With the political and police enforcement happening North of our border, many folks are wondering: can that same thing happen here in the US? While I am loathe to make predictions, I can toss some opinions around, based upon history and observations. Let’s dig.
First, Canada. Ho boy. Prime Minister Trudeau has instilled many severe edicts up North, most in response to COVID-19, and the associated vaccines. Because of such measures, especially requiring non-vaccinated independent truckers to wait 14 days in quarantine after crossing the US border and attempting re-entry into Canada, the truckers (both vaxxed and not) staged a powerful show of defiance in Ottawa, the capital of Canada. With a convoy several thousand vehicles long, covering several miles, and with the support of many internationally, it was quite an event. But Trudeau did not take this demonstration lightly—the truckers were literally blocking traffic to and from Canada in many US border cities (Detroit, for example), and choking commerce within Ottawa. Using emergency powers available to him, Trudeau smashed the protests. He froze the bank accounts of anyone in the convoy, or anyone that assisted them. He arrested protestors, quite unlike his treatment of BLM protests just a few months ago—where he sent a negotiating team to hear their grievances. Trudeau even threatened to use the Canadian version of Child Protective Services on any protesters that brought their school-age children with them. Finally, the police were utilized in quite abrasive fashion, breaking truck windows to pull out drivers, even supposedly trampling a protest supporter with a horse. Protest ends.
Can this happen here in the US? Before I opine on that, remember that Canada is only geographically close to the United States. That is where the similarities end. Not only is Canada’s government structured considerably different than the US—Prime Minister and Parliament vs President and Congress, it is also quite different culturally. Civil rights that are supposed to be iron-clad in the US do not exist in Canada. Freedom of speech is not a protected right. Canadian news media is not protected, either. Canadian citizens enjoy a very large social safety net, including subsidized health care—all paid for with higher-than-US taxes. And Canadians, for the most part, enjoy that arrangement. According to polls, over 2/3rds of Canadians were AGAINST the truckers’ protests (if you can believe such polling). Canadians want more from their government than most in the US—think more Australia, Sweden and Norway-style arrangements. I am decidedly American, so my opinions differ, but they are welcome to whatever government suits them. But because of their culture, the risk of a too-powerful government has always been great, as the Australian citizens can now attest.
Prior to the January 6th debacle, I would’ve thought this style of governmental intervention was impossible here. We supposedly have Constitutional rights that prevent such things. Arrests and jail without leveling real charges? Ask the Jan 6th folks that have been in jail, for over a year, on such auspicious charges as ‘trespassing’—not a single charge of ‘insurrection’ that the media trumpets has been levied, because such a charge has an incredibly high burden of proof. To obtain that conviction, the defendant must be proven to truly attempt to overthrow the US government, or some part of it. Pretty tough to convince a jury that a grandmother, wandering unarmed thru the Capitol rotunda, was a real threat of such magnitude.
Freezing bank accounts of political opposition? Not Here! Except read up on ‘Operation Choke Point’. The Obama Administration pushed a policy that made it nearly impossible for gun manufacturers and sellers to obtain banking services, all by letting it be known that the Federal government would not be approving any expansion of any bank daring to do business with the gun folks. Note that gun manufacturing and sales, when done correctly, are completely within legal boundaries. As long as gun-checks were performed, and waiting periods were observed, sales of firearms to adult non-felons was quite legal. It was the first time that the Federal government officially, if not quite quietly, punished a legally operating industry. Now, DOJ officials couched their directive as a means of reducing fraud and money laundering, sweeping into their net payday lenders and pawn shop owners, etc. That description didn’t pass the smell test, then or now. If there is a tighter regulated industry than banking, it may be gun sales. And including manufacturers, who have no direct contact with gun buyers, was sheer lunacy.
Back to the original question: can it happen here? Only if the US continues its trajectory of increasing the power of the Federal government over its citizens. Not only do the overwhelming majority of US citizens fear and distrust their government, local and State governments would have to play along to make this occur. Note that there is no Federal police force here. Yes, there are a few thousand FBI/DOJ/IRS/BATF agents to pester citizens. But police forces are decidedly local. Even the National Guard is at a State level. The US military is prohibited by law to enforce domestic police matters (Posse Comitatus Act of 1878). In addition, there is no legal way for the Federal US government to impound the assets of a company or individual, unless they are suspected of Treason, Espionage, or Terrorism. Local police departments have violated that tenet with ‘asset forfeiture’ laws—all of which should be expressly illegal, IMHO. But as things are, the biggest threat to US citizens from the Federal government is the lack of legal definition of ‘Terrorism’. What, for example, would stop the Biden Administration from defining ‘terrorism’ as anyone who supported Donald Trump in the 2020 election? Large banks may feel political pressure to comply with such ridiculous assertions. Many Liberal-minded cash processing companies, such as Paypal and GoFundMe, have shown their political colors by allowing transactions for BLM or Antifa folks, yet refusing service to anyone that has politically differing views (as they both refused to assist the Canadian truckers). Luckily for any non-Liberals out there, alternative financial services are springing up, specifically to provide competition for those mentioned, as well as social media services to compete with the Tech Big Three (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube). Is it enough? As I said, predictions are not my strong trait—I’m not even good at predicting the PAST. But I worry. The only way to prevent the lawlessness of our government is to have a strong enough DOJ and FBI (and Supreme Court) to actually indict, prosecute, and punish governmental overreach. Until that miracle occurs, there is simply no incentive for governmental officials to obey the law, any law. It may get to a point, if it isn’t already there, for citizens to forcibly re-assert their control over their out-of-control government. Stay tuned.
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