Canadian Orwellian world: Lockdowns, vaccines passports and more

I read the article, but I'm having trouble understanding. As an Albertan I'm very interested. Can you explain it a bit more? This is about censorship correct, stopping companies from promoting and using free speech?
It's hard in a way to believe, but in another way, it makes perfect sense. The legislature and the courts, mostly,* now do what the Executive branch of the gov't wants it to do. We don't have representation, we have a king-like leadership. (Yes I've been watching more Bruce Pardy, the law prof from Queens, who says the Canadian version of the Magna Carta limiting the power of the king, the new Executive or managerial branch, has now gone totally out of balance in Canada. And thank you Voyageur for posting his excellent, short address above by Prof Pardy, it was great to listen to him!)

This excerpt from the National Post, June 13, 2024, gave me more of an understanding, and it was heartening also, that Premier Smith is doing this:

"The troops in Alberta’s War Room have been limping around wounded for many months. [The War Room is an organization, free standing, established by former Premier Kenney to promote the good environmental changes going on in the industry. Now they would face those huge fines if they uttered a pro industry peep if the Bill passes the Senate.]

From the article: "“We’re in a time where the federal government is attempting to make the promotion of Alberta’s energy industry illegal with Bill C-59, and a proposed emissions cap that would cripple Canada’s largest industry employing hundreds of thousands of Canadians,” Smith said in a statement."

Further from the article:

"Now the War Room is being demobilized and posted under a new general — Premier Danielle Smith herself.

Something like this was long expected for the contentious agency, but why now?

The main reason is federal Bill C-59, which has passed third reading in the House of Commons and is now before the Senate.

The UCP suddenly realized that the War Room is a sitting duck for huge penalties under this legislation.

“We’re in a time where the federal government is attempting to make the promotion of Alberta’s energy industry illegal with Bill C-59, and a proposed emissions cap that would cripple Canada’s largest industry employing hundreds of thousands of Canadians,” Smith said in a statement.

The remnants of the War Room will be tucked safely under her wing as part of the Intergovernmental Relations department. She’s the minister. Presumably, the changes will shield kind words about oil and gas from federal prosecution."

Don Braid: Threat of huge federal fines pushes Alberta's energy 'War Room' into UCP government fold
 
I read the article, but I'm having trouble understanding. As an Albertan I'm very interested. Can you explain it a bit more? This is about censorship correct, stopping companies from promoting and using free speech?

Yeah its a bit more than censorship - its censorship with the added threat of fines for saying what the government doesnt like. The law would allow the Trudeau regime to sue Albertan companies for promoting their energy industry. The law has already been passed by the NDP and Libs and now is in the Senate. Crazy times.
 
Has anyone heard of the C40 thing? Their website says there is 96 cities part of the "Club".
The description says it all: C40 is a global network of mayors of the world’s leading cities that are united in action to confront the climate crisis.

Here's the map: Cities Archive - C40 Cities

Of course, Montreal is part of it with a special mention: STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER.
It definitely indicates 'nothing good' and would explain all the irrational actions of our current administration... It gets me in a foul mood when I start on those topics because we are somewhat powerless to change any of it. All the decisions have already been made and are imposed on us without any consultation. Toronto and Vancouver are also "in". Lucky for the rest of the Canadians, there is no other city, but since most of our population is concentrated in those 3 cities, you can imagine the impact.


Here's the list of "what they do"

Here's a follow-up regarding the C40 Club (it must be reminded this club is a Global organization and has tentacles in many countries)

- The mayor of Montreal is Vice president of the C40 organization, which promotes Radical Ecology.
- She publicly declared on June 10, 2024: “Housing must no longer depend on private enterprise, we must nationalize housing.”
- A street in the city center (Peel) will be closed for 2 years for renovation work. 2 years! Either they are incompetent at completing their work in a reasonable amount of time, or it is sabotage. Or both...
- Multiplication of pedestrian streets (closed to traffic).
- Multiplication of street construction sites for unnecessary radical ecology projects.
- Completely eliminate the consumption of meat and dairy products.
- Prohibition to buy more than 3 new clothing items per year.


