Last week I wrote about the disturbing rise in financial censorship. This is especially visible in Canada, where the government is increasingly desperate to stop the flow of funds to protestors in the capital.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has now invoked emergency measures that give him unrestrained powers.
On Thursday night, two protest leaders were arrested. And the government has moved to freeze bank accounts of protestors and those who donated to the convoy. The crackdown has now extended to cryptocurrencies, with the government ordering exchanges to cut off services to political dissidents.
The news was summed up well by Newsweek’s Batya Ungar-Sargon on Twitter.
Tamara Lich was arrested and her bank account frozen not because she committed a crime but because the government seized power to enable the arrest of dissidents. She is a political prisoner. Whatever side you’re on, surely you can see this is a travesty?https://t.co/CV88yUM9kB
— Batya Ungar-Sargon (@bungarsargon) February 18, 2022
Tamara Lich was arrested and her bank account frozen not because she committed a crime but because the government seized power to enable the arrest of dissidents. She is a political prisoner. Whatever side you’re on, surely you can see this is a travesty?
The amazing thing about this multi-week protest is that the government has not once met with the protestors.
Desperate Moves
So why on Earth did I title this article “Cause for Optimism?”
Because these tyrannical actions reek of desperation. The desperation of a ruling class to preserve its own place at the pinnacle of society.
Any clear-thinking person can see that these actions are unlawful and unjust. And while mainstream news may not be reporting on the important stuff, the power of the internet allows word to spread effectively.
I am optimistic because people are awakening all over the world. They are beginning to realize how imperiled our freedoms truly are.
I am reminded of a classic George Orwell quote.
All tyrannies rule through fraud and force, but once the fraud is exposed they must rely exclusively on force.
It seems as if we’re starting to move past the fraud stage and into the force stage. Fortunately, I don’t think those in power have all that much force to use.
For example, it’s interesting to note that the police force in Ottawa does not have a vaccine mandate. Officers fought hard against the requirement and won.
Yet these police are charged with cracking down on protestors who are fighting against vaccine mandates?
Any Ottawa police officer with a conscience is surely troubled by the hypocrisy and lack of consistency. Perhaps this is why the Ottawa police chief resigned earlier this week? And why his replacement also quit within two days? You can even see it in many of the videos where cops are clearly sympathetic to the protestors.
Provinces throughout Canada are changing course and ending vaccine passports and mask requirements for children. The same is happening here in the U.S. In my opinion, the tide has turned.
The tyrants are in a very weak position, they just don’t know it yet. In many cases they’re losing support — even among their strongest base voters.
So those of us who favor freedom have everything going for us. And there are far, far more of us than ever. With midterm elections coming up in the U.S., I expect the liberty trend to continue and accelerate.