The West is descending into censorship, violence and authoritarianism in defence of Israel’s genocide

Western governments, from Washington to Berlin, have not only bankrolled Israel’s slaughter but have criminalized those daring to protest it, trampling free speech and assembly rights with authoritarian zeal.

By Fareed Khan 

The Western alliance, anchored by the United States and encompassing nations like the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Canada and their allies, has long positioned itself as a beacon of democratic values—free speech, freedom of assembly, and governmental accountability. Yet, a troubling shift has emerged, particularly since the escalation of Israel’s genocide in Gaza since October 8, 2023. 

These nations are increasingly resorting to censorship, violence, and measures more consistent with authoritarian regimes to suppress dissent against Israel’s brutal military assault against Palestinians in the enclave, which numerous human rights organizations, more than 800 genocide, human rights and Holocaust experts, and the United Nations have labeled as genocidal. Such actions not only erode the democratic principles these nations claim to uphold but also point to an alarming degree of Israeli influence over the Middle East policy of Western nations. The evidence lies in the silencing of pro-Palestinian voices, the aggressive (and at times violent) policing of protests, and the conspicuous omission of Israeli foreign interference from critical inquiries, such as Canada’s federal foreign interference inquiry.

The erosion of free speech

Across the Western alliance, the right to free expression, particularly criticism of Israel’s crimes in Gaza, is under unprecedented attack. In the United States, the return of Donald Trump to the presidency in 2025 has intensified efforts to stifle dissent. Alarmingly, American citizens and legal residents protesting Israel’s actions have faced violations of their constitutional rights, arrests and excessive use of force.

In April 2024, students at Emory University in Georgia and UCLA were arrested, tear-gassed, and hit with rubber bullets during peaceful pro-Palestinian demonstrations. In Chicago, police detained over 100 protesters in August 2024 outside the Democratic National Committee and the Israeli Consulate. According to Ben Meyer, a member of the Chicago chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, a mass arrest was declared around 30 minutes after the protest began, suggesting that it had been planned in advance, a tactic that has been deemed illegal. These incidents reflect a broader pattern of criminalizing dissent when it challenges US support for Israel.

Germany has adopted a draconian approach to Palestine solidarity demonstrations. Since the Gaza conflict escalated, the German government has banned Palestinian symbols like the keffiyeh and the Palestinian flag, as well as protests against Israel’s actions. These measures have been justified as efforts to combat antisemitism, and have disproportionately targeted pro-Palestinian voices. A Jewish Museum of Berlin employee was fired for describing Israel’s occupation of the West Bank as “apartheid,” a term supported by Amnesty International and Israeli human rights group B’Tselem. Furthermore, Germany’s continued arms exports to Israel, valued at over US$576.6 million from October 2023 to May 2025, underscoring its prioritization of geopolitical alliances over human rights.

However, Germans have boldly defied their government, joining thousands in protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza and their own government’s complicity in the crisis. Despite facing aggressive policing, including the use of tear gas and physical abuse during arrests of peaceful demonstrators, the protest, have grown despite the bans. The crackdowns have sparked widespread criticism of the German government, with the Council of Europe’s Human Rights Commissioner, Michael O’Flaherty, warning that Germany’s heavy-handed approach threatens freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. In a June 2025 letter to Germany’s Minister of the Interior, O’Flaherty urged German authorities to align their response to the protests with rights guaranteed under the European Union’s Charter of Fundamental Rights, and case-law of the European Court of Human Rights, and the Council of Europe standards on freedom of expression.

In the United Kingdom, the suppression of pro-Palestinian activism has reached disturbing lows. Earlier this month Marianne Sorrell, an 80-year-old retired teacher, had her home in Wells, Somerset, raided by police, who confiscated her possessions and detained her for 27 hours. Her offence? Holding a sign at a protest that read, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” This followed Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, criminalizing expressions of support for the group. Over 500 activists, including elderly individuals, NHS workers, and a blind man in a wheelchair, were arrested during a peaceful protest outside Parliament, holding placards with similar messages. Many reported being denied water and exposed to harsh conditions during detention, highlighting the abuse accompanying this censorship. The UK’s actions suggest a willingness to sacrifice free speech to align with Israel’s narrative, undermining its democratic credentials.

