The current dust up over the Harper government's plans to replace the long-form census with a voluntary survey reminds us that the Stockholm Syndrome is alive and well and living in Canada.
The Stockholm Syndrome is a psychological term used to describe the propensity of some hostages to begin to identify and even glorify their captors after a period in captivity.
In Canada it manifests itself as a desire to continue to be poked, prodded, taxed and abused by government, to the point that when they offer to stop, we complain.
The Canadian version is particularly prevalent amongst civil servants, most of the eastern Canadian media, and to those whose livelihoods consist of government handouts.
The fear of course is that all the "lies, damn lies and statistics" they use to justify why they need to keep receiving those government cheques, may be harder to come by without good ol' Stats Canada and their army of prognosticators digging up the dirt with the threat of jail time for those who refuse to comply. After the 2003 census, 50 people were taken to court.
Never mind that the government already knows way too much about any of us for our own good. Never mind that the first casualty in the Internet age was privacy.
Like lemmings heading off the nearest cliff, many of us attack the government for being so bold as to admit they really don't have any business in the bedrooms of the nations, nor the kitchens, living rooms or any other room in our house.
In place of the long-term census the government proposes to replace it with a voluntary survey, which will gather the same information, sans the threat of taking away your first born.
Perish the thought that Canadians be allowed to actually have a choice about whether they share their inner most secrets with Big Brother in Ottawa, not to mention the fact that the last census data scanning was contracted out to an American firm, Lockheed Martin best known for its defense contracts and military aircraft. Ever heard of the Patriot Act-the CIA? You might want to look them up.
Each year thousands of organizations spend hundreds of millions of dollars taking the pulse of the nation. Some of the information gathered is useful and put to effective use. Much of it is frivolous, intrusive or even worse, is used to get you to buy things you don't need, or support organizations or causes that don't deserve taxpayer support.
So, as you listen to the wailing of the special interest groups and the vested interest, keep in mind that cancelling the mandatory long form census is not Armageddon, but rather a small blow for individual privacy and freedom of choice, two commodities in desperate short supply in this country in 2010.
