Did I call that one right or what?

:-)


Denys

-----Original Message-----
From: HP-3000 Systems Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of James B. Byrne
Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 12:01 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [HP3000-L] OT: Another clueless Drive By Media example.

>
> Date:    Wed, 7 Jun 2006 18:06:53 -0500
> From:    Denys Beauchemin <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: OT: Another clueless Drive By Media example.
>
> Those of you who get their news from the MSM may not be aware that 17
> "youths" have been arrested in Canada late last week, plotting a terrorist
> attack in Canada.
>

I rather suspect that this case will prove, in the end, to be rather less
than
the Canadian government has intimated to the media and that the role of
government agencies in abetting the evasion of Canadian law in an effort to
entrap these people will at some point become an issue. The Canadian
equivalent of the "Patriot" Act is undergoing its periodic review in a
minority government situation and a constitutional challenge to its
provisions
is making its way to the Supreme Court, with a great deal of informed
commentary expecting things like indefinite imprisonment under ministerial
warrant will be ruled illegal.  The idea that this case is mostly a PR
exercise intended to forestall the legal clamping down of executive
authority
with respect to "national security" issues and accused persons is already
gaining a good deal of currency.

This incident is not principally about security. It is most likely about
people wishing to manufacture a moral crisis to obtain a degree of authority
over private citizens that could never be otherwise gained in a western
democracy.  Most of the accused are probably guilty of no more than talking
themselves into a show of bravado towards each other and had the misfortune
of
being caught by authorities looking to make an example.  For example, the
so-called "terrorist training camp" north of Toronto apparently was no more
than a case of simple trespass on private property while the training itself
evidently consisted of paintball games and the reported (but not confirmed)
discharge of a handgun at a target; which activities drew the attention of
the
local police and residents at the time of its occurrence.  If these reports
are true then one wonders why a firearms charge was not laid at the time?

Some of the accused, no doubt, had more grandiose ideas, but I can attest
from
personal experience that more than a few of my U.S. (and Canadian, and
British, and South African) friends have, on occasion and in groups,
expressed
equally harsh, violent and reprehensible suggestions as to how to deal with
people ranging from drug-pushers, to federal regulators, to politicians and
union leaders.  At what point does intemperate expression transgress into an
indictable offense?

Also, it is wise to recall that the delivery of the ammonium nitrate
substitute (the real stuff was never delivered) to these people occurred at
government behest and that the role of the government in enabling this
criminal activity may, in the end, taint their entire case.  There may well
have been a serious potential threat at the root, but for the moment a great
deal of public skepticism about every piece of information revealed about
this
case is warranted.

As for the media, they exist to sell advertising. Any public benefit arising
from their activities is purely co-incidental.  They have a commercial
interest in sensationalizing any event because sensation sells and truth,
sober reflection, and public doubt do not sell newspapers, magazines or
air-time to a easily distracted consumer.  Fear is a great source of
sensation, which is why every missing child, gun killing, and serial rapist
story is made to sound like it happened in your neighbourhood.

Regards,
Jim


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