Ron Paul: Free speech is worth fighting for

Free Speech is Worth Fighting For | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

March 31, 2025 - "Our Founders, particularly James Madison who drafted the Bill of Rights, understood that our rights are not privileges granted to us by government. No, it was understood at the founding that these basic natural rights outlined by Madison were granted by our Creator and thus no mere mortal could take them away. And first among these is the First Amendment which recognizes that most basic of our natural rights: the right to express ourselves in any way we wish.

Ron Paul in 2012. Photo: David Carlyon.

CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.

"Unfortunately the US government has not always been in accord with this sentiment and has many times in our history been at war with our freedom of speech. From the alien and sedition acts at the beginning of our republic to Abraham Lincoln’s war on speech to the jailing of antiwar activists during both World Wars to Kent State, the political class is all for free speech unless it is threatening to the political class.

"Recently a new front has been opened in the war on free speech ... one that Americans must take seriously. On university campuses across the country students – both American and foreign guests – have taken to protesting US support for Israel’s actions in Gaza, where tens of thousands of innocent civilians have been killed. The political class in the United States is determined to defend Israel from its critics and has responded to these protests by threatening and blackmailing the universities if they do not crack down on speech the powers-that-be do not like. 

"Both Presidents Biden and Trump have used the power of US government funding to demand a crackdown on speech they don’t like, with President Trump recently pulling 400 million dollars in federal funding for Columbia University if they don’t silence the protesters. The real scandal is that nearly every US university – both public and “private” – is government funded in the first place. But for politicians to use the power of the purse to deny students the right to express themselves – as long as peaceful – just adds insult to injury.

"Last week a Turkish PhD student at Tufts University was arrested on the street by plainclothes government agents for reportedly simply writing an editorial in her university newspaper expressing her views on the Israel/Palestine conflict. She faces deportation from the country. And she is not alone. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has openly bragged about sending hundreds of students home because they express a political position he disagrees with. Others – including American citizens – have been expelled from their schools and have even had their degrees rescinded. For peacefully expressing a political position that powerful people in Washington disagree with.

"You may also [disagree] with the political position of these students. But to cheer their punishment by the US government is to turn your back on the founding principles of this country. Freedom of speech is a natural right not reserved for American citizens but for all of humanity. And it has been a natural right worth defending for nearly 250 years.

"First they came for foreign students expressing controversial positions and many Americans cheered because they were not foreign and did not like the opinions. But make no mistake: this war on speech will not end with only foreigners being punished. It never does."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.

Read more: https://ronpaulinstitute.org/free-speech-is-worth-fighting-for/ 

Canadian who stole Freedom Convoy donor info arrested over 2021 Texas GOP hack

Aubrey Cottle, the Oshawa website administrator who claimed responsibility for the 2022 computer hack of GiveSendGo's Freedom Convoy donor information, has been charged with a similar hack of the Texas GOP in 2021. 

Canadian Freedom Convoy donations hacker arrested for U.S. cyberattack on GOP | The Counter Signal | TCS Wire:

March 31, 2025 -"The Canadian hacker who claimed responsibility for leaking Freedom Convoy donor data in 2022 has been arrested following charges filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 

Aubrey Cottle. X screenshot.

"On Friday, March 28th, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas announced the charges against Canadian left-wing hacktivist and self-proclaimed founder of 'Anonymous', Aubrey Cottle, 37 of Oshawa, Ontario.... He was arrested Wednesday by Canadian authorities and faces criminal charges both in Canada and the U.S. 

"The unsealed complaint in the Western District of Texas accuses Cottle of using illegal means to access a backup of the Texas GOP server containing sensitive personal information. The stolen data was exposed online, where prosecutors alleged Cottle also took credit openly via social media.

"Cottle also claimed responsibility for hacking the Christian donor site GiveSendGo in February of 2022. The hack, similar to his Texas GOP stunt, was intended to leak donor information, including names, addresses and donations amounts, leading to widespread harassment of donors. Cottle admitted to the hack on an unhinged TikTok livestream, resurfacing on X since his arrest broke to the public....  