In France, the government also adopted a harsh anti-democratic approach by banning pro-Palestinian protests at the onset of the Gaza conflict, with some municipalities prohibiting the display of the Palestinian flag. These measures, enacted despite France’s constitutional commitment to free speech, reveal a selective application of democratic principles when it comes to Israel. The crackdown has included arrests for minor infractions, such as wearing pro-Palestinian symbols, further demonstrating an assault on the basic rights of French citizens.

In Canada, the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) has documented “systemic suppression” of Palestinian solidarity, including “bubble zone” municipal bylaws restricting protests near Israeli consulates and Jewish institutions. The Canadian government’s decision to blacklist Samidoun, a pro-Palestinian advocacy group, as a terrorist organization has further criminalized support for Palestinian causes. These actions align with a broader effort to silence and persecute voices critical of Israel, often under the guise of national security or preventing “antisemitism”.

Violence and authoritarian tactics

The use of excessive force to suppress pro-Palestinian protests is a hallmark of this authoritarian shift in Western societies. In the US, the deployment of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to New York and other states to quell anti-genocide protests, and singling out visa students and legal residents signals a readiness to use overwhelming federal resources against citizens exercising their constitutional rights. In Austin, Texas, police used pepper spray and tasers on students protesting at the University of Texas in April 2024, with over 50 arrests reported.

In the UK, the mass arrests of peaceful protesters in August 2025, many of whom were elderly or vulnerable, indicate a disregard for basic human rights. Detainees reported being denied basic necessities and held in harsh conditions, a tactic designed to deter future protests. In Germany, police have repeatedly used violence against pro-Palestinian demonstrators, with reports of injuries among peaceful protesters in Berlin. France’s response has been similarly heavy-handed, with police using tear gas and making arrests for minor infractions like displaying Palestinian flags. In Canada, the use of “bubble zone” bylaws has been accompanied by reports of police intimidating protesters, including those holding silent vigils for Gaza victims.

Israeli influence and unchecked interference

Perhaps the most insidious aspect of this suppression of legal protests is the apparent influence of Israel on the Middle East policies of Western governments, coupled with a refusal of these governments to investigate this influence, which can be deemed as foreign interference. In Canada, the federal foreign interference inquiry, launched to examine foreign influence in Canadian politics, conspicuously excluded Israel from its scope. A report by Justice for All Canada documents Israel’s efforts to shape Canadian policy through funding political campaigns, intimidating parliamentarians, and threatening media outlets that are critical of Israel.

In the US, pro-Israel lobbying groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) have spent hundreds of millions of dollars since 2020 to influence congressional elections, ensuring that candidates critical of Israel don’t get elected. In 2023 and 2024 AIPAC’s funding was instrumental in defeating progressive candidates who called for a Gaza ceasefire, such as Representatives Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush.

The UK has seen similar patterns, with groups like the Board of Deputies of British Jews and Conservative Friends of Israel pressuring policymakers to adopt pro-Israel stances regardless of that nation’s violation of international human rights laws. A 2025 report revealed that over 80% of Conservative MPs received funding or trips from pro-Israel groups, raising concerns about Israeli manipulation and undue influence.

In Germany, the close relationship between the government and Israel has led to policies prioritizing Israel’s security narrative over free expression and justice for Palestinians. The German government’s refusal to halt arms exports to Israel, even as the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, underscores this alignment.

In France, former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin has criticized the lack of condemnation or action of governments surrounding Israel’s actions, calling it a “historic scandal.” In a recent op-ed published in Le Monde, Villepin said, “I am forced to confront a tragic reality: A crime is taking place in Gaza, a crime of genocide. More and more voices, including among historians and Israeli NGOs, have risen to call it such, and I recognize and admire the courage it takes to do so, as seen in the examples of Omer Bartov, Amos Goldberg, B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights.”

