statism watch

For those that don’t know, the violence and confrontations in Seattle were largely the product of a group of provocateurs shipped in by the state to incite violence and justify a police crackdown on the peacful protesters. It’s misleading in the extreme for this Globe reporter to not expose this fact, which has become fairly well known. You can view some video documentation of this fact here in the Seattle segment of the film Police State II: The Takeover. (Skip ahead to 2:13 if you’re short on time.) Or you could simply use your favourite search engine to look up ‘Seattle Provocateurs’. Of course, this journal would be remiss in its duty if it failed to point out that these tactics have been attempted in Canada as well. Those within the ISU’s ranks considering similar actions should note that it was the front line, and not the Quebec Police leadership, that got burned in the Montebello incident.

Related: Militarized police integrate with private security for G20 Toronto concourse drill | Small army to protect Toronto during G20 summit | Toronto braces for G20 logistics crunch | Hundreds of Toronto G20 delegates granted diplomatic immunity | Toronto G20 summit security to be ‘massive’ | RCMP needs 5,500 rooms during G20 summit | G20 ’sherpas’ meet with IMF, World Bank on Ottawa | Downtown Toronto to become a fortress for G20 summit | G8/G20: Gearing up for the biggest security event in Canadian history | Toronto braces for G20 disruption, Ottawa to pick up security tab | Convention centre confirmed as location for Toronto G20 summit | G20 security could strangle downtown | G20’s Metro Convention Centre location to bump baseball, pride activities | Harper confirms June G20 summit in Toronto | Is G20 more than Toronto can handle? | With only seven months to go, G20 site may be moved to Toronto | Top Mountie says Huntsville too small for G20 | Leaked G20 Documents Shed Light on Global Carbon Tax | Flaherty, USA say no to global financial tax, yes to continued ’stimulus’ at G20 | Bernanke continues pressing for sweeping new powers for Fed | IMF chief wants global bank tax | Provocateur Cops Caught Disguised As ‘Anarchists’ At Pittsburgh G20 | G20 Police & Military Savagely Attack Peaceful Protesters In Pittsburgh Park | G20 decides to become world’s new ruling economic council | Military Police Kidnap G20 Protester, Shove Him Into Unmarked Car | G20 protesters blasted by sonic cannon | American Citizens Attacked With Military Sound Cannons & Tear Gas At G20 | G20 nations meet as protests flare on issue of international banking regulation | Dollar to fall under scrutiny at G20 summit | Gordon Brown urges EU to back new economic order | A year after financial crisis, a new world order emerges | UN wants new global currency to replace dollar | UK PM reveals G20 plan to boost IMF by $1 trillion, hails new world order (again) | World Bank President Admits Agenda For Global Government | Gordon Brown chooses pulpit as latest platform to push New World Order | Volcker sees crisis leading to global regulation | Gordon Brown seeks sweeping reforms to give IMF global ’surveillance role’ | Kissinger Calls for a New World Order | Kissinger Calls For New International System Out Of World Crises | Financial Times: And now for a world government | Gordon Brown calls for new world order to beat recession

Anna Mahler Paperny, The Globe and Mail
April 25, 2010

‘It’s up to the cops’ whether things get violent, protest organizer says

They’re preparing buses, itineraries, bathrooms and places to crash for the night; they’re fundraising, holding media-training workshops and setting up a detailed, week-long schedule of events.

Organizers behind the protests surrounding Toronto’s G20 summit in June expect people to come from as far as Vancouver, Quebec City and the United States, representing everyone from labour groups to women’s shelters and militant students.

The summit’s integrated security unit is bracing for an influx of protesters, with tenders put out for thousands of police officers from across Ontario and the country. They’ve taking possession of one of the largest film sets in North America to use as a staging ground and potentially as a place to keep detained protesters.

At the same time, the protesters have plans of their own — from dance parties to a People’s Summit, marches and so-called Black Bloc tactics, that include confrontational methods that became notorious a decade ago.