Articles written by Nathalie Elgrably aim to "wake" people up.
Here's one: https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2024/05/31/lideologie-toxique-de-valerie-plante

Valérie Plante did not appreciate that Pierre Poilievre once again called her incompetent after La Presse revealed that the delays in obtaining a building permit have more than doubled despite the housing shortage.

Ms. Plante embodies the worst version of politicians, that of ideologues ready to sacrifice the well-being of their population on the altar of their utopia. As a self-proclaimed knight of ecology, she hopes to control the climate and save the planet. (...)
A flagship objective of the C40, carbon neutrality by 2050 (...)

Montreal was once the metropolis of Canada. Today it is a city in decay. The fronts of countless closed businesses welcome graffiti. Insecurity is increasing as violence takes hold in the streets and in the metro. The streets, littered with waste, are an olfactory and visual tribute to her administration. As for the homelessness crisis, it is more distressing than ever.

However, Ms. Plante is wasting her time and our money on insignificant measures such as the ban on wood-burning ovens in pizzerias and bagel bakeries, the introduction of sponge sidewalks, the “Welcome baby” box, not to mention the hundreds of million dollars for cycle paths.



Quebec Government: New measures linked to the national electric company Hydro Quebec

https://www.journaldequebec.com/202...projet de loi précise,et pour y installer les

The Legault government will give more powers to Hydro-Québec to carry out work on private land without having to ask permission from the owners. (...) The bill also specifies that Hydro employees will be able to go without permission to private land to carry out work (of tree cutting and) other than tree cutting, i.e. to “carry out inventories, surveys, examinations, analyzes or other preparatory work, and to install poles, conduits, wires and other devices required for the distribution of electricity.

https://www.journaldequebec.com/202...ait-la-modulation-de-vos-tarifs-dhydro-quebec
From 2026, modulation according to time and intensity could be imposed on consumers.
By tabling his bill “ensuring responsible governance of energy resources”, super-minister Pierre Fitzgibbon confirmed that electricity rates for residential, commercial and industrial customers will increase from 2026.
He wants Quebec to become the first state in America to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. However, there is a cost to this transition.



Law 96 on the French language

https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/2024-06-11/loi-96-sur-le-francais/les-americains-evoquent-des-sanctions-commerciales.php#:~:text=La%20loi%2096%20comprend%20des,r%C3%A8glement%20d'ici%20quelques%20semaines

“This would imply that the few large producers transform their supply chain just for the Quebec market which, it must be remembered, is not very big when we consider the global economy,” he explains.

The application of Law 96 to the transactional sites of foreign companies has also made waves due to the obligation to offer Quebec customers services in French. Companies have stopped selling their products and services in the province, as La Presse wrote last year
 
If there were 'carbon neutral Olympics,' Canada would win the gold medal.:-O
I couldn't have said it better myself :cry:

It's causing our gas prices and groceries to soar, among other things. I've thought about leaving Canada but then I wonder if we all fled won't it follow us to all points on Earth so maybe staying and standing up is best? Probably a case to case basis. I look up to Laura a lot for leaving the states. Canada is basically the US's lapdog
 
On June 5, a feedermain water pipe ruptured in NW Calgary. It's one of two main lines that come out of the water treatment plant providing water for the city and several other cities nearby (Ardrie, Chestermere, etc.). The water was shut off at around 9:30 that evening and was later turned back on.


On June 7, they uncovered the pipe and located the break. On June 10, crews began cutting out the broken sections. June 11 saw the deployment of a second robot to inspect the pipe further down the line. June 13 saw work resume after a temporary shutdown with the focus on weilding the replacement pipe with the damaged pipe transported away for more analysis. On June 14, it was annonced that a further 4.3 km of pipe has been inspected with five 'hot spots' south of the current break needing critical and urgent repair. What was expected to have been fixed on the 13th will now see the "Stage 4 Mandatory Water Restrictions" (with added restrictions) last for 3-5 weeks. Calgary declares a state of emergency on June 15. The feedermain line was repaired with a section of pipe bought from the San Diego County Water Authority.

