A round-up on journalism's highs & lows: Pharmacare Frenzy, Airdrops in Gaza, Spies in Winnipeg & some previously paywalled content with a brief post by that star candidate the Conservatives ditched.
A question I ask, every morning. "And what fresh hell awaits us this week?" Some days I don't even want to look. Or read. Then, when I do....my heart hurts to the core at how unrecognizable Canada is now. Thanks once again.
Regarding the well named "Intifada Lobby" and its "winning ways" like harassing clothing chains over an insane claim that a promo shot in the early fall was some how mocking the deaths of infants in Gaza, or targeting a Toronto hospital en route to protest outside the US Consulate because said hospital was founded by the Jewish community but provides care to all, perhaps we might take some comfort from a sighting made by the U of Toronto's newly delegated "special adviser" for "better civil discourse". Professor Randy Boyagoda (who I first encountered years ago via CBC's Ideas when it did a series of broadcasts about the dangers of tolerating intolerance) made the following observation to The Current's host, Matt Galloway on February 26th: "Early January, back in term, I was walking past, walking through Sydney Smith Hall, the main academic building of the Faculty of Arts and Science on U of T Saint George campus. And I noticed a group of students who were organizing a Palestinian solidarity rally inside the building. And what I was struck by more than anything else was not the, you know, couple of dozen students who were organizing, but the dozens, if not hundreds of students who saw it put their heads down and kept on walking. That was what, it didn't surprise me that there were students organizing a protest. What surprised and dismayed me, to some degree, was the indication of students who just didn't want to in engage this, didn't like the idea of it for whatever set of reasons, and just moved through on to something else." Now, the U of T has had at least 20 years of the "Intifada Lobby", including the very first staging of Israel Apartheid Week in the spring of 2005, when protesters prevented Israeli Arab journalist and former PLO communications officer Khaled Abu Toameh from speaking in opposition to IAW, so it's maybe not that surprising that the general student population gives these bullying, belligerent gaslighters a wide berth.
Excellent observation. I really like Khaled Abu Toameh. Only met him a couple of times but his work is always top-drawer. Funny you should mention Galloway. He and I have what you could call a history, and given his recent byelection win in the UK I've been thinking about writing a piece about his well-situated Canadian fan base.
I only know KAT via social media, but have enormous respect for him. To be clear thought, I was referring to Matt Galloway, host of the Current, and not Gobshite George Galloway, returned to Parliament by the voters of Rochdale, who were so eager to "send a message" to Keir Starmer, that they blocked out of their minds why Galloway lost the two previous seats he parachuted into first in Bradford East and later Bethnal Green and Bow (in short because he was an utter scumbag who spread vicious lies about rival politician Naz Shah and was successfully sued by his former office manager over the 30,000 pounds she foolishly lent him in connection with a real estate purchase) and why he received less than 1% of the vote when he ran for mayor of London a few years back.
Thank you Terry for the endless look behind the curtain. I am unfamiliar with the Iranian interference, although I know it exists, I did not realize just how prevelent it is in Canada. I hope that Pierre, if elected, will end this and put forward a Foreign Regestry to control much of the constant interference into Canadian political affairs. It is apparent that Conservatives and all parties must chose their candidtates extremely carefully and back them sufficiently. There needs to be a way to ensure those with only the most positive intentions get elected, over those with the backing of the Iranian regime, its propoganda, and its interference into Canadian political affairs. It is what harms our democracy and causes danger to those who came here seeking refuge from the tyranny we now see evolving with in our own Canadian Government. We see exactly how it has come to be and why politician's of all backgrounds should be screened and vetted to ensure they will work for Canada and Canadian's over their country of origin and have only positive and democratic intent going forward. It appears we have candidates working for their country of origin within our Government, over that of what is best for Canada and Canadian interests. This has to end now. It comes to mind that perhaps those with a Canadian citisenship only, no other citisenship or dual ones, should be allowed to run for office. That way it ensures that foreign interference is kept to a minimum and it's Canadian's running Canada. Not full proof, as we see with the Liberals and globalist elites, but will perhaps keep foreign interference down with in the walls of our Parliament. It appears far to many candidates have other interests and attachments to foreign entities that do not have Canada's best interests at heart.
Very well put Marylou. I agree that those running for Parliament must be Canadian citizens only. That won't do for the Liberals (think Pierre Pettigrew, Stephane Dion) and a former GG now having her pension cheques forwarded to France. It's time for Canada to admit that our concept of multiculturalism has been a failure. Instead of promoting our ideals and aspirations, we have given untold millions to immigrant societies to maintain THEIR cultures here, their languages here. We have only succeeded in perpetuating their hatreds, their putrid politics, and their internecine intolerances. I'm first generation Canadian. My parents made every (I mean every) effort to assimilate with our culture, as did millions of other pre and post WW2 immigrants.
Do you remember when Trudeau and the Liberals were calling out Andrew Shear due to his double citizenship (due to his father being from the US) during the election? The majority of Trudeau’s cabinet have dual citizenship, and it is not a US one either. Imagine them having the audacity to even mention it.
I agree. I actually think Canada should stop dual citizenship completely. Pick your country! We should not be rescueing "Canadians" who don't live here! (Obviously work terms in other countries is fine)
How embarrassing for Canada that Trudeau and Meloni could not enter an event on Saturday in Toronto due to security concerns. It is all very well to want to de-escalate tensions when dealing with the pro-Palestine crowd, but really? Protesters now dictate where the PM is allowed to go?
