This blog began as a review of the newspapers of Brunswick News which, like almost all newspapers, operate as propaganda sheets for its owner. The method for Brunswick News to do this is largely by keeping its readers in ignorance of what's happening at home and around the world.
Today, for example, one of its big, world stories is that a mother in Alabama has been mistreating her son. Wow! That's pure sensationalism of no news value whatever. A big item in local news is that a coffee shop at the local airport will be delayed in its opening. One of the commentaries, by a staff writer, isn't a commentary at all. It's a high school essay of the "what I did last summer" category.
The confusion that we're seeing in the world is largely the result of the dishonesty of the privately owned news media. In North America, this dishonesty begins at the level of the New York Times and slides all the way down into the bottomless swamp we call Brunswick News.
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Justin Trudeau has been hinting that he will prod Raul Castro into releasing 'political' prisoners. How noble of him!
Before the Castros came on the scene, Cuba was run by a dictator as ugly and brual as they come. The dictator's police openly robbed and murdered people on the street. Torture was daily routine. Education, medical care were largely out of reach. The dictator was murderous, corrupt, vicious......and he was selected and put into his position by the U.S. government.
Funny thing.
In all the time that dictator was in power, I never heard of a Canadian prime minister or any other Canadian official or any American official ever telling him to clean up his act.
Then Castro got rid of the dictator. He created a Cuba in which, for the first time, Cubans had full access to education. They had full access to medicare. The U.S. promptly denounced him for his cruelty. And, except for Pierre Trudeau, no Canadian prime minister ever showed approval of him.
But now, Justin has stepped in, resuming the traditional Canadian role of ass-kisser for the U.S. government. I notice that Justin has not criticized the U.S. for its illegal detention of prisoners at Guantanamo, for its illegal invasions of Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. For its illegal drone attacks. Nor has he or any Canadian P.M. ever criticized the U.S. for its massive torture programme. And, in fact, we actually sent troops to help kll Afghanis.
You tell, 'em, Justin baby.
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So far this year, 4,500 people have drowned in the Mediterranean. And that doesn't count those who died of exposure and sickness and hunger in their flight. And who killed them? The U.S. did with its illegal wars on Iraq, Libya and Syria. Maybe Trudeau will mention that to Trump?
Nah.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/16/in-one-week-240-feared-drowned-in-med
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This next story could turn out to be unpleasant for Canada. The Canadian government was aware of U.S. torture in the Afghanistan war - and almost certainly played a role in it.
https://www.theguardian.com/law/2016/nov/15/us-army-and-cia-may-be-guilty-of-war-crimes-afghanistan-says-icc
But cheer up. If Canada was involved, the irving press won't report it. So who cares?
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And here's useful look at free trade - a look that you will never find in most of the privately owned media.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/nov/15/who-really-benefits-from-free-trade-agreements-like-ttip-ceta-and-nafta
To that, we might add the story of how our governments have helped the rich to rob us blind by granting the right for them to use tax havens, and avoid paying taxes at all. And I note that our private news media have shown remarkably little interest in this government assisted looting of us.
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Here's a very alarming look at what's happening in the U.S. Just a few days ago, I would have thought this overstated. Now - I'm not at alll sure. In some ways, the author is too careful. For example, I don't think America's democracy is in trouble. I think it's gone. It's over. And I'm not as sure as this writer is that Canada is not going to the same way.
http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/11/16/nodapl-the-battle-cry-for-a-new-america/
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An here's one you won't see in the irving press.
http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/10/18/your-hard-earned-money-is-going-towards-subsidies-for-the-biggest-pollutors-big-oil-companies/
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And another.
http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/10/18/your-hard-earned-money-is-going-towards-subsidies-for-the-biggest-pollutors-big-oil-companies/
Despite warnings that go back 30 years and more, the government of New Brunswick has done almost nothing to limit climate change or to deal with it. And it's not likely to. And, notably, it's a subject rarely mentioned in the irving press.
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While the staff at irving press hail the brilliant success of capitalism, it isn't like that in the U.S.
http://fortune.com/2015/07/20/united-states-decline-statistics-economic/
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Here's a brief item critical of those Americans who are protesting the election. It has a lot of truth going for it. I see no sense of direction among followers of either Trump or Clinton.
https://off-guardian.org/2016/11/12/what-do-the-protesters-believe-they-are-protesting/
_________________________________________________________________________________
Here's an area in which we should worry a great deal about Trump. But, mind you, Clinton has no great record in this area, either. Nor has Justin Trudeau.
https://theintercept.com/2016/11/14/slashed-budgets-and-toxic-chemicals-planning-for-environmental-carnage-under-donald-trumps-epa/
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Another one that won't make the irving press.
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/kyle-curlew/2016/11/bill-c-51-violating-our-charter-rights-and-canada-doesnt-care
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As this article, and others, indicate, American and Candian Jews are not unanimous in their views on Israel. And it is heartening to see American Jews and Muslims uniting in common cause.
http://www.haaretz.com/world-news/u-s-election-2016/1.753161
_________________________________________________________________________________
There's a good deal more on the web about the election and what it all means. But it's too early to read much of it with confidence. In my own view, both Trump and Clinton are really side issues. The major lesson of this election, I think, is that American democracy has collapsed. I don't know where that will take us. But I think that is what has happened.
