Deep Integration and Infringing Upon Liberty

In a move that mirrors the insane paranoia of BushCo, the Conservative government is going live with Canada's No Fly List today.

As I noted back here, the no-fly list is arguably downright illegal in Canada, as it uses secretive information without any kind of contestable process to restrict an individual's liberty. You might sit and think to yourself that it will only sting "them evil terrists", but that's clearly not the case.

Coming from Harper's lot, this isn't a terribly surprising maneuver - they are so big on the whole "deep integration" thing that slavish obedience to Washington just seems to be their second nature. (and yes, there are reasons to suspect that the CPoC is little more than the "GOP North" these days)

By blindly mirroring the US no-fly list, the Harper government is once again repeating the very legislative errors that created the so-called "security certificates" that were struck down by the Supreme Court earlier this year. It's yet another means for detention without trial, and that is a fundamental violation of civil liberty in a supposedly free country.

In an aside, I see that the Cons are trying to appeal to NASCAR fans - sure hope that gets you a pile of votes boys - in Tennessee. More cynically, I'd like to follow the money for that little escapade.