"[I]n 2021 during an interview with Vice News, Cottle admitted to being involved in the 2008 Anonymous attack on the Epilepsy Foundation’s website where the hacker created flashing animations used to target users with photosensitive epilepsy....

"Cottle has been charged with unlawfully transferring, possessing, or using a means of identification to commit or aid unlawful activity. If convicted, he could face a sentence of up to five years in prison."
Read more: https://thecountersignal.com/canadian-freedom-convoy-donations-hacker-arrested-for-u-s-cyberattack-on-gop/

OPP charge Oshawa suspect in cyber crimes investigation | Durham Radio News:

March 31, 2025 - "OPP [Ontario Provincial Police] aren’t saying much about a cyber crimes investigation that led to charges against an Oshawa resident. The case is under a publication ban.... Aubrey Cottle, 37, is charged with mischief to computer data, unauthorized use of a computer and possession of a device to obtain unauthorized use of a computer. The accused remains in custody and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Oshawa on March 31, 2025."
Read more: https://www.durhamradionews.com/archives/195774

Oshawa man linked to Anonymous facing charges in Canada and U.S. after internet hack targeting Texas Republican Party | Toronto Star | Calvi Leon:

April 1, 2025 - "A GTA man known for his alleged ties to the notorious hacktivist collective Anonymous is facing charges in Canada and the United States stemming from a 2021 data breach targeting the Texas Republican Party. Aubrey Cottle ... who goes by the online alias 'Kirtaner' ... appeared in court in Oshawa on Tuesday morning. None of the allegations have been tested in court.

"Cottle, who describes himself on social media as the founder of Anonymous, was reportedly involved in the data breach targeting the Christian crowdfunding site that raised money for the so-called 'Freedom Convoy' in early 2022.... During the protests, the names and personal details of donors to the GiveSendGo convoy crowdfunding campaign were breached and shared across the internet. According to Vice, Cottle admitted on the social media platform TikTok that he was responsible for the attack.

"'Yes, I doxxed the truckers, I did it, it was me, I hacked GiveSendGo baby, and I’d do it again,' Cottle yelled in a TikTok livestream on his account. 'I’d do it a hundred times. I did it. I did it. Come at me. What are you going to do, what are you going to do to me, ha?'...

"When OPP executed a search warrant at Cottle’s home, they seized more than 20 terabytes of data, including correspondence from his email address in February 2021 that claimed he had access to Epik’s networks, customer virtual machines, web domains and customer data. The email told the unknown recipient to “delete this message after reading'.... Court documents do not specify when OPP searched Cottle’s home. In 2022, he told CyberScoop that OPP had raided his home and took 'all my equipment' on Aug. 30 of that year. Cottle said a police detective told him the FBI was involved."
Read more: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/oshawa-man-linked-to-anonymous-facing-charges-in-canada-and-u-s-after-internet-hack/article_5aa7503d-3c57-48b2-90f9-a8d9358a8408.html

Liberal MP drops out of election race

Liberal MP Paul Chiang, who called for bounty hunters to hand over a Conservative candidate to the Chinese government, has withdrawn his candidacy after Prime Minister Mark Carney refused to remove him. 

'PERSON OF INTEGRITY': Carney defends Liberal who wanted to turn in Conservative candidate to CCP | Western Standard | Jen Hodgson:

March 31, 2025 - "Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday morning vehemently defended Liberal MP Paul Chiang, who called for a Conservative candidate to be handed over to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). A total of 13 Hong Kong-Canadian advocacy groups have demanded Carney remove Chiang from running in the federal election, citing the danger of endorsing a CCP bounty on a Canadian.... [Don Valley North] Conservative candidate Joe Tay ... is wanted by Hong Kong authorities, under the power of Beijing, for running a pro-democracy YouTube channel in Canada....

