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Official Response: Request to Freeze Canadian Edge Users’ Accounts

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Re: Official Response: Request to Freeze Canadian Edge Users’ Accounts

#61

Post by basisword »

parkingrift wrote: post #51
basisword wrote: post #9

What a childish response and a great way to invite future regulation. I’m not an Edge customer but if I was I wouldn’t be anymore. Why would I entrust my money with a company that ignores the law and responds in memes?

You would rather store your money with an institution that would freely comply with a request to have your assets frozen without due process? To each their own, I guess.

I would prefer to store my money with an institution that follows the laws of my country. That seems pretty sensible.

Re: Official Response: Request to Freeze Canadian Edge Users’ Accounts

#62

Post by yashg »

This childish response reminds me of Piratebay mocking legal notices and posting them on their website in the early days. Regardless of the legitimacy of the government's demand, such a response makes me feel it's being run by amateurs who don't realize the seriousness, power and reach of a sovereign government.

Re: Official Response: Request to Freeze Canadian Edge Users’ Accounts

#63

Post by kennywinker »

csee wrote: post #59
kennywinker wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> now protestors are being arrested Environmental protesters are FREQUENTLY arrested, so if you’re upset about these arrests at least have the decency to also be upset about these ones last year: https://thenarwhal.ca/rcmp-arrests-wetsuweten-media-photos/

I am not upset about the arrest of any protester if their protest escalates into significant economic damage or other types of harm. That's when it graduates from protest to terrorism. But they should be swiftly tried with a specific crime in a court of law. That's due process and liberal democracy working as it should. Freezing assets without due process is a new thing which should be resisted as it's tyrannical and…

> if their protest escalates into significant economic damage or other types of harm. That's when it graduates from protest to terrorism.

First of all, look up the definition of terrorism. It’s not “thing you think is bad”. Pretty integral to terrorism is violence. No violence or threat of violence, no terrorism.

Second, all protest causes economic harm - successful protest causes significant economic harm. Your line of thinking would have you condemn friggin’ Gandhi, a globally renowned and much celebrated peaceful revolutionary. His entire non-violent protest movement relied heavily on inflicting economic damage.

E.g. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_March

Re: Official Response: Request to Freeze Canadian Edge Users’ Accounts

#64

Post by smnrchrds »

totony wrote: post #56
unfocussed_mike wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do think that is the goal. These are protestors with heavy, portable living quarters, after all; if you can't move them, you've got to cut off the money they use to live. If governments don't come down hard on using heavy vehicles for blockades, and don't do what they can to stop that being a financially supportable method of protest, it will be repeated everywhere, like the Gilets Jaunes model of protest. But ulti…

>Why not make the protests less liveable? Protesting during multiple weeks in winter is already unliveable. I live in Canada and would probably not do that unless the issue is life-or-death. Using extra-judicial means to quell opponents is not what our government should be doing, be it by freezing assets, preventing exchange of goods or other. One of the basis of modern democracy is due process and executive/legislat…

It wouldn't have made a difference if the Emergencies Act was not invoked. There is a court order to freeze assets which does not rely on the Act, just existing laws. Even without the act and by the order of the judiciary, the funds would have been frozen.

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-judge-orders-up-to-20-mil...

Re: Official Response: Request to Freeze Canadian Edge Users’ Accounts

#66

Post by grzm »

tpoacher wrote: post #60

Serious question: how does content get flagged in HN? I'm assuming it's a case of "if enough users flag a topic", but is there a moderator involved at all? Can a topic get 'unflagged' once flagged? Could this system be abused by planted shills who coordinate 'flagging' when something is posted that is detrimental to a company? I read the post, I see people's point here that responding with a meme is perhaps not appro…

See the FAQ (https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html), in particular:

> How are stories ranked?

> The basic algorithm divides points by a power of the time since a story was submitted. Comments in threads are ranked the same way.

> Other factors affecting rank include user flags, anti-abuse software, software which demotes overheated discussions, account or site weighting, and moderator action."

and

> What does [flagged] mean?

