Trump tariffs would plunge Canada into recession

Donald Trump has promised, as one of his "many first Executive Orders," to slap a 25% tariff on Canadian goods, a move that would plunge Canada into a deep recession. 

Trump tells Trudeau to fix border problems or get hit with 25% tariffs | Toronto Sun | Brian Lilley:

November 26, 2024 - "Donald Trump has given Canada two months notice: Fix the border or get whacked with tariffs, huge tariffs. Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he will sign an executive order to bring in across-the-board tariffs on Canadian goods....

“'As everyone is aware, thousands of people are pouring through Mexico and Canada, bringing crime and drugs at levels never seen before,' the president-elect posted. 'On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% tariff on all products coming into the United States'.... 

"While illegal immigration from Canada to the United States pales in comparison to what happens on the Mexican-American border, the numbers have been rising. 

"Over the period from October 2023 to the end of September 2024, border patrol agents apprehended close to 20,000 people crossing in the Swanton Sector – more than in the previous 17 years combined. That sector runs from the Quebec-New Hampshire border, across the Vermont-Quebec border and then over the top of New York State to where the St. Lawrence River meets Lake Ontario. 

"Trump’s new border czar, Tom Homan, comes from western New York, just south of Kingston, and knows the Canada-U.S. border well.... He ... told a Watertown, N.Y., TV station in an interview just after he was appointed ... [that] more than twice as many people on terror watch lists have been apprehended crossing into the United States from Canada than from Mexico. And while fentanyl isn’t a drug that is often seized crossing in from the north, Canada has long been a source of cocaine, marijuana and other drugs, a fact Homan is well aware of.... 

“'This tariff will remain in effect until such time as drugs, in particular fentanyl, and all Illegal aliens stop this invasion of our country! Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem,' Trump said.... If Trump were to act on this, and there is no reason to believe he is bluffing, it would cause immense devastation to the Canadian economy. An analysis by TD economics of Trump’s earlier tariff threat predicted that under a 10% tariff 'Real GDP would fall around 2.4 ppts over two years. This threat is 2 1/2 times bigger and would sink Canada into a deep recession.

"Thankfully, there is a warning and a chance to act to avoid the tariffs, because on something like this, turning to enacting our own tariffs wouldn’t have the desired effect, our pain would be much bigger than theirs....

"There is a problem of drugs, crime and people crossing the border in both directions. The Biden administration had raised issues with the Trudeau government months ago, there was no action. Now, we face an incoming administration that isn’t interested in playing nice.... What’s worrisome for Canada is it’s doubtful that the Trudeau government can deliver anything that will save us and our economy from the pain that is coming."

Read more: https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/trump-to-trudeau-fix-border-or-get-hit-with-25-tariffs

Brian Lilley Drops BOMBSHELL On Justin Trudeau In LEAKED Interview! | The Canada Digest | December 18, 2024:

Samidoun listed as terrorist group in US & Canada

Vancouver-based Samidoun, a charity which raises funds for Palestinian Arab prisoners, has been designated a terrorist entity by the U.S. Treasury and the Trudeau government. 

Canada lists pro-Palestinian group Samidoun as terrorist entity | CBC News | 

October 15, 2024 - "The government of Canada has designated the pro-Palestinian group Samidoun as a terrorist entity in a joint action with the U.S., both governments announced Tuesday. Samidoun, also known as the Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, has close links with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), both governments said in announcing the move. The PFLP is a listed terrorist entity in Canada, the U.S. and the European Union.

"'Violent extremism, acts of terrorism or terrorist financing have no place in Canadian society or abroad,' Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said in a news release. He added the listing 'sends a strong message that Canada will not tolerate this type of activity.' The U.S. Treasury Department ... said it's declaring Samidoun 'a sham charity' that serves as an international fundraiser for the PFLP. In a statement, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the move is 'part of our joint work with the U.S. to expose terrorist activities and intercept their financing.'

"Last week, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre urged the Canadian government to 'ban' Samidoun.... Poilievre's calls came on the heels of a Samidoun-organized protest in Vancouver on the one-year anniversary of Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel.... In videos of the protest circulated online, an unidentified masked woman led a crowd of hundreds in chants of 'death to Canada, death to the United States and death to Israel,' while some in the group burned Canadian flags. CBC News has not independently verified the videos posted online of the rally, but a CBC journalist who passed by the rally said they clearly heard a speaker chant, "death to Canada, death to the United States."

"Earlier this year, Samidoun's international co-ordinator Charlotte Kates was arrested in a Vancouver hate-crime investigation after she praised the Oct. 7 attack as 'heroic and brave.' Samidoun also posted a statement that called the attack 'a legitimate military operation'....

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/samidoun-terrorist-entity-1.7352424

Samidoun listed as terrorist entity following flag burning, "death to Canada" chant at BC rally | Global News | October 15, 2024_

Was it the Western Standard's video that was a terrorist entity's undoing? | Western Standard | Nigel Hannaford

October 15, 2024 - "That the Government of Canada has declared the Samidoun organization a terrorist entity is welcome news. But one has to ask, what took them so long? And how did they pluck up the courage to do it? After all, it wasn’t exactly a secret that Vancouver-based Samidoun is an international fundraiser for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Along with a plethora of fist-raised anger articles, they’ve had it on their website for at least three years and as we pointed out on Monday, the PLF itself has been designated as a terrorist entity in Canada since 2003....

"It is hard to escape the conclusion that the Trudeau Liberals have until now had no wish to antagonize what they treat as a significant Muslim voting bloc. For example, while the Trudeau government doubtless regards the past year’s vicious antisemitic street demonstrations as regrettable, they have done little to condemn them and less yet to restrain them.... And, when the Liberals finally took action, they did so with it an air of regret, as though they were pushed into it... The Government of Canada statement in which Samidoun was officially listed, speaks of 'acting in concert with the US Treasury Deparment'. Ah there it is, the alibi. “Sorry, the Yanks made us do it'.... It was weak and cowardly and about eight days late....

"As for the voting bloc they're afraid of losing, the Liberals seem to forget that not every Canadian Muslim supports terrorism in general, or Hamas/Hezbollah in particular. Many came here to get away from that sort of thing. Not to put too fine a point on it then, as much as the Jews of Toronto have a legitimate claim on the government's protection, so do Canadian Muslims who are committed to this country and the hope-filled vision that drew them here....

"But here's the thing. How did this come to their attention? I have checked the news feeds. The first reports and the only pictures of these events came from a Western Standard reporter who enterprisingly (and not without some personal risk) got up close and started running his camera. The video evidence of Jarryd Jäeger may be examined here. And so far as we know, that's all there is from any news source.... "[I]f the CBC uses Western Standard video footage, it's likely that there was no other available. And frankly, given the national importance of the event and the consequences we now see — the banning of Samidoun — we're happy to be of assistance to the CBC. (And to the National Post and a dozen other outlets that picked up our story).... .So, a golden attaboy to Western Standard Vancouver reporter Jarryd Jäeger. It's not the first time that good reporting has led to prompt, effective actions out of government. Dedicated as we are to the public good, we don't intend it to be the last."

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/opinion/hannaford-was-it-the-western-standards-video-that-was-a-terrorist-entitys-undoing/58605

Iran's Revolutionary Guard listed as terrorist group in Canada

Canada's government lists Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorist group after years of pressure.

Canada listing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorist group after years of pressure | CBC News | Ashley Burke & Michael Woods:

Jun 19, 2024 - "The federal government is listing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization under Canada's Criminal Code after years of mounting pressure. Federal ministers delivered the news Wednesday afternoon.... Once a group is placed on the country's terror list, police can charge anyone who financially or materially supports the group and banks can freeze its assets.

"The IRGC is a branch of the Iranian armed forces that answers directly to Iran's supreme leader. The IRGC shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 above the skies of Tehran in January 2020, killing 175 passengers, including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents.

"Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly warned that Canadians in Iran might face a heightened risk of arbitrary detention after Wednesday's announcement. 'For those who are in Iran right now, it's time to come back home. And for those who are planning to go to Iran, don't go,' Joly said.

"This latest development comes after years of pressure on the federal government to list the IRGC. The association representing family members of Flight PS752 victims, members of the Iranian Canadian community, the Conservative Party and the NDP have all called on the government to designate the entire militia group as a terrorist entity. MPs voted unanimously last month to do so.....

When asked why it took the government so long to make the move, [Public Safety Minister Dominic] LeBlanc said the decision was made based on the advice of security services and foreign policy considerations.... LeBlanc added that Canada's security services hold a monthly review to determine whether to recommend that various entities be listed as terrorist entities under the Criminal Code. 'The government of Canada has concluded after a deliberative process, based on very, very strong and compelling evidence that the cabinet received, that now is the time,' he added.

"Canada does not have an embassy in Iran; it cut diplomatic ties with the country in 2012."

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ottawa-list-iran-islamic-revolutionary-guard-corps-terrorist-group-1.7238522

CBC News: The National | Canada lists Iran’s IRGC a terrorist group | CBC News: The National | June 20, 2024 (0:00-4:40):

The U.S. did it. The EU might. Why Canada won't put Iran's revolutionary guard on its terrorist list | CBC News | Mark Gollom:

November 4, 2022 - "The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was formed following Iran's 1979 revolution, created to protect the new government. It has since, according to the Council on Foreign Relations website, grown to become one of the most powerful paramilitary organizations in the Middle East. It operates its own intelligence services and answers directly to Iran's supreme leader. It is a branch of the Iranian armed forces but operates independently of the regular military and has vast economic interests across the country.... But it has also been accused of orchestrating a number of state-sanctioned terror attacks throughout the world, while also offering support to terrorist organizations, accusations Iran denies....

"In June 2018, the federal Liberals supported a House of Commons motion introduced by the Conservatives that sought to 'immediately designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a listed terrorist entity under the Criminal Code of Canada'....Still, Canada has not taken the extra step to list it as a terrorist entity....

"Attorney General and Justice Minister David Lametti explained that since the IRGC is part of Iran's military, and military service is mandatory, there are concerns that ... Including the IRGC in those terrorist listings might unfairly capture Iranians in Canada who oppose and fled the regime, but had been conscripted into the IRGC.... Thomas Juneau, who specializes in the politics of the Middle East at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa, agreed that the problem with the IRGC is that in the over 40 years of the Islamic Republic, there are over 'hundreds of thousands of individuals, mostly men, who have been in the IRGC, in many cases conscripts'....

"The implementation of listing the IRGC as a terrorist entity would be extraordinarily resource intensive, Juneau says. The demand that such a listing would impose on agencies like the RCMP, CSIS, the Canada Border Services Agency, and FINTRAC, the financial intelligence unit, would be massive, he said.... 'You need to hire people with very technical skills in financial intelligence and border security. You need to train them. You need to get them a security clearance, usually at the top secret level,' he said.

"But there's also a legal issue that the government has not discussed....  Andrew House, who specializes in national security law and who was the chief of staff to former public safety minister Vic Toews, said that ... [u]nder the Criminal Code, entity is defined as "a person, group, trust, partnership or fund or an unincorporated association or organization.' That means the IRGC, as an arm of the Iranian government, might technically not fit into that category; arguably, it's a state actor, which are subject to sanctions, but wouldn't be placed on a terrorist list. 'That's the purist legal position,' House said. 'Judges make a big deal of these types of differences'.... 

"Yet House ... points out that the Taliban, for example, are on the list, and that they are the de facto government of Afghanistan. 'If you want it to be legally pure about this, you should delist the Taliban. And I don't know anyone who would be supportive of that.'"

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/iran-irgc-terrorist-list-1.6637869

Trudeau gov't has politicized 'terrorist' designation

Canada's Trudeau gov't has been reluctant to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard (which has killed Canadian citizens) or Samidoun (which supports Hamas, which has killed Canadian citizens) as terrorist entities. Yet it did not hesitate to apply the designation to an alleged "far-right" group of Canadians with zero history of violence. 

Canadian Proud Boys in Halifax, July 1. 2017. Anjuli Patil, CBC.

How the Trudeau Liberals crushed a harmless group of oddballs and politicized Canada’s selection of terrorist entities | True North | John Kline: 

May 13, 2024 - "The Justin Trudeau government is still agonizing over whether to 'responsibly list' Iran’s murderous Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.... The IRGC’s thousands of innocent victims include 63 Canadians killed when the IRGC shot down Ukraine International Airlines flight PS572 near Tehran’s airport. The Trudeau government is even less interested in going after Samidoun, a pro-Hamas terrorist-linked group that’s actually headquartered in Vancouver. Yet it hesitated not at all in crushing a small group of Canadian oddballs who had broken no laws and disavowed violence and racism. 

"These were the Canadian wing of the Proud Boys, a mainly U.S. organization some of whose members participated in the U.S. Capitol Building riot three years ago. The Canadian group was pronounced a 'terrorist entity' a month later. But new Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) research recently conducted by a fellow researcher and myself, and published for the first time here and in C2C Journal, reveals virtually the entire surrounding Liberal narrative as exaggerated if not false:

• Neither the Proud Boys’ Canadian chapter nor any of its members are known to have broken any laws before or since the organization’s terror entity designation on February 3, 2021;
• There’s no indication Canada’s Department of Justice prepared the dossier of evidence that, as Public Safety Canada’s anti-terrorism-related web pages explain, is required before any group can be designated a terrorist entity.... There’s no evidence this was done afterwards, either. There’s no evidence any such dossier exists at all;
• Trudeau’s ministers held no other apparent evidence to substantiate their heated public accusations that the Canadian Proud Boys had engaged in violence, were planning to do so and posed a substantial threat thereof;
• The Trudeau government showed no interest in the Proud Boys until after the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.... 
• Following Canada’s terrorist listing, Public Safety officials were unable to muster any compelling reasons or hard evidence in support despite persistent questioning from news media;
• Substantially all of their “evidence” comprised U.S. news media reports pertaining to events and organizations in the U.S.; and,
• The terrorist designation did not trigger any known law enforcement action against the Canadian chapters or their former members....

"Ottawa urgently needed to act, insisted Public Safety Minister Bill Blair.... But the Liberals had nothing on the Proud Boys. No violent acts, no criminal records, no bomb-making plans, no law-breaking at all. Their most aggressive act came when five of them – five – expressed concern over the impending destruction of a statue of one of Canada’s most important historical figures in Halifax on Canada Day 2017, offending some Indigenous activists. For this – and for not hating Western civilization – the Proud Boys were routinely maligned as 'white supremacist', 'misogynistic' or 'far-rightist'....

"Canada’s Proud Boys appear to have been designated terrorists mostly because incoming U.S. President Joe Biden needed help in building the Democratic narrative that the J6 riot was a 'violent insurrection'. Canada’s move, indeed, was instant news in D.C. and, the ATIP documents show, was discussed in a cabinet-level meeting between the two governments.... 

"Further circumstantial evidence that it was a purely political act is the absence of subsequent law enforcement action against the Proud Boys. Normally, a terror designation unleashes the legal hounds of hell upon the target, everything from property and asset seizures to placing members on no-fly lists, to comprehensive surveillance and harassment, and onward to criminal charges. But none of this happened.... Nor is there any criminal or civil case law involving Canadian Proud Boys members indicated on Canada’s free case-search website.... 

"Still, the Trudeau government crushed Canada’s Proud Boys (who announced their dissolution in May 2021, reiterating they were never a white-supremacist group). Based not on a carefully assembled dossier of hard evidence, but on ideological prejudice and media reports – many exaggerated, distorted or plain false – about a U.S. group whose Canadian affiliate had nothing to do with any of it. If that’s how things now work in Canada, one can only ask: who might be next?"

