It's Complicated (Part II)

Viz the different ways the Conservatives and Liberals approach the homegrown terrorist problem, as revealed in this CITY TV report:

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, speaking in Winnipeg, said government and police are constantly vigilant but added "all freedom-loving Canadians also play a role in the protection of our nation." 

"I call on all Canadians to stand up and be vigilant against the terrorist threat against our nation."

The Grits, on the other hand, have other priorities:

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff cautioned against a "witch hunt."

Also known as a "backlash," and, like "Islamophobia" something that exists largely in the realm of imagination. Also, no jihad to see here folks (says the leader who's on a desperate, um, "hunt" for Muslim votes)--or at least, not enough to worry our little, hoi polloi-ish heads about. Let our "wisers" and "betters" (our Iggys) do our "worrying"--or lack thereof--for us:

"I think we always need to take the threat seriously and we need to support the RCMP and CSIS as they do their jobs," said Ignatieff. "But let's not walk around feeling menaced ... feeling under threat.

And, anyway, it's not like they're singling out Canada, or anything:

"This is a threat common to democratic societies around the world and the right way to deal with it is to be very calm. Let the police do their jobs and let the courts do their job."

Thanks, Iggy. I feel sooo much better after being shmeared with the balm of your unctuous, er, soothing words. Alas, the Kumbaya-like sanguinity was dispelled almost immediately by security expert John Thompson. Thompson told AM640's John Oakley this morning that, while so far we've been able to avoid a big kaboom here in Canada, we should realize that the plotters are getting smarter, and police are apprehending them later and later in the planning cycle (hello, Times Square bomber). It's only a matter of time before one or other of their plots strikes paydirt.
 
He also tried to account for the plotters' motivations, explaining that it's not unusual for "homegrown" laddies to feel something of an identity crisis and manifest a desire to reconnect with their "roots". Such young'uns are ripe for a radical preacher's plucking. And they needn't even come in contact with a radical iman since they can use the Internet to "self-radicalize."
 
All in all, a pretty scary picture (and Thompson didn't even go into how political correctness is inhibiting investigations and societal resolve to do something, dammit!)