Today, for example, one of its big, world stories is that a mother in Alabama has been mistreating her son. Wow! That's pure sensationalism of no news value whatever. A big item in local news is that a coffee shop at the local airport will be delayed in its opening. One of the commentaries, by a staff writer, isn't a commentary at all. It's a high school essay of the "what I did last summer" category.
The confusion that we're seeing in the world is largely the result of the dishonesty of the privately owned news media. In North America, this dishonesty begins at the level of the New York Times and slides all the way down into the bottomless swamp we call Brunswick News.
___________________________________________________________________________
Justin Trudeau has been hinting that he will prod Raul Castro into releasing 'political' prisoners. How noble of him!
Before the Castros came on the scene, Cuba was run by a dictator as ugly and brual as they come. The dictator's police openly robbed and murdered people on the street. Torture was daily routine. Education, medical care were largely out of reach. The dictator was murderous, corrupt, vicious......and he was selected and put into his position by the U.S. government.
Funny thing.
In all the time that dictator was in power, I never heard of a Canadian prime minister or any other Canadian official or any American official ever telling him to clean up his act.
Then Castro got rid of the dictator. He created a Cuba in which, for the first time, Cubans had full access to education. They had full access to medicare. The U.S. promptly denounced him for his cruelty. And, except for Pierre Trudeau, no Canadian prime minister ever showed approval of him.
But now, Justin has stepped in, resuming the traditional Canadian role of ass-kisser for the U.S. government. I notice that Justin has not criticized the U.S. for its illegal detention of prisoners at Guantanamo, for its illegal invasions of Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. For its illegal drone attacks. Nor has he or any Canadian P.M. ever criticized the U.S. for its massive torture programme. And, in fact, we actually sent troops to help kll Afghanis.
You tell, 'em, Justin baby.
_______________________________________________________________________________
So far this year, 4,500 people have drowned in the Mediterranean. And that doesn't count those who died of exposure and sickness and hunger in their flight. And who killed them? The U.S. did with its illegal wars on Iraq, Libya and Syria. Maybe Trudeau will mention that to Trump?
Nah.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/16/in-one-week-240-feared-drowned-in-med
______________________________________________________________________________
This next story could turn out to be unpleasant for Canada. The Canadian government was aware of U.S. torture in the Afghanistan war - and almost certainly played a role in it.
https://www.theguardian.com/law/2016/nov/15/us-army-and-cia-may-be-guilty-of-war-crimes-afghanistan-says-icc
But cheer up. If Canada was involved, the irving press won't report it. So who cares?
_________________________________________________________________________
And here's useful look at free trade - a look that you will never find in most of the privately owned media.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/nov/15/who-really-benefits-from-free-trade-agreements-like-ttip-ceta-and-nafta
To that, we might add the story of how our governments have helped the rich to rob us blind by granting the right for them to use tax havens, and avoid paying taxes at all. And I note that our private news media have shown remarkably little interest in this government assisted looting of us.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Here's a very alarming look at what's happening in the U.S. Just a few days ago, I would have thought this overstated. Now - I'm not at alll sure. In some ways, the author is too careful. For example, I don't think America's democracy is in trouble. I think it's gone. It's over. And I'm not as sure as this writer is that Canada is not going to the same way.
http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/11/16/nodapl-the-battle-cry-for-a-new-america/
________________________________________________________________________________
An here's one you won't see in the irving press.
http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/10/18/your-hard-earned-money-is-going-towards-subsidies-for-the-biggest-pollutors-big-oil-companies/
______________________________________________________________________________
And another.
http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/10/18/your-hard-earned-money-is-going-towards-subsidies-for-the-biggest-pollutors-big-oil-companies/
Despite warnings that go back 30 years and more, the government of New Brunswick has done almost nothing to limit climate change or to deal with it. And it's not likely to. And, notably, it's a subject rarely mentioned in the irving press.
__________________________________________________________________________________
While the staff at irving press hail the brilliant success of capitalism, it isn't like that in the U.S.
http://fortune.com/2015/07/20/united-states-decline-statistics-economic/
_______________________________________________________________________________
Here's a brief item critical of those Americans who are protesting the election. It has a lot of truth going for it. I see no sense of direction among followers of either Trump or Clinton.
https://off-guardian.org/2016/11/12/what-do-the-protesters-believe-they-are-protesting/
_________________________________________________________________________________
Here's an area in which we should worry a great deal about Trump. But, mind you, Clinton has no great record in this area, either. Nor has Justin Trudeau.
https://theintercept.com/2016/11/14/slashed-budgets-and-toxic-chemicals-planning-for-environmental-carnage-under-donald-trumps-epa/
_______________________________________________________________________________
Another one that won't make the irving press.
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/kyle-curlew/2016/11/bill-c-51-violating-our-charter-rights-and-canada-doesnt-care
_______________________________________________________________________________
As this article, and others, indicate, American and Candian Jews are not unanimous in their views on Israel. And it is heartening to see American Jews and Muslims uniting in common cause.
http://www.haaretz.com/world-news/u-s-election-2016/1.753161
_________________________________________________________________________________
There's a good deal more on the web about the election and what it all means. But it's too early to read much of it with confidence. In my own view, both Trump and Clinton are really side issues. The major lesson of this election, I think, is that American democracy has collapsed. I don't know where that will take us. But I think that is what has happened.
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