"'The comments were deeply offensive, terrible,' said Carney. 'This is a terrible lapse of judgment by Mr. Chiang. He has apologized for those comments.... This is a regrettable situation. However, he will continue with his campaign.... He's made those apologies, he's made them directly to the individual concerned, he's made them directly to me, he has my confidence,' said Carney. 'I view this as a teachable moment.'"
Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/person-of-integrity-carney-defends-liberal-who-wanted-to-turn-in-conservative-candidate-to-ccp/63581

Mark Carney won’t fire controversial candidate Paul Chiang | CBC News: The National | March 31, 2025:

Liberal candidate Paul Chiang 'standing aside' following backlash | Western Standard | Jarryd Jäger:

April 1, 2025 - "Paul Chiang has announced that he will no longer be running as the Liberal candidate for Markham-Unionville. The now-former MP's move comes following backlash over his decision to encourage people to turn Conservative candidate Joe Tay in to the Chinese Communist Party....

"Chiang wrote in a statement posted to X.... [that[ 'this is a uniquely important election with so much at stake for Canadians,' and that 'as the Prime Minister and Team Canada work to stand up to President Trump and protect our economy, I do not want there to be distractions in this critical moment. That's why I'm standing aside as our 2025 candidate in our community of Markham-Unionville.'"
Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/breaking-liberal-candidate-paul-chiang-standing-aside-following-backlash/63622

Chiang's statement on X | March 31, 2025, 11:55 pm:

Liberal MP wanted Conservative handed over to Chinese Communist regime

A Liberal MP is under fire after suggesting on Chinese-language media that a Conservative candidate be handed over to the Chinese Communist government for a $1 million HKD bounty. 

Liberal MP calls for Conservative candidate to be handed over to China | Toronto Sun | Brian Lilley: 

March 29, 2025 - "The Conservatives are calling on Liberal Leader Mark Carney to fire one of his candidates.... 'Yesterday, it came to light that Mark Carney’s Liberal candidate, Paul Chiang, called for a Conservative candidate to be turned over to the authoritarian regime in Beijing in return for a bounty offered by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP),' Conservative MP Michael Chong said in a statement.

Liberal MP Paul Chiang. CBC

"Chiang is the Liberal MP for Markham-Unionville and is still the Liberal candidate. While Chiang has issued an apology, Chong says it’s not enough. He wants Mark Carney, who has so far been silent on this, to fire Chiang....

"According to a statement issued by the Toronto Association for Democracy in China [TADC], Chiang was speaking with several Chinese-language media outlets in Toronto in January. He raised the issue of Joe Tay, the Conservative candidate in Don Valley North. 

"Tay has been an activist for democracy in China, including Hong Kong where he was born. That resulted in a $1 million Hong Kong Dollar bounty [$183,915 CAD] being placed on his head, a bounty Chiang encouraged people to take advantage of by turning Tay over to Chinese officials.

"'To everyone here, you can claim the one-million-dollar bounty if you bring him to Toronto’s Chinese Consulate,' Chiang said according to TADC. Chiang never denied the claims of his statement – instead, he issued an apology late Thursday.

"'The comments I made were deplorable and a complete lapse in judgment on the seriousness of the matter. As a former police officer, I should have known better. I sincerely apologize and deeply regret my comments,' Chiang said."

"The Liberals have been under fire for being too close [to] the Chinese Communist Party and the dictators in Beijing for years. Evidence presented at the recent foreign interference inquiry showed that in the 2019 and 2021 elections, China actively tried to ensure the Liberals held power. Then-prime minister Justin Trudeau and his team, many of whom helped Mark Carney win the Liberal leadership, refused to act even after being warned about specific candidates ahead of the 2019 election....

"Carney himself has deep ties to China ... including increasing the business that Brookfield Asset Management did in China. Until he entered politics, Carney oversaw Brookfield as chair of the board and head of transition investing. In November 2024, he helped secure a loan of more than $275 billion USD for Brookfield from a Chinese state-owned bank."

