- Harper attacking the 'Long' Form Census and 'Long' Gun Registry, what is this, some kind of Freudian thing.

If you were required to (under the current regime, by threat of law)

would you:
a) - bite the bullet and fill it out
b) - leave it blank and make them force you
c) - lie
d) - put your religion down as 'Jedi'

If there is a change would you rather:
a) get rid of the Long Form entirey and just go with the regular
census
b) get rid of the sanctions and rely on te good will of Canadioans
to fill it out.
c) Have no problems with it if they paid you:
- $10.00 (hey, ten bucks, is ten bucks)
- $50.00
- $100.00
- other [please fill in]

Also,

Harper and the Con's attacking the
'Long' Form Census
'Long' Gun Registry

What is this, some kind of Freudian, macho, 'my-way-or-the-high-way' thing, or what.

and,

The threat of jail time and/or fines for things like not completing

the Long Form is considered by governments as a necessary evil.

Criminal sanctions including jail time and fines are the strongest

method the Federal government has to ensure that a thing is done or

not done.

There are many, many examples in our society that could be pointed

to and the same criticisms made.

Only the Federal Government can make something a criminal offence.

There are approx 692 Federal Statutes with their corresponding sets

of regulations (approx 3442). Generally each (statute and pursuant

regulations, rules, etc) has provisions for criminal prosecution

for failing to do something it requires be done or not doing

something that would transgress the provisions of the legislation.

This is besides the Canadian Criminal Code.

This makes an awful lot of opportunities to be thrown in jail. And

from this 'criminal offence pool' I am very confident that there

could be found many, many examples that, if brought to the

attention of Canadians, would illicit the type of response that

Tony Clement is giving to the Long Form. So why would Harper and

the Con's be so firm on this one - it's all in the Ideology.

Next time you use a stamp to mail a letter keep in mind that:
Canada Post Corporation Act
60. Every person who contravenes any provision of this Act or the

regulations . . .
(a) is guilty of an indictable offence and liable
to imprisonment for a term not exceeding
five years; or
(b) is guilty of an offence punishable on
summary conviction.

A Canada Post employee suggest to me that if someone where to put a

stamp with a picture of the Queen upside down on the envelope, they

would be violating the legislation, and so committing a criminal

offence (I didn't do it, of course, we were just talking)

Next time you use a penny to replace that blown fuse keep in mind

you may be committing a criminal office (of course, you may have

the defence of insanity available to you).

Currency Act

11. (1) No person shall, except in accordance with a licence

granted by the Minister, melt down, break up or use otherwise than

as currency any coin that is current and legal tender in Canada.

Offence and punishment

(2) Every person who contravenes subsection (1) . . . is liable on

summary conviction to a fine not exceeding two hundred and fifty

dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months

or to both, and, in addition to any fine or imprisonment imposed,

the court may order that the articles by means of or in relation to

which the offence was committed be forfeited to Her Majesty.

One solution may be keeping the fine, with the threat of jail time

for failing to pay, but eliminating the criminality - à la

Provincial Legislation (vis.: illegal parking is not a criminal

offence, but don't pay the fine and find out what happens).

Another, is pay the people who are given the Long Forms for their

time to complete them. There is a certain amount of 'nature

justice' to this, considering they are the ones who are spending

all their time to provide information that many, many people will

make money from. Clement could use the 30 million he has ear-marked

for a media campaign (although Harper and the Con's would lose the

opportunity to put themselves front and centre at the tax-payer's

expense as when they spent over 50 million identifying the Con

party with the billions spent on the stimulus program)

Criminal sanctions is a very blunt, harsh method of co-ercing the

'masses' to obey the law. It originated in a time long past, a

harsh and intolerant past where human rights was non-existent and

dignity and integrity of the person simply didn't apply as a

universal principle, political rule was top-down and authoritarian

and not democratically based. It was a time where this (along with

torture, of course) was essentially the only way to enforce the law

- there was no point in simply fining someone since the vast

majority had no money. With the development of a commercially based

society, human right and the integrity and dignity of the person,

and democracy, the 'masses' are no longer 'masses' they are members

of our society. And, they have more 'disposable' money, but are

just as reluctant to 'throw it away on fines'.

Revamping the whole law regime to bring us out of the dark ages and

reflect these developments of humanity would be a good thing.

However, it is not likely to occur with Harper and the Con's. They

are, in fact, dragging us back and undoing what our forefathers

with their blood sweat and tears have achieved over many years.

Stephen Harper and the Con's 'tough on crime' policies are a

direct, and harmful, throwback to this harsh, authoritarian, top-

down, ideologically based, anti-democratic exercise of political

power.

Lloyd MacILquham cicblog.com/comments.html
28 July, 2010, "Stephen Harper: It's The Ideology, Stupid!"

********************

Do I perceive an inconsistency with the Harper policies:

- if it furthers Harper's hyper-partizan, right-wing extremist

agenda, then the sky's the limit on spending.

But, if it goes against the Harper hyper-agenda then any amount is'

wasteful and ineffective', despite how much it benefits Canada as a

whole and our way of life.

If the Con on the Long Form census is: get rid of the sanctions,

make it voluntary.

Then Harper, wouldn't it be consistent to do the same for the Long

Gun Registry.

. . . Oh, I see, then people would decline to register their guns

and the information as a resource would be unreliable - now why

didn't I see that argument coming.

But then, even with the current sanction on the Gun Registry they

could simply put down "Jedi" for 'use' (or is it 'religion'),

couldn't they Mr. Harper, I mean applying your neo-rational

pseudo-reasons.

excerpt: Lloyd MacILquham cicblog.com/comments.html
31 August, 2010, "Careful, It's Another a Harper Con"

***************

If it is the potential criminal charges that is his concern, then

simply suggest other methods. I think they should pay the people to

fill the form out, after all StatsCan does sell the information and

people use it to make money and we are in a Commerce based society.

That is likely to get a better response than the threat of criminal

sanctions.

Also, Flanagan should point out all the other places that abiding

by the legislation is re-inforced by criminal sanctions. I can't

wait to see Harper and the Con's get to dealing with each of these,

one-by-one.

excerpt: Lloyd MacILquham cicblog.com/comments.html
22 August, 2010, "Harper's 'Right' Knight To The Rescue"