04.26.2013 02:49 PM

Judge us by our enemies, not our friends, CRTC gods

As you may be aware, I am the House Communist© at Sun News. I write a couple columns for them a week, and I go on their TV network a couple times a week.

It’s unlikely you’ve ever seen me on the network, given that it is nestled up near channel 682 on your dial. After the foreign-language channels that you pay for.

I don’t, of course, agree with 99 per cent of what is said on the Sun News Network. In fact, I go on there to gleefully rebut it. I also go on to defend just about every single misdeed and misstep that progressives make, real or perceived (usually perceived). I enjoy it.

I’m a Liberal from Alberta, so I am used to being surrounded by conservatives. They don’t scare me. At Sun News, in fact, they’re pretty good to me. With the exception of one celebrated incident, they let me say and write whatever I want. That hasn’t ever happened to me at any other media joint, including the ones owned by self-described progressives.

Anyway. The CRTC hearings about Sun News have been of more than passing interest to me, even though I’m just a Sun contributor, not an employee. Mainly, I’ve been interested in the Sun opponents who have been invited to appear. Here’s a short summary of some of the ones who are showing up.

  • Gustavo Ruiz:  Gustavo is kind of angry.  He wants Stephen Harper charged with treason.  In his missive to the CRTC, Gustavo said, after he eyeballed Sun News, he felt “like taking a shower in a desperate effort to clean off the filth.”  Wow! He also says Sun News “should be banned from the public airwaves” because we have a “fascist ideology.” Holy smokes! In my punk rock youth, when I wrote songs about smashing the state, I would have punched Gustavo in the face for that.  In my old age, I just wonder: “Why would the CRTC invite a charter member of the tin foil brigade to testify?”
  • Jeff Hanks:  Jeff is an Occupy guy, and I kind of like that.  Anyone who read Fight The Right knows I liked the Occupiers.  In his missive to the CRTC, however, Jeff said he didn’t “want this offensive garbage on cable filling Canadians with propaganda from gov’ts and corporations. The future of a Canada that is equal, environmentally minded, socially just is at stake. If these people are allowed on cable it will be very harmful to people that do not have a lot of education and are vulnerable to their ideas that are setting back Canada 20-30 years.”  Hmm.  What I found a bit offensive, there – and quite un-Occupy – was Jeff’s apparent suggestion is that you, the public, are morons and automatons, who believe every damn thing you see on TV.  That’s silly.  So, possibly, is Jeff.
  • Dimitri Lascaris:  Dimitri is a lawyer and a seemingly accomplished fellow.  In his request to appear before the CRTC, he said that Sun news is “a propaganda organ and is designed to mislead and manipulate the public into supporting an agenda that is decidedly pro-business.”  Like Jeff, above, Dimitri is implying that Canadians are uncritical, unintelligent empty vessels, into which the evil Sun News overlords pour Satanic thoughts.  Believe me, Dimitri: if we could do that, we’d be doing that to get you to buy expensive stuff you don’t need, not just watch a TV show.
  • Kevin Donaldson:  Kevin is 18 years old, but he wears ties and vests in public.  That alone should result in him being banned, not Sun News.  Bow ties are worse than vests, but not by much.
  • Matthew Hays:  Mr. Hays is journalist, and – as such – he works for lots of different news organizations.  Ie., Sun News’ competitors.  In that way, he’s like Glen McGregor, except more accomplished.
  • Tod Maffin:  Tod is kind of like Matthew, above, but way worse.  Tod’s actually the CBC’s “national technology columnist.”  He’s paid by the CBC to do his thing.  He says Sun News is “garbage,” “absolutely biased,” and:  “[Sun News] should NOT be allowed on Canadian television.  I am appalled that the CRTC is even considering adding this channel to basic cable. Please, toss Sun “News” off the air.”  It is so obvious it doesn’t even merit saying, but here goes: the views of someone paid by a competitor are, well, the views of someone paid by a competitor.  They’re what you’d expect.  Pepsi vs. Coke, Tory vs. Grit, Hatfield vs. McCoy.  Does anyone really listen to what one side says about the other?  Well, no.  Duh.
  • Michael Sona:  He’s the guy who is facing charges by Elections Canada.  My suggestion that some other folks accused of breaking the law – Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Sheen – be brought in by the CRTC have, so far, gone unanswered.  How come? Not fair!

Anyway, I’ve had some fun, but you get the point, I hope.  CRTC, by all means, do your job.  Hear from both sides.

But, for the love God, can you get a better crop of opponents?

85 Comments

  1. Jordyn M says:

    As always, the greatest enemy to the Canadian left is the Canadian left.

    You’ve shown one of the more frustrating aspects of progressives — the sneering elitism to some (incorrectly generalized) plebian ignorance. This meme that the media Canadian voter is some unthinking sheeple is how we get Stephen Harpers.

