“Criminalizing Dissent”

‘We have to do something,’ to shut people up Minister Rodriguez says of coming online harms bill

VANCOUVER – Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez says that in the face of considerable attention on an increase in hate and harassment online, the federal government feels it has an “obligation” to advance legislative and regulatory changes aimed at tamping down harmful content.

“There’s a consensus on the fact that we have to do something. Not everybody agrees on what exactly, but the fact that status quo is not possible. And whoever says ‘oh no, no, you shouldn’t do anything on this’ has to justify why status quo is OK,” Rodriguez told reporters at the Liberal cabinet retreat in Vancouver, referencing his ongoing consultations on the plan.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted in"Criminalizing Dissent", "Surveillance Society", Canada's Corrupt Liberal Government

The risk of political violence in Canada has never been higher

Some time in the not too distant future, when the first Canadian politician has been assassinated since Pierre Laporte, we will all look back and wonder what we could have done to prevent it.

The probable answer is: Not much, in the sense of that particular attack. It is always easy to discover, after the fact, warning signs that were missed, gaps in security that should have been plugged. It is a much harder thing to identify these in advance.

This is really just an anti-Poilievre piece.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted in"Criminalizing Dissent", Canada, Canada's Corrupt Political Class, Canada's incompetent Liberal Government

Ryan Alford: Hiding behind national security will erode trust in Emergencies Act inquiries

Half a year has gone by since the Trudeau government took the unprecedented step of invoking the Emergencies Act to deal with protesters in Ottawa and at several border crossings. Yet the question of whether this was an appropriate and measured use of emergency powers or an unconstitutional power grab seems no closer to being answered — and likely won’t be, so long as Ottawa continues to hide behind a veil of secrecy.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted in"Criminalizing Dissent", Canada's Corrupt Liberal Government

Internal Communications Reveal How Biden’s Censorship Enterprise Colluded With Big Tech

Thanks to Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, we know that a large number of agencies within the Biden administration actively coordinated with a variety of social media platforms to censor and suppress posts about COVID-19 that they deemed to be misinformation.

Schmitt has “received a number of documents that clearly prove that the federal government has an incestuous relationship with social media companies and clearly coordinate to censor freedom of speech.” In a new filing, Schmitt called the censorship activities “a massive, sprawling federal ‘Censorship Enterprise,’ which includes dozens of federal officials across at least eleven federal agencies.”

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted in"Big Tech Oligopoly", "Criminalizing Dissent", "Joe Sleazebag Biden", "Surveillance Society"

Justice Department Lawyer Smears Religious Liberty Advocate as ‘Hate Group’

A senior Justice Department official referred to a highly regarded religious liberty organization as a “hate group” in a recent LinkedIn post.

Eric P. Bruskin, assistant director of the commercial litigation branch in the Justice Department’s Civil Division, used the term to describe Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal advocacy group founded in 1993.

The Justice Department’s social media policy discourages employee comments that could be “perceived as showing prejudice” toward characteristics such as religion.

h/t BN

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted in"Criminalizing Dissent", USA, WTF?

The Far-Right Foreign Fighter Threat That Wasn’t

Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in 2014, and especially since it launched a full-blown invasion in 2022, a new brand of alarmist commentary has started to seep into terrorism analysis concerning a non-existent danger: far-Right[1] foreign fighters.

For instance, University of Chicago Assistant Professor Kathleen Belew told ABC News: “Americans have gone to fight as mercenary soldiers in far-Right and paramilitary units in Ukraine. They do pose a threat to the homeland.”

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted in"Criminalizing Dissent", "Disinformation", "extremists", "far right"

In Canada, Free Speech Is Under Fire. America, Take Heed.

When Americans consider Canada, they probably think of maple syrup and funny accents. They should start thinking about alarming amounts of authoritarianism.

What has been jokingly referred to as “America’s hat” has been going through a rough patch recently when it comes to protecting its citizens’ fundamental liberties.

