I just watched the National, and I’m pissed off. I’d write to them, but I know they don’t care. Tonight, Peter Mansbridge et al. gave “the terrorists” exactly what they want: Hype, baseless speculation, fear mongering. Who are the “terrorists”?
The tragedy in London should not be diminished. It’s big news. But running a full newscast that includes segments such as “Are we next?” is just plain lazy, and sensationalist. It makes people afraid. Isn’t that the definition of terrorism?
Tonight, linking today’s events to Al Quaeda is just speculation. But that doesn’t seem to matter. The CBC even cancelled a scheduled 10PM airing of The Greatest Canadian — Profile of Sir John A. Macdonald — to rerun a documentary on the Madrid transit bombing, just in case you were too scared to go to bed.
Again, who are these terrorists? The Machiavelli in me wonders if the West conspired to do this to itself for another guaranteed effect: Distract everyone from real problems.
Consider the secret board meeting, somewhere in Washington, or Davos.
“All we need is a few bombs in London to get Africa off the agenda.”
“Sure, but people would die!”
“Everyone will think it’s the Arabs. The price of oil will rise. Bono will be off the front page. How can we lose?”
“Just do it in the Tube so there won’t be any good video.”
This may be a stretch. But it’s a pretty bad night for news when the best that can be said of our national public broadcaster is that it catered to the interest of known terrorists, if not those who can only be suspected of terrorism.
