There’s an old saying that truth is the first casualty of war. Few people would disagree with this observation – especially those of us working in the progressive media

However, while truth may be the first casualty, it certainly isn’t the last.

In the wake of the September 11 attacks in the United States, another right is being targeted -- the right to hold dissenting opinions.

History is full of examples of campaigns aimed at suppressing political opposition and regimenting public opinion during wartime.

During the First World War, for example, conservative politicians in the United States took advantage of war fever to crack down on left-leaning political groups.

Similarly, during the early years of the Cold War, people like Senator Joseph McCarthy used the fear of "Soviet Communism" to justify the harassment of thousands of law-abiding citizens whose only crime was to hold views different from the mainstream.

Unfortunately, many leaders in the United States and Canada are, once again, starting to display a disturbing disdain for alternative points of view.

Leading the way in this regard is U.S. president George W. Bush who, in an address delivered shortly after the terrorist attacks, famously declared "You’re either with us or against us."

Apparently, in Bush’s mind there is no room for people to have legitimate disagreements about the appropriate response to terrorism. Either, you support the policy of the American government, or you're an enemy of the state.

In Canada, at the federal level at least, most of our leaders have not been quite so dismissive of dissent. But here in Alberta, Premier Klein has publicly fretted about terrorist attacks at next spring's G-8 meeting in Kananaskis -- the implication being that protesters expressing opposition to things like globalization and the WTO are no different than terrorists.

As the drums of war beat more loudly, it would be easy for the labour movement and other progressive groups to allow themselves to be swept along with the tide in order to avoid being on the "wrong side" of public opinion. It would be easy to fall in line and act as a cheerleader for government. But this would be a mistake.

During periods of stress it is more important than ever for unions to stand up in defense of their principles and express alternative points of view. As one of the only institutions in society strong enough to stand up to government and corporate power, we have an obligation to resist pressure to tow the line. We have an obligation to keep the spirit of legitimate dissent alive. Our democracy depends on it.