We all know what evil looks like in totalitarian states. The Soviet KGB or the Nazi SS knocking on the door and taking an innocent person away in the night for expressing an opinion the state does not like. But how does evil come in western welfare states?
Take at look at these videos of Ezra Levant defending himself before the Canadian Human Rights Commission for publishing anti-Muslim cartoons. His defense is brilliant and inspiring. These videos are must-viewing.
Look at how normal and nice it all is: the bland bureaucrat and the average conference room. No dungeons, no torture apparatus, no goose-stepping guards. But behind the polite bureaucracy lie the guns of the state, the same force used by the KGB and the SS. This is how we lose our freedom.
I want to shake people awake, to make them see that the way things are -- the welfare state bureaucracy -- is a violation of individual rights. It is incremental tyranny. It is immoral. I hope these videos showing the obscenity of an individual having to justify to the state his ideas will open some eyes.
UPDATE: More at Ezra Levant's blog.
(HT: Forum)
10 comments:
That could have been any government building here in the States. Before long, I imagine it will be.
the videos are being taken off youtube and are no loner avaiable at green fotballs or Lavant's site.
I just checked and found a video available at Levant's blog. Doubtless You Tube is under legal pressure from muslims and perhaps the Canadian government. There is certainly nothing objectionable to the content of those videos -- not if you value human life and freedom.
I just found the videos both at LGF and YouTube.
It is absolutely chilling to watch a man being forced to defend himself this way. His moral absolutism will save him and save Canada.
I was alarmed when the notice appeared on Lavant's site at the top of the videos when I attempted to replay them. But even more I was thrilled by the moral indignation, the sound argument, and the heroism of Levant's clear articulation of it.
This story just adds to the suit underway against Mark Stein, the Western Standard and McLeans.ca. He is also being investigate by the Canadian Human Rights Commission for possible hate crimes against Muslims. I've linked your story to this on my blog and hope that readers will understand the importance of this issue. Thanks for bringing it to light.
Thanks for linking, Rick. The videos are compelling because of Ezra Levant's moral courage and his intelligence. He does not grant CHRC the premise that they have the moral right to interrogate him.
I wonder if the Canadian Human Rights Commission can drag in U.S. media executives for interrogation if they also offend Mohammed and their publications are read in Canada.
If the Commission did that, what would the U.S. government do? After observing the U.S. government's passivity in the face of the ongoing persecution of Microsoft and other American companies by Europe's antitrust bureau, I suspect the U.S. government would do nothing.
Does anyone know if Canada's Commission has jurisdiction in Canada over U.S. publications that are read there? If so, I wonder if they would have the temerity to extend their inquisition south of the border. George Bush's response to the Europeans on antitrust could embolden the Canadians.
Galileo: there is an issue with "libel tourism" where you can be sued in Britain for saying thing on the Net that can be read in Britain, even if you've never left the United States. I don't see the U.S. folding up on freedom of speech the way they did on antitrust; remember that property rights was the first part of the Enlightenment killed off by the Left. Freedom of speech isn't dead yet, even though it does have some bullet wounds...
Thank you for taking the time to write about this important issue. Our freedoms and rights are more important than any sensitivities. Thank you and many thanks to Ezra!
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