Read more: https://tnc.news/2024/05/13/op-ed-trudeau-liberals-terrorist-entities/

The original, full-length version of this article was recently published in C2C Journal.
https://c2cjournal.ca/2024/04/not-much-to-be-proud-of-how-the-liberals-politicized-canadas-selection-of-terrorist-entities/

Media assails Poilievre for being mean to media

Was Pierre Poilievre being "responsible" when he referred in the House of Commons to media reports of a terrorist attack at the Rainbow Bridge? Did he bully a reporter who later asked him that question? And why does any of this matter?  

Politics reporters continue to struggle with the Poilievre phenomenon | MSN.com | Chris Selley, National Post:

November 27, 2023 - "On Wednesday, Pierre Poilievre stood in the House of Commons, noted 'media reports about a terrorist attack at the border in Niagara (Falls),' and asked if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had any information he could share. The prime minster did not, to no one’s surprise, the incident having only just occurred.

"Later in the afternoon, American officials said they were pretty sure the fiery one-car crash had just been a bizarre accident. And back we all went to finding serious solutions for Canada’s many serious problems. Ha, ha, no. The Liberals charged that Poilievre had tried to 'rile people up' by assuming the incident had been terrorism.... The media ran with that angle. But furthermore, as a CBC online subheadline put it, Poilievre’s 'timeline (was) in question.'

"In one of his trademarked Testy Exchanges with Reporters, ... [a]sked if he thought he had jumped to an irresponsible conclusion, he shot back at the reporter: 'Do you think the CTV was irresponsible in putting up that tweet?'.... Ah, but did Poilievre’s alibi stand up? 'The timestamp on the (CTV) article indicates that it was published at 2:39 p.m. ET on Wednesday,' CBC reports. 'Subsequent tweets from the article’s author and CTV itself were published at 2:40 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. respectively.' (Keith Morrison-esque pause here for dramatic effect.) 'Poilievre asked his question at 2:25 p.m.'. What could explain it?...  And why could any of this possibly matter?....

"What seemed to matter most to many journalists, however, was how frightfully rude Poilievre had been to the reporter. 'I had the privilege of jousting with dozens of prime ministers, premiers and opposition leaders from all parties over 25 years, and I don’t remember one of them acting like this, and certainly not on repeated occasions,' long-time Globe and Mail reporter Les Perreaux, now editor of Policy Options, tweeted. Veteran political columnist Chantal Hébert agreed. Globe columnist Elizabeth Renzetti marvelled at the 'utter condescension and contempt' in Poilievre’s tone of voice.

"Poilievre remains a real conundrum for the Ottawa Press Gallery. As I say, if a politician tells a reporter something that seems to be false, then it needs to be checked out. But when political leaders are always bending the truth — which pretty much all of them are — all that checking can make the gallery look petty and obsessed with minutiae. Poilievre and his people know this very well. They bait journalists into looking silly for sport, and most journalists haven’t yet figured out how to deal with it. In the very unlikely event they would ask me for advice, here’s what I suggest. 

• First of all, dial down the drama. If you can’t handle being dressed down by Pierre Poilievre, journalism is not the field for you. No disrespect to the man, but 'intimidating' is not a word that comes to mind in reference to him. If you’ve done your homework and you ask a good question and he pitches a fit about it, you’ll look good and he’ll look silly.
• Secondly, accept that Poilievre sometimes has a point about journalists not doing their homework. He was entirely within his rights to reject the premise of the British Columbia journalist who recently demanded to know why he’s so much like Donald Trump.
• And thirdly, consider what I see as a crippling bias in Ottawa toward perceived niceness. If Poilievre is different [from] all the leaders who came before him when it comes to dealing with the press, I would argue (as Renzetti suggests) that it’s much more in tone than in substance. But substance is vastly far more important than tone."

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/chris-selley-politics-reporters-continue-to-struggle-with-the-poilievre-phenomenon/ar-AA1kxYUe

Media goes into overdrive to attack Poilievre | True North | November 24, 2023:

Israeli gov't letting citizens arm themselves

In the wake of last weekend's terrorist attacks, Israel's National Security Minister has "directed the Firearms Licensing Division to go on an emergency operation, in order to allow as many citizens as possible to arm themselves."

Israel Eases Guns Restrictions Amidst Security Failures | Reason | J.D. Tuccille: 

October 13, 2023 - "In the wake of the Hamas terrorist organization's murderous attacks on Israel, the country's government is admitting — not for the first time — that even Israel's extensive security apparatus can't be everywhere to protect everyone. Under the pressure of bloody events, officials are again making it easier for civilians to acquire and carry firearms for self-defense. 'Today I directed the Firearms Licensing Division to go on an emergency operation, in order to allow as many citizens as possible to arm themselves," announced National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. 'The plan will take effect within 24 hours.'

"By no means does the order eliminate the country's tight restrictions on guns. But it's an acknowledgment that too many Israelis were  caught with limited access to the means of self-defense when Hamas terrorists crossed the border from Gaza and attacked civilians.... Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) were caught flat-footed and scrambled to catch up with events.

"This is actually the second time this year that Israel's government loosened gun rules in response to attacks on the public. 'Israel's security cabinet has approved measures to make it easier for Israelis to carry guns after two separate attacks by Palestinians in Jerusalem over the past two days,' the BBC reported in January. That followed an earlier reform allowing more civilians to carry defensive weapons in 2018. 'Trained citizens who hold weapons in the public sphere contribute to the feeling of security,' then-Security Minister Gilad Erdan said at the time. 'They are an important line of defense against "lone wolf" actions and are used in a sense as a temporary force multiplier, thereby strengthening public safety.'

"As sophisticated as Israel's security apparatus is, it's not omnipotent. The failures of intelligence services and military forces have led to recrimination and will undoubtedly result in changes. But human institutions are flawed and even the best are vulnerable to enemies capable of probing for weaknesses and planning around them. That's an ongoing problem for officials challenged with protecting the public from criminals and terrorists. Then-Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble wrestled with that dilemma after a 2013 terrorist attack at the Westgate mall in Nairobi, Kenya. 'Societies have to think about how they're going to approach the problem,' Noble told ABC News. 'One is to say we want an armed citizenry; you can see the reason for that.... You have to ask yourself, "Is an armed citizenry more necessary now than it was in the past with an evolving threat of terrorism?" This is something that has to be discussed,' Noble added.

"Israel is making a choice now after Hamas terrorists penetrated the 'extraordinary security' around Gaza with explosives, boats, and paragliders. With that barrier penetrated, too many Israelis proved to be soft targets for assailants who butchered their way through communities.

"Ukraine made similar choices after Russia invaded at the beginning of 2022, putting many civilians on the front lines in their own homes. 'We will give weapons to anyone who wants to defend the country,' President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced. 'Be ready to support Ukraine in the squares of our cities.' Ukrainians anticipated that necessity, flocking to arm themselves in the days before Russian troops crossed the border.... Polling later found that 58 percent of Ukrainians supported wider civilian gun ownership....

"The hard truth is, no matter how well-funded and trained law enforcement agencies and military forces may be, they're imperfect. The only people guaranteed to be at the site of any attack are the perpetrators and those positioned to be either victims or survivors. If those people don't have the means to defend themselves and are stuck waiting for rescue, they're more likely to be relegated to the victim category than to emerge as survivors....

"Best wishes to the people of Israel, and elsewhere, who have suffered threats in the past, face them now, and will experience them in the future. All people have an absolute right to defend themselves and that right, and access to the means to exercise it, should be respected by law everywhere."

Read more: https://reason.com/2023/10/13/israel-eases-guns-restrictions-amidst-security-failures/

Israel Now Wants As Many Citizens Armed As Possible Reversing Their Strict Gun Control | Colion Noir | October 10, 2023:

CUPE under fire for pro-Hamas statements

Canadian Union of Public Employees criticized for pro-Hamas statements after last weekend's terrorist attack on Israel.

