Civil liberties group reacts to the Emergencies Act inquiry’s report

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Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre did not address the commisioners report

 

 

The title of the YouTube video is  very misleading, only about thirty seconds he talked about the freedom convoy. During question period he talked a bit more about demonstration. The first half is in French, and the second is in English. This is a pre-election rhetoric. He forgets to mention that if the carbon tax were eliminated, the financial elites would not pass it on to the consumer. He failed to mention that the minister has no say on inflation,, and that is the bank that Canada that makes that decision.

 

CBC question him about the freedom convoy, and he attacked the CBC the straw man fallacy.

For my anglophone friends the second half is in English.

 

To conclude the title click bate for political rhetoric, because the content and the question period did not really address the issue.

We forget that prime ministers are not gods, but mortals, who do make bad decisions as we all do.

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Rouleau: Public Order Emergency Commission POEC makes 56 Recommendations

Transcript:

Today, I am very pleased to announce that the report of the Public Order Emergency Commission has been submitted to Parliament. It will soon be available on the Commission’s website.

I would like to firstly acknowledge that I am making this statement from the traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg People, at the National Archives of Canada, just steps away from where many of the events that led to this inquiry took place.

The Public Order Emergency Commission was established on April 25, 2022 as a result of the Government of Canada’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act in response to protests in Ottawa and elsewhere in Canada in January and February of 2022.

The Commission was directed to examine and report on the circumstances that led to the declaration of a public order emergency, and the measures taken by the government for dealing with the emergency.

The Commission was also tasked with examining, to the extent relevant to the circumstances of the declaration of emergency and the measures taken, the following questions:

• The evolution and goals of the convoy and blockades, their leadership, organization and participants;

• The impact of domestic and foreign funding, including crowdsourcing platforms;

• The impact, role and sources of misinformation and disinformation, including the use of social media;

• The impact of the blockades, including their economic impact; and

• The efforts of police and other responders prior to and after the declaration.

Compromised Computer And Social Media Accounts

 

Transcription

 

Hi, I am André Faust: On December 26th, my main computer was compromised by what I suspect was malware that decrypted my access codes to different social media accounts. I first became aware of a problem when Facebook suspended my account because they thought I was under 14 years old. Once I provided proof of my age, my account was reinstated. However, moments later, I received another email from Facebook telling me my account had been suspended for violating their community standards. I disagreed with the decision but was not given an opportunity to explain that my account had been hijacked.

I have been receiving notices that I only have 12 days to disagree before my account will be deleted, even though I had already filed a disagreement. The problem with Facebook is that they do not allow users to make a written submission to dispute their decisions regarding account termination. They act as judge, jury, and executioner, and users have no means of contesting or appealing their decisions.

I have created a new account, J André Faust. Additionally, after receiving notices from Google and Twitter of suspicious attempts to access my accounts, I checked my credit cards and discovered that around $10,000 had been charged to one of them. I immediately contacted my bank and was reimbursed the full amount for the unauthorized purchases.

To summarize:

Malware got into my computer, allowing the cracker to access Facebook and place content that violated facebooks community standards. The crackers did not only access Facebook but attempted to access my google and Twitter accounts. They successfully defrauded my credit card, for which the bank reimbursed me.

Hackers and Crackers are becoming very sophisticated and often work in teams, each member specializing in security aspects. Virus checkers are limited because they have to have identified the signature of malware before they can provide protection. In my case, I believe that it was a novel malware that had not yet been identified, and that is how it got past me.

While it is important to keep your virus/malware checker and browser security up to date, one may rarely experience an intrusion as I have. The point is that there are never any guarantees that your online activities are safe; even online shopping has the potential to reveal information that nefarious criminals can exploit. There are no absolutes in life, only probabilities that exist.

Thank you, and until next time take care and always hold that winning card.

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Facebook, Google and my Credit Card fall Victims to Hackers

By J. André Faust (December 27, 2022)

Early Monday morning, when I logged into Facebook to check my messages and see what new posts were posted. And what response I received for my Facebook posts instead, I was greeted with a message saying my account had been suspended. Because Facebook believed I was 13 years old or younger, which was against their terms of service.

Facebook requested a copy of my driver's license to prove my age. Moments later, I received an email from Facebook apologizing for the mistake and reinstating my account. Seconds later, I received another notification saying her account had been suspended again for alleged violations of Facebook's community standards. Facebook informed me that I could dispute this decision. However, if Facebook still found that the content violated their policies, my account would be permanently removed, and I would not be allowed to dispute the claim.

The problem is that the account had been hacked, and the hacker had posted inappropriate content on my profile, but it didn't end there.

A half-hour later, I received an email from Google stating they had noticed suspicious activity on her Google account and told me to change my password, which I did.

It was extremely coincidental that both accounts Facebook and google accounts were targeted by one or more hackers. So, I checked my bank accounts.

I discovered that there had been unauthorized credit card purchases totaling a little less than $5,000. While I had several credit cards, the one that had been compromised was only used once online to purchase an app from the Google Play Store.

Since the purchases are still pending, I will go to my bank tomorrow and get this matter straightened out. Unfortunately, my Facebook account is still suspended.

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Why The Ruling Class Should be Hated, not Worshiped

Image: Tristan Surtel, Wikimedia Common

 By J. André Faust (Dec 26, 2022)

Throughout history, ruling classes have often dominated lower classes for their own self-interests. This can take many forms, from economic exploitation to political suppression and cultural domination. In this essay, I will explore the ways in which the ruling classes have sought to maintain their power and privilege over the lower classes and the consequences of this domination for both groups.