  2. jack says:

    I have never seen Sun news and do not ever intend to watch one second. However, as far as the application goes, they and all these other money losing horrible channels that are forced into my already too expensive cable bundle need to take a step back. Why do I have to pay for them? Most and probably most notably Sun News, is the lead screamer about market forces and being subsidized, etc…yet here they are asking for that exact thing. The consumer should not pay for something they do not want or like. These channels should all be pick and pay. NO bundles. If I like it, I pick it. Then if they can’t make it….too bad. Consumers are tired of being force fed bank fees, mobile phone bills and cable bills by companies in oligopolies with little competition who go about doing whatever they want and claiming its a “free market”, when in fact, they just copy each other (and hire staff from each other) to maximize grotesque profits that are a result of little or no competition. Sun News and all those other cable networks can be broadcast as much as they want….as long as they get people to pay for their unbundled product. CRTC do your job.

    • David says:

      All they are asking for is the same sort of level playing field that CBC news world got and the same the CTV news also recieved. fair is fair right? or are you just too afraid that the message that comes from SUN News does not fit your agenda and you dont want the bogeyman on your TV unless the CBC tells you its ok?

      BTW I am not a Sun News lover either but I believe in fair play and practices .

  3. Sean says:

    I’ve been increasingly pleased with Warren’s Sun columns in the past few months. Sure he’s a liberal and he’s upfront about it. But to his credit, he’s able to embrace a far wider reality than the narrow minded control freaks from either side of the political spectrum.

    One can make the argument that the SUN is a propaganda machine. But it would as easy, perhaps easier, to make the same argument about the Toronto Star. Case in point Martin Regg Cohn.However unlike Regg, who is a journalistic gyroscope to any political argument, I would argue that Kinsella is not.

    Communists have absolutely zero tolerance for competition. In Castro’s Cuba, voicing your opinion contrary to the political system, could well result in a visit from the Rapid Response Brigade. But Cuban’s continue to fight for things which we take for granted (freedom of speech, freedom of expression etc,) even though many are imprisoned for doing such. This certainly isn’t what I would ever want for Canada.

    As Kinsella has stated, he’s not afraid to debate the issue’s and in so doing he exercises his hard fought for rights, perhaps beginning with Magna Carta, And by engaging debate with Brian Lilly , the two of them, unintentionally perhaps, manage to kick bias into the grave.

  4. CaligulaJones says:

    I’m a conservative who doesn’t watch SunTV. (I don’t watch ANY MSM news except local, and then only to bitch about the 5 minutes of actual news). And I hate the Peladeus for what they’ve done to Ontario newspapers, especially the Sun).

    I certainly doesn’t want to pay for it, but if SunTV wins, my pocket book will forgive me for feeling happy that these goofs will find their lives a little harder to live.

    Perhaps they should perhaps contact Moses Znaimer (does he still collect televisions?), as they apparently have rare TVs that don’t come with “off” buttons or channel changers.

    • smelter rat says:

      You can turn it off, but you’re still paying for it if they win.

      • CaligulaJones says:

        True dat. But most of these whiners are complaining that Sun TV exists AT ALL, and were the same people trying to keep it off TV in the first place.

        As I said, I’m willing to pay a bit if it makes these twits choke a bit. I pay for quite a bit of crap that I never turn on.

  5. Canada Joe says:

    You mean too tell me that the bulk of the left isn’t a bunch of whack-a-doodles on parade?

    • Kaspar Juul says:

      Well no. The bulk of the right is also equally as sane. Sorry to burst the bubble of rhetoric but a country couldn’t function with such a high percentage of insanity.

  6. Tod Maffin says:

    Hi Warren, I enjoyed the post (really!) 🙂

    Just a couple of factual corrections if appreciate you making:

    1. I am not “on CBC’s payroll.”
    2. I have never been a CBC employee. Not once.
    3. I do, infrequently, contribute as a columnist, as I have for other media orgs.

    Unfortunately, I had a schedule conflict that I couldn’t get out of and had to cancel my testimony at the hearings. I had even planned to be a little more eloquent than my first stab at my thoughts! LOL!

    🙂
    Thanks

  7. You should see Maffin’s page on FB. Oy vey.

  8. I dunno about the rest, but I did recently read in Sonas words why he wanted to be heard. He claims, with what appears to be some justice that Sun indulged in Character asasination when they put his name out as the ‘rogue operator’ who orchestrated the electoral robocalls, based upon anonymous conservative sources. Sona claimed that even though SUN claimed they tried to contact him they did not even attempt it, they left no messages, did not phone or email him in thier rush to ‘break the story’, and divert attention from the Conservatives. If Sona is correct, the SUN was not acting as a news organ, they were playing a role in a partisan charade, on the publics airwaves. His lawyer instructed Sona NOT to testify since he had been charged, and Sona regretted very much that he could not show up.
    I am paraphrasing pretty loosely, but that is the gist of Sonas statements. Dunno how credible, but it is relevant.

