Time to Re-Read "1984"

Have you ever read George Orwell's "1984"? If you haven't, please do. If you have, maybe read it again.

There are certain themes in Orwell's disturbing piece of fiction that grow incrementally in our current society, and for people who value individual freedom, they are more than a little disconcerting.

The European Union wasn't created until 1993, and built upon the existing European Economic Community, and even that organization didn't exist until 1958. Yet, in 1949, George Orwell wrote about the creation of broad "superstates" eroding existing national borders and identities.

Think about that as we see the collective action of the world economic powers in response to the recent economic crisis.

More upsetting is the notion of a government, slowly, but surely, imposing its imprint upon our lives "for our own good." As more and more of our freedoms are taken from us, at each step of the way we are told it is "for our own good."

We need laws against cigarette advertising "for our own good."

We need seatbelt laws and helmet laws "for our own good."

We need to control access of U.S. media into Canada, "for our own good."

We need to prevent some people from offending other people "for our own good."

We need to allow the police to randomly arrest us, without cause, "for our own good."

We need to prevent those accused of crimes from fully questioning those who have laid complaints "for our own good."

We need to take property away from people charged with crimes before they are allowed to question their guilt, "for our own good."

And, now, we need to allow the government to conscript private business to "spy" on our citizens and to report their findings to the government, "for our own good."

Already, I am getting the usual suggestions of paranoia - however, ask yourself this:

When is the last time you saw the government REDUCE the degree to which they impact on your freedom to do what you want?

By definition, any new law is a restriction on your freedom. And there are many, many excellent reasons for proper government to do this - however, every year, from our municipal government right up to the level of international treaties (can you say Kyoto?) we see more and more regulation (i.e. government control) over what we, as citizens do in our daily lives.

Every year, government enacts more and more NEW statutes, and expands on existing statutes, and very seldom, do they reduce the number of those statutes or the size of existing statutes. What this means, very clearly, is that today you are subject to massive amounts of government control that our grandparents never would have even conceived of.

And yet, year in and year out, we let it pass with nary a notice... after all, it is all "for our own good."

And, like sheep, our citizens, and most disturbingly, our Liberal opposition, sits back and watches the current Conservative government put forth a new law this week, seeking to compel internet service providers to spy on all of us, and report back to government their findings. Warrantless interception of what you are looking at or reading on the internet. The very real equivalent of listening to your phone calls and opening your mail without your knowledge will be happening in Canada if citizens do not say, "enough".

Yes - it's all conducted under the very real and very important effort to battle child sexual abuse - however, that almost makes it worse, because no one wants to be labeled "weak on crime" or, worse, as a "child porn pervert" themselves. So. We watch it happen. And we say nothing. Because it's "for our own good."

Where is Ezra Levant and Mark Steyn on this point?  Or is freedom only important when it's being threatened by people who don't "look and act like US"?