That’s how Powerline’s Scott Johnson characterizes Ezra Levant’s inquisition for the crime of publishing the Danish cartoons in Canada. Ezra has posted another sharp exchange with Alberta “human rights agent” Shirlene McGovern. He explains the wasted time and money (not to mention the broader “chilling effect”) these “human rights” pseudo-courts impose on editors and publishers. There’s then a short pause before Agent McGovern, licensed to chill, responds blandly, ”You’re entitled to your opinions, that’s for sure.”

The accused replies that he wishes that were the case. But in Canada today you’re only entitled to your opinions if Agent McGovern says you are. That’s the issue – ”for sure”.

Canadians need to assist Shirlene McGovern and the rest of the thought police to find alternative employment. Glenn Greenwald, who has no time for me or anybody else under the National Review shingle, nevertheless understands the difference between Salon clobbering me for my opinions and the state doing it. This is how Greenwald sees what’s at stake:

Here are the noxious fruits of hate speech laws: a citizen being forced to appear before the Government in order to be interrogated by an agent of the State — a banal, clerical bureaucrat — about what opinions he expressed and why he expressed them, upon pain of being punished under the law. This is nothing short of stomach-turning…
For those unable to think past the (well-deserved) animosity one has for the specific targets in question here, all one needs to do instead is imagine these proceedings directed at opinions and groups that one likes.

That’s the point: Unless you believe in freedom of speech for those you find loathesome, you don’t believe in freedom of speech at all.