    I dumped my cable subscription a year ago, but if I did not, I would do so before I gave a nickle to the Sun organisation. I don’t much mind mouth breathers and knuckle draggers carrying on. I have voiced stupid opinions before too. I sometimes enjoy it, I get to curse at the screen, and generally enjoy myself, but I do seriously object to many of Levants racist rants. I cannot stand people who target races, religions, and groups that are identifiable not by their actions but by thier birth, culture, or faith. That guy is no journalist, and he is not alone at SUN in his ‘beliefs’.

  9. Treterr says:

    according to a globe and mail column, Michael sona is no longer going to appear before the CRTC, thank god

  10. deb s says:

    I had hoped more would come foward to complain about sun news and their style. I like David Akin and I like Warren Kinsella but it doesnt make up for the evil overlord Levant and his cronies. Free speech doesnt dictate rational nor well thought out speech:P I cannot stand the arrogance or the disdain in which many of the personalities dish out their socalled news. Levant for all his socalled brilliance wastes his talents trying to wedge his ideals into faulty discussions…if he just used his smarts to actually discuss real world events it would be plausible…but instead he comes off as blathering angry apologist for the right.

    Anyhow I would have liked to have seen Margi Gillis, the Roma peoples, David Suzuki ( or anyone from the ecoleft) to attend the hearings.
    I also would have been happy if sun news stayed on the upper end of the dial and didnt request mandatory carriage…which in a way is as good as tax dollars…they basically went against their main premise of a free market and they spent a year bypassing important news to whine endlessly about the CBC getting a billion dollars a year. I still am glad to see their numbers are low and I bet even if they get their way…and they get the subsidy…the numbers will remain low.
    What would have been ideal is if they actually stopped taking directives from the harper govt and actually displayed investigative journalism. I mean its wonderful that they exposed the waste at CBC but what would have had me cheering…is if they went after the tax dollar blowouts that Harper and his cronies indulge in…and expose the financial corruption from politicians. We need an actual new station/channel that tells people the truth…not more lies from a different angle:P

  11. Andrew says:

    There is thing called a television remote, if you don’t like what you see or hear. Change the channel or turn it off.

  12. JH says:

    I sometimes wonder if Sun is such a nothing group, why is it such a threat to certain people. WK as usual is right. Freedom of speech is not a privilege of the partisans on either side of the equation.
    This is akin to those, presumably Liberal supporters, who sometime come on here and slam those posting contrary views. Not I might add, on the basis of the issue at hand, but but more in personal way, much like you see on media outlets of all stripes comment pages. It always makes me wonder how these Liberal supporters, who I presume are part of the effort to rebuild the party, would want to turn off fellow Liberals or those interested in engaging in a discussion of Liberal ideas and the party.
    WK, who I regard as a Liberal partisan, seems to make every effort to explain and discuss those ideas and issues with all. That would seem to me to be the way to rebuild the party, not by attacks and vulgarity attacking folks seeking to further the discussion.
    Just sayin’

    • smelter rat says:

      Sigh. Free speech doesn’t mean you can yell fire in a crowded movie house, as the saying goes.

      • Brine says:

        Yelling ‘fire’ in a crowded movie house could lead to people getting physically hurt. The only thing being hurt by SNN is a few thin-skinned people’s feelings. That’s quite a difference.

  13. Al in Cranbrook says:

    An observation, FWIW…

    I’ve been following both Conservative and and their polar opposite blogs for years.

    What strikes me is this: Those of center right generally oppose, and often even express deep emotional sentiments, against left wing ideology.

    Those of the center left all too generally express emotional sentiments against people of the right…and the further left they are, the more visceral tends to be their literal hatred of personages.

    Even Rex Murphy recently wrote a commentary in the NP about this, particularly the way over the top expression of almost seething hatred of Stephen Harper.

    Here we see it, too. The center right generally accepts liberal/left broadcast news as a fact of life. All they want is a somewhat level playing field to air or hear the other side of the politics.

    However, the center left would have such broadcasters banned outright, claiming they have no right to be on the air for any reason, and should be basically squashed at every opportunity.

    This is an overriding theme lately, both here and in the US…and, frighteningly so, is becoming the norm on university campuses everywhere! The efforts to, yes, censor opposing viewpoints from the center right are not even hardly subtle any more! “Politically correct” essentially translates into “politically liberal/left”, and no less should even be remotely tolerated.

    Scary stuff, people!

    • !o! says:

      False dichotomy.

      I don’t think people are opposed to ‘The Right’, I think they’re opposed to seething racism, intolerance, and factually incorrect ‘advertising’ posing as news. I get the Economist and the CCPA, it’s good to be aware of multiple perspectives. The Sun ‘news’ however isn’t news, it’s propaganda at best.

