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Canada Isn't Alone in Using Debanking As a Weapon Against Political Opponents
Townhall.com ^ | February 23, 2022 | John R. Lott, Jr.

Posted on 02/23/2022 5:41:32 AM PST by Kaslin

Canada may be the future for many Americans. The Canadian government is freezing the bank accounts of truckers involved in the freedom protest. But on Thursday, they went even further, freezing the bank accounts and blocking credit cards and crypto wallets for people and institutions in Canada who donated to support the truckers. Without credit cards or checks and no access to financial institutions, people better hope that they have lots of cash at home.

This is being done even without court orders.

It is bad enough that financial institutions freeze donors’ accounts. Still, to get an idea of how extreme this is, they are punishing people who donated to the truckers even before the Trudeau government condemned the truckers’ actions.

But this isn’t just something that happens in our neighbor Canada. Indeed, Biden is using all the regulatory tools at his disposal to “debank” those industries he doesn’t like. Biden’s nominee to be the Federal Reserve’s vice chair for supervision has repeatedly urged regulators to force banks to defund America’s domestic oil and gas industry. That position would give her the power to do just that.

At the end of January, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it will use its regulatory authority to scrutinize how credit rating agencies compile “environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG)” evaluations of companies. Right at the top of these regulators list of “socially” irresponsible companies are gun makers and sellers. A lower credit rating means companies have to pay higher interest rates and higher business costs. According to news reports from last week, the SEC is currently debating how far to push these regulations.

Late last fall, Biden’s then-nominee to head the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Saule Omarova, came out in favor of using the “debanking” of what she called “socially sub-optimal industries.” Omarova’s other controversial views caused her nomination to be withdrawn, but other parts of the Biden administration are moving forward.

Some credit rating agencies are pushing back. Kroll Bond Rating Agency has pushed back against the SEC regulations, saying that its credit ratings “does not deploy subjective value-based ESG scoring rubrics.” But even putting aside the possible civil and criminal charges, no financial institution wants extra audits or investigations from regulators.

These ESG ratings are also going to be used for Federal acquisition decisions. Last fall, the Biden Labor Department “may often require an evaluation of the economic effects of climate change and other ESG factors on the particular investment or investment course of action” for workplace retirement plans —401(k)s and 403(b)s. What that means is that Biden could force retirement accounts to trade-off goals they view as socially desirable in exchange for accepting a lower rate of return on investments.

Biden wants to revive Obama’s Operation Chokepoint. Obama had government agencies warn the financial institutions they regulated that the government considered certain types of their customers “high risk,” such as those in the fossil fuels and firearms industries. Trump killed the program, and in one of the last actions of his administration, he tried to implement rules that would prevent Obama’s Operation Chokepoint from being implemented again. He wanted to prevent the federal government from discriminating against law-abiding companies producing legal products, but Biden killed the reform.

One could debate whether we should have a natural gas or oil industry. But Biden can’t claim that he wants to reduce gas and heating oil prices at the same time he is working to destroy production in the U.S. One could debate whether Americans should be able to have guns for personal defense. But as he works hard to put gun makers and sellers out of business, Biden can’t claim that he supports the Second Amendment. We can’t ignore that the people who benefit the most from owning guns are the most likely victims of violent crime – poor blacks in high-crime urban areas.

So, the Democrats destroy the businesses that they don’t like. Instead of Republicans stopping this discrimination, should they start discriminating against the companies that Democrats like?

Of course, the Obama administration showed how the government could financially choke off his political opponents. His administration used the IRS against their political opponents, preventing them from being classified as non-profits, and thus preventing them from raising money.

Similarly, last Thursday, Canada’s Justice Minister David Lametti warned members of “a pro-Trump movement” should be particularly “worried” that the government is coming after them. Trump is not a Canadian politician. Trump didn’t have anything to do with the Freedom Convoy. To so explicitly target political opponents for destruction is scary.

As Biden continues to implement these policies and the prices of gas and guns rise, he can’t just blame it on these companies suddenly becoming greedy.


TOPICS: Canada; Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bidenvoters; canada; debanking; justintrudeau; vaccinemandate
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1 posted on 02/23/2022 5:41:32 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Yesterday the Canadian government was looking into unfreezing the protestor bank accounts. Too many other Canadians have been pulling out their money from their accounts, and possibly create a fatal run on the banks.


2 posted on 02/23/2022 5:45:47 AM PST by LLBeet
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To: Kaslin

In other words, with a stroke of a pen, Biden could in theory stop all funding to the GOP in a declaration, and freeze money and credit to anyone who donates to the GOP. I know that sounds radical. but the tools are there to create a dictatorship, just as happened in Canada. Am I wrong?


