I understand the reason the article is framed this way: "Suprise! Business interests are on the same side as privacy advocates on this issue!" But if the argument "this is bad for business" doesn't fly when someone wants to pollute, why is it a persuasive argument when the shoe is on the other foot and progressive interests are aligned with business interests?<p>The real reason this person doesn't support the C-51 is because it's nasty big brother crap. Don't minimize the real reason by saying "There's a grown-up reason I'm against the bill: it's bad for business". Privacy is valuable by itself, whether or not it's good or bad for business.
Bill C-51 is a lowering of standards for what can be considered terrorism in Canada. It extends the power to our domestic security agency to arrest people who "may" commit terrorism rather than "will"--what that means is a open question. It also establishes more powers to quell "terrorist propaganda", including the cited website takedown powers.
This bill is idiotic. Some insane idiot goes and shoots up a building? Yeah, anti-terrorism laws will stop that! Harper is a disgrace to Canadians, and the immediate attention whoring he did after that little episode was embarrassing.<p>No laws, short of banning cars and inspecting everyone, everywhere, all the time, is gonna stop people from driving cars into things or sneaking in a gun and shooting people.<p>The only real antidote is to not have an abusive foreign policy like the US, and to educate people in rationality and stop treating mystical beliefs as something sacred. And even then, that isn't gonna really stop the really disconnected-from-reality folks.<p>As a Canadian, I'm once again saddened by how far this government is falling.
It is a shame to sit here and be able to watch Canada's demise, for when we pass these draconian laws that take away and restrict our freedoms, the terrorists that the government is trying to protect against, have won.