    • Kaspar Juul says:

      From the Oxford dictionary:

      Definition of political correctness
      noun
      [mass noun]
      the avoidance of forms of expression or action that are perceived to exclude, marginalize, or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against:
      women like him for his civil rights stand and political correctness

      The problem with your observation Al is its based on your opinion, lacking any type of solid proof. Often you tend to express conjectures and anecdotes as fact, leaving the reader to accept this as proof. A simple bit of research of sources both left and right often dispell your arguments and leave you looking more appearing as a blowhard.

      If you are going to speak with authority please provide evidence to back it up. It’s not difficult to find arguments to back your case but when you start coming up with homespun proof your credibility is impaired

  14. Mandatory carriage is pure bullshit, designed to assure a large and profitable ‘basic’ package for monopolist cable companies to force on their customers. Sun is just the littlest piggy lining up for forced contributions from cable customers. Honest competition would make every single channel available by subscription only. You want Sun, cough up $0.19 You want History Channel, that will be $0.25 per mo. CBC, CTV, they set their price, and you decide if you want them. Order your channels a la carte. Rogers could have their $5 for providing the service, and then sell on additional offerings. I do not see SUN demanding competition though. Don’t see any criticism of the market from any other competetor either. I mean, the deck is stacked in all their favours, so it’s all about who wants in on the scam.

  15. Justin Time says:

    McGregor is nominated for a National Newspaper Award and the Michener Award. Seems pretty accomplished to me.

  16. Craig says:

    To all of you complaining about the prospect of having to pay for Sun News. Why do you not complain about having to pay TWICE for the CBC? How about this. I won’t force you to pay for Sun News if you stop forcing me to pay TWICE for the CBC. Deal?

    • partrick says:

      The Sun is a private enterprise. The CBC is a public service. The Sun rabidly spews corporate dogma for it’s owners. The CBC is a news source not driven by private ownership. The Sun serves it’s own interest. The CBC serves the country. The Sun demands that everyone live and die as the market dictates (making them complete and total hypocrites if they actually believed what they demand of the public, but really are just frauds). The CBC has no such political agenda.
      Yes, I know, “the CBC a leftist cabal” but other than having been told that by a right wing press, no one has proved that statement other than pointing our a CBC news story they didn’t like hearing.
      Actually, as far as I can tell, the CBC gets called left wing not for its politics but for it’s tone. Since there is no one screaming indignation and fear and sputtering spit in all direction at imagined and contrived offences the right wing minions assume a leftist conspiracy. This is easily contrived since the most don’t have a clue what is leftist, right, corporate, or fascist or totalitarian and are happily believing what they are told.

    • patrick says:

      I wine abot that yonce a werk. he’s donst lisden. Just so smarter he thinks than us, I thinker.

  17. Philippe says:

    I can’t imagine some Con writing for CBC and then defending them publicly. They wouldn’t do that because they’re always on war footing and blindly partisan. In my opinion- down with Sun news.

  18. M5SLIB says:

    Warren, I admire you, and I’d want to support you in what you do as a “fan,” but Ezra Levant… I just can’t. I can’t.

  19. ok says:

    Canada divided to conservative and NON conservative.
    funny thing about them conservative women believe are much nicer look that non conservative people and only they say it not others say it!

    Almost all of conservative are very jelous, steal people ideas and stamp theirs, griddy to more money, when seat calm near you only to know what you dislike and what you like to make revers against you to bother you and love bullying and abuse and gosip other people in wrong and they are liar and danger people and only do what they like for themselves not for all people of Canada.

    Almost all Conservative hate following people:
    ( I mean they HATE ( not simple dislike) of following people:)

    Educated people
    successful people
    richer than them
    more power than them
    different politic and ideas than them
    different relgion than them
    and all not conservative people
    I forgot two main things:
    hate poor and Muslim for sure in thier list too
    you never can find anybody say I am conservative and they admite like any or ALL Muslim too. NEVER.

    Maybe that is extreme that I believe this below but that is my experience of my life that I never saw conservative without that character if you know some one let me know their names.
    Still I was wonder how they got majority of vote should be they did so many trick to get it!

    But funny I must be frank that I like three things in conservative that other party people does not have them I tell you later. 3 good and 97 bad, time to dump them then.

    • Canada Joe says:

      They also hate people who can’t spell or use correct grammar. What a joke.

      • ok says:

        Might be sound funny or joke but unfortunatly that is FACTS.
        Proof me I am wrong by FACTS
        harper even saw a Muslim girl in his election day a year ago and take that girl our of her seat because she took picture with liberal leader and she was Muslim.