Read more: https://torontosun.com/news/national/federal_elections/liberal-mp-calls-for-conservative-to-be-handed-over-to-china

Ron Paul: close US Department of Education

Shut Down the Department of Education! | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

March 24, 2025 =- "President Trump’s executive order from last week titled 'Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities' could help bring about a major step toward restoring constitutional government and improving education. 

The executive order directs that the secretary of education, 'to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities ... while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.'

Ron Paul in 2012. Photo: David Carlyon.

CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.

"The order points out that the Department of Education was created in 1979. Thus, the American people somehow managed for a long time to educate children without a federal education department!.... The federal government introduced significant funding to local schools [in] the 1950s. Some of this early funding was targeted at science education and was a response to the Soviet Union’s launch of the Sputnik satellite. The first major legislation providing funding for, and imposing regulations on, local government schools became law in 1965.

"The Department of Education has been given nearly 50 years to work on improving education. Yet, instead of the Department of Education ushering in an education golden era, education in America has declined. According to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress, approximately 70 percent of eighth graders are below proficiency in reading, while around 72 percent are below proficiency in math.

"The problem is not that the federal government spends too little on education.... Washington, DC imposing another 'reform' on schools will only ensure that more children are left behind. The real problem is [that] education funding is controlled by politicians and bureaucrats who impose a 'one-size-fits-all' model on schools.

"The key to improving the education system is putting control of education back in the hands of those who best know a child’s unique needs and abilities — parents. Moving education programs from the federal government to state and local governments is a good first step.... In addition, President Trump must follow up his executive order by working with Congress to pass legislation shutting down the Department of Education.

"Homeschooling is one course many parents have chosen as an alternative to sending their children to government schools. Parents looking for a homeschooling curriculum incorporating the ideas of liberty should consider my online curriculum. My curriculum provides students with a solid education in history, literature, mathematics, and the sciences. It also gives students the opportunity to create their own websites and internet-based businesses.... 

"The curriculum is designed to be self-taught, with students helping, and learning from, each other via online forums. Starting in the fourth grade, students are required to write at least one essay a week. Students post their essays on their blogs. Students also take a course in public speaking. The curriculum does emphasize the history, philosophy, and economics of liberty, but it never substitutes indoctrination for education. The goal is to produce students with superior critical thinking skills.

"If you think my curriculum may meet the needs of your child, please visit www.RonPaulCurriculum.com for more information."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given. 

Read more: https://ronpaulinstitute.org/shut-down-the-department-of-education/

CCP election interference likely, says SITES

Canadian security officials expect Chinese government interference in Canada's election campaign.

Officials Say Beijing Interference ‘Highly Likely’ in Federal Election | Epoch Times | Noé Chartier:

March 26, 2025 - "Federal security officials say they expect Beijing will attempt to meddle in the ongoing electoral campaign. The chair of the elections security task force provided the body’s assessment on the different threats facing the election during a press conference in Ottawa on March 24. 'It is expected that the People’s Republic of China, or PRC, will likely continue to target Canadian democratic institutions and civil society to advance its strategic objectives,' said Vanessa Lloyd, who heads the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) Task Force.

"SITE is composed of representatives of four different departments and agencies with a security mandate. Lloyd’s permanent post is deputy director of operations, or second-in-command, with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). SITE also includes representatives of the RCMP, Global Affairs Canada, and the Communications Security Establishment.

"Chinese officials and their proxies are 'likely to conduct foreign interference activity using a complex array of both overt and covert mechanisms,' Lloyd added without elaborating.

"Some of these mechanisms have come to light in recent years through intelligence leaks in the media and via documents released through the Foreign Interference Commission presided by Justice Marie-Josée Hogue. They have involved mobilizing community groups to shun certain election candidates or implicating some candidates and staffers in interference networks. The PRC has been identified as the foremost foreign interference threat by the Hogue report released in January.... Lloyd added that China is highly likely to use social media to promote its narratives and 'specifically target Chinese ethnic, cultural, and religious communities in Canada using clandestine and deceptive means'....

