Postmedia’s Colby Cosh demonstrates the truth of Jefferson’s quote, “The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers.”
Continue readingTag: Postmedia
Alberta Politics: Forget Postmedia’s paranoid propaganda: Becoming an environmental pariah won’t restore the ‘Alberta Advantage’
PHOTOS: An Alberta oilsands operation (Photo: Kris Krug, Creative Commons). Below: Calgary Herald political columnist Don Braid, Calgary Sun political columnist Rick Bell, and United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney. According to the United Conservative Party and its media echo chamber, there’s “a growing national push to suppress Alberta’s economy.”
Continue readingAlberta Politics: The Vriend Case has been closed for 20 years, but the Alberta political story continues
PHOTOS: The front page of the Toronto Globe and Mail on the day after the Supreme Court’s historic ruling in the Vriend case. Below: A screenshot of Delwin Vriend taken from a recent CBC video; the late Ralph Klein, premier of Alberta (Photo: Chuck Szmurlo, Wikimedia Commons); Jason Kenney, circa
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Is rural crime actually getting worse in Alberta? What we know and what we don’t
PHOTOS: Unlike these guys, real RCMP officers cost money to train, pay and outfit. When he promised many more of them to rural Alberta, Jason Kenney didn’t explain how he proposes to pay the freight. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons.) Below: Mr. Kenney and Postmedia political columnists Don Braid, Rick Bell and
Continue readingAlberta Politics: In case you missed it … Conservatives are in the news, making sure today’s bad ideas are tomorrow’s horrible reality! For you!
PHOTOS: Former Canadian Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, now leader of the Conintern. (Photo: Remy Steinegger, Wikimedia Commons.) Below: Margaret Thatcher, just another moderate leader of the “centre right.” Dig those pointy collars! Mr. Harper’s former lieutenant Jason Kenney, who is now the leader of Alberta’s “centre right.” Stephen Harper
Continue readingScripturient: Honderich’s hypocrisy
In late January, the Toronto Star published a lengthy opinion piece by board chair John Honderich, titled, “We should all be very concerned by the crisis facing quality journalism.” But just in case you thought this was really just about journalism and not a political screed, there’s the telling subhead:
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Public opinion research standards body to announce details of inquiry into Calgary election polling results this week
PHOTOS: Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, apparently as puzzled by the results of some polls last fall as many other Calgarians were. Below: Marketing Research and Intelligence Association CEO Dr. Kara Mitchelmore (Photo: Linked-In), Mainstreet Research President Quito Maggi (Photo: Mainstreet Research), Mount Royal University political science Professor Duane Bratt (Photo:
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Con Media’s Pornographic Assault On Our Democracy
I think by now you probably know what I think about our grubby Con media, and how much they disgust me.You know what I thought about them during Stephen Harper's monstrous decade in power, when they fell over themselves trying to polish his behind, or blow his tiny trumpet.And I'm
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Owen Jones discusses how an ideology of individualism has undermined both freedom and security for most of the UK’s citizens: There are several reasons why rampant individualism sits at the core of the Tory project. Individualism promotes the idea that our successes
Continue readingScripturient: The death of community newspapers
In 1857 – a year before Collingwood was incorporated as a town – John Hogg launched the Enterprise. The first local newspaper started its presses. In 1870, David Robson launched its first competitor: the Bulletin. In 1881, the Bulletin was sold to William Williams and J.G. Hand. William’s 17-year-old son,
Continue readingIn-Sights: Corporate media works for some but not for its audience
Earlier this year, American Bernie Sanders warned us about the failures of corporate media. In How Corporate Media Threatens Democracy, he wrote: …For years, major crises like climate change, the impact of trade agreements on our economy, the role of big money in politics and youth unemployment have received scant
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Abandon hope, all UCP who enter here? Ted Byfield may have opened the gates to Lake of Fire 2.0
PHOTOS: Social conservative publisher and ideologue Ted Byfield (Photo: Screenshot of Youtube Video). Below: United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney, NDP Education Minister David Eggen, and Calgary-West UCP MLA Mike Ellis (Photo: Screenshot of CBC broadcast). It’s fair to suggest Ted Byfield always dreamed of being able to direct Alberta’s
Continue readingIn-Sights: Postmedia’s colours
Rafe Mair was a man with long experience in government, journalism and political activism. He warned us of the consequences after Canada’s largest newspaper chain crawled in bed with the fossil fuel industry. We have an illustrative example this weekend. Saturday, hundreds of protesters took to the waters of Burrard
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Jason Kenney wins, completing double reverse hostile takeover of Alberta’s conservative parties
PHOTOS: Jason Kenney celebrates his victory last night in Calgary. (Photo: @JasonKenney Twitter account, where it was posted without attribution.) Below: Brian Jean, gone fishin’ … with his wife, photo from his Twitter account. Is this what the future holds for the former Wildrose leader? Next, Doug Schweitzer, the third
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Calgary polling fiasco leaves Postmedia, pollster with egg on their faces, critics furious, and mayor safely back in office
PHOTOS: Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi in the marbled hallways of the Alberta Legislature. He was reelected to his third term on Oct. 16. Below: Mainstreet Research pollster Quito Maggi (Photo: Mainstreet Research), Mainstreet Executive VP David Valentin (Photo: Twitter), Mount Royal University political science professor Duane Bratt (Photo: CBC), and
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Right-wing propaganda instantly pivots to explain away progressive successes Monday in Alberta municipal elections
PHOTOS: Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, who overcame a full-blown attack by all the usual suspects on the right in Monday’s Alberta-wide municipal elections, addressing the biennial convention of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions in Calgary in June. Below: Bill Smith, Mr. Nenshi’s main conservative challenger, who didn’t do as
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Con Media’s Outrageous Assault on the Liberals
As you know I have very little respect for the corporate media in this country, for its right-wing bias couldn't be more shabby or more blatant.With only few exceptions, it's little more than a propaganda outlet for the Cons.Its mission is to return them and their creepy leader to power
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Unionization campaign at the National Post is steeped in irony, and not just because hell has frozen over
PHOTOS: A couple of strikers picket the Calgary Herald Building, proudly bearing its National Post sign, in 1999 or 2000. You’ll probably recognize one of them. The other is my friend, the late Brock Ketcham. The building is now for sale and its tiny journalistic staff is holed up, appropriately
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Sic transit gloria mundi … Globe and Mail, a ‘writers’ newspaper’ no more or a national one either, cans two great columnists
PHOTOS: This was the way into the Globe and Mail back when it was located at the unfashionable west end of Toronto’s Front Street. The door was moved. Apparently the “writers’ newspaper” behind it didn’t come with it. Below: Fired Globe columnists Tabatha Southey and Leah McLaren (Photos: Twitter). Many
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Another Trudeau Hater Trashes Canada in the United States
You might think that the Cons would know better to keep trashing our country and our government in the United States. Especially after polls showed that their treasonous behaviour wasn't making them any more popular in Canada. But sadly that's not the case. For first there was Peter Kent, then
Continue reading