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Canadian Government Going Big Brother?
Eh-Wire writes "If this article by Canadian privacy expert Michael Geist is any indication of what the Canadian Government has in mind for the Canadian Internet surfing public, then it looks like the Canadian public should be concerned. This does not look good!"
Where is our Privacy Commission during this?
Trolling is a art,
In Russia, ISPs have to aborb the cost of providing monitoring to the FSB.
In the US, it's called CALEA (among other things).
Where's the proposed bills that would bring this into law? The journalist makes no mention of it.
Seems to be more along the lines of bitching about VoIP services. The Canadian privacy commission would never allow this to go through.
I lived in Vancouver, BC for a couple of months a few years ago. I follow politics in the U.S actively and when I was in Canada I read the Globe and Mail everyday. From what I could tell, the government in Canada gets what it wants and the Canadian public rarely engages in succesfull political activism. Quebec is an exception, but as far as I could tell, the whole sucession thing was about language and cultural issues. I can't understand why but the general public in Canada is absolutely docile about all things political. Perhaps it's that the newspapers and the CBC seems to generally ignore, obfuscate and smooth over any internal political controversies.
Yeah, I know. My point was that this puts some of the U.S.-bashing we've heard recently into perspective. As you say: `` All democratic countries have screwballs lobbying for this kind of stuff.'' It's not just the U.S.
See what I've been reading.
But I thought it was the U.S. with the totalitarian, authoritarian government?
Who do you think is pressuring them to do this?
The same people who pressured them to go face-recognition on their passports, that's who.
"Nice economy you got there, wouldn't any trade disputes to happen to it... lots of border crossings too. It'd be a shame if someone were to crack down and have every single vehicle searched, really..."
to escape the Bush/Cheney/Ashcroft religious right-wing fascists
Yeah, 'cause these guys sure stay put at home, they don't meddle in other countries' affairs! No siree Bob! No nation building or vague threats or "repercussions" to neighbouring countries for those guys! No way!
Sigh.
You can't take the sky from me...
this puts some of the U.S.-bashing we've heard recently into perspective. As you say: `` All democratic countries have screwballs lobbying for this kind of stuff.'' It's not just the U.S.
The point is that to the rest of the world they are screwballs. To you they are mainstream and pass those laws!
Sometimes it seems you guys will vote for anything if it's got a star spangled flag waving in the background.
You can't take the sky from me...
What makes it so hard to believe?
All of the powers the article warns against are already possessed by American corporations (under the DMCA) and by American law enforcement (under the USA Patriot Act and other bills passed).
They might be ridiculous, they might be infuriating, they might defy all common sense, but you should still take them seriously because they are now reality.
Is that why this has been proposed and subsequently derailed for THREE YEARS, mainly from the vehement objections of ISPs, telecommunications companies and civil libertarians? Also, the article is completely wrong about warrantless access to data. Yes, data retention would be required but a warrant would be required to access any of the information. The intention is to create a legislative and technological parallel to what already exists for telephone tapping. It's not a cake walk to obtain a warrant either, you have to prove that you cannot acquire the information any other way.
I don't have time for search for links, but this issue has been in the news off and on since late 2001 and with a minority government is probably headed nowhere.
In the name of God why?
Why go out of your way to make things more costly for educational institutions than they already are? Did I miss the point where Canadian schools were suddenly given more money than they knew what to do with and were eagerly seeking a way to spend more in order toobtain what they already had?
Seriously what possible reason could there be for this?
Living in Canada in a rural area (even by Canadian terms) I rarely see a police car much less anyone who IDs for liquor, or strangers. I doubt a system of constantly watching rural areas for those terrorists that are terrorizing farms, would be financially feasible. I mean our government's party is called "Liberal" but that does not mean they are liberal enough to let a system, especially an independantly controlled one be set up for the government or private company usage.
Ever since the installment of the Patriot Act, Canadians had a sort of hushed wait for their version which came and never was really implemented. Due to the recent tragedy involving 4 shot mounties it appears to be the "Reichstag" in the unravelling of these "Big Brother" type surveillance and systems of control.