CUPE official 'sickened' by Ontario president's posts after attack on Israel | Toronto Sun | Joe Warmington:

October 10, 2023 - "Most people thought it was just a rogue Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) local that didn’t speak for the whole 700,000-member union. Wrong.... Just moments after Israeli children had been slaughtered, people were stunned by CUPE, Local 3906’s public support for those behind the genocide. 'Palestine is rising, long live the resistance,' they callously posted on X.... 

"It was followed by CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn liking that post and later going to social media with a 'From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will be Free' meme. He also tweeted about being 'thankful' for 'resistance.' Tweeted Hahn: 'As we all think about reasons to be thankful this #thanksgiving2023, I know I’m thankful for the power of workers, the power of resistance around the globe. Because #Resistance is fruitful and no matter what some might say, #Resistance brings progress, and for that, I’m thankful'....

"Jewish groups say any support for these actions is support for Hamas. Premier Doug Ford also expressed his outrage. 'The comments by the president of CUPE Ontario glorifying and celebrating the rape, abduction and murder of innocent Israeli people are disturbing, and I denounce them wholeheartedly,' said Ford Tuesday.... Hahn has also upset many CUPE members. 'I have never been so sickened as I am today by the comments of fellow union officers,” said CUPE 416 Paramedic Services Unit chair Mike Merriman.' He is calling for Hahn to resign.... 

"While the Local 3906 pulled its tweet and Hamilton’s McMaster University, where the union represents 3,000 workers, distanced itself from the sentiment, Hahn and CUPE National have doubled down. Instead of calling out the terrorists and their evil carnage, the union that represents health care, emergency services, education, early learning and child care, municipalities, social services, libraries, utilities, transportation and airlines across Canada are pushing [a] neutrality approach, but also admitting they actually back the Palestinian side....

"'CUPE grieves the loss of life brought by the recent escalation of violence in Israel and Palestine,' said a release sent to the Toronto Sun in response to a request for comment from CUPE National President Mark Hancock. 'We are horrified by the Hamas attack on Israel and the retribution by the state of Israel on the people of Palestine and condemn all acts of violence against innocent civilians'....

"CUPE blames Israel. 'CUPE has long recognized the need for the Israeli government to withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories and abide by UN resolutions and international law,' said the release. 'The full siege that has now been declared on Gaza by Israel will worsen conditions for residents who are already struggling and deny the population of food, water, electricity and other necessities for life. It will not hasten a peaceful resolve.'

"CUPE wants Trudeau to push back on Israel’s defence plans. 'We urge the government of Canada to call for a ceasefire, for the enforcement of international law and to work toward a peaceful resolution that upholds the rights to life and freedom of Palestinians and Israelis'....

"Merriman said Hahn and Local 3906’s comments 'have no place in the Canadian labour movement' and are not representative of the 'decent, hardworking and humanitarian CUPE members.' But they are the views of some within the union brass."

Read more: https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/warmington-cupe-official-sickened-by-ontario-presidents-posts-after-attack-on-israel

Liberal staffer condones Hamas violence

While Canada's Liberal government, including  cabinet minister Gary Anandasangaree, has condemned recent Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel, Anandasangaree's senior legal staffer has been sharing social media posts defending the "revolutionary violence" and cheering "Go Palestine". 

Senior Liberal staffer shares post defending Palestinian “revolutionary violence” | True North | Elie Cantin-Nantel:

October 8, 2023 - "A senior advisor to a Liberal cabinet minister shared an Instagram post condoning Palestinian 'revolutionary violence' and using a hashtag calling for the destruction of Israel. Brandon Montour, who is listed as a senior legal affairs advisor to Liberal Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree on the federal government’s employee directory, also shared a post supporting Palestinian liberation through 'whatever means necessary.' The sharing of the posts came amid unprecedented Hamas attacks on Israel that have so far killed more than 600 Israeli soldiers and civilians and kidnapped 100 hostages, including children and seniors – with one senior Israeli official calling it 'our 9/11.'  

Screenshots courtesy True North.

"Terrorists fired thousands of rockets and dozens of Palestinian gunmen infiltrated Israeli territory on Saturday.  The same day, Montour shared an Instagram post saying 'revolutionary violence is not terrorism. It’s a fight for liberation.' The post was shared from a 'Marxist-Leninist, Proletarian feminist' account. The post contained three other images, including one of Hamas terrorists capturing Israeli soldiers and one that read 'resistance doesn’t happen only by violence, but violence is the mainstream.' The post had the caption 'Go Palestine' and the hashtags #destroyisrael, #destroyimperialism, #destroycolonialism, #freepalestine and #revolution.

"Montour also shared a post from a Palestinian liberation group that called for people to 'support Palestinian Resistance from Al-Quds [Jerusalem] to Gaza.' Behind the text is an image of rockets being launched. 'Supporting Palestinian liberation is supporting whatever means necessary it takes to get there,' the post said. 'Freedom has only ever been achieved through resistance. After over 75 years of ongoing ethnic cleansing and genocide, how could anyone expect anything else from Palestinians but resistance?'...

"Montour did not respond to several requests for comment by True North. However, shortly after True North reached out to him, his LinkedIn page was deleted.

"The views expressed in the posts shared by Montour are contrary to the position taken by Canada’s Liberal government, which has denounced Hamas’ attacks on Israel as terrorism. Anandasangaree, as well as Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, issued statements condemning Hamas and showing solidarity with Israel following the attacks....

"Anandasangaree’s office did not respond to a request for comment."

Read more: https://tnc.news/2023/10/08/liberal-staffer-palestinian-violence/

Trudeau sets off diplomatic war with India

Canada's shock allegation, India's firm denial and diplomatic war: 10-point recap | India Today: 

September 20, 2023 - "Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a[n accused] Khalistani terrorist, was shot dead in Canada’s Surrey in June. Three months after the incident, ... [on] Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the country's parliament that security agencies are probing 'credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the Government of India' to Nijjar’s killing on Canadian soil. Trudeau added that he had raised the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a meeting held on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Delhi earlier this month. India strongly denied Trudeau's claims....

"After Justin Trudeau’s remark in Canada's House of Commons, the country's foreign minister Melanie Joly announced the expulsion of a senior diplomat posted at India's High Commission there. The Canadian foreign ministry identified the diplomat as the 'head of India's foreign intelligence agency in Canada'. In a retaliatory move, India expelled a senior Canadian diplomat posted in India.... 

"As diplomatic relations between the two nations soured, Canada on Tuesday issued an advisory for its nationals in India..... The advisory suggested citizens living in India to 'think about leaving the country if it is safe to do so'. Hours later, India on Wednesday issued an advisory for its nationals and students living in Canada. The advisory urged them to 'exercise utmost caution' in view of 'growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and violence in Canada'. The advisory cited threats to 'Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community who oppose the anti-India agenda' and advised Indian nations to avoid travelling to regions which have witnessed such incidents.

"A day after his initial remark sparked a diplomatic row, Justin Trudeau said that he was not looking to 'provoke' India or 'escalate' tensions. 'We want to work with the government of India' ... Justin Trudeau said. Meanwhile, it was reported that Canada wanted its Five Eye allies to come together and condemn India. The Five Eyes intelligence alliance comprises Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. However, the ally nations were not keen on taking sides in what has now turned into a diplomatic feud between India and Canada. The US, Australia, and the UK have said that the claims should be thoroughly probed."
Read more: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-canada-diplomatic-war-khalistani-terrorist-killing-allegations-all-we-know-2438229-2023-09-20

India Threatens Canada Amid Spat Over Nijjar Killing; Wants 40 Diplomats Kicked Out | Hindustan Times | October 3, 2023:

Does Trudeau have what it takes to wage diplomatic war with India? | National Post | Michael Higgins: 

September  21, 2023 - "Foreign affairs are a minefield for Justin Trudeau but surely no one expected him to trigger an explosive diplomatic war with India. This is now a defining moment for the prime minister.... If India sent a hit squad to Canada to kill a Canadian then Trudeau must marshal all resources — political, diplomatic, and economic — to punish such a grave breach of national sovereignty. India should be subject to the full weight of Canadian and international sanctions so it understands the world will not tolerate such gross criminal behaviour. 

