Rioting "not violence" but "freedom of expression". Who knew?According to a Montreal-based anti-capitalist group, the black bloc anarchists who indulged their revolutionary fantasies in downtown Toronto this past week were not violent.Ani-Capitalist Convergance, a group whose name speaks for itself, made a variety of absurd statements that the Toronto Star obligingly reported. Those statements ranged from blatant apologism for the terrorist thugs who rampaged in downtown Toronto to making some absurd accusations.“For us it’s not violence,” mused Mahieu Francoeur, a spokesman for the group. “It’s a means of expression and doesn’t compare to the economic and state violence we’re subjected to.”In other words: the black bloc terrorists destroying storefronts in downtown...
Hugh Segal elected to chair Senate committee on anti-terror lawsConservative Senator Hugh Segal has been elected to chair a special Senate committee on anti-terror laws. The committee will examine two anti-terror bills, including Bill C-17, which will restore anti-terror laws that sunsetted in 2007."It was an act to amend the Criminal Code with respect to investigative hearings," Segal explained. "Whether somebody could be held because there was a suspicion that they had either been involved in a terrorist act, or had information about a coming terrorist act, and what were their rights in that process, and what were the rights of the Crown."In order to make decisions regarding the legislation, the committee will investigate the overall terrorism situation in Canada."We're going to be...
Part two of The Champions deals with the famed 1970 October Crisis, and how the actions of the FLQ challenged both Pierre Trudeau and Rene Levesque on deep politically existential levels.For Levesque, he had to confront the reality that individuals willing to engage in terrorism existed within the Quebec separatist movement he had built. (They may exist within that movement still.)For Trudeau, his invokation of the war measures act challenged the values his party allegedly stood for. In the eyes of some, invoking the war measures act was the right move. After all, Canada was facing a terrorist threat, and the government had to do what was necessary to deal with it. In the eyes of others, invoking the war measures act was an unacceptable contravention of civil liberties.Domestic terrorism...
Nothing in life sucks worse than watching someone get away with something they shouldn't.Yet, in the Kansas courtroom where Scott Roeder, the man who assassinated Dr George Tiller, is on trial for murder, that apparently may happen.It's been reported that Justice Warren Wilbert may allow Roeder to face a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter, should he decide it's appropriate."There's the very real possibility evidence could come from the defendant alone that would give me a duty to instruct the jury on voluntary manslaughter," Wilbert mused.Some of the usual suspects are infuriated over this, and rightly so. If anything, Roeder should be facing more serious charges -- terrorism-related charges -- than lesser charges.But there are some of the other usual suspects who need to keep their...
PQ, BQ leaders to attend reading of FLQ ManifestoAdmittedly, the Canadian attitude toward history can often seem a little peculiar.While in most countries, being seen at an event at which terrorist literature will be recited would be political suicide, in Canada is can be A-OK. So long as you're a Quebec separatist.The Government of Quebec recently withdrew its support for "Le Moulin a Paroles", an outdoor poetry and spoken-word reading after a recital of the Front du Liberation du Quebec Manifesto was added to the program.“Our government doesn’t want to have anything to do with this event. At first, it was supposed to be about poetry, but now with the FLQ manifesto, we are closer to bombs and assassinations,” said Employmen Minister Sam Hamad.“This brings us back to the October...
John Acton once famously remarked that "power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely."As one apprises the state of the American left-leaning media, the former part of this maxim becomes almost immediately apparent.Once upon a time, the American left-wing derided the excesses of FOX News and other right-leaning media outlets. They were (often quite rightly) accused of being toadies for the governing Republican party, fear mongering, and otherwise helping to steamroll political dissent.A recent segment from MSNBC's Rachel Maddow show serves as a perfect example, wherein Maddow seeks to stir up fear of anti-health care reform protesters by comparing them to anti-abortion terrorists.In an interview with Dr George Hearn -- who himself has had many threats made against his life -- Maddow...
Anyone who follows the abortion debate in any way, shape or form -- or even watches the news in general -- remembers the pro-abortion lobby's reaction to the murder of Dr George Tiller.Naturally, they expressed outrage. Normally, there would be nothing at all wrong with this. After all, Dr Tiller's murder was an act of domestic terrorism and any proper-thinking individual should be outraged at it.The problem with the outrage of the pro-abortion lobby over the matter was that it was entirely feigned. They blamed the pro-abortion lobby as a whole for inciting the murder of Dr Tiller.Violence, one would think, is where the pro-abortion lobby would draw the line in terms of acceptable action.Think again.When 60-year-old James Canfield was nearly run over by an SUV while protesting at an...
Pro-abortion zealots can't seem to stick to one reason to try to label all anti-abortion activists as terroristsThe sad, sad story to emerge out of the assassination of Dr George Tiller only continues to unfold. Perhaps this man's martyrdom will continue into perpetuity.In the immediate aftermath of Dr Tiller's assassination, various pro-abortion bloggers tried to pin it as squarely on the anti-abortion movement as a whole as they possibly could.Their argument at the time was that the "abortion is murder" rhetoric employed by so many members of the anti-abortion lobby was responsible for encouraging -- perhaps even mandating -- Dr Tiller's murder.Consider this particular passage from Mike from (ir)Rational Reasons:"I cannot express in words the rage I am feeling right now.Not just at the...