But in reality, atleast in Canada this system will not work because most Canadians on their own will spot any kind of thing going on, and with the lack of manpower they better start to invest trust in the common citizen rather than turn them against each other with idiotic ways of monitoring us all.
Since when was the citizen corrupt enough to warrant monitoring from the government?
Kind of like a group of criminals to watch over a public school.
We should be the ones with a Little Brother system monitoring the government, tattletailing every time they do something wrong..now if only we could convince someone to hand out punishment.
[cx]
Seriously, just because someone is trying to regulate the internet doesn't mean that they're eventually going to impose draconian measures to limit access to free information.
The internet is now somewhat of an economic center, and one of the oldest functions of government is to regulate trade. It doesn't mean there's some huge conspiracy to destroy the free internet. If you're worried about the course these things may take, be careful who you elect and what internet services you subscribe to.
All this FUD about big brother is really starting to get a bit absurd, and it only encourages journalists when stories like this get a big reaction. Is it so hard to just say that some people are trying to regulate the internet? Why does it always have to be some big huge deal that's going to destroy the world?
Canada's Smart Border Initiative with the United States states that American draft dodgers must be turned away at the border crossings. It fails to mention if you got into Canada another way.
Let us remember that the Canadian-US border is the world's largest unprotected border, and it's VERY easy to simply walk across it without any party able to stop it before it is crossed. And once your in Canada, you're subject to Canadian laws INCLUDING the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Good luck to the US trying to get the Supreme Court of Canada to justify military service with the Charter.
Just so you know, that's how they started out here, too. You do have the advantage of seeing our bad example.
Pretty sure there is no safe place to go in the world anymore to escape the rising tide of fascist police states.
If you've been following the news the last few days on the secret CIA Rendition program, the U.S. has bestowed upon itself the right to pretty much snatch anyone, anywhere on the globe, blindfold you, cut your clothes of with razors, stick a tranquilizer up your ass, put you in a private jet and fly you to various places to be tortured. One of which is Uzbekistan which apparently favors torturing you by putting parts of your body in boiling water.
If sometime later they deduce they made a mistake and you are in fact not a terrorist they just drop you in the middle of nowhere in Albania and say oops. One guy was disappeared for 5 months and had to find his family in Lebanon after they left Gemany thinking he had abandoned them.
When they pick you up they pretty much tell you that you are completely out of range of any judicial system or due process. They tell you they will take you places where you can be tortured or killed, and no one will ever know what happened to you.
How do you spell Hypocrisy to rant about Saddam's arbitrary arrests and torture, and making that a justification for the invasion. At least Saddam mostly stuck to torturing people in Iraq. The U.S. will snatch and torture anyone, anywhere in the world, often flaunting the most basic sovereignty of the nations where they are operating.
I think at this point since we can't escape it, its rapidly becoming time to fight it, hard.
I should add Rendition started during the reign of Bush the First or Clinton, Bush the Second has just been going to town with it. It does show that neither of the screwed up parties that run America have the most basic understand of what "Freedom and Democracy" actually means. First off it means you shouldn't be snatched off the street and tortured in to a confession when you may not be guilt of anything. In America we have this little thing called a constitution, due process, and civil rights but our corrupt government seems to have forgotten. They seem to need an attitude adjustment.
@de_machina
so you're all pissed off because the people in power have decided a certain substance is illegal? Or are you pissed off because you're too worried about the consequences of doing the right thing and getting your substance of choice in a non-criminal supporting way?
Nope, I'm pissed off because there is NO way to get that certain substance "in a non-criminal supporting way".
The issue isn't so much that I have to purchase weed from thugs, because I don't. I know the people I buy from, and the people they buy from. They're upstanding citizens for the most part. The problem is that the black market is flourishing, and it is the cause of the problems, not the drug.
all the laws are there to either protect life, or to make money
So which category does marijuana prohibition fall under? The bad laws are the *reason* people are losing their lives. They don't protect the children as many people claim. It's far easier for children to buy drugs than it is to find an adult to buy cigarettes, or alcohol. At least that was my experience as a teenager.
the government will make it illegal, thus you will have to deal with that reality.
Yep. And I choose civil disobedience in this case.
