As we near 1984 - ever nearer - with the ubiquitous televisions in every pub and shop and more surveillance cameras than people to fill them, it's not a surprise that the government is attacking what few freedoms remain to us.
By which I mean the C-30 Bill undertaken and proposed by the contemptible Vic Toews, which would allow the police unprecedented freedom in monitoring Canadians online activity, giving them unrestricted access to server logs, email and texting histories, etc.
Now there's some backlash to this, there was - once upon a time - something known as "due process" in which police had to have warrants and just cause to invade ones privacy and personal space, so Mr. Vic Toews seeks to align the public with his somewhat Orwellian government dystopia by re-branding the proposed bill an "Anti-Pedophile" legislation, thereby polarizing the idiots who actually considered he might be acting in the public interest.
In further defense of his cause he suggests that police forces across the country are in favour of this - because, after all, it will help them to weed out the child pornographers.
"Oh, the children, please won't somebody think about the children...". Yep, that's the level of hysteria.
The police would, of course, stand behind any bill that gave them further powers and less accountability. Put forth a bill that allows police officers to fire their weapons at their own discretion without accountability and you'll find that all the police stations across the country are in favour of it. Put forth a bill that allows police officers to collect cash for traffic tickets on the spot and you'll find every police station across the country greatly in favour of it. In short, police officer's will support anything that gives them greater power with less accountability, what organization wouldn't?
A fine example of how police already respect your privacy - when checks and balances are in place - is here: http://www.citypages.com/2012-02-22/news/is-anne-marie-rasmusson-too-hot-to-have-a-driver-s-license.
Further to the "debate" (not a debate, really, any right-minded citizen would oppose such a gross abandonment of civil liberties) - it comes out that Vic Toews hasn't even read the content of his own bill:
Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/02/18/pol-thehouse-vic-toews.html
Now when the government has reached the height of it's powers and is busy in the purging of all contrary points of view, I'd like it noted that I haven't read this blog post.
The election of these people is the biggest proof of the failure of the democratic process I've yet observed. No kidding.
In further capitulation to the regulation and suppression of freedom of thought, comes this article: http://www.caut.ca/pages.asp?page=1061 - now, really, shouldn't Universities know better, and be actively lobbying for the free exchange of ideas? PWNED by the government. So, while one might lament that one's politicians are sadly undereducated in any real sense of the word, there's always the possibility that they were educated at the University of Toronto or Western Ontario, where freedom is fast becoming a memory.
And, if you're curious, there's still a few places working to keep the internet free (at least in spirit).
Visit: http://openmedia.ca/