Pretty much every time I hear Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper or one of his Conservative minions speak, I think of this song: “Propaganda” by the defunct punk/Oi! band Blitz. The same goes for when I hear Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne or one of her provincial Liberal hacks spew BS
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Left Over: Should the CBC Walk the Proverbial Plank?
http://montrealsimon.blogspot.ca/2015/01/what-needs-to-be-said-about-cbc-scandals.html The only valid argument for saving the CBC is that it has a MANDATE, coast to coast to coast, to be there for all the people of this country, to disseminate information (however flawed that process might be these days..) and news for the entire country, especially those
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: In the Time of the "Official Truth" There’s No Room for Journalism
John Pilger looks at what the Western media offer up as journalism and sees instead propaganda. He sees the essence of the mainstream media as not information but power. The world is facing the prospect of major war, perhaps nuclear war – with the United States clearly determined to isolate
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Danger and Delusion: From ISIS to Ebola
There are very real dangers in the world, but let’s not lose all perspective. Perspective is everything. Don’t believe the hype. It must be stated directly: the majority of people have wildly irrational, and frankly delusional modes of thinking when it comes to risk assessment. And of course, pre-formed, unreflective
Continue readingdrive-by planet: Video of Syrian boy ‘hero’ under sniper fire exposed as fake: other Syria-related propaganda
In its coverage of a video that purported to show a Syrian boy braving sniper fire in the course of rescuing a young girl, the Daily Mail lauded the spectacle as an act of heroism. The accompanying article claimed the video was believed to have been shot in Yabroud, a
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: So, Just Who Is The Terrorist Here?
In 2014 in Canada, we have had several incidents involving people attacking various institutions and symbols of government. Consider the following list: January: “GG” Plans an attack on a Veteran’s Affairs office in Calgary June: Justin Bourque shoots 3 RCMP Officers in New Brunswick October: Martin Rouleau hits and kills
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Media Lens – Our Propaganda
I’m always amused when I see people commentating on the “liberal bias” in the media. It is usually followed by a trenchant analysis of at least one instance of how news corporation X has finally gone off the rails and has lost all of its journalistic integrity blah blah blah.
Continue readingAlberta Diary: The ‘research’ the Fraser Institute produces is junk – have a happy Labour Day!
An unidentified Fraser Institute “fellow” explains to a couple of young Manning Centre interns how giving workers the right to bargain collectively stunts job growth, and also how dinosaurs and men walked the earth at the same time. Actual Fraser Institute employees may not appear or act exactly as illustrated.
Continue readingIsrael vs. Hamas or Likud vs. Gaza—framing the issue
A major goal in a propaganda war is to frame the issue on your terms. For example, in labour disputes, businesses (and their political and media allies) often claim the argument is not with the workers but with the “union bosses.” The objective is to convince the public and perhaps
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Israel & Palestine – It’s All a Game of Who Controls the Narrative
And it’s a game in which Israel and its collaborators abroad consistently win. The side with the loudest, most professional voice – Israel, of course – gets the all important advantage of fixing the beginning of the conflict. Israel decides what started it and exactly when. What happened before that
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Noam Chomsky on media’s “shameful moment” in Gaza
by: Democracy Now! | Posted Mon. Aug 11, 2014 As a new 72-hour ceasefire takes hold in Gaza, we turn to part two of our interview with world-renowned dissident and linguist,MIT Professor Noam Chomsky. Criticizing U.S. media coverage of the Israeli assault on Gaza, Chomsky says: “It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Is the Washington Post Even Trying Anymore?
My brother sent me a link to a photo-essay in The Washington Post said to depict an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. It’s a nice story as these things go. The homeowner receives a friendly call from Israelis telling him to get out of the building immediately as it’s about to
Continue readingdrive-by planet: The West’s dangerous game: anti-Russia media hype and the MH-17 blame game
Obama continued with the blame game this week as a raft of new sanctions were introduced against Russia. In remarks directed at Moscow, he said that the ‘destabilization of a sovereign country [Ukraine] cannot be accepted in 21st century Europe.’ Obama must have a short and highly selective memory. It
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: John Pilger on Ukraine Situation
The US is doing it again. “In February, the US mounted one of its “colour” coups against the elected government in Ukraine, exploiting genuine protests against corruption in Kiev. Obama’s national security adviser Victoria Nuland personally selected the leader of an “interim government”. She nicknamed him “Yats”. Vice President Joe
Continue readingdrive-by planet: Israeli propaganda and spin seeks to justify Gaza attack: yet another civilian bloodbath
Top: Wounded Palestinian girl following strike in northern Gaza strip Below: Israeli strike on buildings in Khan Younis / Palestinian boy with younger wounded sibling upon learning family was killed in strike Yet another bloodbath in Gaza. One of the most powerful militaries on the planet is once again turning
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Effective Counter To Oil Companies’ Greenwash Propaganda
The following definition of greenwashing is offered by Wikipedia: Greenwashing (a compound word modelled on “whitewash”), or “green sheen,”[1][2] is a form of spin in which green PR or green marketing is deceptively used to promote the perception that an organization’s products, aims or policies are environmentally friendly. Most of
Continue readingThings Are Good: Remembering Tiananmen Square
25 years ago in Tiananmen Square there was a protest against the Chinese government. The protest was dealt with lethal force by the government – killing many people. Since then, the Chinese government has blocked any discussion about the protest and has greatly censored information on it. Obviously all of
Continue readingdrive-by planet: US corporate media propaganda: NYT’s misleading photo ‘evidence’ of Russian soldiers in east Ukraine
Back in 2003, when Colin Powell presented “evidence” at the UN to back up the White House claim that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, major US news outlets ran the story believing the Bush administration had the goods. During the UN presentation Russia’s ambassador at the time, Sergei
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Sound Familiar?
H/t Occupy Canada “You can’t control people by force anymore, but you can get them to focus on nothing but maxing out five credit cards, okay you got them.” H/t Noam Chomsky Recommend this Post
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Kim Sung Harper
Wow … just wow. I never would have believed it if I hadn’t seen it. I still can’t quite believe that it’s being done in Canada, to Canadians … at our expense. It seems that Harper has found a use for the money that he is “saving” by shutting down
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