        If harper thinks every Muslim come as audience to hear him is threat for him, trust me we think Harper is threat for Muslim in Canada and outside of Canada.
        Please be carefull small group of Muslim live in Canada are part of big majorty of Muslim who live in world and their population are much bigger than Canada nonmuslim population.
        harper could not and can not take job or children of Muslim in jail and mental ill instuiture and treat them like Black in Canada under list of MOST Wanted.

        If conservative blog belived that ALL muslim are threat and Harper act follow those biggot that is end of last election favor to Conservative mental illness to it is better to get end. Canada conservative can not fight all world and UN for thier ideology and put all us in fear and threat too we still have Canadian passport carrying sorry I did not learn even English in Canada since of my 28 years living in Canada.

      • Hochelagonian tea says:

        Not hate. Sympathize. Willing to contribute to a fund for special remediation in courses dealing in all things linguistic and grammatical, for M., Mr.,Mlle., Mme., Mrs., Ms. OK.

        Judging by this person’s command of the English language, might well be an “allophone.” I know it’s not an easy language to get a decent handle on – it’s my fourth lang., not my mother tongue. I’d venture a guess that the writer might not travel in circles of “educated conservatives,” or even “educated liberals,” NDPers, Bloc., Marxist Lemonists. Levitationists, etc.etc.

        Too bad, sooo sad, for a Canadian to be so narrow-minded, bigoted, hateful and viciously inaccurate. However, kudos for guts. Or perhaps it’s not guts but a case of not knowing what one does not know – does not even have a freaking clue of one’s own abysmal and massive ignorance of so many issues.

        • ok says:

          I have question for SUN news and Ezra Levant:
          I am Canadian Iranian and I have live here more than 28 years and last time I went to Iran for my father burial who was 60 and has hard attack and my mother who is still alive came to Canada not like to stay here and she told me I know you are waiting to I die and only come for your mother burial too some day!!! Or other my uncle died or etc…
          For any reason that I am not planning to go to Iran soon unless I need to go or my friends who planning to go Iran. I am not vote or involve with Iranian government too. If I can bring all my family here but Mr. Kenney make immigration of Iranian next to impossible unless be gaiy or lesbi Iranian that my family are not.
          Now we face more problems: We must go pass US border and say hi and money to American and check by them Then we must go to embassy or Pakistan for check up and say hi to Pakistani embassy to like us to allow us enter to their embassy.
          Third we must be pass by Iran authority to allow us into to Iran
          Even if we go back to Iran when we were away so long we still have risk involve of what Harper and Ahmadinjad did in past few years’ together relationship
          Now why I must go to other country do hard job become harder…
          As you know Iran and Harper are not care about it they are not plan to see each other soon
          Closing embassy of Iran not make sense
          if Canada and Iran need to check their in and out of their country why not check from inside Canada not put spoon all the way around your head and neck and them put in your mouth
          Ezra trust me your legal advice is sting and only care about you link with Israel blindly not rest of live here who do not wish involve with any bs politic of killing.
          Is this time all leader stop killing each other and set people doing terrorist actives and make law in their laws and order and stop history of corruption and stop this nonsense against their citizen.
          We need embassy of Iran in Canada to check people closely here in and out and more law and check up from Canada not other country check us too.
          All of right was stopped by Conservative and their blogs. make relatioship is harder than fight back with them that never work. lesson of social worker.

  20. patrick says:

    A rabid corporate paper screaming that the world should suffer the whims of the market place should have the balls to stand up for what they believe in – but of course, they don’t really believe in anything but getting all that they can at the expense of everyone else. Hypocritical, fraudulent, toadies.
    Plus, The Sun won’t let me post on their website anymore because I may have, indirectly, insinuated that someone suffered from the flaw of genetic similarity of his breeders, which lead to cranial deformation, compulsive chronic self abuse and an IQ of spam – or something like that. Come on, that’s a Levy column as coles notes.
    So let them rot in the market place. Let the people, the magic hand, sound private management and all the mantras spew forth daily do their thing and the Sun live with it, or die as the case may be.

  21. Sean says:

    I’m amazed at the warped perceptions that some folks have of other folks, especially when our DNA is 99% the same from one happy camper to the other. It’s interesting to note that research by Robert Hare into psychopathy, reveals an alarming result-one in every hundred has a psychopathic personality ( violent ones such as Paul Bernardo are the exception ) and they are found in every single walk of life. Yet to hear the unsubstantiated ramblings of a few, they’d have you believe that only conservatives are psychopathic even though the world has numerous lefties who excel as psychopaths: Stalin, Pol Pot, Castro, Lenin.

    Theses lefties would never conceive of a news outlet, which might offer an alternative view of reality as depicted by the state broadcaster.

