You might be to Stephen Harper's twisted mind, at least if you're opposed to the Athabasca Tar Sands and the associated pipelines and supertanker traffic that threaten northern and coastal British Columbia not to mention the City of Vancouver.
Just what is terrorism? According to Wiki, "The United States Department of Defense defines terrorism as 'the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological.'”
Only, in Steve's dark mind, you can substitute "oil patch" for "governments or societies."
Steve has decided to set up a domestic, counter-terrorism unit to protect Alberta's energy industry - not the government, not our society, but the oil industry. Not against al Qaeda or any of the brand-named terrorist outfits but against opponents of the Tar Sands.
The integrated national security enforcement team will be led by the RCMP and include officers from CSIS, the Edmonton and Calgary police forces and federal border patrol.
Assistant Commissioner Gilles Michaud said the key to effectively guarding the labyrinth of oil and natural gas wells, pipelines and refineries in Alberta will be to gather intelligence to prevent attacks before they happen.
"When we look at the booming economy of the province of Alberta over the years, one would be led to believe that there is an increased threat to the infrastructure," Michaud said Wednesday.
"We are basically looking at any individuals or groups that pose a threat to critical infrastructure, to our economy, to our safety that is based on either religious, political or ideological goals."
Let's parse that last line. "Looking at" - how? Just what sort of intelligence-gathering machine is in the works? Who'll watch the watchers? We have a rich history of abuse in this sort of venture in Canada. CSIS, really? That pack of bloody buffoons, the RCMP? "That pose a threat" - what sort of threat - real, probable, potential, totally imagined, deliberately made up? Who construes just what is a threat? Even totally legal, democratic dissent could be deemed to pose a "threat" to the Tar Sands. Where is the threshhold?
This is "police state" shit and coming from an authoritarian thug like Harper to be implemented by dubious outfits like CSIS and the RCMP, the last thing these characters deserve is the benefit of the doubt.
11 comments:
This is so depressing. I'm hoping beyond reasonable hope that those who supported him realize he is a failed economist who hates environmental protections. I am slowly seeing some evidence of a shift among my colleagues who thought he wasn't all that bad... especially on the killing science front (i.e. changes to fisheries act, environmental protection act, lakes project, etc.).
Ahh, so that explains the "terrorist" poster I saw recently on the bulletin board of the mall in small-town Alberta. It was a large, professionally-made poster. The word "terrorist" was splashed across the page, with something like "stop a TERRORIST", "report anything suspicious", and possibly a few more phrases I can't remember. The poster was designed to look all dark and scary-looking. In the background were drawings of oil rigs and pipelines. The poster was so ridiculous, it was actually funny.
I'd pay a buck and a quarter for a copy of that poster
I'd love to see the poster! What a riot. These guys sound like the keystone cops or Vald Putin.
So here come the thought police led by who, Toews & his hairy mustache.
So now if we don't like foreign corporations ruining our enviornment we are going to be labelled terrorists? Thats funny. I suppose I ought to hve my t shirt made up now annoucing I'm a terrorist. Of course this being B.C. that might just get me shot or tazered by some rcmp type.
The real terrorits in this country are stevie slime & his slimers. It will be good to see the back end of them come the next federal election.
me 2 for poster!
I believe CBC had this quote as well .. said RCMP Assistant Commissioner Gilles Michaud. "Environmentalists and so on are all types of threats for which we pay attention to." There's been a lot of recent statements by current politicians as being stout defenders of our Canadian Environment.. certainly John Baird and Stephen Harper drove the funding to help create The Great Bear Rain Forest.. Keith Ashfield.. Peter Kent.. all on record as standing for the environment.. Maybe Peter Mackay and Fantino are driving this.. you think ?
I especially like the broad mandate in this quote from Michaud "We are basically looking at any individuals or groups that pose a threat to critical infrastructure, to our economy, to our safety that is based on either religious, political or ideological goals." ..
This seems to indicate the current government including Cabinet and Prime Minister will immediately 'be looked at' .. After all, they first threatened and now have promised to overrule democratic legislated energy hearings or the wishes of the electorate and abolish laws and safeguards protecting not only the environment in its aesthetic and recreational dimensions, but the very water, air and soil necessary to life. Key words.. Safeguard .. Safety .. Necessary to Life ...
To try and say The Conservative Party of Canada.. and by definition The Harper Government.. in its policies and actions are not based on political, ideological, religious.. as well as economic/financial/personal goals would be farcical. Certainly they are not based on any known election platform or mandate.
Set aside 10 thoughtful minutes and read how this all is playing out in Pennsylvania, an energy super state.. Simply substitute 'tar sands' for 'fracking' .. or accept that in Canada we will get the double whammy..
http://www.ragingchickenpress.org/2012/03/17/why-fracking-epitomizes-the-crisis-in-american-democracy-profiteering-and-the-good-american/
Surely you didn't think Stephen Harper is an original thinker ?
Perhaps we need to take this with a bit less levity. There are facets of this I find troubling. There is the state security force running covert ops against Canadians in conjunction with our national spy agency... all in anticipation of possible future events.
I don't know about you but I've learned not to trust the RCMP when they act overtly. Why would anyone trust them when they operate covertly? And CSIS has shown no respect for democratic or human rights. Yet these two agencies are to be covertly set upon the Canadian public?
The RCMP has been significantly corrupted by Harper beginning with the defeat of Paul Martin in which Commissioner Zaccardeli interceded with the announcement of an investigation into Ralph Goodale that, after the election was skewed, proved to be without any substance. So shameless were his actions that Zac later refused to answer any questions about his actions. Then Harper appointed a professional Tory fixer and bureaucrat to be an ersatz Commissioner. More recently he had the latest top stooge become a political water carrier to write to provincial firearms officers over a law that had already been rescinded in case provinces might choose to act in that constitutional void. Add all that up and you have enough reason to suspect the RCMP leadership has been transformed into a partisan political security apparatus.
It speaks volumes that Harper has created this agency and set them to work when there has been no cause. Wiebo Ludwig was an isolated situation involving sour gas and he's dead. What this secret state security, STASI-like operation focuses on is prying into law abiding dissidents who have done no wrong whatsoever.
You can be pretty sure that particularly vocal opponents will be going on their lists, will be kept under state surveillance. And you can be very sure that information will be shared with Big Oil and, through the PMO, the Conservative Party. It's a great trick to use tax dollars to construct political enemies lists. It's low, even despicable, but that's of no moment to a reprobate like Stephen Harper.
From Alberta,
For some reason, I don't feel comfortable going to the local RCMP detachment and asking for a copy of the terrorist poster :).
I'm heading by the mall this afternoon though, so I'll try to get some pics. Is there an email address I can send them to or some other way to get them to you?
From Alberta,
I have a photo. The poster is slightly different than I remembered but I only glanced at it when I walked by last week.
From Alberta,
I meant to say it was worse than I remembered. Somehow I missed the big fiery explosion in the background.
Anon, for very good reasons I don't post my e-mail address on this site. If you would like to give me yours I can contact you that way and arrange for you to e-mail your photos to me.
thanks
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