"But for that to happen the prime minister must put forward a convincing case to Canadians and the world that clearly demonstrates India’s guilt. It is not enough to say security agencies are 'actively pursuing credible allegations' that Indian government agents killed Hardeep Singh Nijjar.... If the Canadian Security Intelligence Service or the RCMP has credible evidence then they should come forward. Because the stakes are very high. Not only is the allegation a very serious one, but the ramifications will be significant.... 

"Despite the sensational nature of the charge, the Canadian government appears to be going to great lengths to stress it is only an accusation. In a press conference Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly was at pains to talk about 'the allegations' and that India 'may have been involved' and how 'if proved true' the killing would be troublesome. It was as if Joly was not convinced herself. 

"And in light of the allegation, the prime minister’s trip to India recently can be viewed ... as totally inexplicable. If Trudeau had always planned during the trip to confront Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and lodge a protest about the killing, why did he take his son along instead of a coterie of high-profile ministers to underscore the seriousness of the matter? And if Trudeau skulking in his hotel room instead of attending Modi’s official dinner was intended as some form of statesman-like demonstration over the murder it was a spectacular failure. 

"It has been three months since the murder of Nijjar and the Liberal government is only now talking of 'credible allegations.' It would have been better to keep concerns under wraps until such time as facts were available to support such an explosive accusation. Just because the Globe and Mail published a story about how India’s involvement was being investigated in the killing, doesn’t mean the Liberals had to respond, especially if they were not going to present a more persuasive case."

Read more: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/michael-higgins-does-trudeau-have-what-it-takes-to-wage-diplomatic-war-with-india

No convictions in Whitmer kidnapping trial

Jury Acquits 2 Men Accused of Plotting To Kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer | Reason - Robby Soave:

Gretchen Whitmer, 2019. Wikimedia Commons

April 8, 2022 - "In what should serve as a major blow to the credibility of federal law enforcement agents, a district court jury acquitted two men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The jury deadlocked on the charges against two other defendants, and it's not clear whether prosecutors will seek to retry them, according to The New York Times.... 

"This is an embarrassing outcome for both the FBI — which had relied on a vast network of informants that were extensively involved in planning and even encouraging the plot — as well as Whitmer herself, who treated the plot with utter seriousness.... 

"In reality, Whitmer was never in actual danger; 'Big Dan,' the ringleader of the alleged plot, contacted law enforcement early on, and the FBI paid him $54,000 to conduct six months of surveillance on a loose network of militia members who were upset with Whitmer's aggressive COVID-19 lockdown policies. When the group staked out Whitmer's house, it was Big Dan leading the effort — with the FBI's foreknowledge and encouragement. 

"At the same time, Big Dan's FBI handler, a man named Jayson Chambers, was attempting to start a side business as a security consultant; he thus had every incentive to construct a major domestic terrorism bust that he could take credit for foiling. 

As The Times reported:

No attack ever took place and no final date for an abduction was set, testimony showed, and the details of the alleged plan sometimes differed from witness to witness. The F.B.I. informant, Dan Chappel, said he believed the group planned to kill Ms. Whitmer.... Ty Garbin, the man who earlier pleaded guilty in the case, said he thought the group of men might abandon the governor in a boat in the middle of Lake Michigan. Another man who pleaded guilty, Kaleb Franks, said he had hoped to die in a shootout with the governor's security detail.

"'There was no plan to kidnap the governor, and there was no agreement between these four men,' Joshua Blanchard, a lawyer for Mr. Croft, said in closing arguments. He said the government tried to conjure up a conspiracy by using a network of informants and undercover agents, and that 'without a plan, the snitches needed to make it look like' there was movement toward a plan.

"The FBI ... has a long history of engaging in entrapment: i.e., inducing people to plan crimes that they had no intention of carrying out. The victims of these prosecutions have often been Muslims, though right-wing groups are also a common target.... It appears that the jury possessed reasonable and well-justified doubt that the there was ever any actual plot to kidnap Whitmer, despite the FBI's attempts to manufacture one."

Read more: https://reason.com/2022/04/08/gretchen-whitmer-kidnapping-plot-acquittal-fbi/

FBI encouraged, directed Whitmer kidnapping plot

The Gretchen Whitmer Kidnapping Plot Looks an Awful Lot Like Entrapment | Reason - Robby Soave: 

January 26, 2022 - "The militia members who allegedly plotted to kidnap Michigan's Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer because of her COVID-19 lockdown policies will go to trial in just a few weeks. Six were charged in connection with the plot, and one of them has already pleaded guilty and is expected to testify against the rest. State authorities charged eight others with aiding a terrorist plot.

"But the government's case against these 14 alleged extremists relies on work done by at least a dozen government informants and undercover FBI agents whose extensive involvement in the plot calls into question whether it would have moved forward at all without the government's prodding. Some of these government actors took lead roles in organizing the supposed plot — one of the informants was even paid $54,000 by the FBI. Taken together, these and other details raise the strong possibility that the militia members were victims of entrapment....

"The FBI Investigation Into The Alleged Plot To Kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Has Gotten Very Complicated," conceded BuzzFeed News in an in-depth examination of the available evidence published last month. And earlier this week, The New York Times acknowledged that the involvement of informants and agents had 'muddled' the case:

On a rainy night in northern Michigan in September 2020, a group of armed men divided among three cars surveyed the landscape around the vacation cottage of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, considering how to kidnap her as payback for her Covid-19 lockdown measures.... 
Later, after team members returned to the rural camp where they had already conducted military-style training exercises, a man identified as "Big Dan" in government documents asked the assembled group, "Everybody down with what's going on?" Another man responded, "If you are not down with the thought of kidnapping, don't sit here."
Of the dozen men on that nighttime surveillance mission, four of them including "Big Dan" were either government informants or undercover F.B.I. agents, according to court documents.

"'Big Dan' was no passive spectator: After initially alerting the authorities that he was involved in a Facebook group for militia members in which violence against police officers had been discussed, he agreed to become an informant. The government paid him $54,000 for six months' work. When the militia group surveilled Whitmer's vacation home, it was Big Dan leading the charge. According to the group's defense attorneys, Big Dan — an Iraq War veteran — took charge of training the other men in military tactics....

"Big Dan's FBI handler, Jayson Chambers, ... was attempting to build a security consulting business in the midst of the investigation.... BuzzFeed obtained a resume that Chambers had shared with prospective clients, and in that document, he took credit for using 'online undercover techniques' to investigate terrorist groups. According to BuzzFeed, Chambers has a long history of participating in FBI investigations of Muslim youths who were enticed by law enforcement to become involved in wholly theoretical violent plots, according to their defense attorneys. Chambers is no longer slated to participate in the trial. Another government asset, Stephen Robeson, worked as an informant during the investigation, but is no longer involved after pleading guilty to various felonies. And the government's star witness, FBI Agent Robert Trask, was fired by the agency after beating his wife.... 

"The court may determine that none of this matters.... Historically, victims of entrapment have had a tough time prevailing, no matter how duplicitously the FBI behaved. But in any case, it is now clear that Whitmer was in no real danger. At all stages of the alleged plot, the FBI was aware of every facet: Their agents and informants were intimately involved — not just surveilling the militia members, but actively offering guidance on how to pull off the kidnapping.... 

"Many conservatives have become committed to the idea that the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was not the work of Trump supporters, but rather, elements of the so-called Deep State.... The Whitmer kidnapping plot ... was extensively directed and encouraged by agents of the government. It's a much, much, much, much more persuasive case of Deep State nefariousness."