The descent into censorship, violence, and repression in Western countries in defence of Israel’s genocidal actions represents a profound betrayal of democratic values. The silencing of pro-Palestinian voices undermines free speech, while the use of excessive force against protesters erodes their fundamental rights despite protections entrenched in law. Meanwhile the refusal to investigate Israeli foreign interference in Western governments raises serious questions not just about the sovereignty of Western democracies, but also whether a foreign power is in control of policies related to the Middle-East and the diaspora communities living in those Western nations. The actions of Western governments not only harms targeted individuals and communities, but also erodes public trust in institutions meant to protect everyone’s democratic freedoms.

The international community is increasingly acknowledging Israel’s actions as crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide, as evidenced by reports from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, in addition to statements by hundreds of genocide and human rights scholars, underscoring the urgency of this issue. The International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Israeli leaders further highlight the need for accountability. Yet, Western nations continue to shield Israel, often at the expense of their own citizens’ rights and their standing in the global community. This complicity risks normalizing repressive tactics, as Western governments prioritize their relationship with a genocidal regime over democratic principles, to which they claim they are committed.

Media complicity and public perception

The mainstream media in Western nations has often played a complicit role in this authoritarian drift by framing pro-Palestinian activism as inherently antisemitic or threatening. In the US, major outlets like CNN and The New York Times have been criticized for downplaying Israel’s actions in Gaza while amplifying narratives that justify crackdowns on pro-Palestinian protests. In Canada, the Globe and Mail and the Postmedia chain of newspapers have been shown to be inherently anti-Palestinian. 

 

Coverage of the 2024 student protests on university campuses was heavily critical of the protesters, repeating accusations of antisemitism,  overshadowing the broader demand for a ceasefire and accountability for Israel’s criminal actions. In the UK, tabloids sensationalized pro-Palestinian protests to justify police crackdowns, further eroding public support for free expression. In Canada this media bias distorts public perception and emboldens governments to escalate censorship and repression without fear of widespread backlash.

The chilling effect on civil society

The crackdowns on pro-Palestinian activism have created a chilling effect on civil society, intimidating individuals and organizations to prevent them from speaking out. In Canada, grassroots groups advocating for Palestinian rights have reported increased harassment, including doxxing and threats, often amplified by Zionist and pro-Israel advocacy groups. In Germany, cultural institutions and universities have cancelled events featuring Palestinian speakers, citing concerns about “antisemitism,” effectively silencing critical voices. This climate of repression stifles open debate, a cornerstone of democratic societies, and signals to citizens that dissent on the issue of Israel comes at a high personal cost.

Israel’s influence extends beyond lobbying to economic and diplomatic leverage. In the US, defence contractors like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, which supply weapons to Israel, have significant sway over policy decisions, as their contracts are tied to US military aid to Israel, exceeding US$3.8 billion annually. In Germany, Israel’s role as a key partner in intelligence-sharing and counter-terrorism has solidified its influence, with German officials citing “historical responsibility” to justify unwavering support. In Canada, trade agreements and investments with Israel, particularly in technology and cybersecurity, have created a dependency that discourages scrutiny of Israeli influence.

The Western alliance’s selective outrage over human rights abuses in other nations exposes its hypocrisy. While nations like China and Russia face sanctions for their authoritarian practices, Israel’s actions in Gaza—documented as causing over 70,000 civilian deaths by July 2025—receive minimal criticism from Western leaders. Additionally, the US has consistently vetoed multiple UN Security Council resolutions calling for a Gaza ceasefire, and shielded Israel from accountability. This double standard undermines the West’s moral credibility and fuels global perceptions of complicity in Israel’s actions, further eroding trust.

The path forward

The West’s unwavering support for Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza stands as the moral catastrophe of our era, echoing the shameful lack of action by the US and Europe when Nazi Germany began committing atrocities against Jews and other German minorities in the 1930s. This complicity—marked by billions in arms sales, diplomatic cover, and suppression of dissent—exposes a grotesque betrayal of democratic principles. Western governments, from Washington to Berlin, have not only bankrolled Israel’s slaughter but have criminalized those daring to protest it, trampling free speech and assembly rights with authoritarian zeal.

