Monday, January 19, 2015

The Poisoned Well Of Information


                                                http://awoiaf.westeros.org/

Will Colonel Sanders get the chickens to vote for him again? That, Michael Harris writes, is the question which the next federal election will turn on. And, given what has happened to the Canadian media, it's a lot easier to get the chickens to vote:

The mainstream media could once be relied upon to distinguish the hot air from the facts. That is still partially true, and there are many fine journalists on the scene. But the media landscape is profoundly changed. You could be forgiven, for example, if you mistook CBC board meetings these days for Conservative party fundraisers. According to the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, it is donor country, full stop, with eight of the eleven current members of the board having contributed to the CPC. It is transformation-by-patronage of a national institution, handing over the controls of a 767 to someone without a pilot’s license.
 Conflict of interest is everywhere these days:

The truth is, the mainstream media outlets have ceded obscene tracts of their authority to people they should be covering, not covering up for. Why should Stephen Harper be writing editorials for the National Post? Why did the calamitous Fords get a radio show from CFRB, a news/talk station with a CRTC license? What was John Tory doing on his radio show, informing his listeners or setting the stage for a successful campaign for mayor of Toronto?

Far too many of the facts that fill our newspapers and television broadcasts come from people with skin in the political game – either as representatives doing PR for the political parties, or former politicians embarking on post-political image-revision. If you had to choose, who would you rather listen to on one of those back-slapping panels that plague contemporary television – Andrew Mitrovica or Stockwell Day? What on earth is Stockwell Day doing on the CBC as a political commentator? Are we supposed to believe Day has suddenly rediscovered his honesty and cojones now that he only has to make his living as a “political consultant” (a.k.a. lobbyist)? He is still a partisan and he now stands to lose hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, if he is no longer part of the “in crowd” in Ottawa.

There is one more question behind the next election. How many of those who didn't vote last time around will vote this time?

There are a lot of theories floating around about why 9 million Canadians didn’t vote in the last election. I lean towards the view that the hellish cascade of agenda-driven, special interest, utterly poisoned communications has persuaded them that dropping out is better than engaging. They don’t know who to believe, they don’t trust anybody, and they don’t think they matter. And the less wealthy and more disenfranchised they are, the more likely they are to ‘fuggit.’

They know the well of information has been poisoned. And they have elected to get nowhere near it.

19 comments:

Lorne said...

It would seem that the right has done its job very well when it comes to the CBC, Owen. It is an institution I have lost faith in. Yesterday someone from 'Friends of the CBC' called to solicit money from me. I told him I wasn't interested and was about to articulate why when the caller told me to 'have a nice day' and hung up. I guess no one really wants to hear the truth, anymore, eh?

Owen Gray said...

I suspect that they're getting a lot of the same kind of feedback, Lorne.

It's all part of crippling the opposition -- which has been the Harperites second objective -- after ensuring that the rich and powerful are invulnerable.

Anonymous said...

"He [Stockwell Day] is still a partisan and he now stands to lose hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, if he is no longer part of the “in crowd” in Ottawa."

The horror, the horror. The repugnant Reformists will personally lose millions of dollars if they are pushed into the 'out crowd'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vu2tyk8cvc

Owen Gray said...

It's all about keeping the music going, Anon.

Anonymous said...

Nice one Owen. The Reformist music is dissonant and contains no you.

Owen Gray said...

But it is all about "me," Anon.

Anonymous said...

Nice, very nice ;)

Unknown said...

"Will Colonel Sanders get the chickens to vote for him again?"

That is not exactly but a wonderful analogy! Here is mine:

Will cook the books non-economist Harper be able lie and cheat his way in again? If he continues to fleece his sheep and the sheep are willing we are in for four years of the worst political weather and nightmares Canada has ever seen. We will be dominated by a nerd that cannot and will not tie his own shoe laces. A mail room boy run amuck let us hope the sheep do not want to be fleeced anymore!!!

Anonymous said...

Well after all? Isn't Peter Mansbridge a Bilderberger too? As is Harper's favorite henchman Gordon Campbell, Harper himself, Jason Kenny, Nigel Wright and Conrad Black was on the Bilderberg Steering Committee. Conrad Black was also a member of Harper's shady Northern Foundation of 1989.

What an evil gang of thugs.

Owen Gray said...

Experience is supposed to be a great teacher, Mogs. We'll see what the chickens have learned from experience.

Owen Gray said...

Birds of a feather, Anon.

Anonymous said...

When the chickens vote for Col. Sanders, they are voting for someone who makes a meal out of them and then sells them for profit.

About sums up the mentality of the Cons voting crowd, doesn't it?

Also, explains why it is not possible to have an intelligent debate with the right wing crowd, eh?

Owen Gray said...

Chickens are not known for their analytical powers, Anon.

Unknown said...

Side note Owen and off topic but I love your blog so I will share if you do not mind:

mogs moglio January 19, 2015 at 10:10 PM

Good to see you back Norm I have not visited for a while but I went through some surgeries and a couple moves I now live in the BC Interior moved from the BC East Kootenays. You have a counterpart in the East who I admire as well we three are about the same age/generation and same thought of mind visit him. @ http://nor-re.blogspot.ca/ actually it is interesting his blog is called Northern Reflections and yours Northern Insight. Both are my favorites both you Norm and Owen on the other blog try to bring out the truth I humbly respect you both.

Thank-you,
Mogs Moglio

- See more at: http://northerninsights.blogspot.ca

Owen Gray said...

Norm regularly provides interesting commentary, Mogs.

Steve said...

Hi Owen, has anything really changed since William Randalph Hearst created Wars out of flase news?

You have to watch this video of an episode of a German Daily like show that was banned. The connections between the free press and the corporations is astounding.

Owen Gray said...

Unfortunately, only the second clip ran, Steve -- without subtitles. I wish my German was better.

But I do take your point about William Randolph Hearst.

bcwaterboy said...

I kinda scratched my head seeing Day on the CBC as a political voice, one of the most ardent partisans out there, but the man has some seriously challenged views on almost everything. Nice to see he's keeping fit though as we often come face to face while he's running in the park that I walk my dog in. :)

Owen Gray said...

To meet Day, waterboy, must be an interesting experience. Something tells me, though, that there's no meeting of the minds.