Giving The Government Control Over Defining ‘Misinformation’ Will Lead To Opposition Being Branded ‘Misinformation’

We’ve watched how governments will abuse the power they already have. Why give them more?

Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government often talk about fighting ‘misinformation’ and ‘disinformation’.

When they do so they aren’t talking about persuasion or respectful disagreement.

Rather, they’re talking about using the power of the government to define what is and isn’t ‘truth’.

We’ve previously discussed legislation like Bill C-11, but this article isn’t about any one piece of legislation.

Rather, it’s about the underlying danger inherent in giving the government the power to define what is and isn’t misinformation.

Double-standard

To start with, it often feels like no group of people lie more than politicians.

One reason much of our country is so cynical about politics is that we have seen so many instances of politicians breaking promises.

If you promise to do something, publicly state that promise, and then break that promise, wasn’t the original promise ‘disinformation’?

Isn’t it misinformation for Jagmeet Singh to repeatedly claim that the only reason prices are up is because of ‘greed’?

Isn’t it disinformation for Justin Trudeau to call allegations in a news story ‘false’ when they were true?

Stop misinformation by de-platforming politicians?

I am against de-platforming people or organizations.

It’s far better to have more voices than fewer voices, especially given how human beings tend to find their way to the truth by sifting through a wide array of information.

With that said, the deepest irony here is that the best way to stop or reduce misinformation or disinformation would be to de-platform many politicians.

Governments often lie at a massive scale, and with massive consequences for many people.

And, while regular employees of the government aren’t responsible for those lies, the politicians at the top of the power structure are.

So, why would we trust those same politicians and that same power structure with the power of telling people what is and isn’t ‘true’?

Open for abuse of power

We recently discovered that the Trudeau government had spied on Canadians far more than previously believed. The government was tracking trips to liquor store and marijuana dispensaries, grocery stores, and much more.

At every step of the way over the past two years, governments have sought to exploit the fear of the population in order to expand their own power.

Often, they have abused their power.

Imagine then what they will do with the power to be the final arbiter of misinformation?

We can be certain that this power will be increasingly turned against their opponents.

They will seek to silence their opponents and critics, narrowing the bounds of communication until only government statements and praise from government supporters are deemed ‘true’.

Given that kind of power, the government will abuse it, which is why we must not allow them to get that power in the first place. Canadians must get involved in the political process, support pro-free speech candidates, and defeat those who want to expand government power.

Spencer Fernando

***

I am funded by people like you, not the Liberal government. If you value my work, you can make a contribution through PayPal, or directly through Stripe below.


[simpay id=”28904″]