Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has thrown his full support behind a new Orwellian law that would imprison Canadians for “speech crimes.”
Under ‘The Online Harms Act (Bill C-63),’ a set of strict rules for how Canadians are permitted to communicate online, establishes a “baseline standard” and lays bare how Trudeau’s government intends to stifle free speech.
While some of the bills seek to target content related to child bullying and child sexual victimization, which sounds reasonable. But dig a little deeper into the legislation, and you will find that it is nothing more than a smoke screen for censorship.
According to an analysis of the bill on the Canadian government’s official website, the bill will target the following:
- Foments hatred
- Incites violence
- Uncites violent extremism or terrorism
The first two are easy to support. However, the latter is where the problems begin.
As one analysis noted, the criminal code written into the law would come with a “maximum penalty of life imprisonment” if one violates the new definition of “hate crime.”
These include crimes motivated by the following:
- Hatred on the basis of race
- National or ethnic origin
- Language
- Color
- Religion
- Sex
- Age
- Mental or physical disability
- Sexual orientation
- Gender identity or expression
Those guilty of sharing “hate propaganda” could face a maximum of five years imprisonment.
And those who are found to have promoted genocide could be sent to prison for life.
In simpler terms, the Canadian government can jail anyone who says anything it doesn’t like.
Author of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Margaret Atwood, called the bill “Orwellian,” noting that “If this account of the bill is true, it’s Lettres de Cachet all over again.”
“The possibilities for revenge false accusations + thoughtcrime stuff are sooo inviting! Trudeau’s Orwellian online harms bill.’
Under the guise of “hate speech,” the government will have the power to jail anyone they deem a “dissident,” which would be the final nail in the coffin for free speech in Canada.