Read more: https://reason.com/2022/01/26/gretchen-whitmer-kidnapping-plot-entrapment-fbi-trial/

Lockdowns may increase terrorism threat, says UK security minister

Covid lockdowns may have increased UK terrorism threat, says security minister | The Guardian - Jamie Grierson:

December 27, 2021 - "The terrorism threat to the UK may have been made worse by Covid lockdowns, a security minister has suggested. Damian Hinds, the MP for East Hampshire who became security minister in August, told the Daily Telegraph that people spending long periods of time in their bedrooms during the restrictions could have pushed them towards radicalisation.

"His remarks echo similar warnings from the police and the UN’s counter-terrorism committee executive directorate (CTED).

"'Clearly, logically, when you have more people who are spending more time in their bedrooms at their computer … you are going to get a growth in that tiny proportion of people for whom that is a dark journey,' Hinds told the Telegraph.... 

"Since Hinds took on the brief, there have been two alleged terrorist attacks, the killing of the MP Sir David Amess and the attack outside Liverpool Women’s hospital. Counter Terrorism Policing said this month they had foiled seven 'late-stage' terror attacks since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. It took the total number of foiled terrorism plots in the UK in the past four years to 32....

"Hinds said it would be wrong to just assume this was Islamic terrorism.... 'Islamist extremism terrorism, though, remains a potent threat. And we also have quite a few people who you might describe as having a sort of mixed or unclear or unstable mindset. Sometimes [they are] looking at flirting with different ideologies, different groups, sometimes apparently mutually exclusive, very, very different types of ideology.'

"A CTED report this month warned extremists had 'sought to exploit pandemic-related sociocultural restrictions that have led people around the world to spend increasing time online, by strengthening their efforts to spread propaganda, recruit, and radicalise via virtual platforms'."

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/dec/27/covid-lockdowns-increased-uk-terrorism-threat-security-minister-damian-hinds

9/11: Remembering the truly forgotten

Remembering the Truly Forgotten, Twenty Years Later | American Institute for Economic Research - Peter C. Earle:

September 11, 2021 - "Today, a feeling that has simmered for years will rise to a fever pitch. The nation will honor New York City firefighters, police officers, Port Authority employees, medical personnel and first responders, and military servicemen killed in the Pentagon. There will be some mention of ... the passengers who died.... There will be no shortage of salutes to the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines killed in the global war on terror which, launched in Afghanistan shortly after 9/11, also came to involve action in Iraq, Syria, the Philippines, Mali, Pakistan, Yemen, Libya, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, and other nations....

"I write this to celebrate the truly forgotten. There are no elegies for them; no concerts, flags, or bumper stickers. The closest thing they have to monuments are the random sections of beams from the Twin Towers that were distributed to town and county parks nationwide after the attacks. Those beams, twisted and deformed, once supported floors. And 20 years ago today, at about the time that this article is published (8 a.m. Eastern), those floors were already alive with the footsteps of traders, brokers, portfolio managers, accountants, tech workers, customer service representatives, and administrative personnel engaged in the lifeblood of global commerce: finance. 

"It can be easy to forget the people who were actually targeted in the World Trade Center attacks. It’s increasingly customary to do so, in fact.... Individuals dealing in financial markets, negotiating transactions, and managing great amounts of capital are often assumed to be wealthy, corrupt, or engaged in elaborate and ultimately unproductive activity, or some combination of the three. None of those labels invite much sympathy –– even considering the horrors that so many people in these scrutinized fields faced on that day. Nationwide, on this 20th anniversary of September 11, 2001, more will be said about military service dogs than the thousands of hardworking, productive people killed in downtown Manhattan that day....

"What tens of thousands of men and women in the North and South towers of the World Trade Center did all day, every day, was not simply 'pushing pieces of paper around'. What they did was nothing less than lay the foundation upon which the modern world sits and functions. 

"For time immemorial, human beings have struggled to determine the best means of producing goods and services.... Among competing means of production, regardless of the proposed output, there is some combination of inputs and processes that is the most economically efficient. Only prices, generated in market exchange, fulfill that calculation function adequately. Those prices, by reflecting the current consensus valuation of producers and consumers, allow planning. They send signals to all other market participants regarding scarcity, abundance, and shifts in the overall appraisal of countless resources.... [T]here are no other means of adequately determining where and how resources are being combined into the most customer-satisfying goods or services.... 

"William N. Goetzmann, professor and director of the International Center for Finance at Yale University, puts the birth of financial concepts at the root of civilization itself.... Financial practices, building off of the social technology of money and private property rights, forged and continue to govern virtually our entire world. But those practices are not automated, which is why financial professionals ranging from asset managers and speculators to algorithmic developers, accountants, and clerical personnel are so critical.... 

"And so, 20 years after one of the most awful days of my and countless others’ lives, I honor and praise the memory of the people who worked in the World Trade Center. I honor those who were slaughtered that sunny, blue, and virtually cloudless Tuesday morning. When they perished, most of them were still at their desks, donning headsets or handling phones, squawking our arcane language of growth and prosperity.... To the 12 or 13 dealers, traders, brokers, and other individuals based in the towers with whom I transacted and developed a rapport for years, who were gone in a flash: I remain grateful for your service, skills, and friendship. To my friend B, killed 20 years ago today, enduring esteem.... None of you are forgotten, nor will I let you be."

Read more: https://www.aier.org/article/remembering-the-truly-forgotten-twenty-years-later/

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

War on Terror comes home to America

The New Domestic War on Terror is Coming | Glenn Greenwald: 

January 18, 2021 - " The last two weeks have ushered in a wave of new domestic police powers and rhetoric in the name of fighting 'terrorism' that are carbon copies of many of the worst excesses of the first War on Terror that began nearly twenty years ago.... We have witnessed an orgy of censorship from Silicon Valley monopolies with calls for far more aggressive speech policing, a visibly militarized Washington, D.C. featuring a non-ironically named 'Green Zone,' vows from the incoming president and his key allies for a new anti-domestic terrorism bill, and frequent accusations of 'sedition,' 'treason,' and 'terrorism' against members of Congress and citizens. This is all driven by a radical expansion of the meaning of “incitement to violence'..... 

"The Wall Street Journal reports that 'Mr. Biden has said he plans to make a priority of passing a law against domestic terrorism, and he has been urged to create a White House post overseeing the fight against ideologically inspired violent extremists and increasing funding to combat them.' Meanwhile, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) ... has had a bill proposed since 2019 to simply amend the existing foreign anti-terrorism bill to allow the U.S. Government to invoke exactly the same powers at home against 'domestic terrorists'....

"Why would such new terrorism laws be needed in a country that already imprisons more of its citizens than any other country in the world...? What acts should be criminalized by new 'domestic terrorism” laws that are not already deemed criminal? They never say, almost certainly because — just as was true of the first set of new War on Terror laws — their real aim is to criminalize that which should not be criminalized: speech, association, protests, opposition to the new ruling coalition....

"First, much of the alarmism and fear-mongering is being driven by a deliberate distortion of what it means for speech to 'incite violence.' The bastardizing of this phrase was the basis for President Trump’s rushed impeachment last week. It is also what is driving calls for dozens of members of Congress to be expelled and even prosecuted on 'sedition' charges for having objected to the Electoral College certification, and is also at the heart of the spate of censorship actions already undertaken and further repressive measures being urged....

"To illustrate this point, I have often cited the crucial and brilliantly reasoned Supreme Court free speech ruling in Claiborne v. NAACP. In the 1960s and 1970s, the State of Mississippi tried to hold local NAACP leaders liable on the ground that their fiery speeches urging a boycott of white-owned stores 'incited' their followers to burn down stores and violently attack patrons who did not honor the protest.... But the Supreme Court rejected that argument, explaining that free speech will die if people are held responsible not for their own violent acts but for those committed by others who heard them speak and were motivated to commit crimes in the name of that cause... that if speech is classified as 'incitement to violence' despite not explicitly advocating violence, it will sweep up any political speech which those wielding this term wish it to encompass. No political speech will be safe from this term when interpreted and applied so broadly and carelessly.

