Commentary
Lately all eyes have been on the Russia-Ukraine invasion. But in case you’ve missed it, there’s a first-of-its-kind, full-blown revolution going on north of our border.
A government is trying to overthrow its people.
Several weeks ago, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau enacted a mandate that required unvaxxed Canadian truckers who drive between the United States and Canada to quarantine once they returned home. This effectively puts them out of work after every trip for up to two weeks to quarantine.
Within days of this announcement, the largest truck convoy on record made its way to the country’s capital in Ottawa to protest what they believed to be unreasonable mandates.
It’s been a long pandemic, and we’ve seen a lot.
We’ve seen the hit-or-miss effectiveness of the vaccines. We’ve seen those who are vaxxed and boosted get sick and spread the virus (some studies have shown their viral load is actually greater than those with natural immunity). We’ve seen the current Omicron variant turn out to be nearly as mild as the common cold. We’ve also seen that 99.8 percent of healthy people under 65 generally recover well from all variants of the virus.
So mandates, where vaccines and quarantines go, seem draconian.
Never mind the fact that 90 percent of truckers are already vaccinated. So this mandate is basically to harass the 10 percent who don’t want the shot—or may have natural immunity.
Possibly the greatest irony of all this is that previously all truckers who drove cross-border routes had been considered “essential workers” and were exempt from any and all mandates.
If, during the lockdown, these brave souls were sent into the jaws of death to fill the essential needs of the people of Canada, you’ve really got to question the motivation behind these mandates now.
And question it, the protesters did. For over two weeks they stood their ground, demanding to be heard by their elected officials.
So on Valentine’s day, rather than meet with the protesters, hear their complaints, and discuss a possible compromise, Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act “to supplement provincial and territorial capacity to address the blockades and occupations” effectively imposing martial law. In Canada of all places.
But it gets worse.
Next They Come for Your Wealth
Early on, a GoFundMe page had been set up to support the protest. It quickly surpassed $10 million in donations, which were to be used “to cover the costs of the convoy, specifically food, fuel, lodging, and other necessary related expenses.”Day’s later, GoFundMe issued a statement:
“We now have evidence from law enforcement that the previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation, with police reports of violence and other unlawful activity.”
And then they took down the fundraising page. This is the same fundraising service which, incidentally, had no problem supporting and promoting the illegal occupation that became known as the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” in Seattle during the summer of 2020.
In a moment of complete and utter insanity, GoFundMe gave donors two weeks to request refunds. After that it would determine how the remaining funds were spent. It ended up refunding the money.
Another page on alternative donation site GiveSendGo was set up. It was hacked and millions of Canadian donors’ personal information was leaked to the public.
Then Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s version of Kamala Harris, informed Canadian citizens of further restrictions that were being put in place (emphasis mine):
“As of today, a bank or other financial service provider will be able to immediately freeze or suspend the account of an individual or business affiliated with these illegal blockades without a court order.”
She went on:
“We are today serving notice: if your truck is being used in these protests, your corporate accounts will be frozen. The insurance on your vehicle will be suspended.”
And finally:
“We are broadening the scope of Canada’s anti-money laundering and terrorist financing rules so that they cover crowdfunding platforms and the payment service providers they use. These changes cover all forms of transactions, including digital assets such as cryptocurrencies.”
Terrorist financing rules? I’ve got just one question:
Who Are the Real Terrorists?
Two weeks before the mandate was enacted and long before the convoy ever appeared, Trudeau made his thoughts clear regarding those who opposed vaccines (emphasis mine):“They don’t believe in science/progress and are very often misogynistic and racist. It’s a very small group of people, but that doesn’t shy away from the fact that they take up some space. This leads us, as a leader and as a country, to make a choice: Do we tolerate these people?”
Do we tolerate these people?
“These people” are hard working middle class Canadians who work to pay their bills and feed their families. Who don’t want to be made to sit home and “quarantine” when they’re not sick. Who simply want to have their objections heard and addressed by their elected officials.
Instead, they were met with mandates that limit their ability to earn a living, accusations of violence to prevent them from raising money, labeled as terrorists to freeze their personal finances without cause.
This is beyond governmental overreach. This is tyranny.
Tell me who’s the real terrorist in this scenario?
It’s Always About the Money
Given that it creates no value on its own, a government’s ability to control your finances has always been a major weapon in its arsenal when it comes to controlling your life. And governments haven’t been shy about using it in the past.The Revenue Act of 1913 was enacted to give the government the power to take a portion of your hard-earned income.
In 1933 President Franklin Roosevelt enacted Executive Order 6102, forbidding individuals from personally owning more than $100 of gold. (Under penalty of fines and prison time, citizens were required to turn in their gold for a fixed price of $20.67 per ounce. Once all the gold had been collected, the government repriced it at $35.)
It goes without saying, cryptocurrencies are seen as a threat to the governments’ control both up north and here in the United States. Ultimately, I believe, they will make an effort to regulate crypto or limit its use.
What the future holds here in the United States is anyone’s guess.
A “green Treasury” forcing your pension fund to invest in green bonds? A Federal Reserve continuing to force you to accept negative real interest rates for years on end?
Better buy some gold while you can.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
