Canada is not known for being hostile towards bitcoin but many didn’t expect recent authoritarian moves from their libertarian government. Canada’s Prime Minister’s recent moves point to a violation of civil rights and they are gazing at crypto in fear of seizable resistance tools (bitcoin).
Previously
The Canadian ‘Freedom Convoy’, a movement of protestors against covid-19 imposed measures, had raised over $9M through a GoFundMe campaign, but the platform then decided to suspend and return the funds, allegedly due to pressure from the Canadian government.
Then the campaign was brought back to life thanks to the bitcoiners group ” Honk Honk Hold”, who created an alternative campaign on the Tallycoin platform, allowing supporters to send donations in Bitcoin. 0% fees, censorship, and seizable resistance, Bitcoin fixed this.
The group recently paused fundraising efforts given that their goals were met having raised more than 20 BTC.
But throughout the time of the Canadian truckers phenomenon, the government’s behavior has sent dangerous authoritarian signals. The GoFundMe platform has also been put into doubt. How could anyone rely on it if it can be pressured into turning their back against the movements disliked by the ones in power? It’s a strong example of why we need decentralized tools and financial freedom.
Just yesterday, we shared U.S. Senator Ted Cruz’s opinion on the matter. He thinks that “the same petty authoritarians who hate Joe Rogan, who hate the Canadian truckers, they hate bitcoin, and they hate crypto.” And the reason behind this hatred is not being able to control them.
And in the most perfect timing to support Cruz’s theory, we get a sharp move from the Canadian government.
Related Reading | Cryptocurrency Is All About Freedom
An Anti-Bitcoin Move
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the country’s Emergencies Act for the first time in the country’s history. This means the citizens’ rights to free movement and protest can be “temporarily suspended.”
Under this act, the government can use the military against the protestors, although Trudeau claims they will not be called in, nor the government will be “preventing people from exercising their right to protest legally.”
Towing companies will be forced to remove the Convoy trucks blocking highways and other roads.
“This is about keeping Canadians safe, protecting peoples’ jobs and restoring faith in our institutions,” said the Prime Minister. What faith?
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association does not believe the “high and clear” threshold needed to invoke the act has been met and warns that this usage threatens Canada’s democracy and civil liberties.
Following this action, Canada’s Minister for Finance Chrystia Freeland proudly announced in a conference the expansion of money-laundering laws.
Using the Emergencies Act, the government can now suspend or freeze personal or corporate accounts of those who support the protestors. “These changes cover all forms of transactions, including digital assets such as cryptocurrencies,” the Minister said.
So the government is openly looking to control which causes citizens can donate to, and banks can help. Citizens do not have free rights over their own fiat money –and one could argue that’s not just Canada’s case but everyone’s.
Besides freezing convoy truckers’ accounts, banks are also required to report them to the intelligence service. The accounts of companies who own the trucks used in the protests could also get frozen, thus pressuring them to fire the truckers.
Crowd-funding sites are now required to register with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada so they have to report “any large suspicious donations.”
Nevertheless, even though these measures include crypto, it is not clear how the government would manage to get its hands on Bitcoin donations. Opposingly to fiat money, Bitcoin lets people be in power and control of their own funds.
Reportedly, Tallycoin donations will have to be converted to cash to avoid traditional financial systems. But this sends a clear message: the need to adopt bitcoin and leave fiat days behind.
Related Reading | Bitcoin For Truckers, The Campaign That Could Render GoFundme Irrelevant
Epilogue
At the moment, it is not so relevant whether one supports the trucker’s views or not. The government is grossly violating civil liberties. It might have started as an anti-vax movement, but the layers built all around it made it into so much more.
Can Trudeau get away with it? Probably. The truckers’ radicalism is widely disliked and many cannot see what is at stake: the individual’s freedom.
Some thoughts:
- The meaning of words can fade with repetition. The modern extremes are not left or right, but fanatism and hate. What a great time for populism to thrive.
- Democracy weakens, power and control in the hands of few grow stronger as we grow less curious, less introspective, less willing to dig deeper into modern events.
- Things are shifting and many want big changes. But are we starting a rebellion, a revolt, or a revolution?