"Global Affairs Canada’s Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM), which monitors the digital information environment for foreign state-sponsored disinformation, said in February that it detected an information operation targeting then-leadership candidate Chrystia Freeland. The RRM said 'disparaging' news articles about Freeland, originating from an anonymous blog linked to the PRC, were being spread on the widely popular Chinese-language social platform WeChat. The RRM said the campaign was seen by approximately 2 million to 3 million WeChat users globally. WeChat was also used in the 2021 election to spread misinformation about the Conservative Party....

"Along with concerns around China, Lloyd said the Indian government has the 'intent and capability' to interfere in elections to 'assert its geopolitical influence.' Relations between Ottawa and New Delhi have remained strained since 2023 when then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian agents of being involved in the murder of a pro-Khalistan activist in British Columbia.... India has denied involvement and has accused Ottawa of making politically motivated allegations.

"Lloyd also said Russia could use online networks to interfere and added that Pakistan could also meddle to seek to counter India’s influence. Government intelligence summaries released to the Hogue Inquiry say that Pakistan has previously conducted foreign interference against Canada. Meanwhile, the summaries say authorities have not detected 'significant foreign interference' in past federal elections from Russia, although it possesses the capabilities."

Read more: https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/officials-say-beijing-interference-highly-likely-in-federal-election-5830672

Canada's spy agency claims China, India likely to interfere in next election | CNA | March 25, 2025:

Boilermakers' union endorses Poilievre for PM

This week the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Canada and the Coalition of Concerned Manufacturers and Businesses of Canada both endorsed Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre for prime minister.

“Pierre gets it”: Boilermakers union endorses Poilievre | The Counter Signal | TCS Wire: 

March 26, 2025 - "In a show of support, a labour union has endorsed Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers ... have never backed the federal Conservatives but they broke precedent on Tuesday with a public statement. 

“'It is in the interest of moving forward that the Office of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Canada is proud to announce today our endorsement for Pierre Poilievre and all the conservative candidates across Canada in this federal election,' said the union’s vice president, Arnie Stadnick, in an open letter to Canadians. 

Pierre gets it. He knows and understands that the surest and most sustainable route to providing a cleaner environment is through technology, not dismantling our energy sectors, raising taxes, importing energy from other nations, and shipping Canadian jobs abroad.

"The Boilermakers represent about 12,000 skilled trades workers across Canada in industries such as energy production, construction, shipbuilding and manufacturing. 

"Additionally, the union endorsed Poilievre’s 'Boots not Suits' policy, which aims to expand training halls and increase grants and funding to accelerate entry into the licensed trades. 'This plan is designed to strengthen the workforce and reduce reliance on foreign labour, adding 350,000 Canadian workers to job sites over five years,' wrote the Boilermakers union. 

"The Coalition of Concerned Manufacturers and Businesses of Canada also endorsed the Conservative leader with a statement last week, saying that it 'strongly supports the election of Pierre Poilievre as the next Prime Minister of Canada.'

"''Canadian business has been undermined for 10 years by the post-national, anti-business Liberal agenda, and the ability of our members to create well-paying jobs has been seriously impaired,” said the coalition’s president Catherine Swift in a statement published Friday. 

"'Mark Carney, who has been a key advisor to the Trudeau Liberals for years, will continue this destructive approach.'

"Citing data compiled by the International Monetary Fund, Swift said that a fourth Liberal term would perpetuate economic policies that have led to the worst growth per capita for Canada among other developed nations. Calling it 'Canada’s lost decade,' Swift said that she’s yet to see any 'concern' for small and medium-sized businesses from Liberal Leader Mark Carney.

“His globalist policies only involve large crony capitalists and top-down regulatory overload to the detriment of (small and medium-sized businesses),” she said."

Read more: https://thecountersignal.com/pierre-gets-it-boilermakers-union-endorses-poilievre/