There have already been really good reviews of Ezra Levant’s Shakedown: How Our Government Is Undermining Democracy in the Name of Human Rights (see here, here, and here). So I will keep mine short if not sweet: I’m sorry Ezra, but your book is horrible.
Oh, it’s well written, sure. It’s also very well researched, yes. It tells the story from point A to points B and beyond in a clear, orderly manner. But you see, that’s my problem: Your story is a horrible one.
How we got to the point where the state routinely prosecutes people for their opinions is something I have a lot of trouble understanding. Part of me desperately wants to avoid noticing it. But Ezra’s book forces me to.
The serious problems he outlines don’t just concern a few religious guys who express themselves clumsily and professional talking heads like Ezra and Mark Steyn (who seems happy to describe himself in the foreword as “a blowhard, a loudmouth, a self-promoter, a ‘controversy entrepreneur’, etc”). No. It concerns you as well.
If you (yes, you, Mr. and Mrs. NormalPerson, you personally) accept that the state has any business prosecuting anyone for his or her non-PC opinions, you will have no protection and no defence when the state decides your opinions, no matter how “normal” you believe them to be, have become non grata. And unfortunately, given the way these things normally work, if you don’t speak up, you are deemed to have accepted this kind of systematic state censorship done in your name, using your money.
So please. Start by reading Ezra’s book (you can order it from Amazon, here), and speak up. Every chance you get. Ezra’s horrible story concerns us all.
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Bob Devine says
April 2, 2009 at 11:41 pmThat is a well thought out post. I wish more of the reviewers would point out how it will eventually affect everyone and believe me some day it will.
FARMER20Rosemarie says
August 10, 2011 at 9:17 pmDifferent people in every country get the loans from various banks, because this is comfortable and fast.