O Canada!
CRTC ditches bid to allow fake news
Canada’s broadcasting regulator has abandoned its attempt to change a regulation that prohibits the dissemination of false or misleading news.
The decision from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission followed a meeting last week of Parliament’s joint committee for the scrutiny of regulations, which ended its 10-year bid to get the regulation to comply with the law.
After ignoring the committee’s letters for years, CRTC finally relented and said in December it would consider changing the regulation to apply only in cases when broadcasters know the information they are sharing is untrue and when it “endangers or is likely to endanger the lives, health or safety of the public.”
But the CRTC’s call for public input on the proposal resulted in a tidal wave of angry responses from Canadians who said they feared such a move would open the door to Fox TV-style news and reduce their ability to determine what is true and what is false.</em>
Oh you enlightened northern neighbor. How I envy you. To live in a nation that rejects “Fox TV-style” news because they lie. Can you imagine how radically different our 24/7 news spew would be if “The Land of the Free” enacted such?
No more Bill O’Reilly showing fake video clips to support his employers desire to see unions crushed.
No more having your sore loser paranoia embraced by pinhead pundits insisting the president wasn’t born here.
An absence of theocratic blathering from hypocritical pigs named Newt on matters of no import to him.
No, that semi-socialist hellhole of personal responsibility, Canada, is evolved enough to understand the danger that a propaganda organ such as Fox News represents. By constantly distorting the issues, by doctoring video, by the daily “oops” of switched party affiliations, or just completed reversing reality as was the case with a poll on public sentiment on unions.
Fox News lies, everyone knows it, and despite- perhaps because of – it, they reign supreme in the ratings wars. They feed falsehood to that segment of the American public they need to keep riled up- but only about the topics and special interests of their owners. Despite being union members themselves, tune in nightly to hear Hannity, O’ Reilly and Beck trash the protesters and give Gov. Walker a reach around. Watch the victims of the vampire squids get blamed for the grand theft that is our economy. Watch the upper 2% whine about taxes- while paying none. All of this blared from row upon row of Wal Mart TVs and waiting rooms, wrapping the clueless in the comforting balm of unreality.
I fervently embrace our First Amendment, and I just as steadfastly believe that it doesn’t protect lies, but in that I’m wrong. Yes, in our country Fox News sued for the right to lie to the public- and won.
O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.</em>
True patriot love, indeed. Wish it could break out here.
