
Jean Talon
Jean Talon, Comte d'Orsainville was a French colonial administrator who was the first and most highly regarded Intendant of New France under King Louis XIV...
, John A. Macdonald
John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
, John Diefenbaker
John Diefenbaker
John George Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 21, 1957, to April 22, 1963...
, Tommy Douglas
Tommy Douglas
Thomas Clement "Tommy" Douglas, was a Scottish-born Baptist minister who became a prominent Canadian social democratic politician...
, Lester Pearson, Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
and John Turner
John Turner
John Napier Wyndham Turner, PC, CC, QC is an English Canadian lawyer and retired politician, who served as the 17th Prime Minister of Canada from June 30 to September 17, 1984....
. He supports cultural diversity, and strongly opposes Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
separatism and free trade with the United States of America. He has also championed a proposed social science called "quantuum economics", which is said to combine elements of economics, health and ecology.
Books
Samuels has authored, co-authored and edited several books, all of which are published through "The Agora Cosmopolitan" based in Ottawa. He has over sixty-five titles with registered ISBN numbers, although it is not clear if all are available for purchase.His political works include the following:
- National Identity in Canada and Cosmopolitan Community (1997)
- Toward a Canadian Languages Act Rejuvenating the Official Languages Act (2001)
- Compendium of Socially Progressive Thought (multiple volumes, 2002–05)
- Globalization and Capitalistocracy (2002)
- Compendium on Capitalistocracy and Corporate Globalization (multiple volumes, 2002–05)
- Compendium on the Affirmation of Democracy (multiple volumes, 2002–05)
- Constitutionalizing Universal Public Healthcare in Canada (2003)
- National Identity in Canada and Cosmopolitan Community Former Prime Minister John Turner and the Last Great Liberal Patriot (2003)
- Quantuum Economics: the Quality-of-Life Social Justice, Environmental Conservation, and Ecology (2003)
- Former Liberal Deputy Prime Minister of Canada Paul HellyerPaul HellyerPaul Theodore Hellyer, PC is a Canadian engineer, politician, writer and commentator who has had a long and varied career. He is the longest serving current member of the Privy Council, just ahead of Prince Philip.-Early life:...
Speaks Out (2005) - Former Prime Minister John Turner as a Great Canadian Political Tragedy (2005)
- The National Party of CanadaNational Party of CanadaThe National Party of Canada was a short-lived Canadian political party that contested the 1993 federal election. The party should not be confused by an earlier and unrelated National Party that was founded in 1979.-Formation:...
in Canadian Political History: The Progressive and Canadian Sovereignty-Focused Vision of a Failed Federal Political Party (2005) - Capitalism is Not Democracy: Avoiding Apocalyptical Human Security in a Dystopic Era of Economic Globalization (2005)
- Capitalism Is Not Democracy, Part 2 (2005)
- Capitalism Is Not Democracy Part 3 (2005)
- Growing Violent Crime in Toronto (2006)
- Bloc Québécois Borrows German Nazi Techniques (year not listed)
Samuels has also issued several works on e-commerce, and at least two guidebooks on erotica
Erotica
Erotica are works of art, including literature, photography, film, sculpture and painting, that deal substantively with erotically stimulating or sexually arousing descriptions...
and erotic fiction.
Sources: The Agora (book titles), Blackwell's Online (search for "Raymond Samuels").
Reviews
Samuels' 1997 book, National Identity in Canada and Cosmopolitan Community, was reviewed by Michael Rappaport in The Varsity, the campus newspaper of the University of TorontoUniversity of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. Rappaport writes that the book is filled with "fiery rhetoric and inane gibberish" and "inflated, incomprehensible prose — chock full of jargon and superfluous words". He summarizes the book's argument as follows: the English and French elites of Canada, along with several prominent social institutions, have promoted official multiculturalism as a means of discriminating against non-English and non-French persons.
Websites
Articles and services related to Samuels's career have been featured on a number of interrelated websites. These include:The stated purpose of this project is to examine electoral issues in Canada. Its earliest article concerns the registration status of the Cosmopolitan Party in the 2004 election. The Cosmopolitan Party's Ottawa address is listed as a contact for advertisers, while The Canadian, the Jesustians, the Agora Book Cafe, the Trudeau Society and the Canadian Association for Research on Capitalistocracy are all linked on the front page. The page is not to be confused with www.elections.ca, the official site of Elections Canada.
The "Jesustians" describe themselves as the "Tommy Douglas
Tommy Douglas
Thomas Clement "Tommy" Douglas, was a Scottish-born Baptist minister who became a prominent Canadian social democratic politician...
Publishing Centre on Spirituality and Social Justice". Their website features prominent articles on both Douglas and Jesus Christ. They have the same mailing address as the Cosmopolitan Party, and Samuels's Capitalism is not Democracy is the only entry in the featured books section.
The stated goal of this project is to defend Pierre Elliot Trudeau's "progressive cosmopolitan" view of Canada as a "Just Society". The Canadian, the Cosmopolitan Party, the Jesustians and the Agora Australia Publishing Consortium are all linked from the site's home page.
This site was once listed as the "Capitalistocracy Book Café", and now as "The Canadian National Newspaper". Three of Samuels's books (Capitalism is not Democracy, Compendium on Capitalistocracy and Corporate Globalization and Constitutionalizing Universal Public Healthcare in Canada) are listed as recommended reading, and several other books by Samuels are listed in the "Featured Books" section.
The Agora Book Café links "Capitalistocracy Books", the Jesustians and "The Canadian national newspaper" on its introductory page. The contact address is the same as that of the Cosmopolitan Party. Quantuum Economics: Wage Slavery or the Quality-of-Life?, co-written by Samuels, is a featured book.
This site lists itself as "Australia's most progressive not-for-profit publishing and distribution consortium". Capitalistocracy, the Agora Book Cafe, The Canadian National Newspaper and the Jesustians are linked from the site's introductory page. Samuels's "The Ozone Layer Conspiracy" is the only featured book.
Electoral record
All federal election information is taken from Elections CanadaElections Canada
Elections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada. Its ongoing responsibility is to ensure that Canadians can exercise their choices in federal elections and referenda through an open and impartial process...
. All provincial election information is taken from Elections Ontario
Elections Ontario
Elections Ontario is a non-partisan Agency of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. They work under the Chief Electoral Officer, an officer of the Legislative Assembly. responsible for the conduct of provincial elections.-External links:*...
. Italicized expenditures refer to submitted totals, and are presented when the final reviewed totals are not available.
The 1999 expenditure entries are taken from official candidate reports as listed by Elections Ontario. The figures cited are the Total Candidate's Campaign Expenses Subject to Limitation, and include transfers from constituency associations.