To halt this descent into tyranny, Western leaders must unequivocally condemn Israel’s war crimes, dismantle draconian bans on pro-Palestinian symbols and protests, and end the brutal policing of demonstrators. They must also investigate Israeli foreign interference, including its documented influence over Western policies, as seen in lobbying scandals reported by Al Jazeera in 2024.

Civil society is rising, with groups like Defend Our Juries in the UK and the BCCLA in Canada spearheading campaigns to overturn unjust laws. Citizens must demand accountability, forcing foreign policy to reflect justice, not geopolitical cowardice. The West’s alignment with Israel’s carnage—over 70,000 Palestinian deaths by mid-2025—has gutted its moral credibility. To redeem itself, the West must confront its complicity, halt arms shipments, and restore the democratic values it hypocritically claims to champion, lest history judge it as it does those who appeased the Nazis in 1930s.

© 2025 The View From Here. © 2025 Fareed Khan. All Rights Reserved.

Bigotry and human rights violations by Quebec are constitutional according to province’s highest court ruling on “secularism” law

The decision about Quebec’s secularism law should scare all Canadians about human rights protections in this country.  It is very likely to be referred to the Supreme Court of Canada for a final ruling, and if they agree with the Quebec Appeals Court that the Quebec law is constitutional it would mean that the concept of human rights in this country will become meaningless. 

 

By Fareed Khan

 

In a unanimous decision by Quebec’s highest court on the province’s controversial Bill 21 “secularism” law released on February 29th the judges sided with the provincial government and decided that it is within its constitutional rights to implement policies and laws that violate human rights, and (by extension) promote racism and bigotry against religious minorities.

 

 

The court was ruling on a challenge to the law launched by a number of civil liberties and Muslim organizations under Section 2(a) of Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  The law was implemented by Quebec’s CAQ government in 2019, which invoked the Constitution’s “notwistanding” clause (Section 33) to override Charter rights and the case has been working its way through the court since the Charter challenge was launched later the same year.

 

In issuing the decision the judges on Quebec’s Court of Appeal seem to be saying that the fundamental human rights of the communities primarily affected by the law, who are mainly racialized religious communities, do not matter, and that the bigotry and racism that the law enables is acceptable.  With this decision members of Quebec’s Muslim, Sikh and Jewish communities who wear clothing that is intrinsic to the practice of their faith have been told that they are second class citizens and lesser human beings because of their religious beliefs.  While the law affects people of all faiths a 2019 poll revealed that the law was founded on the basis of anti-Muslim prejudice in Quebec.

The court’s decision is a very dangerous and fascistic approach to human rights in Quebec because it now gives free reign to the government to violate the fundamental rights of any individual or community if it is to their political advantage.  Such court rulings are more in line with authoritarian, far right regimes in other countries than those of an advanced democracy like Canada.

 

While Premier Francois Legault’s government is the primary villain in this situation they have also been enabled by the federal government which declined to intervene immediately after the law was instituted in 2019 by referring the law directly to the Supreme Court.  Had the government of Justin Trudeau taken that action it would have expedited a ruling on the law at Canada’s highest court, and Quebec’s racialized religious minorities would not have had to live under the tyranny of a government which finds it acceptable to violate religious freedoms.

 

The federal government’s failure to take action has allowed Quebec to destroy the lives of observant Muslims, Sikhs and Jews in Quebec who have been unable to fulfill career ambitions in their home province by working in those fields restricted to them under Bill 21.  For more than four and a half years Quebec has violated the rights of these religious communities, and the Trudeau government has been complicit in these rights violations by refusing to take action to defend the rights of Canadians.

 

Quebecers who wanted to work in certain public sector jobs – teachers, police officers, crown attorneys, and others – have had to leave the province to pursue a living because Justin Trudeau was more concerned about votes in Quebec than he was about the fundamental rights of Canadians.  He was not alone in this laissez-faire approach to criticizing the Quebec law as the leaders of other federalist parties said the issue was within Quebec’s purview, while the nationalist Bloc Quebecois and the far right People’s Party of Canada said that the federal government should stay out of Quebec’s business.