Maintanance work had been done on this section in April. Hmm.

As of yet, there is no explanation for the break.

Report from June 6:
 
Maintanance work had been done on this section in April. Hmm.

As of yet, there is no explanation for the break.

For some reason I could not stand this woman from the beginning, and seems people were suspicious early on two with two major petitions calling for her resignation within the first couple of years. She has shown herself to be such a shill, bigger than that predecessor of hers (who has now been upgraded to UPC wannabe-dethroner).

From the moment they anounced it, I knew the water main break was an opportunity to usher in restrictions and a 'new normal' ongoing state of emergency of water restrictions. Something they had apparently tried back (in April or right before I think) but couldn't seriously push because of the record rainfalls we've had throughout Spring (and contnuing). It wouldn't shock me if it was a self-inflicted water main break..
 
It wouldn't shock me if it was a self-inflicted water main break..
That's what I wondered about. It seems over-the-top to issue a state of emergency over a water main break. Now there appears to be five new "hot spots" in this section of broken pipe;

From the article:
It was revealed that a robot sent into the broken pipe had identified five additional hotspots that needed immediate attention, pushing back the timeline for completion of the repairs by an estimated three to five weeks.
 
That's what I wondered about. It seems over-the-top to issue a state of emergency over a water main break. Now there appears to be five new "hot spots" in this section of broken pipe;
I suppose it could very well have happened as a result of the degrading infrastructure (simple on purpose 'mismanagement' of the budget in that respect would make that possible). But the 5 (?) new hotspots are certainly suspicious and a very good excuse to prolong restrictions + get people acclimatized to such things for the near future.

What truly concerned me from the beginning is any 'tampering' they may do with the water supply (in conjunction with a disease x spread), the nefarious doings beyiond just getting exerting more control locally.

On an unrelated note and in the vein of what I said about this mayor, I have gotten a really good feeling from Danielle Smith from early days when she was an Alberta 'Wild Rose' voice (so, post her leading the party but continuing her legacy as a public figure and in radio). So far I have been very impressed by her eloquent advocating for the province as well as the job she has done as a Premier and by extension her government, at least from my perspective. I love this province more because of her.
 
Here's a good video by Lauren Southern on one of the big issues in Canada - mass immigration to the benefit of government and big corporations like Tim Horton's, and to the detriment of the average Canadian.

 
Edmonton is actually moving forwards with a 15-minute city adoption plan. It's apparently before the city council, and now being discussed. Goodbye Edmonton if this is implemented.


On a side note, the mayor of Edmonton has a colourful history:

Amarjeet Sohi PC (born March 8, 1964) is a Canadian politician serving as the 36th and current mayor of Edmonton since October 26th, 2021. Sohi previously sat as a Liberal member of Parliament (MP) and served in the federal Cabinet from 2015 to 2018 as the minister of infrastructure and communities, and from 2018 to 2019 as the minister of natural resources.

Sohi was born in India and immigrated to Canada in 1981, initially working as a taxi driver in Edmonton. He returned to India in 1988, where he was detained and accused of terrorism. While in prison, he was subject to harsh treatment and solitary confinement. After spending 21 months in prison, Sohi was released due to a lack of evidence. Returning to Edmonton, he worked as a bus driver before entering politics.

Wait, what? Nothing concrete can be concluded from the above, but it does raise my eyebrows. A former taxi/bus driver - once accused of terrorism - now at the head of Edmonton politics, which is aiming to be a 15 min city? Each bit of data by itself isn't damning evidence, but put them all together and it seems kinda whacky.