    In my view, some Ontario lefties sprouted wings and flew around the province like bats, when Ann Coulter visited the province. What were they afraid of, that she had the power of Medusa? We should have prompted Coulter to speak at U of W, under the following: that she debate one of our parliamentarians, such as Bob Rae, Stephan Dion, or Elizabeth May. But instead we opted for control of the message, which is contrary to our long fight for charter rights.

    Kinsella is soooooooooo correct on this issue.

    • Canada Joe says:

      Oh, free speech for us and not for you! Ought to be a leftwing motto.

      • Kaspar Juul says:

        It’s a multilingual view Canada Joe. How about the way public protest is curtailed by the right?

        It’s more a human problem. If you think leaning to the right somehow makes you immune to that then you are sorely wrong.

  22. KP says:

    As another poster mentioned earlier – and yeah, I’m stealing it because I agree so much – if my friends included Ezra Levant, Michael Coren, David Menzies, Brian Lilley and Charles Adler, I’d want to be judged by my enemies too.

  23. ok says:

    Harper said: No reason to commit sociology and his fan is followed him too as good leader to not care about sociology it means what other people said about them.

    http://www.thespec.com/opinion/article/910325–Harper-s-un-phobia-isolating-Canada

    http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/doug-thomas/harper-baird-religion_b_3163785.html

    Sometimes conservative also ignore that minority in Canada are majority outside of Canada and he hate sociology lesson in history to how to link with different people nicely as most Canadian in past did adopt with them.
    Leader must know sociology to all people or majority like them.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociology
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationalization_ (sociology)

    If you cannot adapt to new society changes and different people you will to so many variety of mental illness or behaviour problems in society
    And it lead to isolation and nobody like your behaviour as lack of rational and trust.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisocial_personality_disorder
    Good leader must know little of everything in every community and how to keep their likeable character to prevent enemy toward us.
    world are link together how can we seperated ourselves from rest of world at least we can pretend it we love them.!

  24. Al in Cranbrook says:

    A point, perhaps even an indictment of sorts, from WK’s post that seems to have been overlooked:

    “At Sun News, in fact, they’re pretty good to me. With the exception of one celebrated incident, they let me say and write whatever I want. That hasn’t ever happened to me at any other media joint, including the ones owned by self-described progressives.”

    That a decidedly “conservative” media outlet would respect his right to express his alternate point of view doesn’t surprise me at all. Having watched a lot of Sun News, I would offer that, to a man, they will vigorously defend freedom of speech. Conservatives tend to be pretty staunch about that. Progressives, not so much.

    Historically, the oft most cited reason for squashing (meaning, censoring) opposing opinion in the press is the “lies” they might be proliferating.

    …almost inevitably by people who in fact fear the truths that might be revealed.

    Of course the left don’t want Sun News around! God forbid anyone gets the silly idea that there are other rational and informed points of view out there in the real world besides those deemed holy and immutable by the left, eh?

    A level playing field is what this is all about, for a lousy 18 cents/month. Hell, my cable bill, including internet, just topped $150/mo…mostly for a wad of “bundled” channels full of ridiculous, mind numbing crap! (…not to mention several CBC channels I already subsidize with my taxes.)

    • ok says:

      I do not think conservative freedom of speech give free hand to WK is because they like what he wrote but also they try to say ok we give ONE writer free and we have 99 other writer who can fight them back with worst fist. what conservative are talking is nobody bought it look at around yourself. The dress of freedom of speech is only for abuse all non conservative view of politic. and YOU can see anger blow up to your face after they see oppostion say thier opinion to your face. if you see too much about opposit opinion behaviour of conservtive turn to anger and envy and new war zone against their opposition.

      Freedom of speech in conservative only to identify who is their frein and who are thier opposition and later get close to their enemy to compete and get rid of them not as a favor for them.

    • Kaspar Juul says:

      And you’re meandering muddled point is?

      • Al in Cranbrook says:

        Spare me the “you poor uneducated Conservative” condescension, okay Sport.

        • Kaspar Juul says:

          Okay pal, when you make a statement that you actually provide proof for. Are you capable of that chief?

        • ok says:

