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Canada, Conservatives, democracy, environment, Government, Harper, lies, Lisa Raitt, Parliament, rail safety, Tar Sands
I recently watched Global TV Tom Clark interview Transportation Minister Lisa Raitt on rail safety in Canada. In response to the question “What is the government doing to ensure rail safety” Ms Raitt replied that the Conservative Government has increased rail inspection and employed more inspectors. That is an outright lie! They issued a communique to the rail companies which asked them do more in the matter of rail inspection.
My question is, Why do members of the media not refute these obvious lies and misinformation right there at the time of the interview? Why do they allow politicians to get away with deceiving the public? Partly because of time restraints in the tv production. Each segment of the show is allotted only so much time and therefore in-depth examination of any given subject is impossible.
The real problem is with viewership. First off, most of the public has no time or interest in in-depth analysis, the public has become accustomed to 30 second or less soundbites. The politicians task is to get the soundbite not necessarily the truth.
Secondly, if the interviewer pressed for the truth, politicians would be less likely to accept being interviewed by that interviewer. Politicians all know that the truth is seldom in their political interest. That is the reason Stephen Harper almost never gives interviews or even allows open questions. If name Canadians refuse to be on their TV show then they will have less viewership and hence make less money from advertizing. It is all a matter of profit. Even down to what and how the public is informed on any given topic.
Another huge problem with media is that they have the ability to steer, or influence peoples objectivity toward particular stories. The Sun Media is probably the major example of twisting a story to turn the publics view to their objective, electing another Conservative Government. I’ll show two recent examples.
Sun newspapers ran this editorial January 8, 2014. “Best 2014 pledge? No more scandals”
“Well, we’ve been around the block a few times, but we still think voters and taxpayers should expect a lot out of their politicians.
Call us naive. But if we don’t set the bar high, what exactly are we fighting for anyway?
If we had to pick the top pledge we want politicians to make for 2014, it’s to promise no more scandals.
It seems the public will agree. The latest Nanos Research poll conducted Dec. 14 and 16 shows “the Canadian political mood has turned quite sour.”
However, the mainstream media would have us believe the Senate scandal was the year’s biggest. They never miss a chance to paint Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the most negative light possible.
After all, other scandals harmed taxpayers more.
The Charbonneau Commission continues to probe allegations of corruption surrounding the construction industry, organized crime and public sector contracts — some of which were worth billions. One former mayor has even been charged with gangsterism.
And don’t forget the billion dollars wasted by the Ontario Liberals’ gas plants blunder.
Then there are the personal scandals. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is surprisingly resilient. He may be re-elected in October.
But that doesn’t change the fact he initially misled the public about his crack cocaine use. Even many of his supporters thought he should step down, if only temporarily.
Canadians all across the country are tired of scandals.
The solution? Politicians should focus on doing their jobs. (Crazy idea, eh?) Focus on other priorities. That way we’ll have fewer idle hands and busybodies floating about getting into trouble. So while they’re at it, they should also pledge to no more taxes, no more government programs we don’t need, less debt and less government intrusion in our lives.
Hey, we can dream, right?”
Notice the picture they paint, it’s all about the economy. Can’t miss the downplaying of the Senate scandal and scolding the “Mainstream Media”. Obviously then, Sun Media is not included as mainstream. They go on to show the Liberals scandal cost Canadians far more in dollars. That is true but, Harper’s Scandal cost Canadians far more in democracy, in honesty, in accountability. All these values which Canadians cannot put a dollar value on yet degrade Canada immensely, and humiliate our Parliamentary system, especially in the eyes of the world.
Now take a look at, “China’s not green, Justin“.
“So there can be no misunderstanding, let’s recall exactly what Justin Trudeau said when he was asked at a recent “Ladies’ Night” Liberal fundraiser: “Which nation, besides Canada … do you most admire and why?”
Trudeau answered: “You know, there’s a level of admiration I actually have for China because their basic dictatorship is allowing them to actually turn their economy around on a dime and say ‘we need to go green fastest … we need to start investing in solar’.”
This theme of China becoming the world’s Jolly Green Giant is nothing new in the environmental movement, among those who profess to call themselves green.”
——
“If I had to guess where Trudeau’s view of China comes from, I’d say it’s at least partly from his principal adviser, Gerald Butts, former president and CEO of the World Wildlife Fund Canada.
Prior to that, Butts was principal secretary to then premier Dalton McGuinty, which may explain much of McGuinty’s enthusiasm for wind and solar power, the implementation of which has been a monumental financial and energy disaster in Ontario.
One hopes that whoever convinced Trudeau that China is the Jolly Green Giant of green energy, will also call his attention to a Jan. 8 Reuters report, one of many on the same subject, noting “green” China’s demand for coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, is exploding.”
“The problem with naive observations like Trudeau’s about China’s alleged greenness, is that we see them repeatedly parroted by environmental radicals.
Their real agenda is to undermine the development of Canada’s oilsands — an insignificant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions — along with any pipelines needed to move oil to ports in B.C., the Maritimes, and the Gulf Coast.
Somebody ought to tell Trudeau what’s been going on in the real world when it comes to energy production.”
Take note of an outright mistruth, “Canada’s oilsands — an insignificant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions”
This is obviously an attempt to belittle Trudeau,s bid to become the next PM. Not that I am a big Trudeau fan but would welcome the Liberals over Stephen Harper’s Conservatives.
What’s been going on in the real world Lorrie?
What Goldstein fails to explain in his column is;
A) which G20 country emits the most pollution per Capita?
B) Which one area is the single most GHG producing in the world?
C) Which Province relies most on coal powered electricity?
D) Which country has done most to decrease environmental protection in the past 8 years?
E) Which G20 country is furthest behind on their environment commitments for 2020?