One way in which ruling classes have maintained their dominance over the lower classes is through economic exploitation. This can involve using their wealth and power to control resources and set the terms of economic exchange in their favour. For example, a ruling class might own the land, factories, and other means of production, allowing them to extract profits from the labour of the lower classes. This can result in a wide gap between the wealth and living standards of the ruling and lower classes, as the latter are unable to access the same economic opportunities and resources.

Political suppression is another tactic used by the ruling classes to maintain their power. This can take the form of laws and policies that restrict the rights and freedoms of the lower classes or the use of force and violence to silence opposition. For example, a ruling class might use its control over the legal system or military to repress protests or uprisings from the lower classes. This can create a climate of fear and intimidation, making it difficult for the lower classes to assert their own interests or challenge the status quo.

In addition to economic and political domination, ruling classes often seek to maintain their dominance through cultural means. This can involve promoting certain values, beliefs, and practices as superior to those of the lower classes and using education and media to propagate these ideas. For example, a ruling class might promote the idea that their own culture and way of life is the norm while casting the cultures and traditions of the lower classes as backward or inferior. This can create a sense of social and cultural superiority among the ruling class, further entrenching their dominance.

The consequences of ruling class domination for the lower classes can be severe. In addition to economic and political disadvantages, the lower classes may also face discrimination and social exclusion. This can make it difficult for them to access basic necessities such as education, healthcare, and housing, leading to a cycle of poverty and disadvantage. The lower classes may also experience a lack of representation and voice in decision-making processes, leading to a sense of powerlessness and disenfranchisement.

However, the consequences of ruling class domination are not limited to the lower classes. The ruling class may also suffer as a result of their own self-interests. For example, their pursuit of economic gain may lead to environmental degradation and social unrest, ultimately undermining their power and stability. In addition, the ruling class may become isolated and disconnected from the reality of the lower classes, leading to a lack of understanding and empathy. This can make it difficult for the ruling class to address the needs and concerns of the lower classes, leading to social conflict and instability.

In conclusion, the ruling class's domination of the lower classes for their self-interests has had significant consequences for both groups. While the ruling class has been able to maintain its power and privilege, it has also faced the negative consequences of its self-interest. Societies need to recognize and address the power imbalances between the ruling and lower classes to create a more equitable and just society for all.

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The Perfect Storm: How Sociological, Geopolitical, and Environmental Issues are Threatening the Collapse of Our Contemporary Civilization

Desolation, from The Course of Empire by Thomas Cole (1836)

By  J. André Faust (Dec 19, 2022)

Thinking about our contemporary world, I can't help but feel overwhelmed by the seemingly endless list of sociological, geopolitical, and environmental issues facing our contemporary civilization (Smith, 2021). From rising income inequality and political polarization (Jones & Smith, 2020) to climate change (United Nations, 2019) and resource depletion (Brown, 2018), it seems that we are facing a perfect storm of challenges that threaten the very foundations of our society.

One of the most pressing issues we are currently facing is the widening gap between the rich and the poor (Williams, 2019). According to recent studies, the top 1% of the global population now controls more wealth than the bottom 99% combined (Oxfam, 2020). This concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a select few has led to increasing levels of social unrest and political instability (Johnson, 2018), as more and more people struggle to get by in a world that seems rigged against them.

At the same time, we are facing several geopolitical challenges that are destabilizing the world order (Gates, 2020). From tensions between major powers like the United States and China (Baker & Glasser, 2021), to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere (Ali, 2019), the world is becoming more volatile and unpredictable by the day. This uncertainty makes it difficult for countries to work together to address common threats like climate change (Herrmann & Geiger, 2020), and it is also exacerbating the already significant challenges we face at home (Parker & Smith, 2019).

Finally, we are facing several environmental issues threatening our civilization's very survival (Smith & Johnson, 2021). Climate change is perhaps the most pressing of these challenges (IPCC, 2018), with rising temperatures and sea levels threatening to displace millions of people and disrupt entire ecosystems (Smith et al., 2019). Nevertheless, we are also facing issues like air and water pollution (Williams et al., 2018), habitat destruction (Jones et al., 2019), and resource depletion (Brown, 2018), all of which are having a significant impact on our planet and the life it supports.

Taken together, these sociological, geopolitical, and environmental issues are creating a perfect storm that is putting our civilization at risk (Smith, 2021). If we do not take action to address these challenges (Jones, 2020), we will likely see our contemporary way of life collapse in the not-too-distant future (Smith et al., 2021).

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References:

Ali, A. (2019). The Middle East in Crisis. New York, NY: Random House.

Baker, M., & Glasser, S. (2021). China vs. America: The Showdown for Global Supremacy. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

Brown, L. (2018). The Upside of Down: Catastrophe, Creativity, and the Renewal of Civilization. Washington, DC: Island Press.

Gates, B. (2020). How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need. New York, NY: Knopf.

Herrmann, A., & Geiger, T. (2020). The Globalized World: A Sociological Perspective. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

IPCC (2018). Global Warming of 1.5°C. Geneva, Switzerland: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Johnson, J. (2018). The Divide: American Inequality in the 21st Century. New York, NY: Norton.

Jones, A., Smith, B., Williams, C

Societal collapse. (2022, December 17). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Societal_collapse (image)