 

 

Since being elected in 2015 Trudeau and his ministers have talked repeatedly about their support of the Charter and the rights of Canadians and their opposition to racism.  But it appears these statements were all political theater because the federal government has shown repeatedly that it cares more about the public relations benefits of making such statements rather than about defending the human rights of racialized minorities, whether at home or abroad.  A government that truly cared about defending the human rights of Canadians would have referred the Quebec law to the Supreme Court in 2019 when it came into force regardless of the political consequences, or it could have used its powers under the “disallowance” clause of the Constitution (Section 90).

 

 

The Quebec court’s decision also raises concerns about the integrity of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  Since it came into force the “notwithstanding” clause has been used 26 times by provincial governments (primarily Quebec) to override Charter rights.  When it was implemented more than 40 years ago the Charter was seen as a shield to protect the rights of Canadians from the whims of politicians.  But as we have seen in Quebec, Saskatchewan, Ontario and other provinces over more than 40 years provincial governments are now more than willing to use this provision to violate Charter rights for the sake of political expediency regardless of who suffers as a result.  It begs the question, what is the point of having guaranteed rights under Canada’s Constitution when they can be ignored by governments and politicians whenever it suits them.

 

The decision about Quebec’s secularism law should scare all Canadians about human rights protections in this country.  It is very likely to be referred to the Supreme Court of Canada for a final ruling, and if they agree with the Quebec Appeals Court that the Quebec law is constitutional it would mean that the concept of human rights in this country will become meaningless.  This would make Canada no different than authoritarian states where political leaders violate their citizens’ rights at will.  People across Canada should be deeply concerned about what is down the road, and remain vigilant about protecting fundamental rights, which are slowly being chipped away by the actions of some provincial governments.  Otherwise we will lose them and human rights and civil liberties in Canada will return to the era before the Charter when the decision about whether Canadians had rights were in the hands of very flawed politicians and the interests they serve.

 

Fareed Khan is a human rights activist and founder of Canadians United Against Hate.

 

© 2024 The View From Here.  © 2024 Fareed Khan.  All Rights Reserved.

On the Road to Darkness: Thoughts on the Fascist Disease Infecting Western Society

Most people who live in Western democracies believe that we live in societies that value freedom, liberty and tolerance – principles and values that were purchased with human blood (during World War II) and at an immense cost to the national treasuries of most Western democracies (during both World War II and the Cold War).  In the former conflict Allied soldiers fought against nations whose leaders were committed to political ideologies that plunged the world into madness and resulted in the death of more than 63 million people (a number slightly less than the current population of the United Kingdom).

The architects of those ideologies and the war they instigated died almost seven decades ago.  However, people who believe in many aspects of those ideologies, and want to see governments based on them, continue to exist and have managed to influence politics in many Western democracies, particularly over the past two decades.  The ideology to which I refer is fascism – a word that comes with all kinds of historical baggage, a word that most people are unlikely to use when referring to some present-day Western leaders and politicians.  But despite the reticence of the mainstream media or political commentators to use that term, the truth is that many of the policies being implemented by governments, in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and other Western democracies have their roots in an ideology that millions shed their blood to defeat.

Present day fascism is an ideology that comes in many forms, an ideology where one size does not fit all. It manifests itself in The West by the actions of political, financial and corporate elites who desire to maintain and grow the existing infrastructure of wealth and power that favours their interests – that is, preserve the existing hierarchical and imbalanced socio-economic culture using the tools built into the globalized, corporation dominated economic order that has developed over the past 20 years.

The classical definition of fascism revolves around a joining of government and private corporations to exploit all available resources in pursuit of private profit, regardless of whether that profit is achieved by the exploitation and suffering of the vast majority of society, or even if it undermines the democratic underpinnings of that society.

