Slippery Slope

From Democracy Now!:

"While traveling to Vancouver, BC, Canada on Weds., Nov. 25th, to speak at the Vancouver Public Library at a benefit for community radio stations, Amy Goodman and her two colleagues were detained by Canadian authorities. Amy was questioned extensively about the speech she intended to give; their car was gone through by armed border guards, and their papers and laptop computers were scoured. They were detained for well over an hour, and were made an hour late for the event at the Vancouver Public Library."

This is quite chilling. I thought briefly about writing to the Immigration minister Jason Kenney about her detention at the border. Maybe I still will, pointless as it would be. But this is a case of George Galloway all over again. If you recall he was forbidden to enter Canada because he supported terrorists or some garbage. He, in fact, was on a mission to Gaza to deliver supplies to the people there, not even the elected government of Palestine. I wrote the minister on that occasion and have yet to receive a response.

The Conservative government is chilling. The Government of Canada is clearly mad, broking no criticism, even while most Canadians would never dare to challenge the official line on Afghanistan or the Olympics. So what's the concern about people coming to talk? And this is supposed to be a democracy. It's nice when you catch glimpses of what our country actually is all about.

Incidentally, the Dominion has a new special issue out about the Olympics. I encourage you to pick it up and if you like the quality and journalistic integrity of what you read make a donation to the Dominion Media Coop.