3 posted on 02/23/2022 5:46:58 AM PST by realcleanguy (quickly things are falling apart, now that the )
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To: Kaslin

Then we had better start forming banks that have no connection to federal guarantees. This is what we get for years of letting the communists infiltrate our schools. I hope we wake up in time.


4 posted on 02/23/2022 5:47:49 AM PST by McGavin999 (To shut down the border tell the administration the cartel is smuggling Ivermectin )
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To: Kaslin

the banking sector is the government’s secret police….


5 posted on 02/23/2022 5:48:47 AM PST by wny ( )
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To: Kaslin

ESG

Environmental (better be green)
Social (as in social justice - you racist white person)
Governmental (don’t speak bad words about your rulers)


6 posted on 02/23/2022 5:53:18 AM PST by Pollard (PureBlood -- https://youtube.com/watch?v=VXm0fkDituE)
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To: Kaslin

.


7 posted on 02/23/2022 5:55:01 AM PST by sauropod (Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad. Life is risk, your highness.)
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To: realcleanguy

I worry about that.

We have a two-party system. But one of those parties seems very intent on making the other party illegal. I can see them declaring the GOP to be a terrorist organization and then freezing all funds and communications so that no counter-argument could be mounted.


8 posted on 02/23/2022 5:56:50 AM PST by ClearCase_guy (Weak people see themselves as victims; such people should not be in charge of anything.)
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To: sauropod

Look for Joey JackAss to try this soon.


9 posted on 02/23/2022 5:56:59 AM PST by CMailBag
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To: Kaslin

As is so often the case, the RKBA people were the canary in the coal mine. People were shouting from the rooftops about operation chokepoint under Obama. Trump got it, and took action, but the Cathedral was not about to let that small progress stand.

These people always come for the guns first.


10 posted on 02/23/2022 6:04:21 AM PST by absalom01 (You should do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, and you should never wish to do less.)
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To: Kaslin

It’s times like these when the GOP remains silent that I want a third party.


11 posted on 02/23/2022 6:22:14 AM PST by 1Old Pro
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To: LLBeet

“Too many other Canadians have been pulling out their money from their accounts, and possibly create a fatal run on the banks.”

People wonder how downward spirals happen so quickly, once you overreach and star messing with people’s property, the property that can be moved to a more secure location is moved very quickly.

Banks will rue the day they stopped serving their customer’s and started playing government snatcher.

Their needed reserves will suffer, and quickly.


12 posted on 02/23/2022 6:24:02 AM PST by Bshaw (A nefarious deceit is upon us all!)
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To: ClearCase_guy

“We have a two-party system. But one of those parties seems very intent on making the other party illegal.”

They would much prefer they be the controlled opposition, think Romney/Murkowski types. But if that isn’t the case, illegal is the 2nd option.

Their Gollum-like lawyers, think Mark Elias, then scour the legal texts to see what mayhem can be foisted on the masses by Mordor on the Potomac and their compliant network of judges.

Cesspool.


13 posted on 02/23/2022 6:28:21 AM PST by Bshaw (A nefarious deceit is upon us all!)
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To: LLBeet
Let it be so: e923224981c61345
14 posted on 02/23/2022 6:28:33 AM PST by Bon of Babble (Rigged Elections have Consequences)
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To: 1Old Pro

It’s times like these when the GOP remains silent that I want a third party.


That is because they are either in it or they have been told what could happen to them and are terrified. Only a few as we know speak out like MTG and Gaetz. FYI Have you notice that “The Squad” is not outspoken as they usually are. Guess Pelosi finally got to them!


15 posted on 02/23/2022 6:29:33 AM PST by LoveMyFreedom (I seem to recall that Loudoun County is a deep blue cesspool of wealthy socialists. I guess they are)
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To: Bon of Babble

unless they build a wall real quick ... to keep them in ...


16 posted on 02/23/2022 6:32:50 AM PST by bankwalker (Repeal the 19th ...)
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To: Kaslin

Pull your money out of the bank if you bank in Nazi Canada.

Even if you didn’t donate. Its just a matter of time before people realize that the banks cannot be relied upon to hold their money and there is a massive run. Get your money before the run occurs because it will cause a collapse in the banking system.


17 posted on 02/23/2022 6:33:27 AM PST by NicoDon
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To: Kaslin

The government is also trying to do away with cash and has been for a number of years. If they succeed, we will be totally under their control.


18 posted on 02/23/2022 6:34:22 AM PST by EastTexasTraveler
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To: Kaslin

The globalists gave an early glimpse into what life will be like after they implant chips into the herd (you know, for your convenience), and with a simple keystroke shut you out from buying and selling.


19 posted on 02/23/2022 6:35:17 AM PST by robel
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To: Kaslin

No matter where you live, consider changing your banking to a “State” bank. They are generally smaller, friendlier, and non-political.


20 posted on 02/23/2022 6:42:40 AM PST by MrKatykelly
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