Actually, the heights are just as staggeringly high as before. But I’m continually surprised at how hypocritical the ruling class can be, and how they get away with it.

Canada’s Public Safety minister, Anne McLellan, spoke at at “an international conference on disaster management”. Which is a fancy name for people who profit from disasters, both financially through security contracts and ideologically, by scaring people into accepting that security. Our governments are wasting no time in enlisting the barely-cold bodies of the London terror victims in their right-wing campaign.

Here’s a choice quote:

"CSIS and the RCMP, among other law enforcement agencies, have made it plain that there exists in this country those who might very well choose, either themselves or with others, to do harm," McLellan said.

Who’s doing harm? To who? To what? She doesn’t say and so, by inference, Canada’s enemies are a shadowy group of terrorists – unnameable, ready to strike at any time, anywhere. There’s no specific grievances they have, no demands to be addressed, no cause. Just pure evil. And who’s there to protect us from evil, like a nice warm blanket? The government, of course.

The government is protecting us from harm by detaining Muslim men without charges in solitary confinement. And by deporting refugees whose only crime was to be active in support of other refugees, like Mohammed Cherfi - or those unlucky enough not to have a state, like Palestinians.

The new security apparatus - it probably won't look like this

These are not separate incidents. They’re part of the same security agenda McLellan pushes. Which is why, despite the ruling class’s heartfelt denunciations of terrorism, its politicians benefit from it. They don’t get targeted because they don’t ride the subway. However, they do get a perfect excuse to ratchet up their security agenda. Which has the following benefits:

a) more money for the security apparatus: the secret service, the police, the army. The state becomes more effective in enforcing neoliberalism at home and abroad, and containing social unrest.

b) criminalizing immigrants & refugees. Now they’re a threat. Of course security is colour-blind in theory but, as shown above, the practice is different.

c) playing to populist fears of those same immigrants. Canadians stop blaming their governments’ policies for terrorism, and learn to distrust each other instead.

Moi?

Of course, our wily policy-makers have anticipated criticism. They’re not responsible for terrorism in any way. Just this morning, the CBC advertised an interview with a British Muslim, who claims terrorism has nothing to do with the war in Iraq. See? Even a Muslim agrees, and we all know Muslims can read each others’ thoughts, act the same at all times and, who knows, probably leave complex chemical trails for each other outside their nests.

But there are Muslims who still hate us, despite the deportations, mosque fire-bombings and other protestations of our love. God knows why a few still harbour resentment, but be sure that Canada isn’t “immune to attacks just because it didn't participate in the Iraq war”, McLellan said. Bin Laden has a hit-list, and we're next on it.

However, Canada was a junior partner in the war on Iraq:

Twenty-five military planners from Canada were active members of the US military’s central command (CENTCOM) in Qatar, the body that planned and oversaw the assault on Iraq. About 1300 military personnel on three Canadian warships provided protection for US aircraft carriers from which much of the air war was launched. Canada also had 31 troops inside Iraq working with US and British forces, including ten Canadian pilots who participated in the aerial bombing of Iraq. On top of all this, the Canadian government allowed US aircraft bound for the Persian Gulf to refuel and change crews in Newfoundland. (War & Imperialism, Canadian Style, David McNally)

Has Canada called for an end to the occupation? For compensation to be paid to the victims? For the U.S. to get out of Israel and stop building bases in the Middle East? Has Canada given the Muslim world any reason to think we’re opposed to bombing it to hell? I’m reminded of a David Cross sketch, in which he responds to George Bush’s claim that the terrorists attacked the U.S. for its freedom. “I thought bin Laden attacked us because of our support for Israel and our mid-east policies. Why? Because that’s what he fucking said!”


Osama bin Laden & the Teletubbies - evil knows no bounds

I won’t be surprised in the least when terrorists attack Canada. I hope I’m not in the subway car when they do. But at least we can’t say we didn’t see this coming. McLellan’s hypocritical platitudes aside, there are very good reasons for the terrorists to hate us, and it has nothing to do with our ‘freedom’. Canada treats its immigrants & refugees like criminals, and invades foreign lands with impunity. Which gives the terrorists a great excuse to enforce their agenda, and set up their own sub-imperial fiefdoms. See? Everyone wins – except for us.