Canada's Gnu Government - Not Getting Things Done

Just to underscore the utter bullfeathers line about how Conservatives are "getting things done" for Canadians, we find out just how ineffective they are in persuading the Americans of anything.

Arar has been arrested, detained, tortured and abused by the Americans, who now have him on a "no-fly" list. Canada has gone through every possible avenue of investigation and found no evidence that Arar is even mildly associated with anything criminal or suspect.

According to the Americans:

"Our conclusion in this regard is supported by information developed by U.S. law enforcement agencies that is independent of that provided to us by Canada regarding Mr. Arar."

Chertoff and Gonzales say they want to ensure the information is shared with Canada and welcome a confidential meeting with Canadian officials.

I have two problems with this:

1) The "no fly" list is a list with no due process, no appeals, and no burden of proof. All you have to do is "look funny" and presto! you're on the no fly list, and it's damn near impossible to get your name off that list.

2) Secret evidence is non-evidence. If you cannot put that evidence forward in some reasonable court of law, it is utterly unreasonable and immoral to use that information to justify limiting someone's mobility - regardless of their ethnicity or legal nationality.

Anytime governments start creating "secret lists", and then using those lists to go after private citizens without using due process to demonstrate the validity of their accusations, it seems to me that the government has crossed the line into the realm of despotism.

As for the Canada's "Gnu" Government, we should bear in mind just how authentic the "warm" relations with Washington are - the warmth goes just as far as is ideologically convenient to Washington.