I never taught 1984. If I give it a close read now, I am sure I will start thinking about it a lot, too! I used to say that BNW mirrors western socio-political approaches to totalitarianism (rule through hedonism/pleasure) and 1984 reflects norms in other parts of the world where ruling through fear is more prevalent.
Milton Friedman: “Is it really true that political self-interest is nobler somehow than economic self-interest? . . . Tell me, where in the world are you going to find these angels to organize society for us?"
Unfortunately, when the collectivists come for us, we stand alone, as you do. Unless and until we cast out these misguided utopians, often not even the courts will stand against them. In 1933 Germany, those who did stand against the Nazis were quickly swept away, one way or another. Authoritarians only care about the ends, not the means.
wonder how successful a legal strategy would be of having the OCT provide clear & objective & predictable definitions of "unprofessional behaviour" - vague & fluid ones being naturally unjust to enforce
yes that kind of action is needed... people are now self-censoring due to fear of unknown, shifting boundaries
did you see in True North news this week the memo sent to teachers by the Kingston area union chapter? it listed all kinds of statements that might be considered violations that would dismay any reasonable person.
So well written. I can't help but thinking that you are far too gifted a writer and analyst to be bothering with teaching - even though I would die to have my kids taught by someone like you.
We will likely succeed in booting TRUDY out on his butt in Oct 2025, but his legacy will continue for decades after that. Arif Virani his so-called Justice Minister recently announced that the Gov’t has hired 100+ new Justice of the Peaces and Judges.
.
That is very problematic. A Justice of the Peace can sign an Arrest Warrant. Do you recall the arrest of TAMARA LICH in Ottawa in 2022? It was a Justice of the Peace, not a Judge who signed the warrant for her arrest. She has already spent 50 days in jail, but her trial is still in progress.
.
The Justice of the Peace who signed her arrest Warrant had very little legal experience, and was a former PARKS CANADA employee. Do you see the problem ???
.
Here’s what got me into hot water.
.
Sometime in January I had a number of open WORD docs, works in progress, open simultaneously on my computer. One began by describing a SCENARIO where many people attending a street protest could be injured or killed. I Cut & Pasted the text into an Email without first verifying that it was complete. Police at Toronto’s infamous 52nd Division decided to add their own comments to my partial Email, to make it appear more like a threat. They ignored the obvious option of just asking me what it was about.
.
BOTTOM LINE … If you ignore the crap added by the police (i.e. lead investigator Thomas Ueberholz), the text in my Email is clearly part of a warning and not a threat. Those are two different things. It cannot be both.
Does the doc at the link below not seem like the resume of a SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIOR ??? Marisha Roman is a Justice of the Peace in Ontario, with the ability to sign Arrest Warrants for people. There is nothing in the text that indicates that Marisha has solid legal experience, just that years ago she was considering writing Bar Exams to become a lawyer.
There is a way that we can fight this tyranny … PUBLICITY !!!
.
Some well-known Right-Of-Centre organization could take on the task of documenting these woke Social Justice Warriors. In many cases that would require little more than publishing their Resumes. Documenting that along with their POLITICAL AGENDAS would significantly reduce their ability to do harm.
.
P.S. Any organization that took on this task would quickly become famous.
thank you for this... your words mean a lot to me!
I never taught 1984. If I give it a close read now, I am sure I will start thinking about it a lot, too! I used to say that BNW mirrors western socio-political approaches to totalitarianism (rule through hedonism/pleasure) and 1984 reflects norms in other parts of the world where ruling through fear is more prevalent.
Neil Postman also made that claim in his great little book called Amusing Ourselves to Death.
Milton Friedman: “Is it really true that political self-interest is nobler somehow than economic self-interest? . . . Tell me, where in the world are you going to find these angels to organize society for us?"
https://youtu.be/RWsx1X8PV_A?si=T0eCYj-qy1Rs1z5T
Unfortunately, when the collectivists come for us, we stand alone, as you do. Unless and until we cast out these misguided utopians, often not even the courts will stand against them. In 1933 Germany, those who did stand against the Nazis were quickly swept away, one way or another. Authoritarians only care about the ends, not the means.
wonder how successful a legal strategy would be of having the OCT provide clear & objective & predictable definitions of "unprofessional behaviour" - vague & fluid ones being naturally unjust to enforce
yes that kind of action is needed... people are now self-censoring due to fear of unknown, shifting boundaries
did you see in True North news this week the memo sent to teachers by the Kingston area union chapter? it listed all kinds of statements that might be considered violations that would dismay any reasonable person.
So well written. I can't help but thinking that you are far too gifted a writer and analyst to be bothering with teaching - even though I would die to have my kids taught by someone like you.
James
What a wonderful comment to read. Thanks sincerely.
We will likely succeed in booting TRUDY out on his butt in Oct 2025, but his legacy will continue for decades after that. Arif Virani his so-called Justice Minister recently announced that the Gov’t has hired 100+ new Justice of the Peaces and Judges.
.
That is very problematic. A Justice of the Peace can sign an Arrest Warrant. Do you recall the arrest of TAMARA LICH in Ottawa in 2022? It was a Justice of the Peace, not a Judge who signed the warrant for her arrest. She has already spent 50 days in jail, but her trial is still in progress.
.
The Justice of the Peace who signed her arrest Warrant had very little legal experience, and was a former PARKS CANADA employee. Do you see the problem ???
.
Here’s what got me into hot water.
.
Sometime in January I had a number of open WORD docs, works in progress, open simultaneously on my computer. One began by describing a SCENARIO where many people attending a street protest could be injured or killed. I Cut & Pasted the text into an Email without first verifying that it was complete. Police at Toronto’s infamous 52nd Division decided to add their own comments to my partial Email, to make it appear more like a threat. They ignored the obvious option of just asking me what it was about.
.
BOTTOM LINE … If you ignore the crap added by the police (i.e. lead investigator Thomas Ueberholz), the text in my Email is clearly part of a warning and not a threat. Those are two different things. It cannot be both.
.
.
C.C. HARVEY (Teacher)
.
https://wokewatchcanada.substack.com/p/the-professional-regulation-of-anti
.
Does the doc at the link below not seem like the resume of a SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIOR ??? Marisha Roman is a Justice of the Peace in Ontario, with the ability to sign Arrest Warrants for people. There is nothing in the text that indicates that Marisha has solid legal experience, just that years ago she was considering writing Bar Exams to become a lawyer.
.
https://rowingcanada.org/uploads/2020/08/CV-RomanMarisha2020.pdf
.
Ontario’s Social Justice Warriors
.
https://tribunalsontario.ca/documents/sjto/2017-18%20Annual%20Report.html
.
FIGHTING THE TYRANY
.
There is a way that we can fight this tyranny … PUBLICITY !!!
.
Some well-known Right-Of-Centre organization could take on the task of documenting these woke Social Justice Warriors. In many cases that would require little more than publishing their Resumes. Documenting that along with their POLITICAL AGENDAS would significantly reduce their ability to do harm.
.
P.S. Any organization that took on this task would quickly become famous.
.