Sohi was elected to the Edmonton City Council in the 2007 municipal election representing Ward 12, gaining his seat after finishing 4th place in the previous election. Following the 2015 federal election, he represented Edmonton Mill Woods in the House of Commons until his defeat in the 2019 election. During that time, he served as minister of natural resources from 2018 to 2019 and minister of infrastructure and communities from 2015 to 2018.

After his federal defeat, Sohi announced his candidacy for mayor of Edmonton in the 2021 Edmonton municipal election.[1][2] He was elected as Edmonton's 36th mayor on October 18, 2021, becoming the first visible minority to serve as mayor.[3][4] Jyoti Gondek was elected mayor of Calgary on the same day, with both Sohi and Gondek jointly sharing status as Canada's first Punjabi mayors of major cities.

The Canada-India relationship is something I don't understand. There has been quite a bit of uproar recently over Indian immigration in particular. Especially when temporary permit people can sponsor relatives. I suppose it would be anti-liberal and probably racist if the CDN gov't dared to take care of the population of currently-existing Canadian citizens first?


So there are two 'progressive' Indian mayors in the heart of Canada's most conservative province, which is also basically Canada's main economic engine? Reminds me of seek10's question about a conspiracy to put Indians in power in the USA.

Q: (Rao) Is there a conspiracy in raising people of Indian origin or heritage to the top posts of Western world - Kamala Harris (Tamil Brahmin), Sunak (Sikh married to Kannada Brahmin), Sundar Pichai (Orissa Brahmin) and so on?

A: Not exactly, but they tend to be susceptible to control structure.

Q: (L) But that can be said about any group of people in any ethnic grouping.

A: Yes

Q: (L) And I think the reason... Well, maybe they're just more ambitious.

A: In some cases, yes. But ambition/greed does not always come with superior intellect.

Q: (L) Yeah, you can say that about Kamala Harris. Geez!

In Canada, one of them overseeing a disaster of a failed waterline in Calgary, and overseeing it badly - resulting in continuing water restrictions and also 'blanket rezoning'. Pardon me if I'm suspicious.


The other Indian progressive is overseeing a 15-min city push in Edmonton.

Not to mention Jagmeet overseeing whatever Trudeau wants him to.

On the macro scale, Canada's population grew by 1 million in less than one year - apparently almost entirely due to immigration.


People are noticing all this. No wonder there's a Take Back Canada rally this year on Canada Day.

 
There's been a lot of talk in Canadian media about China's interference in Canada's democracy. Yves Engler writes about the likely source of the actual interference going on - the US and Israel. He's in a agreement with Putin - the China scare is a bogeyman.


The foreign interference panic sweeping Canadian media and politics reflects US power and racism. The frenzy has already led to dangerous new legislation.

The Canadian institutions most strongly connected to the US are leading the China interference scare. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and Communications Security Establishment (CSE) have pushed the fearmongering in the face of discomfort from many among Canada’s corporate elite. Through the US, UK, New Zealand and Australia “Five Eyes” CSE and CSIS are deeply integrated with their US counterparts in an intelligence sharing alliance driving hostility towards China. Months before Canada’s 2018 arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, which spurred a downward slide in relations with China, Five Eyes officials agreed to contain the growth of China’s first global technology powerhouse.

Deeply integrated with their US counterparts, the Canadian military is keen to join the conflict with China. They’ve pushed to send regular naval patrols and set up a base in the region. Last year the chief of the defence staff suggested China saw itself “at war” with Canada and its allies.

Beyond the ‘security’ establishment, Canada’s arms industry has pushed conflict with China. Arms makers and their lobby, the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries, have sponsored a slew of forums critical of China. One reason the US signed the Defence Production Sharing Agreement, which grants Canadian firms unique access to bid on US military contracts, was to turn them into advocates for a pro-US military and foreign policy.

Central figures promoting the China interference scandal are funded by the US. One of the most quoted individuals decrying Chinese interference in Canada, Mehmet Tohti, has worked for various US-sponsored Uygur groups, notably the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project (URAP), which was funded by the US’ National Endowment Fund for Democracy for their “advocacy” in Canada. Tohti’s URAP also played an important role in pushing Parliament to adopt a resolution calling China’s treatment of Uygurs a genocide, which pushed the Trudeau government towards more conflictual relations with Beijing.