PETA promoting "revolutionary veganism" with Guevara's granddaughterWhen an organization is as cozy with domestic terrorists as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has been, one shouldn't be shocked when they cozy up to the grand daughter of one of history's most infamous terrorists.In one of the most recent examples of how radical an organization it really is, PETA has tapped Lydia Guevara, the granddaughter of Che Guevara -- of T-shirt fame -- to pose semi-nude in an ad campaign promoting a "vegetarian revolution".One may be tempted to suspect that PETA is just another bunch of hucksters seeking to profit Guevara's revolutionary legacy without really knowing anything about it.But considering the organization's past, the likelihood is that they know exactly what Che Guevara was...
The attempts of Canada's hateful left -- a parochial collection of demagogues whose left-wing politics are defined not by any definable beliefs, but rather by their hatred of those with whom they disagree -- to transform the assassination of Dr George Tiller into a centerpiece of their efforts seem to have slowed in recent days.For those mourning the murder of Dr Tiller for legitimate reasons, this should certainly be a welcome prospect.But even as they continue to demonstrate that they don't understand their own base hypocrisy on the issue, there is still far more hilarity afoot than the degree to which these individuals simply cannot be taken seriously, or granted so much as an iota of credibility.The unrepentant leader of Canada's hateful left, Canadian Cynic, provides yet another keen...
Russian Grandmaster's question about terrorism makes Pakistani General uncomfortableIf Russian President Vladimir Putin is paying any attention to the international exploits of his chief political rival, he may well feel just as uncomfortable as former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf did recently.Speaking alongside General Musharraf at a conference in New Delhi, Kasparov asked him a question that made him noticably skittish.In the question, Kasparov likened terrorism to a problematic tree. He noted that when dealing with such a tree -- perhaps one whose roots threaten to grow through the foundation of a house -- the best strategy wasn't to periodically trim the leaves, but rather to deprive it of its water source.Reportedly, Musharraf attempted to avoid answering the question,...
Former Weather Underground terrorist denied entry to CanadaAs Stephen Taylor writes in a blog post on National Post Full Comment, Stephen Taylor brings us the tale of Bill Ayers -- the former Weather Underground terrorist now famed for his associations with now-US President Barack Obama -- being denied entry into Canada.“It seems very arbitrary,” Ayers complained. “The border agent said I had a conviction for a felony from 1969. I have several arrests for misdemeanours, but not for felonies.”Not that he hasn't committed felonies. By his own admission, he's done that."I don't regret setting bombs," Ayers told the New York Times (on 9/11, no less!). "I feel we didn't do enough."It may come as a shock to Bill Ayers that known terrorists are not allowed it Canada. It...
Mumbai attacks open new theatre in War on TerrorWith the Mumbai terror attacks having reached their tragic conclusion, it finally seems safe to comment.The Mumbai attacks are sobering in their implications. With up to 155 dead -- including at least two Canadians -- the War on Terror has clearly opened a new front in one of the world's most populated countries.The attacks were carried out with frightening precision. In less than an hour, Mariman House, Leopold's Cafe, the Taj Mahal Hotel, the Oberon Trident Hotel, the Cama Hospital, and the Chatrapati Shivaji railway station were under attack. It would take three days to bring the attack to a halt.If anything, the Mumbai attacks demonstrates the importance of dealing with domestic terrorism. The Deccan Mujahadeen and the Students Islamic...
November 24, 1968 - FLQ terrorists bomb Montreal Eaton's storeIn 1968, Pierre Trudeau assumed the office of Prime Minister of Canada when he succeeded Lester Pearson as the leader of the Liberal party.In an election held on June 25 of that year Trudeaumania swept Trudeau and his Liberals into power with a majority government.But not everyone was so pleased. In Trudeau's home province of Quebec dark clouds were beginning to coalesce over Canadian unity.The day before the election Trudeau attended the St Jean Baptiste Day parade in Montreal. Enraged at his presence, Quebec separatists began to riot and barraged his grandstand with bottles and rocks. While the other officials seated on the grandstand took cover Trudeau stood his ground. A Canadian legend took shape that day -- that of Pierre...
Bill Maher, LA Times, Obama campaign targeted by domestic terroristsWhen Bill Maher chose to frame his film Religulous as a call to arms against religion, one would be alarmed if he didn't believe the so-called "other side" just might respond to that call.But as it turns out, Religulous may not be the only thing Maher has done to inspire the violent ire of religious extremism.Last night Maher performed at a club in Palm Desert, California where a threat-laden letter containing a white powder had been sent."Save the babies" was reportedly written on the front of the envelope, and "kill all Obama supporters" scrawled across the back.Similar letters were recieved by the Los Angeles Times and at a Barack Obama campaign office in Los Angeles.As the 2008 United States Presidential Election...
Normally, the pressure has been to keep partisanship to a bare minimum on this day every year.But with this year's anniversary of 9/11 -- the seventh year since that infamous day -- falling during not one but two North American elections, 9/11 will almost certainly become a topic of some importance today.Particularly with an American election in which no incumbent can be returned to the White House, the question of 9/11 and how another such attack can be prevented will be a pivotal issue. In 2004, voters knew first hand President George W Bush's views on how to avert terrorist attacks. In 2008, they don't have that luxury in comparing the anti-terrorism plans of John McCain and Barack Obama.But to truly understand the events of 9/11, and truly understand how another such attack can be...