And next on the chopping block appears to be free speech.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted in"Criminalizing Dissent", Canada's Corrupt Liberal Government

UN Education Agency Launches War on ‘Conspiracy Theories’

UNESCO is training and recruiting teachers as a key part of its global effort to combat what it considers problematic information and ideas

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, better known by its acronym, UNESCO, is escalating its global war on ideas and information it considers to be “misinformation” and “conspiracy theories.”

According to the Paris-based U.N. education agency, which released a major report on the subject for educators this summer, conspiracy theories cause “significant harm” and form “the backbone of many populist movements.”

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted in"Criminalizing Dissent", "Disinformation", UN, United Nations, WTF?

Freedom Convoy organizers want donations unfrozen to fund appearance at Emergencies Act inquiry

Organizers of the Freedom Convoy protests in Ottawa have asked a court to unfreeze $450,000 in donations they received so they can pay for lawyers to represent them at an upcoming public inquiry into the Emergencies Act.

Money given to the convoy through crowdfunding platforms GoFundMe and GiveSendGo was put into escrow under court order, pending a proposed class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of Ottawa residents and businesses.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted in"Criminalizing Dissent", Canada's Corrupt Liberal Government

Shocking Details Emerge on How Biden’s White House Colluded With Social Media Companies to Censor Americans

Attorneys General Eric Schmitt of Missouri and Jeff Landry of Louisiana are on a mission to detail the scope and depth of how the Biden administration is using Big Tech companies like Facebook/Meta to curb the free-speech rights of Americans. On the heels of shocking comments by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg about the FBI’s role in censoring the Hunter Biden laptop story, initial e-mails related to a lawsuit filed by Schmitt and Landry show even more evidence that the Biden administration is using Big Tech to do what it is not, allowed to do according to the Constitution.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted in"Criminalizing Dissent"

Ex-NYPD cop is jailed for 10 years after beating an officer with metal flagpole as he tried to storm Capitol in January 6 riots

A former NYPD officer and Marine Corps Veteran was give ten years in prison for his role in the January 6 riots on Thursday, marking the longest prison term handed down in the US Capital attack to date.

Thomas Webster, 56, of Goshen, NY, was charged with felony assault on a police officer. Unlike the other 11 people who pled guilty to a similar charge, Webster was the first to opt for a trial by jury.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted in"Criminalizing Dissent", USA

In Canada fears of ‘dangerous’ politics mounting

Online threats, racist or misogynistic insults, public harassment and outright physical intimidation are just some of the behaviours that officials warn are changing the face of Canadian politics.

The issue was highlighted last weekend, when a man was filmed launching an expletive-laden verbal assault at Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.

The incident – which was posted to social media – shows a man shouting at her as she approached a lift in Grande Prairie’s city hall during a visit to Alberta.

The only “danger” Canadians face is from the Liberal party.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted in"Criminalizing Dissent", Canada's Corrupt Liberal Government

Convoy organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber to go on trial in September 2023

OTTAWA – Two of the main “Freedom Convoy” organizers, Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, are expected to go on trial in September 2023 for charges related to the massive protest that gridlocked downtown Ottawa earlier this year.

Thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Ottawa at the end of January and stayed for three weeks to protest COVID-19 restrictions and the Liberal government.

A year?

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted in"Criminalizing Dissent", Canada's Corrupt Liberal Government

LPC Thuggery: RCMP “investigating” harassment of Chrystia Freeland in Alberta

The RCMP says it is investigating the verbal harassment of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland that occurred in Alberta on Aug. 26, saying it “takes threats against public officials seriously.”

“The RCMP, or local police of jurisdiction, review all incidents to determine the appropriate course of action,” said RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Caroline Duval in a statement to CTV News. “Physical action and statements made in person or online can have a significant impact and can be against the law.”

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted in"Criminalizing Dissent", Canada, Canada's Corrupt Liberal Government, WTF?