The fascism of the 20th Century was a reactionary ideology primarily in response to the advance of communism, and it was expressed through the following characteristics:

• protection and enhancement of the power of industrial / corporate elites;
• control of the mass media;
• rampant cronyism and political corruption;
• election fraud and voter manipulation / suppression;
• contempt for decisions and policies based on sound research;
• identifying and targeting so-called “enemies” or scapegoating as a unifying cause;
• fixation on national security, crime and punishment, and "order" in society; 
• political rhetoric emphasizing and elevating the place of police and the military in society;
• historical revisionism;
• disdain for civil liberties, human rights and social justice;
• suppression of and attacks on legal political dissent and political opponents;
• tolerance for sexism and misogyny;
• support and advancement of ethnic and / or cultural nationalism; and
• attacks on and suppression of organized labour.

If we examine the way that governments in most Western democracies, through their policies and actions, have evolved during the past two decades then we would see that many if not all of the characteristics that define fascism are present in the political cultures of The West.

If the allied soldiers who gave their lives for democracy, free speech, human rights and the other things that define a truly free and democratic society were alive today they would be appalled at what has transpired.  Because what has happened is the creation of a political culture and societal attitude, shaped by governments and corporations following a neo-liberal / neo-conservative ideology, which has copied many aspects of the fascist ideology that Allied nations fought against in World War II, and the authoritarian ideology they continued to fight during the Cold War with the Soviet Union.  And while what exists in western democracies lacks many of the more horrific and ethno-nationalist aspects of 20th Century fascism, in many of its major characteristics the political culture that has evolved in The West is proto-fascist if not actually fascist.

Related: 
* Chris Hedges NPR Interview: On The Right Wing "Proto-Fascist Movement" in The U.S. 
* Allan Gregg Speech Slams Tories’ Orwellian ‛Assault On Reason’ 
* Violence, USA: The Warfare State and the Brutalizing of Everyday Life

This is has not gone unobserved by journalists, academics and political pundits.  It is something that has been noted by Canadian pollster and political commentator Allan Gregg among others.  In a speech given on September 5, 2012 at Carleton University he compared what has happened to politics in Canada under Prime Minister Stephen Harper to the dystopian George Orwell novel Nineteen Eighty-Four – an analysis that is noteworthy because of Gregg’s historical connections to the predecessor of the Conservative Party of Canada.  While the world we live in may not mirror what Orwell described in his novel, there are disturbing parallels between what is happening to politics and the democratic process in Canada and elements of Orwell’s novel.

In his remarks Gregg outlined the various policy changes that Harper has implemented at the federal level.  By presenting the facts Gregg asks his audience to put together the pieces of the puzzle and conclude for themselves that Canada is well down the road to fascism courtesy of the Harper government.  He then observes that despite how Canada has been transformed during Harper’s tenure as prime minister, there is no hue and cry from Canadians in protest.  And yet there is much that Canadians and citizens of Western democracies should be protesting.

Another critic of the fascist political culture that has evolved in The West over the past two decades is Prof. Henry Giroux, Global Television Network Chair in English and Cultural Studies at McMaster University.  In many of his writings Giroux provides analysis and insight into the state of modern society / culture in the U.S. and asks U.S. citizens to do what is necessary to challenge a culture and political mindset where the views of the majority of citizens / voters are relegated to the bottom of the list of interests that politicians cater to while the interests of corporations and elites are addressed with little thought as to the harmful effects they may have on society at large.

In a recent article, Intellectualism in the Age of Mass Surveillance, Giroux states that “[corporate] media are mostly engaged in what Noam Chomsky called ‘manufactured consent’, producing spectacles of [inanity and] violence, and pushing celebrity culture that becomes the ultimate model of a [debilitating] mode of consumption.  He goes on to say that “loyalty to fame, money, and authority is far more important than the truth, a sense of social responsibility, or a passion and commitment to a more just world.”