A question I ask, every morning. "And what fresh hell awaits us this week?" Some days I don't even want to look. Or read. Then, when I do....my heart hurts to the core at how unrecognizable Canada is now. Thanks once again.
I feel much the same.
Regarding the well named "Intifada Lobby" and its "winning ways" like harassing clothing chains over an insane claim that a promo shot in the early fall was some how mocking the deaths of infants in Gaza, or targeting a Toronto hospital en route to protest outside the US Consulate because said hospital was founded by the Jewish community but provides care to all, perhaps we might take some comfort from a sighting made by the U of Toronto's newly delegated "special adviser" for "better civil discourse". Professor Randy Boyagoda (who I first encountered years ago via CBC's Ideas when it did a series of broadcasts about the dangers of tolerating intolerance) made the following observation to The Current's host, Matt Galloway on February 26th: "Early January, back in term, I was walking past, walking through Sydney Smith Hall, the main academic building of the Faculty of Arts and Science on U of T Saint George campus. And I noticed a group of students who were organizing a Palestinian solidarity rally inside the building. And what I was struck by more than anything else was not the, you know, couple of dozen students who were organizing, but the dozens, if not hundreds of students who saw it put their heads down and kept on walking. That was what, it didn't surprise me that there were students organizing a protest. What surprised and dismayed me, to some degree, was the indication of students who just didn't want to in engage this, didn't like the idea of it for whatever set of reasons, and just moved through on to something else." Now, the U of T has had at least 20 years of the "Intifada Lobby", including the very first staging of Israel Apartheid Week in the spring of 2005, when protesters prevented Israeli Arab journalist and former PLO communications officer Khaled Abu Toameh from speaking in opposition to IAW, so it's maybe not that surprising that the general student population gives these bullying, belligerent gaslighters a wide berth.
Excellent observation. I really like Khaled Abu Toameh. Only met him a couple of times but his work is always top-drawer. Funny you should mention Galloway. He and I have what you could call a history, and given his recent byelection win in the UK I've been thinking about writing a piece about his well-situated Canadian fan base.
I only know KAT via social media, but have enormous respect for him. To be clear thought, I was referring to Matt Galloway, host of the Current, and not Gobshite George Galloway, returned to Parliament by the voters of Rochdale, who were so eager to "send a message" to Keir Starmer, that they blocked out of their minds why Galloway lost the two previous seats he parachuted into first in Bradford East and later Bethnal Green and Bow (in short because he was an utter scumbag who spread vicious lies about rival politician Naz Shah and was successfully sued by his former office manager over the 30,000 pounds she foolishly lent him in connection with a real estate purchase) and why he received less than 1% of the vote when he ran for mayor of London a few years back.
Thank you Terry for the endless look behind the curtain. I am unfamiliar with the Iranian interference, although I know it exists, I did not realize just how prevelent it is in Canada. I hope that Pierre, if elected, will end this and put forward a Foreign Regestry to control much of the constant interference into Canadian political affairs. It is apparent that Conservatives and all parties must chose their candidtates extremely carefully and back them sufficiently. There needs to be a way to ensure those with only the most positive intentions get elected, over those with the backing of the Iranian regime, its propoganda, and its interference into Canadian political affairs. It is what harms our democracy and causes danger to those who came here seeking refuge from the tyranny we now see evolving with in our own Canadian Government. We see exactly how it has come to be and why politician's of all backgrounds should be screened and vetted to ensure they will work for Canada and Canadian's over their country of origin and have only positive and democratic intent going forward. It appears we have candidates working for their country of origin within our Government, over that of what is best for Canada and Canadian interests. This has to end now. It comes to mind that perhaps those with a Canadian citisenship only, no other citisenship or dual ones, should be allowed to run for office. That way it ensures that foreign interference is kept to a minimum and it's Canadian's running Canada. Not full proof, as we see with the Liberals and globalist elites, but will perhaps keep foreign interference down with in the walls of our Parliament. It appears far to many candidates have other interests and attachments to foreign entities that do not have Canada's best interests at heart.
Very well put Marylou. I agree that those running for Parliament must be Canadian citizens only. That won't do for the Liberals (think Pierre Pettigrew, Stephane Dion) and a former GG now having her pension cheques forwarded to France. It's time for Canada to admit that our concept of multiculturalism has been a failure. Instead of promoting our ideals and aspirations, we have given untold millions to immigrant societies to maintain THEIR cultures here, their languages here. We have only succeeded in perpetuating their hatreds, their putrid politics, and their internecine intolerances. I'm first generation Canadian. My parents made every (I mean every) effort to assimilate with our culture, as did millions of other pre and post WW2 immigrants.
Do you remember when Trudeau and the Liberals were calling out Andrew Shear due to his double citizenship (due to his father being from the US) during the election? The majority of Trudeau’s cabinet have dual citizenship, and it is not a US one either. Imagine them having the audacity to even mention it.
I agree. I actually think Canada should stop dual citizenship completely. Pick your country! We should not be rescueing "Canadians" who don't live here! (Obviously work terms in other countries is fine)
How embarrassing for Canada that Trudeau and Meloni could not enter an event on Saturday in Toronto due to security concerns. It is all very well to want to de-escalate tensions when dealing with the pro-Palestine crowd, but really? Protesters now dictate where the PM is allowed to go?