Michael Taube reviews Shakedown for the Weekly Standard:
But if you read this book and hear his story, it’s unlikely you will soon forget his invaluable contribution to the contemporary literature of freedom of thought and individual liberty.
What’s an HRC? It was originally supposed to deal with a relatively mundane issue: helping poor Canadians deal with landlords and employers who, they felt, were
infringing on their civil rights.Plaintiffs acquired the pro bono service of a government lawyer, and the ultimate goal was to settle through mediation or (in worst-case scenarios) set up a tribunal. As Levant writes, HRCs “were a beautiful idea–that failed.”
Today, HRCs are the equivalent of kangaroo courts used predominantly by the Canadian left to sue political rivals and soothe the hurt feelings of residents of glass houses. Shakedown details some of the more ridiculous human rights cases that have succeeded in Canada–and sadly, the vast majority of cases have succeeded…
Shakedown might well shock your senses; it certainly will make you shudder about Canada’s lackadaisical support for free speech. Mark Steyn, who has written Shakedown’s introduction, calls Levant “a true Canadian hero.” I’ll take it one step further: He’s a true hero for all people, and societies, who love freedom.
