Monday, February 19, 2007

A good week for democracy?

For those who didn't get a chance to see it on the weekend, Evan Solomon's "Hot type" featured a new book by Stephen Grey, "Ghost Plane: The True Story of the CIA Torture Program". The book details the inner workings of the CIA's rendition program and is a must read for anyone who is concerned about the seemingly unlimited power law enforcement agencies have been given.

The show aired on the heels of the indictment of 26 Americans, most of them CIA agents, and 5 Italians on kidnapping charges. More good news came on Friday when Federal Court Justice Richard Mosley "ordered the release of an Egyptian terror suspect, Mohamed Mahjoub, who has spent nearly seven years behind bars, held on a controversial national security certificate".

But for all the good news there is still cause for concern that our democracy is being undermined by those whose job it is to protect our freedoms and rights. Hopefully, there will be a long and thoughtful debate before any consideration for renewal of the Anti-Terrorism Act. The Act gives sweeping powers to law enforcement agencies and the judiciary, and some of these powers are likely undermining the fabric of our democracy. There's no point in fighting terrorism if we give up the freedoms and rights that are the essential fabric of our democracy.

The Conservatives blatant attempt to politicize the judiciary was alarming, and is a clear attempt by Harper to ensure judges share his ideological bent. The only good news in all of this is that Harper is finally showing his true ideological bent -- hopefully Canadians will punish him at election time.

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