I just finished watching, on CTV Newsnet, a live interview conducted with a member of an anti-war group called "Block the Empire Montreal." It was largely an incoherent string of rambling that advanced no aspect of the Canadian interest, and served no purpose other than to plant the kernel of doubt in people's minds that Canada should continue to serve its responsibilities in Afghanistan. After all, if "Block the Empire Montreal" is opposed to the war, surely rational Canadians will arrive at the same conclusions. This group is involved in the letter-writing campaign to Quebec-based Canadian Forces personnel urging them to commit an act of treason and bail out on the mission before they deploy overseas.
Allowing the spokesperson to rant without any real questions, rebuttals, or follow-ups is irresponsible reporting on the part of CTV. They gave her a solid 5 minutes to stumble, bumble, and eventually get around to the pinnacle of the "interview": the military recruits people by promising them a better future, giving them skills training, and paying them. STOP THE PRESS!
Seriously, folks, I'm all for allowing people the right to express themselves without fear of political recrimination, but why doesn't CTV exercise some responsibility and at least vet some of these people before letting them on national television? Saying "no" to some nutbar's request for an interview isn't suppressing their right to free speech, it's just telling them to peddle their spiel elsewhere.
A young man was killed in Afghanistan yesterday, and today the media is doing the full-court press--as it does every time one of these tragedies occur--to undermine the Canadian government's policy in Afghanistan. It is irresponsible and harmful to the Canadian interest, and yet none of these organizations are ever held accountable by us, the people.
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