This is quite the thing:
Months before the arrests of 17 terrorism suspects, Canadian spies called on the suspects' mothers and fathers, asking them to keep an eye on their children and alleging they were embracing "extremist ideology." "CSIS officers had approached some parents to let them know that CSIS suspected their children were becoming adherents to an extremist ideology," Canadian Security Intelligence Service spokeswoman Barb Campion said in an interview yesterday, confirming what community sources had told The Globe and Mail.I think this is good. In all the fear mongery in response to the well-monitored and quickly snuffed out terrorist cell, the agents of the state maintained their reason, didn't two-dimensionalize the situation and remembered there were children involved in the situation. It is something of an odd national trait that when children get drawn into crime by pimps or Fagans or, as in this case, worse then the children cease to be children needing to be protected. But turning their back on that, CSIS also provided an avenue back into the community after the fact based on trust which will allow the law to play out. Clever.
Comments
Flea - June 15, 2006 10:12 AM
While I quite agree this sort of thing deserves trust in return I think it remains to mbe seen how much trust was earned. As for fear-mongering, I expect anti-fear-mongering talk will only - if ever - be weighed against the group(s) neither you nor me nor CSIS yet know about. But then I suppose <i>post hoc ergo propter hoc</i>-mongering means never having to say you're sorry.
Alan McLeod - June 15, 2006 10:50 AM
I think I think so but I am not sure if I know so. Actually the whole think could likely be best summed up by Flanders and Swan but I fear they are no longer with us.
flanders and swan - June 15, 2006 3:42 PM
(in a squeaky voice) "we're not dead yet."
Alan McLeod - June 15, 2006 3:57 PM
Yes you are.
portland - June 16, 2006 12:49 AM
okay okay, but i'll be here to call you the next time you cite obscure british music hall performers with no explanation. you're one for the books sometimes boyo.
ry - June 16, 2006 3:56 AM
We'll see.
If this winds up leading to more tips actually comming from the community at large('We can trust them' being the message sent) then I'll eat one of my LA Kings caps. That would be a major win for both the US and Canada.
If not, well, we'll call you Tutu instead of Desmond. And that would be absolutely shitty.
Alan - June 16, 2006 6:57 AM
Err - because things in South Africa turned out so badly?!? What is that supposed to mean, ry?
ry - June 16, 2006 9:46 AM
Al, you're making much to much of the Desmond to Tutu thing. There was no design in it, really. Tutu just came to mind. Theres no design to impugn SA.
It'll suck because both countries will face risk. It'll suck because we'll have people who define themselves as other as opposed to US or Canadian, and they'll be prone to thinking the worst of the rest of us because of that primary loyalty shift. That's it.
It'll also suck because you're kinda too serious to carry a name like Tutu. I keep getting images out of Fantasia. I just can't say it with a straight face except when I think of the Bishop.