Captain's Quarters Awash In Controversy: Thoughts From a Reluctant Dissenter
Captain Ed Morrisey has become infamous in Canada this weekend for publishing reports of testimony that a Canadian judge had ordered to be kept secret. Those in Canada who have directed readers to Captains Quarters web page may be eligible to be charged with contempt of court.
The testimony relates to an investigation into alleged corruption by Canadian Labor Government officials. If the testimony being reported by the Captain proves true it could cause the current government major problems in its upcoming bid for reelection. You can read Captain Ed's reports here, here, and here. Look around for other postings on his site concerning some of the Canadian responses to this matter.
Commenting on the international fuss he has stirred up, Captain Ed says,
Frankly, I'm not sure I agree with the Captain on this.
First of all, why should he get himself involved in the legal and governmental affairs of another country? Is it really his business to "break the story" and "get the scoop?" As far as the accuracy of his story, even he admits that his information, while cross-checked for accuracy with others in the know, primarily comes from only one (unnamed) source.
What if the information has been planted by opposition leaders in an attempt to embarrass the current government. Could the Captain possibly be falling for the same sort of trick he recently exposed regarding the so called "talking point memo" in the US Congress?
What the Captain is engaged in is not just putting the squeeze on a network news anchor; his running expose has the force and power and potential to be the Canadian equivalent of the Watergate Scandal. Although he is clearly making a name for himself in this matter and wielding great power with this information I am not sure that this will turn out well for his long-term reputation. While it may be somewhat of a David and Goliath scenario it seems that this David has stepped up uninvited and is trying to kill someone else's Goliath.
I don't suppose it is any big deal for the captain to be considered persona non grata in Canada. But his actions do appear to support the Canadian case for arguing that their country is more or less a tail wagged by the big, bad American dog.
Further, I'm not sure that I buy his argument that this is a matter of free speech. Rightly or wrongly, he has aided and abetted and perpetrated a clear violation of a legally-binding order by a Canadian judge. In this the Captain has put himself over and above the law of another country.
All freedom, while ultimately from God, is managed and moderated by law (at least in country's such as Canada that are ruled by law) in a way that attempts to provide the greatest benefit for all. Few of us felt that justice was being done in the recent case of Terri Schiavo but it would have been foolish to simply defy the law of the land and dismiss its validity simply because we disagreed with it or felt that it did not serve to further our own particular political, social or economic interests.
As any journalist knows, just because you have information....and just because you feel that others should know that information.. .does not mean that you ought to publish that information.
Is it possible that his postings could interfere with criminal investigations or potential legal charges being considered against particular persons? Is the Captain interfering with someone's right to a fair trial? Could justice be hindered or derailed in Canada because of these revelations?
I don't have any answers to these questions. Neither, I presume, does Ed Morrisey. And that, I suppose, is what makes me feel so uncomfortable about what he is doing.
I would be interested in knowing your thoughts on this matter.
Update: Captain's Quarters has provided information this morning (4/5) that renders my concerns, etc. moot. You can read my "retraction" here.
The testimony relates to an investigation into alleged corruption by Canadian Labor Government officials. If the testimony being reported by the Captain proves true it could cause the current government major problems in its upcoming bid for reelection. You can read Captain Ed's reports here, here, and here. Look around for other postings on his site concerning some of the Canadian responses to this matter.
Commenting on the international fuss he has stirred up, Captain Ed says,
For the most part, they wanted to know why I broke the publication ban. I told them I don't believe in restricting free speech, either in Canada or in the US or anywhere else, and if a government has corruption problems, making them a secret hardly helps clean it up.
Frankly, I'm not sure I agree with the Captain on this.
First of all, why should he get himself involved in the legal and governmental affairs of another country? Is it really his business to "break the story" and "get the scoop?" As far as the accuracy of his story, even he admits that his information, while cross-checked for accuracy with others in the know, primarily comes from only one (unnamed) source.
What if the information has been planted by opposition leaders in an attempt to embarrass the current government. Could the Captain possibly be falling for the same sort of trick he recently exposed regarding the so called "talking point memo" in the US Congress?
What the Captain is engaged in is not just putting the squeeze on a network news anchor; his running expose has the force and power and potential to be the Canadian equivalent of the Watergate Scandal. Although he is clearly making a name for himself in this matter and wielding great power with this information I am not sure that this will turn out well for his long-term reputation. While it may be somewhat of a David and Goliath scenario it seems that this David has stepped up uninvited and is trying to kill someone else's Goliath.
I don't suppose it is any big deal for the captain to be considered persona non grata in Canada. But his actions do appear to support the Canadian case for arguing that their country is more or less a tail wagged by the big, bad American dog.
Further, I'm not sure that I buy his argument that this is a matter of free speech. Rightly or wrongly, he has aided and abetted and perpetrated a clear violation of a legally-binding order by a Canadian judge. In this the Captain has put himself over and above the law of another country.
All freedom, while ultimately from God, is managed and moderated by law (at least in country's such as Canada that are ruled by law) in a way that attempts to provide the greatest benefit for all. Few of us felt that justice was being done in the recent case of Terri Schiavo but it would have been foolish to simply defy the law of the land and dismiss its validity simply because we disagreed with it or felt that it did not serve to further our own particular political, social or economic interests.
As any journalist knows, just because you have information....and just because you feel that others should know that information.. .does not mean that you ought to publish that information.
Is it possible that his postings could interfere with criminal investigations or potential legal charges being considered against particular persons? Is the Captain interfering with someone's right to a fair trial? Could justice be hindered or derailed in Canada because of these revelations?
I don't have any answers to these questions. Neither, I presume, does Ed Morrisey. And that, I suppose, is what makes me feel so uncomfortable about what he is doing.
I would be interested in knowing your thoughts on this matter.
Update: Captain's Quarters has provided information this morning (4/5) that renders my concerns, etc. moot. You can read my "retraction" here.
posted by Bird of Paradise at 5:51 PM
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