Another group hyping foreign interference is also funded by Washington. Led by regular foreign interference commentator Marcus Kolga, the Macdonald-Laurier Institute’s DisinfoWatch was established with money from the US State Department’s Global Engagement Center and the US Embassy in Ottawa.

An Eastern European “expert”, Kolga highlights the transition from the ‘Russia elected Donald Trump’ interference scare to the China boogeyman. A December 2018 The Walrus cover was headlined “The Russian Threat to Canadian Democracy” while at the time Chrystia Freeland said she was “very concerned that Russia is meddling” in Canada’s election. But when Freeland became foreign minister in 2017, the US embassy in Ottawa sent a memo to the State Department entitled “Canada Adopts ‘America First’ Foreign Policy” pointing out that Trudeau promoted Freeland “in large part because of her strong U.S. contacts” and that her “number one priority” was working closely with Washington. Before the 2019 federal election the government established a special task force largely focused on monitoring purported Russian threats to Canada’s democracy, which included representatives of CSIS, RCMP, CSE and Global Affairs’ intelligence branch.

Despite sizable segments of corporate Canada and some of the political elite opposing conflict with China, Washington wants Canada to better assist its bid to contain that country's rise.

The foreign interference panic is also laced with racism. The initial report of the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions references “diaspora” at least 37 times but fails to mention Canadians of Anglo-Saxon and Western European background. Last month’s report from Justice Marie-Josée Hogue also spared Anglo-Saxon and Western Europeans from association with “foreign”. In “Canada Endorses Chinese-Scapegoating In Latest Inquiry” Ng Weng Hoong writes, “the omission of Canada’s largest ethnic group from the inquiry implies that its members are automatically ‘local’ or ‘real Canadians’, and somehow immunized as a group from being the targets of foreign interference and influence.”

Chinese, Indians, Pakistanis and Iranians (as well Russia) are mentioned in Hogue’s initial report. But, there isn’t a single reference to Ukrainians even though the Ukrainian Canadian Congress has been working with that country’s government to push Ottawa to deliver billions of dollars in weaponry to Ukraine.

Currently it is open season on Chinese Canadian politicians. A recent front-page Globe and Mail article was headlined “Activists urge caution in dealings with two senators with alleged ties to China”. In it one of the accused — Stephen Harper senate appointee Victor Oh — is quoted declaring that he’s always “loyal to Canada."

Another politician put through the ‘loyalty’ grinder is independent MP Han Dong, accused by Global News reporter Sam Cooper of promoting the imprisonment of Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig in China. But a recent revelation came in Dong’s defamation suit, “[Cooper] admitted that none of the documents reviewed named Dong and none ... state that Dong advocated for the detention of the Two Michaels.”

Clearly, the standard for claiming ‘foreign interference’ is based on something other than documented foreign interference.

While Dong was pushed out of the Liberal caucus and remains under a microscope for ties to China, white Liberal MP Anthony Housefather openly works for a foreign state committing genocide. Any discussion of MPs “wittingly or unwittingly” working with a foreign state that doesn’t include Housefather is a farce. Yet, Housefather was made a Parliamentary Secretary and is set for a new antisemitism position that would give him a bigger platform to promote Israel.

For her part, Liberal Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Ya’ara Saks, is an Israeli citizen.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) has brought more than 70 current MPs on trips to Israel. CIJA is the “advocacy agent” of Canada’s Jewish federations, which have long been formally tied to the parastatal Jewish Agency for Israel. After restrictions were introduced on registered lobbying groups sponsoring international trips, Toronto’s Jewish federation paid for five MPs to travel to Israel in November.

Canada's federations also host Jewish Agency for Israel emissaries seconded to Jewish schools and community organizations to “provide a living connection to Israel by promoting Israeli experiences.” Hundreds of Israelis are also sent to Canadian summer camps to promote that country.

