OPINION: X-Files revisited

Lately I’ve been binge-watching a lot of the old X-Files on TV and I noticed an unusually strong feeling of déjà-vu.

I’m not saying I’ve been abducted by aliens (not that I remember, anyway) but the lies and deception revealed in this sci-fi drama are very true to life.

I’m starting to feel like Agent Fox Mulder when he discovered that he couldn’t trust his own government or believe the lies they told him.
It happens with every story about covert spying by the Canadian government, everywhere Canadians congregate and every time they communicate electronically.

Recent revelations (thanks again Edward Snowden) describe a two week spying binge and the collection of Wi-Fi traffic at a Canadian airport in 2012.

It was done at an unnamed, mid-size airport which begs the obvious question – is Thunder Bay International Airport considered to be mid-size?

I mean it’s not that large and it really isn’t all that small either, so what would Agent Mulder think?

The data was analyzed and reconstructed through further electronic access to hotels, cafes, libraries and other airports within Canada and the U.S.

The agency involved, CSIS, is thought by many to be a branch office of the National Security Agency in the U.S. and obediently does America’s bidding.

We’ll never know because it’s all top secret stuff, except for the tidbits being distributed by that pesky Mr. Snowden.

For its part, CSIS doesn’t deny anything and claims it has every right to collect data from Canadian iPhones, text messages, emails and anywhere else it feels like snooping.

Federal Court Judge Richard Mosley disagrees and delivered a “stunning rebuke” to CSIS for misleading statements (lies?) when applying for warrants.

CSIS is taking it all in stride and will appeal any decisions – they aren’t bothered by rebukes, stunning or otherwise and will continue to make their own rules.

They admit nothing either, but defend their actions by using the politics of fear – a terrorist on every street corner and Jihadists in every airport.

As far as CSIS is concerned, Canadians are either with them or with the terrorists but it doesn’t really matter what we think, we are being spied on either way.

As so-called “ordinary Canadians” go about their daily lives recent polls suggest they are surprisingly apathetic and blasé about losing personal security and privacy.

Only about half of those polled found government spying unacceptable – the other half considered it acceptable in some circumstances and four per cent saw nothing wrong with it.

About 39 per cent believed they were already being monitored by the government while another 46 per cent were suspicious but not sure.

In spite of this, Canadian googlers, tweeters and electronic hipsters happily surrender their privacy, their rights and their personal information.

This attitude is reflected in the behaviour of consumers as they line up to purchase every new electronic gadget and happily pay exorbitant Internet fees.

They do this with the full knowledge that Internet service providers must provide a direct pipeline of information to government spy agencies, no warrant required.

Anyone who has serious objections or complaints, Mr. Snowden for example, is quickly labelled a traitor and hunted relentlessly to face American justice.

The rest of us “average Joes” have chosen to accept this loss of privacy and lack of accountability without a whimper and naively hope our government acts responsibly.

CSIS thinks we should just relax and trust them to handle all Canada’s spying needs.

That is a ridiculous notion, even for the X-Files. Agent Mulder would never buy it.

The truth may be out there somewhere but don’t expect to hear it any time soon.