"And that is directly relevant to the second point. Continuing to process Washington debates of this sort primarily through the prism of 'Democrat v. Republican' or even 'left v. right' is a sure ticket to the destruction of core rights. There are times when powers of repression and censorship are aimed more at the left and times when they are aimed more at the right, but it is neither inherently a left-wing nor a right-wing tactic. It is a ruling class tactic, and it will be deployed against anyone perceived to be a dissident to ruling class interests and orthodoxies no matter where on the ideological spectrum they reside....

"If you identify as a conservative and continue to believe that your prime enemies are ordinary leftists, or you identify as a leftist and believe your prime enemies are Republican citizens, you will fall perfectly into the trap set for you. Namely, you will ignore your real enemies, the ones who actually wield power at your expense: ruling class elites, who really do not care about 'right v. left' and most definitely do not care about 'Republican v. Democrat' — as evidenced by the fact that they fund both parties — but instead care only about one thing: stability, or preservation of the prevailing neoliberal order. Unlike so many ordinary citizens addicted to trivial partisan warfare, these ruling class elites know who their real enemies are: anyone who steps outside the limits and rules of the game they have crafted and who seeks to disrupt the system that preserves their prerogatives and status.

"That a new War on Terror is coming is not a question of speculation and it is not in doubt. Those who now wield power are saying it explicitly. The only thing that is in doubt is how much opposition they will encounter from those who value basic civic rights more than the fears of one another being deliberately cultivated within us."

Read more: https://greenwald.substack.com/p/the-new-domestic-war-on-terror-is

Government shutdowns of internet fuel violence

Shutting down social media does not reduce violence, but rather fuels it - Jan Rydzak, The Conversation:

April 29, 2019 - "In the wake of a series of coordinated attacks that claimed more than 250 lives on April 21, the government of Sri Lanka shut off its residents’ access to social media and online messaging systems, including Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Snapchat, and Viber.... Some commentators applauded the move, suggesting the dangers of disinformation on social media justified shutting down communication networks in times of crisis. Five years of research on the impact of shutdowns and other information controls on societies worldwide have led me to the exact opposite conclusion.

"A diverse community of academics, businesses, and civil society groups share my view. The blackouts deprived Sri Lankans of impartial news reports and disconnected families from each other as they sought to find out who had survived and who was among the dead and injured. Most strikingly, recent research suggests that the blackouts might have increased the potential for protest and violence in the wake of the attack....      

"Overall, since the Arab Spring began in 2010, governments have carried out at least 400 shutdowns across more than 40 countries.... Egypt’s disappearance from the global internet in 2011 backfired spectacularly, spreading protesters away from Tahrir Square and into numerous decentralized pockets of resistance. Coordination of the demonstrations swiftly moved from Facebook event pages to individual efforts in each neighborhood. This proved impossible for security forces to subdue. Ten days later, the Mubarak regime fell.

"In the Syrian Civil War, the government used shutdowns as a weapon of war, following up with increased violence against civilians. In Africa, authoritarian governments that own the communication infrastructure and leaders who rule in virtual perpetuity are more inclined to pull the plug, but there is no evidence to suggest that shutdowns are effective in discouraging street protest or violent unrest. Indeed, official explanations for shutdowns ... are often at odds with their likely true motivations, which include silencing opposition figures and ensuring a state monopoly on information during contentious elections....

"In India, state governments have faced thousands of peaceful demonstrations, as well as episodes of violent unrest. The country has become by far the world’s most prolific executor of deliberate internet blackouts over the last several years. To find out the role of internet access in these events, I used precise, daily-level data on thousands of protests that occurred in the 36 states and Union Territories of India in 2016, as well as data tracking the location, timing and duration of shutdowns from a variety of cross-referenced news sources and civil society groups.

"The results were striking: Under a blackout, each successive day of protest had more violence than would typically happen as a protest unfolded with continued internet access. Meanwhile, the effects of shutdowns on peaceful demonstrations, which are usually more likely to rely on careful coordination through digital channels, were ambiguous and inconsistent. In no scenario were blackouts consistently linked to reduced levels of protest over the course of several days. Instead of curtailing protest, they seemed to encourage a tactical shift to strategies that are less orderly, more chaotic, and more violent.

"Recent events only seem to confirm these dynamics. The regimes of Abdelaziz Bouteflika in Algeria and Omar al-Bashir in Sudan both resorted to shutdowns before imploding. The drastic measures did nothing to rein in the protests in either country. Instead, shutting off internet access may have accelerated their downfalls.

"Even if shutdowns are ineffective, they can be tempting for governments that need to be seen taking action. Vague and often antiquated laws let them implement drastic measures like shutdowns easily and quickly, with a written order or even a simple phone call. But ... [t]he evidence shows that this takes a heavy toll on their citizens, both economically and in terms of human rights, without offering them any additional protection or safety."

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Cyberattacks use National Security Agency tech.

In Baltimore and Beyond, a Stolen N.S.A. Tool Wreaks Havoc - The New York Times - Nicole Perlroth & Scott Shane:

May 25, 2019 - "For nearly three weeks, Baltimore has struggled with a cyberattack by digital extortionists that has frozen thousands of computers, shut down email and disrupted real estate sales, water bills, health alerts and many other services. But here is what frustrated city employees and residents do not know: A key component of the malware that cybercriminals used in the attack was developed at taxpayer expense a short drive down the Baltimore-Washington Parkway at the National Security Agency, according to security experts briefed on the case.

"Since 2017, when the N.S.A. lost control of the tool, EternalBlue, it has been picked up by state hackers in North Korea, Russia and, more recently, China, to cut a path of destruction around the world, leaving billions of dollars in damage. But over the past year, the cyberweapon has boomeranged back and is now showing up in the N.S.A.’s own backyard. It is not just in Baltimore. Security experts say EternalBlue attacks have reached a high, and cybercriminals are zeroing in on vulnerable American towns and cities, from Pennsylvania to Texas, paralyzing local governments and driving up costs.

"The N.S.A. ... has refused to discuss or even acknowledge the loss of its cyberweapon, dumped online in April 2017 by a still-unidentified group calling itself the Shadow Brokers.... Thomas Rid, a cybersecurity expert at Johns Hopkins University, called the Shadow Brokers episode 'the most destructive and costly N.S.A. breach in history,' more damaging than the better-known leak in 2013 from Edward Snowden, the former N.S.A. contractor....

"Before it leaked, EternalBlue was one of the most useful exploits in the N.S.A.’s cyberarsenal. According to three former N.S.A. operators who spoke on the condition of anonymity, analysts spent almost a year finding a flaw in Microsoft’s software and writing the code to target it. Initially, they referred to it as EternalBluescreen because it often crashed computers — a risk that could tip off their targets. But it went on to become a reliable tool used in countless intelligence-gathering and counterterrorism missions....

"North Korea was the first nation to co-opt the tool, for an attack in 2017 ... that paralyzed the British health care system, German railroads and some 200,000 organizations around the world. Next was Russia, which used the weapon in an attack ... aimed at Ukraine but spread across major companies doing business in the country.... In the past year, the same Russian hackers who targeted the 2016 American presidential election used EternalBlue to compromise hotel Wi-Fi networks. Iranian hackers have used it to spread ransomware and hack airlines in the Middle East....

"One month before the Shadow Brokers began dumping the agency’s tools online in 2017, the N.S.A. — aware of the breach — reached out to Microsoft and other tech companies to inform them of their software flaws. Microsoft released a patch, but hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide remain unprotected."

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/25/us/nsa-hacking-tool-baltimore.html
'via Blog this'

Mexican towns secede to evade drug war

Losing Faith in the State, Some Mexican Towns Quietly Break Away - The New York Times - Max Fisher, Amanda Taub, Dalia Martinez, 'The Interpreter':

January 7, 2018 - "TANCÍTARO, Mexico — The road to this agricultural town winds through the slums and cartel-controlled territory of Michoacán, ground zero for Mexico’s drug war, before arriving at a sight so strange it can seem like a mirage.