The force and intent of the planned opposition brings to mind 2001 in Quebec City and 1999 in Seattle, where demonstrations erupted in violence, with tear gas being fired on masked protesters.

But Syed Hussan, a spokesman for the Toronto Community Mobilization Network, said this year’s summit won’t be a repeat of Seattle.

“It’s been 10 years,” he said. “We grow up. We come up with new tactics. We learn new strategies. We’re going to talk about a scale that might be as big or bigger, but it’s not the same tools. I mean, this was before Facebook. … We can tweet.”

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Flashback:‘Security Certificate’ victim Charkaoui to sue Ottawa for $24 million | Government will review ‘anti-terror’ security certificates: Van Loan | Judge eases restrictions on Harkat | CSIS bungled second terror case | Canadian Courts don’t buy word of government | CSIS forced to ‘reveal’ info on secret source in Harkat case | Judge orders recall of CSIS witnesses in Harkat case for potential perjury, obstruction | Tories aim to bring back anti-terrorism provisions | Lawyers slam CSIS on phone recordings | If released, security detainee Almrei to be surveilled, wiretapped, and GPS-tracked | Feds ordered to share evidence with defence in Harkat security case | More secrecy added to already secret process | Charkaoui set to fight new security certificate law | The New Security Certificate: Rushing injustice through the Senate | New security certificates issued | Court puts security certificates in limbo

Iain Macleod, The Ottawa Citizen
April 25, 2010

Government plan to revive post-9/11 powers threatens individual rights: ex-CSIS boss

Two contentious anti-terrorism powers the government intends to revive are unnecessary, potentially dangerous and cross the line between state security and individual rights, Canada’s former spymaster charged Saturday.

“We should think very carefully before we take that step,” Reid Morden said of the government’s proposed Combating Terrorism Act, unveiled Friday by federal Justice Minister Rob Nicholson.

Police and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service have, “perfectly sufficient powers to do their jobs,” said the former director of CSIS. “If they’re properly resourced … they don’t need more powers.”

The bill would re-introduce two lapsed laws to the Criminal Code giving police extraordinary powers to apprehend imminent terrorist threats.

“Preventive arrest” would allow individuals to be arrested without warrants in the belief that the arrest will disrupt terrorist activity and prevent a looming attack. Those arrested need not have committed any crime and can be detained for up to 72 hours. A judge can also impose conditions on their release, with violators liable to up to a year in jail.

The other power, investigative judicial hearings, would allow police and prosecutors to bring a person before a court and compel them to disclose information related to possible terrorism. Self-incriminating evidence cannot directly be used against them in any legal actions, but judges also could order the hearings be held in secret, a move critics likened to a Star Chamber.

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That’s one way to sidestep domestic opposition.

Flashback: The Obama Banking Regulation: Big Banks Are Too Politically Connected to Fail | Obama scolds Wall Street for fighting reform, pushes new regulation package | Obama urges Senate to hand total oversight of financial sector to Federal Reserve, eliminate ‘Reserve’ part | Bernanke Pushes to Keep Regulation Power as Some Senators Waver | The Federal Reserve as Giant Counterfeiter | Bankers unite against Barack Obama and Gordon Brown in call for world regulation | Banks find gaping loophole in Obama financial reforms | Obama talking tough with banks | Wall Street’s leading bankers admit: we made mistakes | Obama ponders bank transaction levy to recoup bailout shortfalls | Explosive Leaked Emails Expose Treasury Secretary Geithner’s Deception in ‘Backdoor Bailout’ | US Bankers Get $4 Trillion Gift From Barney Frank | Financial reform bill passes U.S. House | Taibbi: Obama’s sellout to Wall Street creates ‘permanent bailout’ | Americans Deserve a Transparent Federal Reserve | Bernanke continues pressing for sweeping new powers for Fed | Federal Reserve Appeals Order to Disclose Emergency Bank Loans | Judge Orders Federal Reserve To Disclose Who Received Bailout Trillions | Geithner lambastes US economic watchdogs resistant to planned transfer of powers to Federal Reserve | Obama Regulatory Reform Plan Officially Establishes Banking Dictatorship In United States | Obama unveils overhaul of financial system oversight | Federal Reserve To Be Given Sweeping New Powers | Top Senate Democrat: bankers “own” the U.S. Congress | Wall Street’s Big Takeover | Geithner Said to Have Prevailed on the Bailout | Banks won’t say where U.S. bailout money going | Paulson, Bernanke defend change of plan: $700-billion now to be given directly to banks | Congress Accuses Federal Reserve Bagman Of Bailout “Bait and Switch” During Angry Hearing | U.S. government won’t use bailout fund to buy troubled assets | Behind the panic: Financial warfare over the future of global bank power | Goldman-Sachs Alumni Hold Reins of Financial System | Treasury’s Plan Would Give Fed Wide New Power | Financial ’super cop’ role for Fed

