Oh Canada: Let's Discuss Treason, Shall We?

Let's talk about the law, while we're at it

The law is pretty clear as to what constitutes treason in Canada. Whether it applies here is… tricky. | Photo by Paul Chard on Unsplash

So. Once again, my country is under direct threat from the maniacs running the United States.

This time, they’re actively meeting with seperatists and offering them aid in breaking up our country and sowing discord and chaos within our borders.

Y’all. Do you have any idea how scary this is?

This goes beyond the trade war. This goes beyond Trump’s typical bluster, calling our Prime Minister ‘Governor Carney’ and sneering in his sulky way. This is a direct, actionable threat to our country’s sovereignty and independence.

Now, in light of these revelations, a lot of people are out here throwing the word ‘treason’ around with their whole chests.

And I get it. Personally, that’s definitely how I feel about the whole thing — you want to meet with the officials from a country that has actively threatened us and is actively, purposefully trying to destroy our economy?

A country that calls us its 51st State, talks about the border as an ‘artificial line’ and refers to our elected Prime Minister as a ‘Governor?’ That says we only exist because the U.S. allows us to, that we’re not a ‘serious’ country?

Especially when they’re currently in the midst of a fascist downward spiral, cracking down on immigrants and people of colour, killing protestors and a couple hundred Canadians are in ICE detention?

You want to talk to those people and ask for their financial support in breaking a province off of our country right now, while all of this is going on?

Yeah, I think you’re a traitor. At least in spirit.

Whether it would stand up under treason charges in a court of law, well…that’s trickier.

Per the Canadian criminal code, quote:

46 (1) Every one commits high treason who, in Canada,

(a) kills or attempts to kill Her Majesty, or does her any bodily harm tending to death or destruction, maims or wounds her, or imprisons or restrains her;

(b) levies war against Canada or does any act preparatory thereto; or

(c) assists an enemy at war with Canada, or any armed forces against whom Canadian Forces are engaged in hostilities, whether or not a state of war exists between Canada and the country whose forces they are.

Marginal note: Treason

(2) Every one commits treason who, in Canada,

(a) uses force or violence for the purpose of overthrowing the government of Canada or a province;

(b) without lawful authority, communicates or makes available to an agent of a state other than Canada, military or scientific information or any sketch, plan, model, article, note or document of a military or scientific character that he knows or ought to know may be used by that state for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or defence of Canada;

(c) conspires with any person to commit high treason or to do anything mentioned in paragraph (a);

(d) forms an intention to do anything that is high treason or that is mentioned in paragraph (a) and manifests that intention by an overt act; or

(e) conspires with any person to do anything mentioned in paragraph (b) or forms an intention to do anything mentioned in paragraph (b) and manifests that intention by an overt act.

Note: this was obviously written prior to the death of Queen Elizabeth. That’s why it mentions ‘Her Majesty’ in place of His Majesty, as would currently be proper.

As of yet, no violent intent has directly been stated — at least not that we know of. But offering aid and having discussions with a hostile neighbour that would absolutely compromise us when our country is facing the threat of annexation?

I’m not sure if it fits the legal definition, but in spirit, it is absolutely treasonous.

Specifically this part:

(b) without lawful authority, communicates or makes available to an agent of a state other than Canada, military or scientific information or any sketch, plan, model, article, note or document of a military or scientific character that he knows or ought to know may be used by that state for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or defence of Canada;

I would think this could be filed under this article of the law. But I’m not a lawyer.

Now, the separatists claim that these meetings were just ‘fact-finding missions’ looking to see if the U.S. would work with them upon becoming an independent state. Meanwhile, they were looking to see if the U.S. would provide funding via a line of credit if they went ahead and split off from our nation.

What do you call that?

I know where I stand on the issue. But I doubt anything would legally be done about it.

That’s a big part of why this is so scary.

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I love my country, though it has flaws. I do not want to be American. | Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

We’re angry, we’re scared, and we’re preparing for a fight we know we won’t win if it comes to violence.

Canada is actively planning our defenses in the event of an invasion from the United States. Did you ever imagine we would be here?

Trump is certainly crazy enough to do it. He’s lobbing threats in every direction these days, frantically trying to find an enemy he can use to unite his base. Though, that’s assuming he’s actually thinking critically about the situation.

For all we know, his obvious mental illness and decline is currently running the show.

After Venezuela, multiple bombings of Iran, threats to take Cuba — which he just declared a State of Emergency over, threatening fresh tarrifs over oil sales — and NATO needing to force him into retreating from taking Greenland, you can appreciate why we’re rattled.

If he keeps on like this, we’ll be rapidly approaching a possible World War III before the year is out.

I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not see bombs flying. Especially nuclear ones.

And you can’t tell me Trump wouldn’t try to hit the big red button on the U.S. nuclear stockpile if he wasn’t barred from doing so. He wanted to nuke a hurricane in his first term, which just goes to show you how his mind has been gone for a very long time.

That’s right up there with injecting bleach and ‘putting light into people’ to kill Covid, which he floated in his first term as well.

And now we Canadians have to deal with a small, but very loud group of separatists who want to make a big political show over the idea of leaving the country. Which would never happen, because the logistics of such a thing are completely insane.

You’re talking about years of campaigning, voting, legal battles and constitution-rewriting, negotiations for trade, currency, law, treaties… it’s just never going to happen.

And yet, they’re still out there making a big political show of it, just to stir shit up.

We don’t need that right now.

Bottom line, Canada is facing down a very angry, very sick monster that’s turning its teeth on its one-time allies. The last thing we need is to be dealing with groups of our own people trying to appease that monster with scraps and promises, offering to cut pieces of us off so it can devour them.

It might not fit the legal definition of treason, but it damn sure feels like it should.

Solidarity wins.

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