Re: Marriott, 'Where Smith's votes are,' O'Brien 'Alberta's Education wars'.The mainstream media sometimes tells the truth, if only by accident. Recently, in begging for more tax dollars from the Liberals, they said that "democracy dies without a free press.".In a colossal absence of insight, they were actually referring to themselves. They have the mistaken belief that you can be funded by government and still be "free." Far from being free, they are actually the propaganda arm of a progressive ideology that has no room for dissenting opinions. If one manages to sneak into view they waste no time in crushing it by any means possible..In other words, aside from a remnant in the form of the independent media, a free press no longer exists in Canada... The free press without which democracy dies..That leads back to two very good articles: Marriott’s “Where Smith’s Votes Are” and O’Brien’s “Alberta’s Education Wars”..Both outline the extensive forces arrayed against Smith’s UPC in the upcoming provincial election. If we still had a free press we would see the UPC and NDP policies arrayed and analyzed in the reporting and opinions on these policies, pro and con, outlined in clearly identified opinion pieces..Instead, the UPC and Smith as leader will be facing a media onslaught of negative opinion condemning their policies and attacking Smith, UPC MLAs, and candidates personally. The NDP will get favourable coverage and will be presented as a reasonable alternative to an “insane” “dangerous” and “far right” UPC. Now, therein lies the actual danger to democracy..Randall Murray.Sylvan Lake
Re: Marriott, 'Where Smith's votes are,' O'Brien 'Alberta's Education wars'.The mainstream media sometimes tells the truth, if only by accident. Recently, in begging for more tax dollars from the Liberals, they said that "democracy dies without a free press.".In a colossal absence of insight, they were actually referring to themselves. They have the mistaken belief that you can be funded by government and still be "free." Far from being free, they are actually the propaganda arm of a progressive ideology that has no room for dissenting opinions. If one manages to sneak into view they waste no time in crushing it by any means possible..In other words, aside from a remnant in the form of the independent media, a free press no longer exists in Canada... The free press without which democracy dies..That leads back to two very good articles: Marriott’s “Where Smith’s Votes Are” and O’Brien’s “Alberta’s Education Wars”..Both outline the extensive forces arrayed against Smith’s UPC in the upcoming provincial election. If we still had a free press we would see the UPC and NDP policies arrayed and analyzed in the reporting and opinions on these policies, pro and con, outlined in clearly identified opinion pieces..Instead, the UPC and Smith as leader will be facing a media onslaught of negative opinion condemning their policies and attacking Smith, UPC MLAs, and candidates personally. The NDP will get favourable coverage and will be presented as a reasonable alternative to an “insane” “dangerous” and “far right” UPC. Now, therein lies the actual danger to democracy..Randall Murray.Sylvan Lake