Tom Braithwaite, Financial Times
April 25, 2010

The US is preparing to pivot from domestic regulatory reform to a push for a tough new international capital regime after the weekend’s G20 and International Monetary Fund meetings glossed over differences between leading economies.

Tim Geithner, US Treasury secretary, met Mario Draghi, chairman of the Financial Stability Board, on Sunday to discuss the contours of a system that would decide the safety and profitability of banks for decades to come and could eclipse the arguments over bank taxes and regulation.

But the different positions of senior central bank and government officials from several countries expressed to the Financial Times on the sidelines of the G20 meetings in Washington suggested that a final international agreement remains a challenge.

The G20 communique on Friday said: “We recommitted to developing by end-2010 internationally agreed rules to improve both the quantity and quality of bank capital and to discourage excessive leverage.”

But participants said little time was spent on the issue and that officials were gearing up for a battle at the June meeting over the direction of the new standards, which would prevent banks from relying on short-term funding and disqualify some assets from counting towards core regulatory capital, the highest-quality loss-absorbing part of the capital structure.

The most important fault line runs between a bloc of countries that includes the US, the UK and Switzerland and one that includes Germany, France and Japan.

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That’s your money, by the way, being funneled into this global lending institution. Do you recall being consulted? (This journal realized after writing the headline above that there’s no source inthis article for the ‘number 3′ assertion, so here that is. Only the US and Japan now hold a greater share of World Bank votes.)

Flashback: International World Bank ‘Farm-aid’ plan gets a modest start | G20 ’sherpas’ meet with IMF, World Bank on Ottawa | US dollar set to be eclipsed, World Bank president predicts | Is the World Bank too optimistic? | World Bank President Admits Agenda For Global Government | IMF, World Bank predict a global recession | World Bank accused of climate change “hijack”

Kevin Carmichael, The Globe and Mail
April 25, 2010

Changes reflect growing significance of developing countries; China poised to rank among heavyweight shareholders

World Bank President Robert Zoellick (R) and IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn (L) talk to a reporter as they arrive for meeting of the Development Committee at the International Monetary Fund/World Bank Spring Meetings at IMF headquarters in Washington, April 25, 2010.

Countries pledged $3.5-billion (US) in new capital for the World Bank and realigned voting shares in an historic shift that reflects the growing clout of emerging market countries in guiding the global economy.

Last fall in Istanbul, World Bank president Robert Zoellick called on the world’s major economies for more money, saying increased demands on his institution as a result of the financial crisis risked pushing him to the limits of what he can lend with existing capital.

While less than the amount Mr. Zoellick originally estimated he would need, the capital increase represents a victory given the massive deficits governments in the United States and Europe accumulated while spending heavily to reverse the global recession.

The $3.5-billion promise of hard currency that will be wired into the World Bank’s accounts comes with an additional $58.4-billion in “general capital,” which represents commitments against which the World Bank can lend, although the institution doesn’t actually have immediate access to the money.

