Another view of the CBC role in Canadian affairs.

Revised 2/22/1997

After thinking some more about the CBC, I now surmise that it was perhaps originally intended to be a divisive tool as well as a propaganda agency. Such little tricks are not unknown to the politically astute, and it helps ease the problems of governing. Instead of the whole country being at the Federal Government's throat, the Francophones could vent their spleen on the English ,who God knows deserved it. No one bothered to differentiate between the Quebec based English establishment and the rest of the country. Why bother eh!

So if this conjecture is somewhat near the mark it would seem obvious that the CBC has taken on a life of it's own but has not shed the dual persona instilled at it's founding. Was the CBC a fortuitous mistake made by the government of the day?

So perhaps the CBC  fostering of the linguistic solitudes, which I resented; has served to focus matters that MacDonald and Cartier were in too big a hurry to attend to. A dream in which no one had to give up anything from the past as part of the cost of political union.

 Our Prime Minister has seized the challenge of reconciling people that cling to the past, pretending it is the future. He must dispel rancor that has been feeding on misinformation for more than a hundred years. Progress in rolling back the unjust  impositions on the aboriginal population is laudable, encouraging and a ray of hope. If the Quebec Separatists showed some sensitivity in such matters I feel they would perceive a lot more accommodation from the rest of the country. But who knows what they really want. Their threat cannot be deflected with a copious supply of booze. Perhaps the CBC will bring to bear its massive capability to disseminate information instead of  entertaining us by making a joke of our stupidity.  Ridicule is a double edged sword.  We are fortunate that print journalism does not have the clout of the CBC.

Occasionally I read what seems to be very honest and enlightened commentary in selected newspapers. With all the wise sophisticated, well educated and financially secure and influential   people in this country; I am puzzled as to why it is such a mess for the rest of us. Of course that is a dissident opinion, a lot of people think things are just fine except for the taxes.. It seems to me that Candians have a penchant to elect the best liars. Perhaps I should phrase that opinion as a question because I cannot always tell the difference between promises (colored by my hope) and expedient lies. To punish the messenger (the CBC) is not the best option (as if we had options). Just remebering that it was and is a propaganda machine should suffice.

I am just glad our National affairs as I have learned of them through the CBC have not made me cynical.

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