Stephen Harper's Worldview

For those seeking insight into how Stephen Harper and his regime views the world, The Star's Tim Harper offers some interesting insights.

In New York snubbing the U.N. while accepting his reward award as World Statesman of the Year from the Appeal of Conscience Appeal, the Prime Minister offered the following justification, which is patently emblematic of his Manichean view of the world:

He said Canadians expect their governments to act with international partners for the “wider interests of humanity . . . that is, of course, not the same thing as trying to court every dictator with a vote at the United Nations . . .

... Harper said the world must not shrink from recognizing the evil that is Iran, and called on the international community to do more to further pressure and isolate the regime.

It is this Iranian evil that compels Canada to speak out in support of Israel, Harper said, because those who would target Israel threaten all free and democratic societies.

“We should never consider others evil merely because they disagree with us,’’ he said, “or because they compete with us.’’

But when evil dominates, one will find irreconcilable disagreements with Canada, he said.

And now to the 'good':

It is this Iranian evil that compels Canada to speak out in support of Israel, Harper said, because those who would target Israel threaten all free and democratic societies.

“Our government does refuse to use international (forums) to single out Israel for criticism.”

Sorry for the lengthy excerpts, but I find the repetition of the word evil quite revealing of Harper's unsophisticated and simplistic worldview.

No word on what adjective the Prime Minister would use to describe Israel's treatment of the Palestinians in the occupied territories, or the fact that the military attack against Iran that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is advocating would cost countless lives.

Stephen Harper's Sins

On the day that Stephen Harper is to receive his World Statesman of the Year award from the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, presumably for his unstinting and uncritical support of Israel, the Huffington Post has a timely piece reminding us of some of the Prime Minister's myriad failings on both the international and domestic front.

Those who prefer to think critically rather than simply absorb propaganda will find the article of some interest.

News That Gladdens My Heart

Despite its oft-proclaimed demised, print journalism seems to be alive and well, at least in the GTA. As reported in today's edition, The Toronto Star is enjoying record readership:

The Toronto Star retains its title as the most-read newspaper in the Greater Toronto Area, with more than 1 million readers a day, according to the latest survey by the Newspaper Audience Databank, known as NADbank.

The Star’s weekday readership stands at 1,005,300 in the Greater Toronto Area. That is an increase of 4.1 per cent from the same period a year ago, the NADbank 2011/12 Mid-Year Study shows.

The survey also shows that combined print and online readership of the Star in the GTA stands at 2.3 million adults. That’s up 0.8 per cent from a year earlier.

This is especially good news, as it is without doubt an affirmation of the public's appetite for quality journalism, journalism that combines a social mission (The Atkinson Principles) with excellent writing, investigative journalism that results in societal improvement, and real integrity.

Unlike The Globe and Mail, now collapsing under the weight of inept management, a plagiarism scandal, and a narrow political agenda, The Star continues to make its way in the world with the intention of improving it, amply demonstrating that it can inform, entertain, and better our world without resorting to sanctimonious self-promotion, posturing, or propaganda.

It is one of the reasons I look forward to getting up each day.

Words Fail Me

This, from our enlightened cousins to the south.

H/t Let Freedom Rain

Social Media and Margaret Wente

About two years ago, I wrote a blog post explaining why we cancelled our subscription to The Globe and Mail. At the same time, I sent an email with a link to the post to Globe editor-in-chief John Stackhouse, suggesting that if he wanted to know why he had lost a long-term subscriber, he should read my post.

Later that evening, I received a response from Stackhouse which I have never discussed in this blog, simply because I regarded it as private communication. While I am not prepared to reveal the content of the letter, I will tell you his closing observation, which was something along the lines of, "You seem to prefer the smaller world of the blogosphere. Sad."

Well, it would seem that the world of bloggers is not so small after all, given it was Medi Culpa's analysis of Margaret Wente's plagiarism that has created something of a firestorm within the world of journalism, shaking to its foundations the once proud Globe. In his column today, The Star's Tim Harper addresses the role it plays in journalists' lives, and how it forces everyone to be very careful in how they write.

Of additional interest is a brief profile of Professor Carol Wainio, the blogger behind Media Culpa.

Oh, and Torontoist has some thoughts worth perusal as well.

Linda McQuaig on Neo-Conservative Contempt

There are some columnists whose work I am loathe to miss. For example, over at the Globe, unlike some people I could name, Lawrence Martin writes with precision and integrity, never failing to take to task the endless abuses heaped upon the electorate by the Harper regime.

At the Star, amongst many others, there is Linda McQuaig's monthly reminder of the injustices of a system that exploits the poor and enriches the elite. In her latest piece, entitled Mitt Romney blurts out the truth about neo-conservatism, McQuaig lacerates the self-serving practices and rhetoric of the hugely-entitled while discussing how traditional conservatism has been supplanted over the past 30 years, borrowing an insight from John Kenneth Galbraith when he described this “modern” conservative as engaged in “the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.”

Although using Mitt Romney's recent gaffe revealing his contempt for about half of America's citizens, she also asserts,

Modern conservatism — or neo-conservatism — has infected Canada too, coming to fruition under the Harper majority government, which has intervened aggressively on the side of corporations against working people, and dismantled vital environmental protections in order to enrich energy mega-corporations.

Thought-provoking material from a writer always worth reading.

Promoting Hatred In NYC Subways

It is hard to believe that a people that have been so dehumanized, disparaged and persecuted throughout much of history should think that this is acceptable.