- Harper and the Con's are 'Gravely' wrong, Again

Posted: 5/8/2010 12:31:00 PM The Globe and Mail

‘Viewer-inspired’ CBC poll works Tories into a lather, Jane Taber, May 7, 2010
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/viewer-inspired-cbc-poll-works-tories-into-a-lather/article1560658/

“It would be interesting to find out what issues are most important to women. What qualities they look for in a leader and conversely what issues/characteristics negatively affect their vote.”

I can see how Stephen Harper and the Con's might be concerned that the results are released on a media that reaches out nationally, especially given Harper's extreme right wing position on family planning and dissing financing of International NGO's if they advocate family planning.

Harper, what happened to the media "[shining a] light into dark corners" of government and "assist the process of holding governments accountable”.

If Harper were not simply being hypocritical, what difference does it make if the person who suggested to inquiry were a Liberal.

The fact is that it is a very important question that all Canadians ought to want the answer.

It is easy to see why the CBC would want to discuss the results of such a question. And, it goes both ways. Perhaps Canadians s

This attack by the Con's is simply an application of their general strategy of attacking anyone that might say something that opposes them. To this end they have built, and employ ‘liberally’, a propaganda machine the likes of which Western democracies have not seen in recent times.

If anyone thinks this 'soften them up first, then advance' (or as Bush 'The Lesser', to put it in ancient Roman terms for Tom Flanagan, called it 'Shock and awe', technically known as 'rapid dominance') is an accident then just recall Harper in Haiti "To do soft power, you need hard power" (wow, what a Zen Master, Yoda step aside).

These attacks are more sinister since they are directed at the media and the possible chilling effect on reporting anything that might go against them. Keep in mind that Harper and the Con's spend millions of their own money and many tens of millions of tax payers money in advertizing in the operation of their Propaganda machine.

These attacks are also designed to incite their core of die-hard supporters in Alberta. Why? you say. I am not su ...ah ah aaaa "election" chooo, ...re. Sorry, sneezed .

There is no comparison between the current application of politically motivated attacks by Harper and the Cons and anything previously employed.

These character attacks not only deliberately misrepresent things but are designed to distract people from the real issues, issues that are vitally important to Canada, our way of life and our future.

There is little doubt that dictatorial regimes suppress open and free press an supplant it with their Propaganda.

The Liberal Party, or other the opposition Parties, will not be able to do this by themself. It is something that will have to result from a general awareness, including the media both traditional and Web "[shining a] light into dark corners" of government and "assist the process of holding governments accountable” (to borrow a phrase from Harper).

This, of course, is harder than it sounds given Harper propaganda machine and the huge amounts of tax payers money, as well as Con Party money, Harper spends on media - central to the smooth running of their propaganda machine, the Harper and Con largess is tied to media that publish pro-Con materials

This is a development that, I think, all Canadians should be very concerned about and take action to marginalize it as all right wing extremist philosophies should be in a tolerant, free, open modern democracy .

Lloyd MacILquham cicblog.com/comments.html