The “paid-in” component was important because credit rating agencies demand that the World Bank maintain a certain level of cash on hand to retain its top-notch credit score.

“The Development Committee endorsed a historic package of reforms that positions the bank to continue to serve the interests of poor people in developing countries,” Mr. Zoellick said at a press conference Sunday.

“The additional capital means that we will no longer face the possibility that we would have to cut back our lending later this year.”

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Surprise surprise.

Flashback: IMF to move quickly on Greek request for loan | Greek PM calls for EU bailout loans | Greek civil servants strike, challenge EU/IMF talks | Soros warns Europe of disintegration | Investors rush to sell Greek bonds | IMF struggles to conceal glee at Greek deal | Greece secures joint IMF/Eurozone bailout program | Greek PM threatens to go to IMF if no EU bailout | General strike cripples Greece as protesters clash with police | Athens erupts as Greek austerity plan passes | Greece unveils radical austerity package | Athen’s coffers to run dry in two weeks, more cracks appear in Eurozone | Man who broke the Bank of England, George Soros, ‘at centre of hedge funds plot to cash in on fall of the euro’ | Goldman role in Greek crisis probed | Greek workers stage general strike | How EU Countries Cooked Books Using Derivatives | Goldman Sachs Helped Greece Obscure Debt Through Currency Swaps | Collapse of the euro is ‘inevitable’: Bailing out the Greek economy futile, says French banking chief | Euro currency union shows strains | Stimulating our way into debt crises | EU leaders reach secret Greek bailout deal | Will Greece set off ‘global debt bomb’? | EU cautions Greece about its deficit | Could Greece drag down Europe? | ‘Significant chance’ of second financial crisis, warns World Economic Forum | A world awash in debt

Tim Webb, The Guardian
April 25, 2010

IMF’s Strauss-Kahn tries to calm market fears as German opposition to deal continues to raise concern

The bill to bail out the stricken Greek economy could mushroom, after world leaders admitted that the €45bn (£39bn) already pledged was just the start.

The country’s finance minister, George Papaconstantinou, said that bailout talks at the weekend with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and European partners had gone well, and he was confident Greece would secure the necessary aid by May to finance its crippling public debt without any problem.

At a press briefing at the IMF in Washington, he downplayed concerns that Germany might stand in the way of a rescue deal that is hugely unpopular in Europe’s biggest economy. He sent a warning to investors who have been betting that Greece will default on its debt: “All I can say is that they will lose their shirts.”

The IMF also attempted to calm market fears that the rescue, announced on Friday, might not be sufficiently speedy or large enough to keep Greece afloat.

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This is an appropriate request to make (though a request is all it can be, it shouldn’t be mandatory) while free speech and freedom of conscience still exist in Canada. Wearing masks simply enables police provocateurs to masquerade as anarchists, to smash windows for the media, and thus to undercut the message of the protest itself.

Flashback: Black bloc taints anti-Olympic movement | Vancouver Olympics protesters fall silent as Black Bloc ruins it for everyone | France forbids protesters from wearing face masks | Montreal in bid to unmask protesters

CBC News
April 25, 2010

Protesters at a Halifax rally who cover their faces will be asked to take the masks off, says an organizer of the event on the eve of a meeting of G8 development ministers.

“When people conceal their identities, media attention focuses on them rather than on the point of the protest itself,” said Kyle Buott, president of the Halifax-Dartmouth and District Labour Council and a key organizer of the rally.

“Anyone showing up at [Sunday's] demonstration wearing a mask or bandana covering their face will be asked to take it off.”

According to the Criminal Code, wearing a mask is a crime only during the commission of another crime.

“This is the decision that the organizing committee has taken – we are going to be engaging with folks who show up at the rally to make a political argument about why that’s not an appropriate tactic,” said Buott, who wants to make sure the group’s critique of G8 policies in the developing world is heard. The ministers from the G8 countries open a three-day meeting in Halifax on Monday.

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