The Israeli government also funds Canadian schools that send children to pro-genocide demonstrations. Israel’s diaspora ministry has also been spending millions and millions of dollars on online disinformation efforts targeting US and Canadian officials. They were recently caught promoting explicitly Islamophobic positions to deflect criticism of their holocaust in Gaza.

Instead of targeting Israeli interference, the recently adopted “An Act respecting countering foreign interference” will protect it. As Dimitri Lascaris details in “Bill C-70: Trudeau's latest assault on free speech”, the Act’s language on “intimidation” of politicians will likely be used against those campaigning to weaken the power of Zionist lobby which the Canadian state willingly allows to operate with impunity.

A major sop to the intelligence agencies leading Canada’s foreign interference panic, the legislation expands CSIS’ surveillance and information-sharing powers. The bill includes the possibility of life in prison for disrupting critical infrastructure, which has drawn praise from the Business Council of Canada.

C-70 reflects the irrational frenzy around foreign interference. It was rushed through Parliament in six weeks with all MPs agreeing to bypass normal procedure for its adoption.

Apparently, our government can move quickly when the Americans want us to believe the Chinese are coming for us.
 
Orwellian Canada update: Canada is banning people from entering the country for having incorrect thoughts.


No more gigs in Canada for Rob Schneider!

While on the most recent installment of The Tucker Carlson Show, the comedian, 60, spoke with host Tucker Carlson about how he is no longer allowed to enter the North American country following the anti-trans and anti-vaccine jokes he made at a charity event.

The former SNL star shared how he also has been blacklisted from late-night TV because of his conservative views.

“You were punished by the Canadians for telling naughty jokes,” Carlson stated during their sit-down.

“They really went after me and it hurt not at all,” Schneider said of the June event, which was cut short after his quips offended the organizers.

Schneider noted how the bit that got him into the most trouble was one in which he played a father telling his son to pretend to identify as female so he can do well in sports. Despite the backlash, Schneider has refused to issue an apology.

“I’m glad I did it and I’ll do it again if you let me back in the country!” he shared.
Carlson then asked, “Which I’m assuming they won’t?”

“I will not be allowed back into the country — for ‘hate speech,’ for jokes!” Schneider revealed.

“And you’re not allowed on late night TV either?” the right-wing reporter added, to which the performer noted, “I don’t get invited.”

Canada has restricted tobacco pouches to Pharmacy purchase only. To protect the youth, of course.


Flavoured nicotine pouches are now only available for purchase in Canada from a pharmacist — but some former smokers say the new national regulations also make it harder for adults to reach a product that was helping them quit cigarettes.

"I think the government should be doing whatever they can to limit youth from getting addicted to nicotine, whether it's nicotine pouches, vaping products or tobacco products in general," said 29-year old Zach Laing, a former cigarette smoker who uses the pouches.

"The legislation here … is just taking it a little bit too far," the Edmonton man said.

As of Wednesday, the federal government has banned the sale of the pouches in convenience stores, gas stations and online. It has also now completely recalled all fruity flavours — only mint is available for purchase from behind a pharmacy counter.


The move has been applauded by multiple national health organizations, from the Canadian Dental Association to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

They've argued that unlike other nicotine replacement therapies already on the market such as gum or patches, the pouches were being advertised and sold in a way that targeted youth — including those who had never smoked before.

Health Canada approved the pouches last summer, sold under the brand name Zonnic, to help people stop smoking, also known as cessation. The small white packets are placed between a person's cheek and gums. That method releases what doctors say is the nicotine equivalent of smoking multiple cigarettes, but without the cancer-causing chemicals.

[...]


Health Canada vows to crack down​

A spokesperson for Health Minister Mark Holland said Health Canada will work to identify and seize unauthorized nicotine pouches, including online and at the border.

