...The funeral for a Mountie slain in the line of duty is being held in Ottawa.
...The PM is preparing to deliver a throne speech tomorrow that may end up in a federal election (one can hope). The CBC just reported that they're having the throne speech televised during prime time. Brilliant. Tuesday means Bones, The Tudors, and Law & Order: SVU. I don't give a shit about the throne speech, but I do give a shit about whether or not a confidence vote will be held as a result. Televising the speech during prime time will make no difference whatsoever.
And last but certainly not least:
...Our fearless leader and pompous asshole PM looks like he's been up to something truly scary and evil: creating a government controlled media centre. The throne speech issue pales in comparison to this potential thwarting of freedom of the press in Canada. We need an election and we need to get this wanker OUT OF POWER. PERIOD. However, this is appallingly underreported in the Canadian media right now. The Mountie funeral and throne speech rhetoric is taking up everyone's focus - which is fine; they are both important. But HELLO! A government-run media centre? This is another move towards blatant fascism in Canada. Am I the only person out there who thinks this trumps all other news happening in the country right now?
Monday, October 15, 2007
Today in Canada...
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23 backtalkers:
No you're not, WC. But then I"m against the CBC for the same reason, and the Dome Petroleum buy out for very similar reasons.
Maybe I"m just a curmedgeon....
Blatant fascism, capitalism in decay, is what our constitutional monarchy is experiencing. Although we are not alone, as a soveriegn nation, we have the potential to stop it. We have already been experiencing corporate controlled political influence, leading to multi-level government control. Yes I am aware. But this government controled media centre is going way too far. Freedom of the press is something our society needs and should not be given up. If this is not blatant fascism, than at least it is a mockery of our education system.
"A government-run media centre": well, that was what Italy ahd under Berlusconi, for 10 years. And look where Italy is now...in the gutter!
Wow. I thought the states had there problems with Presidents.
@BJ:
What reason could one have to oppose the CBC? They're one of the few truly balanced sources out there. If we lose the CBC, Fox wins.
@Milla:
Berlusconi was actually rather worse--at least Harper doesn't own 40 percent of the country's television.
The CBC is independant, which is why Harper hates it so much. Which by itself is enough reason to support it.
And Harper is a great admirer of the US, which is itself enough reason to want to see him whacked into the weeds.
By the way, I just posted on this, and then came over here because you have a link on the CBC article page.
Braving the knowledge that I am about to hang my ignorance out the window for all to see, what is a throne speech?
Metro: I saw my link on CBC. I was really chuffed! I'll come over and check your post out soon.
Cherie: the throne speech is basically a speech written by the prime minister & co., read in parliament by the Queen's representative - the Governor General - and it outlines what the government plans to do in the upcoming session. It gets voted upon by all members of parliament, and in the situation we have now, a minority Conservative parliament, it means that the speech may be defeated by a confidence vote, and then an election would take place.
the 'shoe store' project is one of the biggest , barfiest moves yet. the guy is right out of control while holding a MINORITY!!!!
fsp is up and running!
where's the cbc link?
The CBC link was on the right of the article I linked to.
I'm all over FSP!
What are you talking about? You're crazy! What could be better than a Canadian CNN? We could call it CCNN! It'll be beautiful, just beautiful.
The CBC is independent? Hello? The CBC is a Liberal mouthpiece, nothing more and often much less. It should have been privatized years ago, or at least had its mandate redefined to turn it into a true public broadcaster a la PBS.
As for the government-controlled media center, when the press is so damned certain you're up to something evil, I think it's time to beat them at their own game. Do you honestly think, when and if the Liberals are deemed honest enough to hold government again, they won't use the same media center the same way?
And one final thing: look up "fascist" in a dictionary. Please. It's one of the most misused words out there and it only cheapens your argument.
Anon: CCNN - haha!
Ken: Thank you so much for commenting, though we shall have to agree to disagree. Here is a good web site outlining the 14 tenets of fascism (and let us note that fascism is different from nazism, right?). Please read it, particularly #6.
Thanks for the link...looking at those 14 tenets, #6 seems to be about the only one that fits the Harperites, and that only loosely. (The media's not controlled, even with this media center. The day the Toronto Star shuts down is the day I'll start worrying about the Canadian media being controlled by the right.)
I think it's perhaps unwise to throw around a word like "fascist"--it's pretty inflammatory, and those who have actually lived under fascistic regimes will laugh in your face.
It's a slippery slope, though. Do we want our media's access limited and do we want to accept the government spoonfeeding us spin, like what happens in those White House press sessions? That is not freedom of the press if you ask me, and I think that's the direction Harper is wanting to take us with this media centre thing.
Government run media centre? That makes me sick. Just what we don't need. 2 million dollars. Do I even need to say that such money could be put to a much more useful cause. Is this your plan for what to do with a surplus of money?
