Since when does “free thinker” mean the same thing as “screechy right-winger?” In Ottawa, however, it appears to.
Fred Litwin is the man behind the so-called “Free Thinking Film Festival,” and this will give the flavour of it:
[P]lease don’t miss our first self-produced documentary – “The Biases of the CBC” which documents CBC bias against Israel and against conservatives. After the film, we will be conducting a panel discussion with Brian Lilley of Sun News, Eric Duhaime of Le Journal de Montreal, Stephen Taylor of the National Citizens Coalition, and Mike Fegelman of HonestReporting Canada. “The Biases of the CBC” will be held on Sunday, November 13th, at 2 PM at the Library & Archives Canada (395 Wellington). [emphases and links added]
The unintended irony here is simply delicious. A uni-political panel, including two employees of Quebecor, for crying out loud, will be here assembled to decry bias.
And to rub salt in the wounds of those of us who defend the publicly-funded CBC, Fred’s organization makes, er, liberal use of public facilities: the Bronson Centre (municipal) and the National Archives (federal). The anti-bias panel is taking place in the latter location. In other words, we’re all subsidizing this far-right gabfest.
Privatize the Free Thinking Film Festival, I say. Or I would, at least, if I thought the same way they do.
[H/t to Canadian Cynic for the idea]