          Sun news is legal advisor and voice and director for Conservative party of Canada.
          If you do not believe me just listen to this:
          http://ezralevant.com/2013/04/think-justin-trudeaus-instinct.html
          Ezra keeps saying do you this person is? I will tell ALL about him?
          Su news is not news agency by spy agency how he know all about people
          Ezra voice is start and end to ONE issue Israel Jewish linked to 3 things together: ALL Muslim, Iran and Middle East and nothing else… period.
          He keeps worry about something and we can feel him what he worrying about
          Let me explain when you say X group are terrorist it means ok go army go get them and kill them ALL
          When Ezra keep saying Hamas are ALL terrorist it means do not enter them and if you see them KILL them ALL
          Because why they are terrorism if you do not kill them they will come and kill us all
          But mentally what he worries is if HAMAS come up they may after ISRAELI
          Ezra confuse two country together we are talking about Canada not Israel. But for view and fear of Ezra as Jewish Israel and Jewish are first and Canada and rest of Canadian Jewish or other Canadian are second.
          He feels if Muslim come up if Iran come up and if sharia law come up then Jewish and Israel faced threat and he thinks as voice must be protect Israel right first and Canada second and in order to make it link now he saying what is good for Conservative party of Israel is good for Canada conservative party is.
          Ironically he is saying despite all sanction still Iran has their nuclear bomb making and still Iran did not said or did attack any country in neighborhood and that is US and Israel who keep saying tomorrow we will bomb Iran not Iran said to ISRAEL or others.
          I can feel Ezra similar like Iran said Mujahedeen e khaleg are terrorist and other world removed them last year as terrorist group and still Iranian are scared they will back and bomb them as they did in past now what some Hamas did scared all Israeli or Ezra for rest of their life.
          Matter knows criminal by person or group and Decriminalization of organization or group of that organization.
          it is not so wide spread of IRAN and all 70 million but also knowing who or what Iranian did and plan to do crime against other people out of Iran and that is not policy In Iran like Israel and like Canada are two or three groups are working and each has different members and some are extremist and criminal act and similar like Israeli extremist who planed and target to kill people outside of Israel too.
          Best for world safety is decriminalization and identify threat to person not to NAME of all groups unless their leader of that group announces war against rest of world.
          Ahmadinejad is going out soon and new president of Iran is going to come with majority of vote and now if he plans to attack other world you have to defend yourself border if new president did not announce any world you need to have diplomatic relationship back again.
          embassy of Iran in Canada is closing completely you need to go to Pakistani embassy in USA to do passport visa issued to go to Iran it means still relationship is there but harder and more trip from Canada to US and more safety of Iranian Canadian who wish to visit their family goes more to threat but Ezra does not care he never plan to go to Iran it was Iranian Canadian who plan to visit their family in Iran it was only Ezra care to go travel to Israel to Canada trip both way ticket and does not care about rest of Canadian wishes
          regarding barbarian word it is clear that Ezra does not know there is certain rules for execution law exist in some Muslim countries and in order to change that similar like US has capital punishment those wording need to gradually with progressive plan to get changed by politic way to changed them not to make them scared to not even listen to start doing some change to old criminal law in Muslim country need to change by slow motion and right wording to start them to listen that was Justin T said it. Ezra not gets it.
          Ezra also keep saying no matter how much pressure did to Iran they are not listening is his plan they listen to them fully or control Iran or is he plan to change them to not harm Israel two thing, if he plan to change mind of some group you need to know culture to first how to seat with you and listen to you and must be trust you to begging with it. Israel and Iran are not trust each other as history shows and Ezra cannot used Canada to help his Jewish conservative Israeli to scarified safety of all Canadian in hold here that is criminal too that someone spy other country outside of Canada and not care about Canada benefit first and other country second. If Ezra is Canadian citizen he must proof it.
          Tell Ezra speak of yourself. Stop wrong legal advice to Canadian prime minster please. And shut….up Ezra… I doubt sun news allow crtc pass them this time…

          • Canada Joe says:

            What is this stuff? Ezra should “prove” he is a Canadian? Because he is a Jew, right?

          • ok says:

            No. This is not relgion fight that is policy and ideology fight is in Sun news. he does not explain what affect that policy done to Canada he only refer all change of politic by other country to what is best interst of policy of conservative in Israel is not even nonconservative in israel like what Ezra are talking about. he link Canada and Canadian to something nothing or none of our business is here. Why we put our safty and relatioship with others for someone else mistake and problems in other part of world?

            Plus he is reporter in SUN why he always should support conservative he can support anything is right or wrong not take side of certain group for god sake he has 99 percent of show why he hated Justin T so badly is not reasonable behaviour he has!

            I am sure you do understand but try to again joke around to say something nonesense again to me.

  25. dave says:

    I get Shaw cable, and Sun Tv is on there as a part of a bundle. I check it once in a while. During our BC elction campaign they have an hour each eve on our campaign, it is biased in a way, wiht some eastern talking head throwing softballs at some talking head in BC who then skates between support for BC Libs and Conservatives, while taking shots at NDP. they also pump the Greens, to send votes that way, I suppose. I think the network is lobbying to be apart of a basic package, like CTV or CBC 24/7. Were all three extras I have to pay extra for, I would not buy Sun, I would consider the other two. If I were getting just one it likely would be CTV. There just seems more info in 20 minutes of CTV than there si on other networks. I much prefer (conservative) Don Martin to Mr “Boy oh boy si this ever an exciting debate” on CBC. I can get CBC stuff on radio. I find that when an event happens, especially a speech or press conference, that CBC talking heads come on and either interrupt, or tell me all over again what I just heard.
    I like RT. somehow we receive that one, on a far remote part of the cable. It adds quite a bit to what we receive on USA 24/7 news channels.
    SunTV is right to lobby hard for a privileged placement; I don’t think too many people would choose to buy it extra. I don’t know if CRTC should consider that or not.