Did you know that the Canadian Government does NOT allow immigration to Canada by those either physically or menatally disabled? This place ain't all it's cracked up to be mainly due to a succession of incompetent and corrupt government. Politicians in general, and this is not unique to Canada tend to attract a certain element of the poplulation that loses sight of it's objectives shortly after taking office.
If this were happening in the USA, maybe it would matter. Not in Canada.
... protect our rights against what the lawmakers might try to do.
Why?
Because in Canada, when legislation is found to be in violation of the Constitution or Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the legislation is overturned. We have judges that actually do what they were meant to do
On the other hand, in the US, its perfectly fine, in fact downright encouraged to pass laws that take away even the most basic rights, with no regard whatsoever about any type of constitutionally gauranteed right. Judges are placed purly by political affiliation and pay back the government for their posting by ignoring rights where they see fit.
PATRIOT ACT!
You americans are living in 1930's Germany right now and don't even see it. Already thousands of American citizens have been held for days without charge, without being allowed to talk to a lawyer or even family, with no warrant and no probably cause. What a great way to treat your fellow citizens!
All because you let Dubya scare you. Take my rights away! Take my rights away! that will somehow protect me from the world!
George Bush + Linux = "I will not let information get in the way of the fight against Windows"
I agree, but I think it's a bit more precarious than that. This minority government isn't going to last very long. The Liberals can only be trusted so long as they're afraid of the next election. When they win next time, and they will, they're going to do a lot more of this stuff.
I rarely criticize things I don't care about.
There is a lot more information out there. In my previous post I didnt have time to post all I wanted, I really need to do a write up - but I think you may be interested in the following information. If you arent already aware of bushbodycount then you should take alook at it. The preffered methods of dealing with people in the Bush circle is through plane crashes:
....
Then look below to see the Bush Family Tree - take a look at just the names that I pulled from the family tree that many should recognize. Funny how you had no idea how really well connected that family is.
This is only the deaths directly relating to plane crashes... for the full list check out the site - but since it seems to be down for maintenance - please look to the google cache of the site:
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:MmEcc-eEUZs J: bushbodycount.com/+&hl=en
The Site is down - so from google cache:
Paul Wellstone
He was a vocal opponent of the Bush administration and the only real progressive in the Senate. Polls showed that his popularity surged when he voted to oppose the war on Iraq. His victory in the Senate race was a foregone conclusion.
Senator Wellstone, his wife Sheila, daughter Marcia, three of his staff and both pilots were killed when his small plane went down in Evelyth, Minnesota, on October 25, 2002.
Governor Mel Carnahan
In the midst of a heated race for the Senate against John Ashcroft, the Governor died in a plane crash on October 16, 2000. His death affected Democrats in two ways - it would hurt their chances of seizing control of the US Senate, and it would strongly impact the Presidential race between Al Gore and George W. Bush. Said St. Louis University political scientist Ken Warren, "There will be a sympathy vote, but that won't be enough to allow him to win. "I don't think the race will be very close. It's over." As we know now, Ashcroft lost to a dead man. Carnahan was elected by a landslide.
Dan Rocco
He died on April 1, 2002, in a plane crash in Gainesville, Georgia. He was an executive vice president at ChoicePoint, the firm that gained infamy with their faulty "felons" list supplied to Katherine Harris during the 2000 election in Florida. As a result of this list, thousands of voters (mostly African-American voters) were wrongly identified as felons and purged from the rolls.
Jake Horton
He was the senior ice-president of Gulf Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, a cohort of Enron in the energy industry, and a major contributer to the Bush agenda. According to reporter Gregory Palast, Horton knew of the company's appalling accounting practices, and "... had no doubt about its illegal campaign contributions to Florida politicans - he'd made the payments himself. In April of 1989 Horton decided to come clean with state officials, and reserved the company jet to go confront company officials. Ten minutes after takeoff the jet exploded.
Amiram Nir
He was a former Israeli agent who was in Jerusalem with George Bush during Iran Contra. He went under the assumed name of Pat Weber. Nir was scheduled to testify to the Senate subcommittee and it was feared he would reveal the truth. He perished when his aircraft was shot down with missiles from the helicopter of a man called Gene Tatum, 25-year CIA deep cover agent.
