Political media commentary in Canada is usually funny.
Lately, commentary on federal politics is even funnier.
Example The First: Winston Smith makes several cogent observations which should - among other things - put to death that always laughable Connie excuse that the news media are biased in favour of the Liberals. Read Winston. He’s always sharp as a tack. he’s not the funny stuff; the people he’s writing about are funny, albeit not meaning to be laughable.
Example The Second: the bevy of comment in many quarters prompted by the Prime Minister’s recent tickling of the ivories at the National Arts Centre. Again, unintentionally risible.
You got your American bloggers of the conservative variety.
You got your locals of the something variety, including the line “I am growing more and more impressed with Stephen Harper.” Now just note that for what it’s worth. If that comment is coming from that source, be sure that there will be no ABC campaign in the next federal election.
But anyway…
There are news stories and columns all over the place.
Only one journalist so far has nailed the point about the whole NAC thing and she did so this morning with a pithy line to the effect that the piano is the latest version of the sweater vest.
In other words, it’s a contrivance. Sure the guy plays the piano but the entire episode was designed to create exactly the commentary it is generating.
As great as that is, it is a sure sign of just how vacuous is the political landscape that the biggest national story is that the PM can bash out a Beatles tune on the nearest Yamaha.
It’s as irrelevant to the universe as the claim the Liberals are on a campaign to bring the government down or any protest that Jack Layton and his Dippers propped up Stephen Harper just recently because they could score some dough for their peeps.
All three federal political parties are suffering from a gross leadership problem the proof of which is the fact that the big news out of Ottawa is about Denis Coderre, a non-election scare and a guy who took music lessons.
In the meantime, just think about the stuff that none of them are actually talking about.
Anyone been following economic news lately, for example?
-srbp-
5 comments:
Generally, the MSM in Canada is biased against the political right...until the facts can no longer be ignored...then they turn on their benefactors with the ferocity of hungry piranha.
They did it to Turner...
They did it to Martin...
They did it to Dion...
Now is Iggy's turn under the spotlight.
Your boy is doomed and the MSM can now smell the blood in the water.
Man, no wonder people who think like that wouldn't sign their real name.
It's like the X-Files meets the Twilight Zone right down to the idiotic "your boy" comment.
I swear there's nothing out there that couldn't be fixed with a massive program to put some people on some serious doses of benzodiazepines.
With respect Ed, the Coderre story is yesterday's news (and it *was* news), there are strong signs the economic recovery is real (see Australia's recent move) and Harper didn't take music lessons - he taught himself to play the piano.
David
Alright, let's leave the Coderre one to one side. it was news but nowhere near as important as some people made it.
The recovery might be real but there's plenty of reason to believe it is a way off yet.
And the fact he taught himself to play the piano is a trivial detail. The whole piano playing thing is trivial and was part of a very well executed bit of diversion.
David,
Before you start getting excited about the rate hike in Australia, I'd recommend that you read this piece by the Guardian on whether the 8th largest economy in the world is becoming a failed state. And for a sense of how ugly things are getting in the U.S., see this piece in the NYRB. It might be less fun than reading the Globe, but there's a reason for that.
Winston
Post a Comment