Canadians are about to experience what those of us who've lived overseas have experienced painfully. Once you uncork this genie of rule by emergency powers, it's very hard to re-cork and it can degrade the polity.
Those of us who've experienced even a whiff of authoritarianism or McCarthyism ( I have) know where this journey leads. That's why it's so appalling how many eagerly nod their heads or egg on an emergency.
I lived in the Middle East where free speech is non-existent, where there's one set of rights for the local elites and basically no rights for anyone else, when you experience this kind of stuff, you never take your rights or freedom for granted.
In India, powerful people told me not to criticize the government. No consequences were spelled out which made it even more chilling. Indians have become so paranoid over the years having lived under such a system,I can see that paranoia already starting to set in Canada.
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"In abusing these powers for a nonemergency, Mr. Trudeau crossed a democratic line. Canadians wanted the blockades to end, but it never should have come at the expense of the rule of law." Scathing @WSJ editorial on Trudeau and his use of emergency powers. wsj.com/articles/justi…
"Mr. Trudeau criminalized a protest movement, deputizing financial institutions, without due process or liability, to find and freeze personal accounts of blockaders and anyone who helps them. These extraordinary measures are a needless abuse of power." wsj.com/articles/justi…
"@FT The right to such protest is fundamental to a free society. Such protests often involve inconveniencing people, whether that means the pickets of striking workers,Britain’s anti-climate change group Extinction Rebellion, or the Freedom Convoy." ft.com/content/1f83d3…
For those just tuning in, someone hacked a list of FreedomConvoy donors from GiveSendGo, and now several major Canadian media outlets are calling the donors. Some donors are also being harassed and threatened by some members of the public. This may be legal but is it ethical?
"They’re threatening to throw bricks through our window. They’re threatening to come and get us.’ We said, ‘Lock the door and we’ll find out what’s going on.'”"
First day of emergency and no change is visible to the eye. Folks still coming in, some with their kids, see a few masked folks venturing into the protest, people dancing, cops pretty laid back, etc. A normal day under emergency in Ottawa.
I asked one protestor what she made of Trudeau characterizing the protests as not peaceful. She said why would parents bring kids to something that is not peaceful?
Nearly three weeks into the protest, it’s striking how food and other necessities are freely available. There’s hot dogs, hamburgers,soups, freshly cut and fried French fries, scrambled eggs, sausages, fruit, deodorant, sanitary pads, etc. You can even get your hair cut! 🙂
"I work downtown and in the heart of the protest.I don’t find it to be a large inconvenience.Even if I found it disruptive,I find restrictions placed on citizens to be more disruptive. I don’t regret donating to those asking for our rights to be returned so long as it’s peaceful"
"If the protesters started rioting then yes I would regret trying to help. The only reason I helped was because of the interference with GoFundMe and the media’s misrepresentation of the protest… if it matters I am fully vaccinated." 👀
What is the legality to say nothing of the ethics of a major media organization acquiring a hacked list of donors and then calling them up and asking them why they donated to the freedom convoy?
On a day @JustinTrudeau assumes emergency powers to quell peaceful protests that he claims are violent, meet Nick, 25. He lost his job as a welder because he’s unvaccinated, can’t pay rent, and now lives on the street. He can’t go to a shelter because they won’t take his dog.
Update on Nick for those who've asked. I've just returned from trying to locate him.He's now in a hotel thanks to the generosity of a protestor who saw him on the street. I've reached out to a couple of people who're going to try to help him. Thanks for your concern and empathy.
For those who know Indian history: Justin Indira Gandhi Trudeau.
The Emergency in India was the worse violation of civil rights since the end of British rule. It still continues to haunt the party that declared the Emergency.
I wasn't yet born during the Emergency in 1975 but anyone who lived through it recalls it with great pain and anguish.