"We want to help adults quit smoking. That is why smoking cessation aids which have an established history of appropriate use, such as gums, lozenges, sprays and inhalers, will continue to be available in a wide range of retail locations with a variety of flavours," spokesperson Matt Kronberg wrote in a statement.

The pouches need tighter controls, Kronberg wrote, because of the "elevated risk of youth appeal."

[...]

According to Statistics Canada, nearly three-quarters of a million Canadians who were never smokers now vape, a number that's rising. Canada now has one of the highest youth vaping rates in the world.

And a hilarious update on the Edmonton 15-minute cities.


The council passed the resolution, but had to explicitly state that people will not be restricted to certain zones! So political pressure worked in this case. The update is hilarious because certain 'professional thinkers' are worried that citizens democratically expressing their concerns about global elite overreach into their lives has the effect of legitimizing conspiracy theories. Quite the good exercise in looking at how paramoralisms work to distort the mind.

Tim Caulfield: Yeah, it's the 15-minute city conspiracy theory and it will not die. It's really amazing. It's a good example of how conspiracy theories can seep into our lives and really scare people. OK, the reality is that the 15-minute city idea is just about sensible urban planning. It's a concept that has really been around for decades, even the late 19th century. We have something called garden cities and it's about walkability. It's about actually empowering citizens and making their lives better and easier. So that's the reality.

The conspiracy theory is that this is a totalitarian plot. And by the way, that conspiracy theory really emerged over the last couple of years. It's this totalitarian plot designed to control us. And it's tied to other conspiracy theories about global elites, the World Economic Forum, the great reset. There's no evidence to support this at all. And it's really interesting, because, as I said, it's a good example, as it seeps into our lives because the conspiracy theories become so pervasive that people just kind of hear it in the ether. And it does sound scary, right? I do want to highlight that there are genuine policy questions about 15-minutes cities, you know, costs, what's going to be the impact on rent and businesses. So there's reasons to debate this stuff. But conspiracy theory? No.

Kent: City council had to sit through a lot of people who were scared about this coming to them for the public feedback sessions and council decided that they would add this amendment to make it explicitly clear that there would not be any limitations to movement going forward in Edmonton and you think they did too much? Why?

Tim: Yeah, I do. And first of all, I totally get it, I get why they did that. So just trying to be practical. Let's move this policy forward if this is what we need to do. The problem, I think, is that it does kind of normalize, it legitimizes the conspiracy theory. And we're seeing this happen all over the world with a bunch of different conspiracies where policymakers are just kind of, we give up, we'll do something to respond to it. And the problem is, it kind of normalizes the role of conspiracy theories in our lives. I think the better response is a robust and empathetic response to the conspiracy theory, what the facts actually are. Let's make policies and laws based on the truth, not on fiction. And, of course, what we now have is this conspiracy theory kind of codified in Edmonton policy.

Kent
: Do you think there's a way to do it quickly, though? Because he can see how lawmakers are like, let's just get this out of the way because we need to make decisions and make movement here.

Tim: Yeah, you're right, Kent. That's why I sympathize. No, they just want to keep this rolling, keep it moving. And also there are people who are genuinely concerned. I don't want to say that I'm doubting their fear because it is everywhere. And if the government really did want to create Hunger Games districts, that would be scary, right? We don't want that. But the problem is in this age of misinformation, in this age where the lies are just having such a huge impact in our lives, I think we need to do better.
 
c
Orwellian Canada update: Canada is banning people from entering the country for having incorrect thoughts.




Canada has restricted tobacco pouches to Pharmacy purchase only. To protect the youth, of course.




And a hilarious update on the Edmonton 15-minute cities.


The council passed the resolution, but had to explicitly state that people will not be restricted to certain zones! So political pressure worked in this case. The update is hilarious because certain 'professional thinkers' are worried that citizens democratically expressing their concerns about global elite overreach into their lives has the effect of legitimizing conspiracy theories. Quite the good exercise in looking at how paramoralisms work to distort the mind.
could we please read some of the rob schneider jokes??
 
Back
Top Bottom