Senator John Tower
He was appointed by the Reagan/Bush Administration to chair the bipartisan committee to investigate the Iran/Contra scandals. He directed the Tower Report and had all the Iran Contra documents that told the real story. He was killed in an airplane crash later in Georgia in 1991. Also killed was his daughter, Marian.
Mohammed Zia al-huk
Dictator of Pakistan, and knew all about Iran/Contra, the training, funding, and arming of narco-terrorists like Osama bin Laden. In August 1988, the same day George Bush got the Republican nomination, his plane crashed into the ground with all engines running. The
Probably due to the fact that you need to be rich to run for office. You don't get rich by being nice and looking out for other people's interests.
Democratic Republic and Constitutional Monarchy don't actually give normal folks any control over government, it's still the rich ruling for the rich.
No, I don't have any other alternatives handy.
- chrish
Did you know that the Canadian Government does NOT allow immigration to Canada by those either physically or menatally disabled?
There are 6 billion people on this planet. Sure it would be nice if Canada could just open her arms and let the world in, and by some bizarre paradox of economics we could still support "free" healthcare and quality education, but that isn't realistic. Boo hoo stories about who Canada won't let in, as if the world has some sacred right to the peaceful society and generous services that we've eaked out here, really are built on a foundation of bullshit.
well, in response to you and the other who claims that I stretch the truth, let me qualify my post a bit for you.. it was late when I did it, so;
Yes, what I am trying to show in these posts is several ideas:
1. that after the operation paperclip which the US assimilated Nazi scientist (usually SS) into the intelligence body, we can see how some of the philosophies of the SS and Nazi's in general thrived in the super secret, well funded CIA when there was little actual oversight to the "How" of their work.
and that now the US is seeing how this choice has affected the US on all spectrums as the mindset brought into the US at the highest levels has seeped through to our political and judicial systems. Placing us a subtle coup of character, marching us towards a repeat of old and terrible mistakes.
2. That the bush body (and yes I am aware of clintons list as well) is rife with mysterious deaths, usually people close to the family who would have been in a position to know something come to suspicious deaths. The plane crash theme is significant in its commonality, and therfore lshould be observed more closely to see why. If we beleive all the FAA statistical data about how planes are orders of magnitude safer than other forms of transport - I think we would find that the statistical risk here is quite incongruent with national averages.
3. anyone who hands down just ignores the fact that the majority of the political whos who of the US can be found in this family tree is just fooling themselves into comfort as the reality of the ruling class upon them is too much for them to admit that we are, in fact, still fealty.
Yes, you are right I didnt cite how far removed these people are - I actually do cite this in my full length write up on the presidential cousins, but the only copy of which I had was on a board that is currently offline - so I posted the straight list.
The people we see here in this list is interesting in the fact that I hold that it would be damn hard to find any other (except one) family tree which has the density of political figureheads (significant political figureheads) in it. Most people I have discussed this with have started out with the same argument "You dont show how removed these people are" or "you can trace the relationship from anyone to anyone if you trace back far enough" - while these two comments, simple enough, seem to throw the "conspiracy theorist" label at me - and will quite effectively re-close the minds of other readers who would be on the verge of not wanting to look too deep, it does not hold up when looked at statisticaly. The density of political names within this tree IS significant. It is also significant the fact that this is one family tree that goes directly back to european royalty.
When you look at the statistics of those who have been in charge of this country in the light of the TYPE of government that has been put in place (a representative democracy - do not confuse our country with a democracy) you can see that this actually a little odd. Through putting in place a representative democracy, the actual vote of the "people" is abstracted from final decision making process. The representative group in effect in only given the consultation of the people on the overall trend of the political conscious landscape. Which if looked in the context of the Stern Father vs Nurturing WorldView, we can see that the overall conscioussness of the country, can be skewed through several tactics.
Finally, I can prove that I have been writing about this subject since before Moore came into the limelight as a tool of the propaganda machine. So try to actually look at the fact that there has been a hell of a lot more thought put into the ruling of people through the ages than you will ever put into these observations in your lifetime, and you will realize that the veils of delusion and the "conspiracy" defense mechanisms are in reality not your own, but effectively placed social triggers. Layer the notion of mass conspi