Who’s next: Harper targets checks on his power

Adam Goldenburg makes the very convincing argument that the real target of bill C-30, the bill that would give the government sweeping new powers to monitor Canadians’ internet activity, are judges. And then Reddit user itsthebishhop made this comment:

Contempt for Parliament, the Constitution, the Charter, and the judiciary; yet always talking about ‘law’ and ‘order’. It’s their ‘law’ and their ‘order’.

And that got me thinking to all the groups this government has targeted to shut down or silence, and it became clear he goes after those who could potentially check his power. And that is truly scary.

• Judges, as described in the linked article
• Scientists and even science, as in the muzzling of Canada’s scientists and completely ignoring climate change
• Parliament, through prorogation, deliberate attempts to sabotage the committee system, etc
• Media, through limiting access and questions that may be asked, closing the CBC, backing Sun TV, etc
• Other parties, through cutting the per-vote funding, etc
• And, of course, the internet, through laws like this, and therefore ultimately the citizens who use the internet to communicate…and organize