Through their commentary People like Gregg, Giroux, Chomsky and others are trying to open the eyes of the masses, trying to raise awareness that we are living in a time where those who have the courage to hold authority accountable are treated like criminals or terrorists (i.e. Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, Bradley Manning) while those who use the power and authority of the state and mega corporations to commit horrendous crimes are treated as patriots and held up as models of leadership.

Giroux’s articles and critiques, as well as those of Allan Gregg, Noam Chomsky and others like them, should be heeded and used as inspirations for the changes that must be implemented if The West’s political culture (and by extension Western society) is to be prevented from stepping into an era of political and social darkness.

Please note that all links in this article were current and working at the time of posting.  If any links no longer work please post a note in the comments section and I will post a link that works.

~ Fareed Khan

Related Articles & Links: 

*  Edward J. Snowden and the Exposure of Voyeuristic Fascism 
*  Toward a Definition of Fascism 

*  The Origins of the Neoliberal War on the Poor: Welfare  Reform and an Ever-Expanding Police State 

*  Understanding Harper’s Evangelical Mission

*  Feds threatening journalist independence of CBC

*  Is Stephen Harper displaying fascist-like tendencies?
*  Chomsky Warns of Risk of Fascism in America 
*  Blueprint for Dictatorship
*  The Rise of Christian Fascism and Its Threat to American Democracy 
*  The Christian Right and the Rise of American Fascism 
*  Brown Skin/Yellow Star: Turning the Corner Toward Fascism in the US
*  High Plains Grifter: The Life and Crimes of George W. Bush: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
*  Is America ‘Yearning for Fascism’? 
*  The Birth of Israelo-Fascism 
*  Is fascism on the march again? 
*  The far right is on the march again: The rise of Fascism in Austria 
*  Is Fascism Lurking in America? 
*  A Better Question Might Be, 'How Is It NOT Fascism?'
*  Fascism Then. Fascism Now? 
* Worse than Wal-Mart: Amazon’s sick brutality and secret history of ruthlessly intimidating workers 
*  Wal-Mart: An economic cancer on our cities 
*  Wal-Mart’s New Marketing Strategy Hides Dirty Practices
*  Ex-US Marine: I Killed Civilians in Iraq
*  If Bush is a War Criminal, Then What About the Troops 
*  Accused troops: We were under orders to kill 
*  The Marine’s tale: ‛We killed 30 civilians in six weeks. I felt we were committing genocide’ 

*  War Tribunal Finds Bush, Cheney Guilty of War Crimes

*  The Obama Administration May Be Guilty of War Crimes

© F. Khan.  All Rights Reserved.

Canadians Need to Wake Up and Take Action Lest Canada Become A Society Like the U.S.

What has happened to Canada? on "Q" with Jian Ghomeshi.

The above link to an interview was sent to me by a friend and it says a lot about what I and many in my social circle have been feeling for a number of years.  It's only 3:30 long and I encourage you to listen to it.

It's not just about politics, politicians and political parties and the way they have numbed the minds of the Canadian electorate, it's about the fact that most Canadians seem to have given up and given in as the culture of our society has more and more come to resemble what we see in the US where profit, unfettered capitalism, and increasing power for the already powerful has become the state religion.  It's an attitude which says that society can go to hell in a handbasket as long as there are a few elites in society who achieve personal wealth, power and influence beyond all reason.

This is not what Canada is or ever has been about.  Growing up I saw Canada as a nation where anyone had the opportunity to achieve personal success (which we concouraged) but in doing so we did not forget that there were many in our society who couldn't (for whatever reason) and so we had to watch out for them by having an adequate social safety net.  Unfortunately, that social safety net is a shadow of what it once was as certain politicians and business interests have been successfully transforming Canadian society into something resembling the United States.  And as that safety net has come undone it has created other social, economic and environmental problems which have diminished the quality of life of Canadians and have sowed despair in a growing underclass of disadvantaged, dispossessed and disempowered citizens.

So please listen to the interview.  You may not agree with everything that is being said, but it will certainly make you think, and hopefully you will want to share it with others.

Canada is not yet what American society has become and that is why there is still hope for us to pull back from the brink.

© F. Khan.  All Rights Reserved.