I'm with you WC pull him out of power. I was really hoping for an election despite the media saying that "nobody wants an election." I kept saying "I do, I do."
p.s. glad to see you linked. Very cool.
sp: yeah, it is pretty cool. Almost as cool as that link on The Hour was back in Feb. '06. I think the 2 million could also be better spent. Public money on a media centre? Hmmm...There is something wrong with that picture, especially if it's going to limit our access to information.
@Ken:
Sorry, you can't first argue that the CBC is some sort of organ for the Liberal party and then argue that the Liberal party will circumvent the media by adopting Harper's tactics. Why would they need to, if that were so?
Besides, the CBC hit the Liberals as hard or harder than anyone else throughout the Sponsorship Scandal et. al.
Harper hates them because they display genuine balance; and also because he can't control the message on the public airwaves, yet he'd lose any credibility he had if he shut them out of the press room. It's that simple.
I tend to agree with you that the overuse of the word "fascist" tends to cheapen the argument.
"Paranoid" is still fashionable, however, and can certainly be applied to Mr. Harper, whose control-mania is worrying enough while he's an unpopular minority prime minister.
I say bring on an election. If Canadians are dumb enough to vote the Conservatives back in or, worse, sit by idly and let Harper continue doing what pleases Harper, then so be it.
Unfortunately Dion has no spine and no principle. Just the same poisonous thirst for power Harper has.
Presented with a choice to eat $#!7 or pull the trigger, he's tucking a napkin under his chin and smiling as he reaches for the cutlery.
I don't know what you guys are reading, but I haven't seen the word "facist" in main stream anything at all.
hmmm looks like I started something with the CBC comment.
I have an issue with governent-sponsored,govenment-paid anything but goverment! That applies to Dome, the CBC .,....anything that the private sector could do but isn't/can't.
Interestingly enough, however, I saw a show on the BBC that found that broadcasters like the BBC and CBC - publicly funded - are actually MORE critical of the government because they know that when it comes time to relicense the public will be in an uproar if the government all of a sudden decides to pull the plug - in other words, they have great leverage compared to corporate broadcasters like Global or CTV. I think corporate broadcasters like Global and CTV are actually much more biased and more dangerous than CBC and the like.
I was the one who used the word 'fascist' in the first anonymous post before I signed up for a google account. Thank you for further continuing to mock my provincially curriculated secondary education as I indicated in my first post.
I have looked up 'fascist' and if you believe that it is being misused in such a way that it only cheapens my argument then I will use the word that Benito Mussolini prefered to use "Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." The definition of this word can incorporate a vast spectrum of political ideals based on their economic and sovereign situations. I was using it in its respect to its similarities to our own government's actions. This new goverenment controlled media centre (which instigated my first post) is only a small part of a much larger picture. Our government on all levels is largely only accountable and influenced by the Corporations that financed the political campaigns of large numbers of our politicians. You cannot say you have not recognized this. The widespread ideal that ones individual vote does not have an affect on the eventual outcome of an election only makes it that much easier for these Corporations to put their selective politicians in power. Take another look at that link WC posted titled "The 14 Defining Characteristics of Fascism" here is the 9th characteristic documented: 9. Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
I know we are not a fascist nation, we are a constitutional monarchy and I believe we are on a slow descent into corporatism with the media remaining elusive on the subject. We have already given up the nationalized Bank of Canada's constitutionally authorized control of credit to foreign Corporate Banks whom we now pay interest to. And now we have this government controlled media centre to further surpress the truth from the public. Wonderful. But then again, maybe the truth is too much for some people to handle, so just let the government controlled media conform you and decide for you what is right or wrong. I agree with sp's comment on hoping for an election despite Dion's statement saying "Canadians don't want another election" I was saying the same thing "Um...I do." He incorrectly was speaking on behalf of all Canadians with his own personal political gains as part of the outcome.
In the words of Abraham Lincoln "Democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people" but in reality, the corporate controlled democracy as we witness it today is the government of the people, by the people and corporations for the corporations. Correct me if I am wrong, but are not most of the laws and tax breaks created today intented for the mass benefit of the corporations who financed the political campaigns of the politicians in power?
Major M: thank you for the comment - it was very well-written and well-articulated. It's a typically right wing/conservative thing to have a quid pro quo with big business and corporations. Although we are not doing it to the same level as our US neighbours, this, like the media centre issue, is a slippery slope. I have these nightmares about a lobby system a la USA developing up here...so wrong and dangerous on so many different levels...
Dion is a nitwit, and I don't support the Liberal party at all - but I would welcome an election because, really, it's our only recourse as citizens.
Are you going to start a blog, by any chance?
Thanks, WC, for answering my question about the throne speech. Between that information and the stimulating comment forum here, I am acquiring quite an education!
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