Harper's Secret Police Act - Designed to Silence Dissent - Being Broadly Mocked and Belittled

A young Canadian protests Harper's Secret Police Act in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Last week San Francisco's Bay View News covered a very good interview on Pacifica's KPFA in which Ann Garrison spoke to Professor Michael Keefer about Harper's Secret Police Act, Bill C-51. Keefer is among the bill’s many critics, and has said in the recent past that it “subverts basic principles of constitutional law, assaults rights of free speech and free assembly” and called it “viciously undemocratic.”

This Q/A exchange is an excellent example of the interview:
KPFA/Ann Garrison: Professor Keefer, I read this bill and it’s so vague that it seems like it would just give a lot of prosecutors a lot of discretion to charge Canadians with terrorism, however they choose to define it.

Professor Keefer: That’s exactly the purpose. The purpose is to find a terrorist under every bed. In particular, to enable the government to send its secret police after defenders of Native rights, activists on environmental issues, people who have concerns about the dangers of the Alberta tar sands, the dangers of foolish pipeline developments across the country, the dangers of fracking, which is going on from East to West, from New Brunswick to British Columbia. And finally it’s aimed at silencing supporters of the rights of Palestinians.

Given the racist, fear-mongering tactics that Netanyahu employed to rally similarly fear-filled Israelis last week and the "unconditional support" for Netanyahu and his ultra right-wing Likud Party that Harper repeats at every opportunity, it's important that Keefer included the supporters of Palestinian Rights in the list of those Harper and his ilk seek to silence.

The interview is in large part a commentary on March 14 when thousands Canadians in 50 cities protested Canada’s pending Anti-Terrorism Act - legislation would sweep all the enemies of Stephen Harper’s Conservative government into one big tent labeled 'terrorist'. The images above and below show that not only do Canadians from sea to sea to sea bemoan and belittle Harpo's Netanyahu like tactics but increasingly they mock them to boot.

Another very good article a few days ago by Murray Dobbin at the Tyee titled 'Bill C-51 Reveals Harper's Inner Bully' explains that, "There is a built in bias in a hierarchical, capitalist society against critical thinking -- precisely because in liberal democracies the over-arching role of government is to manage capitalism with a view to maintaining it along with all its inherent inequalities. Too many critical thinkers are not helpful."

As the Canadian election scheduled for this coming mid-October draws closer most of critical thinking opponents of Harpo's fear-mongering expect to see the Conservatives ramp up the fear tactics day by day. For instance a few days ago Ontario Conservative MP Larry Miller said that "new Canadians who want to wear a niqab at their citizenship ceremony should "stay the hell where you came from". Almost immediately critical thinking and progressive voices rang out in response that "Miller should consider doing the same himself."

Criticism and reasoned debate about the ramifications of Harper Secret Police Act continue across Canada but as time goes on mockery of Harpo dominates both the private and public spheres. Mockery can be educational too as long as it doesn't diminish the real danger that Harper represents.

'Heave Steve in 2015'