  26. Justin Time says:

    I don’t care either way if Sun TV is on the dial, I have it on Bell, in among CNN, BNN, CBCNN, etc. and I simply find it unwatchable. The market has spoken. With 40% of the country able to watch it, it draws almost no viewers. This is just a grab for corporate welfare,

  27. GPAlta says:

    It appears that no one has been watching this story all the way from the beginning, but SunNews is a very simple project.
    QMI papers are bleeding money because no one advertises in them.
    CBC in particular doesn’t advertise in them, because it is just as careful with its ad buys as the private sector is.
    QMI is unable to demand advertising from the private sector, so it has written numerous angry letters to the prime minister demanding that CBC waste its money on QMI ads where no one else will.
    These angry letters didn’t work, so they created sun news to blackmail the CBC, because the best way to get money from an important potential client is to blackmail it, as far as they are concerned.
    Plus they are trying to hobble the CBC by filing 1000s of frivolous access to information requests against it, again to try to convince CBC to be nicer to them.
    It really is always about the money, not the social impact with Cons.

  28. Big Bad Jim says:

    What makes you think us Albertan conservatives want to scare you Warren? And – if you aren’t afraid of us, why did you leave and go to Toronto? 😉

    The fact is I am not afraid of progressives either – and we desperately need to talk. Maybe not to you personally…but our groups really need to. This polarization isn’t good for anyone; it divides us and makes for political dynasties that eventyally corrupt themselves regardless of their ideology. As far as Sun News goes – they are just a conservative reflection of the CBC. And speaking of that white elephant – we need to either privatize it, or tax you progressives so that YOU have to pay through the nose to listen to OUR propaganda! LOL !

    Right now you guys are your own worst enemies. The guys at Sun couldn’t exist without you. You need to start being honest with us…and yourselves too.

  29. po'd says:

    Avaaz reports Sun has been building a petition to support it’s applicant for months and it has 53,000 signatures. Avaaz started one to oppose the application a couple of days ago and it has almost 70,000 signatures now.

    I wanted to submit the form to the CRTC to express my views against the application but when I found out a copy would be sent to Sun or Quebecor including my name, address etc., I decided not to because I don’t want my personal information ending up on the Cons CIMS data base and being identified as an enemy of the Empire and targeted for robo calls, etc..

    When I found a means to join a mass submission that didn’t require my personal details, I did so.

    Sun News is included in my cable package whether I want it or not, it’s in the low 500 range with the other news channels and every time I try to watch it there’s some old white guy on there ranting away, methodically repeating the same things and sometimes there’s an echo sitting beside him, nodding in unison.

    No thanks.

    If they want to pay their way they can stay as far as I’m concerned, but for the great free enterprisers and sworn opponents of socialism to pass the begging bowl, speaks for itself.

  30. Dimitri Lascaris says:

    Dear Warren, I am the “seemingly accomplished fellow” whose critique of Sun News you found it so easy to dismiss. I have a proposal for you. How about you and I have a public debate about whether Sun News should be accorded mandatory distribution? In that way, Canadians can decide for themselves whether Sun News is truly in need of more worthy adversaries. I have every confidence that Canadians will demonstrate the intelligence and critical thinking that is necessary to judge which of us is right and which of us is wrong. I look forward to hearing from you. Dimitri Lascaris

    • Warren says:

      I don’t do anything on Sun news unless I get paid. If you pay me to debate you, I would be happy to do so. Get in touch with me privately, and I will tell you my billable rate. In the meantime, have a great day.

      • Dimitri Lascaris says:

        That’s interesting, because I am prepared to debate you for free, and I assure you that my time matters as much to me as yours does to you.

  31. Rod says:

    The thing is, Sun is Not a news channel. It’s Blogging Tories TV, their Canadian Content consists of one long conservative re-election infomercial. Be honest about it and pay for it out of Conservative Party coffers.

  32. deb s says:

    why do they need mandatory carriage….they cant compete on tv…why not take the travelling dog and pony show to youtube…and they can spin away or educate the folks from that medium. Cable is overrated:) cheaper for production!

  33. Patrice Boivin says:

    Well I think the CRTC is corrupt and some must have been bribed in the late 1980s, remember when cable TV appeared and the great thing about it was that since you were paying a monthly fee, you wouldn’t have to see commercials on First Choice and SuperChannel? then the CRTC did a flip and allowed cable companies to collect funds at both ends. Since the decision made no sense, I conclude someone must have been bribed prior to those CRTC meetings. No other conclusion makes sense, don’t you agree?

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