As I reflect on today’s blog, I must consider a forty-year career dedicated to critically analyzing the complex rhetoric of politics and media spin. These strategies, crafted by both government and corporate entities, often present the public with narratives lacking substantive or rational foundations. Their purpose is not only to distract Canadians, but also individuals worldwide, from pressing challenges and concerns.
Many individuals perceive my life primarily through the roles I have held throughout my career. It is not uncommon to hear remarks such as "he is just a retired truck driver; what expertise could he offer?" Unfortunately, this perspective is often used to distance ourselves from the widespread challenges and hardships experienced globally. Such denial of the broader human condition perpetuates the misconception that poverty and stress are irrelevant to certain lives, despite their interconnectedness within our societies.
I understand that my comments regarding Carney or Poilievre may cause concern among some individuals; however, I believe these discussions are highly relevant to the longstanding challenges we face. Both Carney and Poilievre have dedicated significant portions of their lives to public service, and this commitment deserves appropriate recognition. It is not my intention to portray them negatively or as unlikable. Like many politicians whom I have worked with or reported on during my journalistic career, they bring distinct beliefs and perspectives shaped by personal experience. Tommy Douglas once likened this phenomenon to a soapbox sales mentality, in which brand X is compared to brand Z, even though their underlying philosophies often share common foundations.
The media has shifted its focus away from delivering comprehensive stories to Canadians, now emphasizing extracting every bit of hunger, pain, and suffering from the stories it covers. When I began my journalism career in Toronto, newsrooms were filled with journalists, many forming investigative teams with up to a dozen members who crafted narratives that not only conveyed events but also highlighted the pain and social unrest involved. Today, newsrooms are much smaller, with journalists often relying on wire services, online sources, or economic reports to build their stories. This trend leads to the complete sanitization of what the public reads or sees; if necessary, trigger warnings are used to discourage people from viewing sensitive content.
This is where Carney enters the picture, and in truth, much like the Conservative Party, this represents their greatest weakness. Carney, like me, is an economist above all else; he views only the numbers on a page. Their spin doctors quickly begin crafting narratives based on these numbers, and both Carney and his counterpart head to the media or rallies, working with the spin they've been given to present either a more appealing vision or to rhetorically counter the opposing position.
The issue is clear: these are merely numbers, nothing more or less. Numbers alone fail to convey pain, stress, hunger, or humanity; they do not reflect the human realities behind them. Both parliamentarians and the media seem to have created an ideal where numbers are paramount, developing programs and legislation based solely on them. Such efforts, they believe, could reverse the country’s current downward trend. However, without the human condition visible behind the numbers, they are worthless.
Mark Carney has lived this illusion throughout his career as Governor of the Bank of Canada, Governor of the Bank of England, and a Wall Street banker. He grew up in Edmonton's Rio Terrace during a very different era in Canada, one that did not face the hunger, despair, and homelessness seen today. I understand this all too well, having grown up less than half a mile from his home. In that same decade, social needs across Canada were a priority because politicians recognized that the country's economic health depended on people's ability to consume. This focus enabled the development of a strong industrial base and a flourishing middle class.
Pierre Poilievre is influenced by numbers-driven spin, but his background is quite different. He entered politics immediately after university, stepping straight into a world protected from everyday realities, a world fueled by significant financial resources, lobbyists, and those seeking influence. While it's a tough accusation, after five years of experience in the Legislature and House of Commons, I can confidently say just how sheltered politicians' lives can become. The environment they inhabit bears little resemblance to the one they left behind, and they passionately protect that privileged lifestyle. Ultimately, this is reflected in the substantial pensions or generous severance packages awarded upon their retirement or defeat.
The media is primarily controlled by a select group of individuals who seek to lobby or influence key stakeholders. Rather than holding those in power accountable, media outlets often serve as watchdogs over the broader public. They analyze trends and strategically focus their coverage on groups they wish to restrict, such as teacher unions or unemployed youth currently facing significant challenges. The resulting narratives frequently place blame on those at the most at risk. This represents a distinct form of corruption, as the media's role should be to provide objective reporting rather than deliver content that merely serves as bait for an increasingly fatigued and frustrated population.
Gone are the days of photos of food bank and soup kitchen lines; these were hidden from our sight for years until the rise of the tent cities, to which the best way was instead of going in depth to report on the conditions that caused them raise public awareness that these were dopers and criminals, and somehow this was their fault for their existence.
This has brought out a barrage of social media propaganda, and sites such as X, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook are loaded with it
. People are overwhelmed by stories and information that often lack journalistic ethics or discipline, making them even more inflammatory and dangerous than the mainstream media’s own bias.
Donald Trump has effectively exploited this environment and, through extortion, blackmail, and theft, has nearly bankrupted the country’s population.
For meaningful, positive change to occur in society, politicians, the media, and citizens must look beyond statistics. Only by doing so can we fully understand the complex realities that numbers alone cannot reveal, including longstanding social challenges and those who perpetuate them. It is crucial to recognize and address these deeper issues, as life should be lived with purpose rather than constrained by outdated systems and ideas.
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