"Fifteen-foot stone turrets are staffed by men whose green uniforms belong to no official force. Beyond them, a statue of an avocado bears the inscription “avocado capital of the world.” And beyond the statue is Tancítaro, an island of safety and stability amid the most violent period in Mexico’s history.

"Local orchard owners, who export over $1 million in avocados per day, mostly to the United States, underwrite what has effectively become an independent city-state. Self-policing and self-governing, it is a sanctuary from drug cartels as well as from the Mexican state....

"Tancítaro represents a quiet but telling trend in Mexico, where a handful of towns and cities are effectively seceding, partly or in whole. These are acts of desperation, revealing the degree to which Mexico’s police and politicians are seen as part of the threat....

"It began with an uprising. Townspeople formed militias to eject both the cartel, which effectively controlled much of Michoacán, and the local police, who were seen as complicit. Orchard owners, whose families and businesses faced growing extortion threats, bankrolled the revolt.

"This left Tancítaro without police or a government, whose officials had fled. Power accumulated to the militias that controlled the streets and to their backers, an organization of wealthy avocado growers known as the Junta de Sanidad Vegetal, or Plant Health Council. Citizens sometimes call it the Junta.

"Nearly four years in, long after other militia-run towns in Michoacán collapsed into violence, the streets remain safe and tidy. But in sweeping away the institutions that enabled crime to flourish, Tancítaro created a system that in many ways resembles cartel control.

"Though violence eventually cooled, the wartime power structure has remained. The militias now act as the police, as well as guards for the town perimeter and the avocado orchards."

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/07/world/americas/mexico-state-corruption.html
'via Blog this'

Linfield College YAL harassed, investigated

Students launch libertarian club at small Oregon college and get harassed, investigated, condemned - The College Fix - Max Diamond:

June 21, 2017 - "All they wanted to do was promote free speech and intellectual diversity. Instead ... their efforts were stifled and stymied through fear and intimidation, administrative power, and student hysteria at their small school in McMinnville, Ore.

"The liberty-loving students say they faced repeated and intense backlash from some professors and students after launching their club this past spring — mostly notably their event with controversial Professor Jordan Peterson was canceled by campus leaders. Peterson is the University of Toronto psychologist recently famous for his opposition to the requirement of made-up gender pronouns.

"The student group was also investigated for circulating a 'free speech ball' on which someone drew Pepe the Frog, the unofficial alt-right mascot. After an investigation, during which YAL leaders were called in and interrogated, the student who drew the image was forced to write a conciliatory essay.

"Another of their events, a screening of The Red Pill, a documentary on men’s rights activists and critical of the contemporary feminist movement, drew even more ire from campus leaders, with one even likening the libertarian students’ events to terrorism recruitment....

"The Linfield Advisory Committee on Diversity then held a free speech forum for the whole campus the Monday after the free speech ball [which] turned into three and half hours of 90 students and professors interrogating and slandering members of Young Americans for Liberty.... English Professor Reshmi Dutt-Ballerstadt alleged that YAL is 'funded by conservative dark money' and 'funded by alt-right white supremacists'....

"[T]he Associated Students of Linfield College, citing Peterson’s 'violation of Linfield’s harassment policy' and Peterson’s lack of punctuality in turning in an application – it was a day late – canceled the talk.... Nonetheless, the show went on. Peterson and YAL rented space at the Evergreen Aviation Center Museum grounds and, according to Smith, about 400 fans showed up, and more than 300 people watched it on livestream....

"Professor Dutt-Ballerstadt, in an op-ed in the Linfield Review, rhetorically suggested the YAL events “promote racism, homophobia, transphobia, bigotry, misogyny, rape culture, violence against women and a disregard for disabled individuals on our campus'.... Associate Dean of Faculty Dawn Nowacki wrote: 'Overt white supremacism, misogyny, and hatred of LGBTQTI people have not been strongly expressed in the events organized by the Young Americans for Liberty. In fact, these efforts are a lot more subtle. Just as becoming a terrorist is a gradual, step by step process, people do not become part of the alt right overnight. These events represent a kind of soft recruitment into more extremist ideas.'"

Read more: https://www.thecollegefix.com/post/33727/

'via Blog this'

Rand Paul bill would repeal indefinite detention

Rand Paul Bill Would Repeal Indefinite Detention Provision of NDAA - Joe Wolverton II, The New American:

June 13, 2017 - "Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) announced his plan to reintroduce S. 1300, the Sixth Amendment Preservation Act, a bill aimed at reasserting the constitutional guarantee of a speedy trial in all prosecutions.

"Dr. Paul’s legislation would prevent any future authorization of military force from being used to justify indefinitely detaining any person in America without trial. 'Giving the accused their day in court isn’t a suggestion,' said Dr. Paul. 'It’s enshrined in our Constitution as a cornerstone of our judicial system. My bill reminds our government that the Founders did not put an expiration date on the Sixth Amendment.'

"The specific target of Paul’s measure is a key section of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012....

"On December 31, 2011, with the signature of then-President Barack Obama, the writ of habeas corpus — a civil right so fundamental to Anglo-American common law history that it predates the Magna Carta — became voidable upon the command of the president of the United States. The Sixth Amendment right to counsel also became revocable at the will of the occupant of the White House....

"Americans would not need to worry about being held without charge if the president was not authorized in the same act to deploy the armed forces to round up 'suspects' and detain them indefinitely....One of the most noxious elements of the NDAA is that it places the American military at the disposal of the president for the apprehension, arrest, and detention of those suspected of posing a danger to the homeland....

"Under the provisions of Section 1021, the president is afforded the absolute power to arrest and detain citizens of the United States without their being informed of any criminal charges, without a trial on the merits of those charges, and without a scintilla of the due process safeguards protected by the Constitution of the United States....

"Senator Paul’s Sixth Amendment Preservation Act restores our nation’s constitutional commitment to individual liberty by repealing Section 1021."

Read more: https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/constitution/item/26244-rand-paul-bill-would-repeal-indefinite-detention-provision-of-ndaa
'via Blog this'

Oliver Stone's Snowden a 'gripping docudrama' (video)

Hacker or hero? Oliver Stone sides with Snowden: review | Toronto Star - Peter Howell:

September 15, 2016 - "With his gripping new docudrama Snowden, which just had its world premiere at TIFF, Stone is totally on the side of Edward Snowden, painting the fugitive ex-CIA and National Security Agency whistleblower as an American patriot, not the evil 'hacker' that U.S. President Obama dismissed Snowden as when it all blew open in 2013.

"Yet Stone does so with a good measure of restraint, a quality rare for him. Joseph Gordon-Levitt sympathetically portrays the bespectacled title cipher, a Rubik’s Cube champ with an IBM brain. He breathes life into the complicated motivations behind a former soldier’s decision to air his country’s dirty laundry to the world, turning himself into a wanted man in the process, his U.S. passport revoked by Washington.

"Dubbed 'Snow White' by a cynical co-worker soon after he arrives with noble intentions at the CIA, Snowden discovers to his dismay that politics, economic advantage and good old-fashioned ambition are the main driving forces behind his new employer — which also routinely tramples on civil liberties by liberally spying on anyone and everyone, even in their bedrooms, publicly denying it all the while....

"Scripted by writer/director Stone with co-writer Kieran Fitzgerald, the movie also gives a fair hearing to the 'war on terror' counter-argument, with Snowden’s boss and mentor Corbin O’Brian (Rhys Ifans, superb) emerging as an intelligent pragmatist who sincerely believes — as do many Americans — that preserving safety and security requires the necessary evil of invading personal privacy.

"Snowden would make a great double bill with Citizenfour, the Oscar-winning 2014 doc by Laura Poitras, which featured the real Edward Snowden as he prepared to reveal his identity to the world."

Read more: https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/2016/09/15/hacker-or-hero-oliver-stone-sides-with-snowden-review.html
'via Blog this'