Posted on 02/16/2022 6:55:32 AM PST by Kaslin
This week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the lightweight, unpopular elected leader of a country with a 93% vaccination rate for those over 60 and a total vaccination rate of 84%, announced that he would invoke the Emergencies Act in order to crack down on the Freedom Convoy -- a group of protesters opposed to government vaccination mandates for truckers. Trudeau breathily announced that invocation of the law was in fact "reasonable and proportionate." His public safety minister, Marco Mendicino, said that the actions were required thanks to "intimidation, harassment, and expressions of hate."
Why the government would need to invoke emergency powers in order to move some trucks remains beyond understanding; after all, the police had just removed trucks from the Ambassador Bridge, reopening that trade artery with the United States. Meanwhile, provinces across Canada have already begun alleviating their COVID-19 restrictions, from vaccine passports to masking. There is no emergency here that would justify use of the Emergencies Act -- as even the BBC noted, "It is so far unclear which scenario Mr. Trudeau would rely on to justify the use of the Emergency Act -- (the relevant threats have not) been clearly present in Ontario."
Nonetheless, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland explained that the government would be extending laws designed to stop terror funding to now encompass crackdowns on political dissent: "Financial service providers will be able to immediately freeze or suspend an account without a court order. In doing so, they will be protected against civil liability for actions taken in good faith." In plain language, this means that the government of Canada has now empowered banks to freeze accounts who give money to political causes the government doesn't like.
The move to de-bank disfavored political actors has already been gaining steam -- in January 2021, PayPal blocked a Christian crowdfunding site from using its services; the next month, Paypal announced it would work with the Left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center to find users to boot. As one of Paypal's original creators, David Sacks, wrote, "when your name lands on a No-Buy List created by a consortium of private fintech companies, to whom can you appeal?" In Canada, it's worse than that: The de-banking has become government sponsored.
And if Trudeau is able to invoke emergency powers to de-bank his political opponents -- people he has labeled racists simply for opposing his vaccine mandates -- where, precisely, does this end? What's to stop powerful political actors from violating liberties on the same pretext?
The answer, of course, is nothing. And perhaps that's the point: from now on, dissent against Left-wing perspectives may be criminalized. Watch what you say -- your bank account is on the line.
Over the course of the past century, the political Left made a promise: that if they were granted more and more centralized power, they would protect their citizens, particularly during times of emergency. That promise was always a lie, but the pandemic exploded that lie in particularly egregious fashion. This left the Left with two options: to abandon that article of faith, an idea central to their entire worldview; or to persecute heretics. Trudeau, unsurprisingly, has chosen the latter. Emergency powers will be necessary until the people enthusiastically agree that their betters in government ought to rule them.
Bullfauci !
Elected Official turns into Justin The Terrible and wants everyone arrested and their property confiscated
While what he writes is accurate, however I have no respect for the author. He is in part responsible for this mess as one of those “principled conservative never trumpers.” His words are a mockery, just show’s he knows what is happening and was more than happy to promote it in his blind hatred of a man who actually represented the people and not the politicians or the punditry.
I would take great pleasure in seeing him come to ruin, I know that is no Christian, sorry, I just cannot view him as anything but traitorous.
Pretty sure it ends in 666.
This is never over. It’s never undone. It’s a rachet. It creeps up. It never creeps down.
Now that they have the power, they will never let go. The justification was false, but that doesn’t matter.
Now they can take your money. Your ability to pay your bills is gone. The money that your employer deposited is no longer in your control. It’s in the control of the government. Salary frozen. Can’t pay mortgage or buy groceries. It’s the 2022 equivalent of the gulag.
What if you open another account? They will freeze that one too. What is the end date for the freeze? They didn’t say. Where do you go to get it unfrozen? They didn’t say. If you walk on your knees all the way to Ottawa saying “I have gravely sinned! I repent! I worship God Trudeau!” will they unfreeze your account?
Now you know why they want to eliminate cash. They then will have control over ALL money.
Canada has returned to a feudal society. Those in charge now have the power to take from the people at will for killing the kings deer. I sense a revolution afoot.
Where the Trudeau regime is moving seems to be moving from is harassment to existential threat, and that is where things get dicey, to put it mildly.
No redress of grievance. Instead, punishment.
We've seen this play before. Once you get a critical mass that realizes they have no options, even the best planned war game scenarios go to s**t.
Just as liberty loving citizens across the west are watching the Canadian truckers’ efforts to reassert their sovereignty over dictatorial government, likewise governments all over the west are interested to see if Trudeau gets away with these unconstitutional actions he’s taking.
If Trudeau is allowed to succeed with his draconian rulings, in response to peaceful political speech, we can all expect the same measures in our own respective countries.
Trudeau planned to change the election system when he first came to power and was scared off but now he might change it and stay in power forever
Don’t forget pensions, Social Security.
Ditto.
He is typical of our media. Defines the problem, then says sit back and take it.
Many years ago we had dozens of small banks and savings and loans in every city. We need to go back to that.
announced that he would invoke the Emergencies Act in order to crack down on the Freedom
Not just crack down on the truck convoy
Very good. Thank you.
Bouncy houses of hate! Minions, especially with their goggles and one eye, are seriously intimidating. Note the Y-shaped hand gestures for Yellow Supremacists.
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