Kangaroo Courts

For anyone with the notion that a hearing before a "Human Rights Commission" bears any resemblance to the fairness and structure of the Court, Ezra Levant's testimonial opening statement before Alberta's HRC will ruin your day. (Tip o' the hat to commenter 'Ellie in T.O' and to Perry de Havilland at Samizdata)

Lest our American readers feel safe, much of what starts in Canada blows South. Canada's "HRC's" are a chill wind indeed. I believe Americans with concern for the future of the Republic would do well to pay close attention. The fates of Ezra Levant and Mark Steyn are entirely relevant.

The irascible Jim Quinn commented (tongue-in-cheek) that "liberalism always manages to produce the exact opposite of its stated intentions!" Borovoy & Co. should have seen this coming.

One solution Canadians might seek is the immediate de-commissioning of all HRC bodies on Federal and Provincial levels. We in the States have different structures to disarm, though the same fate awaits us. No Constitution can survive the "good intentions" of a liberal congress or a liberal judge.

Joseph Hayyim

Damian adds: I haven't watched Levant's videos yet, but his behavior may very well contain a heathly dose of self-promotion and self-aggrandizement, as many Canadian lefty bloggers allege. He probably published the offending material (which, lest we forget, consisted of cartoons which failed to show sufficient reverence toward a guy who died over 1,000 years ago) in order to raise his magazine's profile.

And their point is...what, exactly?

Glenn Greenwald, to his credit, has no time for Levant or Mark Steyn, but he speaks out strongly against the disgrace of their being hauled before human-rights commissions to explain themselves. Many Canadian lefty bloggers, alas, are perfectly cool with it.

It's all a big larf until someone on their side gets nailed, of course. Can we please stop using the fine word "liberal" to describe these people?

Update (Damian P.): Dr. Dawg says Levant is a buffoon, but that the human-rights complaint shouldn't proceed.

He also points out that the questioning occurred as part of the investigation, and that a final decision on moving the matter forward hasn't been made. (This chart explains the process.) It's a point worth making, but I don't think the complaint should even have gone this far.

Posted by Joseph Hayyim at January 13, 2008 05:44 PM