> Users flagged the post as breaking the guidelines or otherwise not belonging on HN.

> Moderators sometimes also add [flagged] (though not usually on submissions), and sometimes turn flags off when they are unfair.

You might also find the guidelines helpful in answering your questions.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Re: Official Response: Request to Freeze Canadian Edge Users’ Accounts

#67

Post by unfocussed_mike »

totony wrote: post #56
unfocussed_mike wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do think that is the goal. These are protestors with heavy, portable living quarters, after all; if you can't move them, you've got to cut off the money they use to live. If governments don't come down hard on using heavy vehicles for blockades, and don't do what they can to stop that being a financially supportable method of protest, it will be repeated everywhere, like the Gilets Jaunes model of protest. But ulti…

>Why not make the protests less liveable? Protesting during multiple weeks in winter is already unliveable. I live in Canada and would probably not do that unless the issue is life-or-death. Using extra-judicial means to quell opponents is not what our government should be doing, be it by freezing assets, preventing exchange of goods or other. One of the basis of modern democracy is due process and executive/legislat…

(Again -- what's with the downvotes on your comment? You have a legitimate opinion; I don't understand why it was downvoted when it didn't even needlessly snark at Joe Rogan like mine)

All protests ultimately end when the protesters allow themselves to be arrested or come to an agreement with the state or police for a way to protest over the long term that is present but less disruptive. Usually the process of protest involves some acceptance that the police are going to make your lives a little difficult; it's the nature of the beast.

But this is at a more significant scale, because each invididual protestor has a seriously outsize impact.

What happens to civil society if a bunch of truckers who believe a bunch of Qanon nonsense (and that is largely what is at work here -- not legitimate belief but conspiracy theories) can repeat this, over and over again, because of access to finance from outside (and even from abroad)?

I personally do not think that portable roadblocks on the basis of fringe belief funded by foreign state and non-state actors, going unchallenged, is something society should just do nothing about.

This isn't a one-off. Governments need to figure out how to allow this kind of protest for short periods but not tolerate for long periods, because road blockades have real consequences.

(As it goes, in the UK, it's the government that blocks roads with long tailbacks of lorries for purely partisan reasons)

Re: Official Response: Request to Freeze Canadian Edge Users’ Accounts

#68

Post by totony »

smnrchrds wrote: post #64
totony wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Why not make the protests less liveable? Protesting during multiple weeks in winter is already unliveable. I live in Canada and would probably not do that unless the issue is life-or-death. Using extra-judicial means to quell opponents is not what our government should be doing, be it by freezing assets, preventing exchange of goods or other. One of the basis of modern democracy is due process and executive/legislat…

It wouldn't have made a difference if the Emergencies Act was not invoked. There is a court order to freeze assets which does not rely on the Act, just existing laws. Even without the act and by the order of the judiciary, the funds would have been frozen. https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-judge-orders-up-to-20-mil...

That's a specific order, to a specifics individuals. Plus, this is a legal matter and can have a back-and-forth in court. The emergency act allows freezing assets of anyone without a judge having its say. The scale is not the same.

Re: Official Response: Request to Freeze Canadian Edge Users’ Accounts

#69

Post by unfocussed_mike »

endisneigh wrote: post #40
nafix wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a mid-30s sw engineer, I’d say it’s a good look. I hate professional facades and meme’ing is how people communicate now. I’d also say the first part of your your last statement is probably correct, in that you might be an old curmudgeon ;)

I’m sure you’ll begin to appreciate professionalism when your employer starts trying to pay you in memes

Or crypto.

Re: Official Response: Request to Freeze Canadian Edge Users’ Accounts

#70

Post by tastyfreeze »

quotemstr wrote: post #23
basisword wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it’s the law it’s not a request is it? More of a command or face the consequences.

Are there not situations in which we're obligated not to follow the law? Every tyranny in history has been legal.

Yes. Any law that breaks the highest law of the land is invalid and should be disobeyed. However, as long as there is a tyrannical government willing to enforce invalid laws there are still consequences for breaking them.
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