[PEN-L:5122] Re: Canadian Poll

[S Pawlett <epawlett@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> CBC reports a poll of Canadians shows that 57% favor sending
> ground troops to Kosovo and
> 79% support the bombing. THe defence minister claims this
> reflects Canadian values.
> However, I think it also reflects that fact that the CBC has now
> overtaken and surpassed CNN
> in its role of promoting the NATO cause in the psychological
> warfare that is going on.
>     I find it absolutely exasperating that the few critical and
> sensible analyses of the situation have appeared in the Globe and
> Mail, Canada's right-wing national business newspaper, and
> the National Post, another right-wing rag. Do other Canadians on
> pen-l agree?

The coverage in all the national and regional newspapers that I  read
(Vancouver Sun, National Post, Glib and Stale) has been atrocious. Many
of the editorialists echo the old "we're fighting with one hand behind
our back" theme. The National Post has been running columns by Lewis
Mackenzie the former U.N. Commander in Bosnia which have been
interesting because he knows the territory.  He is also the most
liberal, most intelligent and knowledgable of the commentators.
Surprising, since the editors and most of the columnists for the Post
are alumni of the Fraser Institute with the occasional star like that
little puke David Frum and the sub-literate Barbara "Pinochet is a fine
gentleman" Amiel (Connie Black's wife) thrown in. Most of the
journalists assigned to the Yugoslavia question have no idea what
they're talking about. No understanding of history, economic history or
U.S./European foreign policy.  They simply regurgitate what the
government and military tells them. I even wonder if some of them are
being briefed by the military. All Canadian military personnel are
forbidden to speak to the press as a matter of policy. One fellow
granted a short interview and was severely reprimanded. The CBC News is
as conservative as usual, just repeating what the government says. The
chair of the CBC is of course the former director of the Bank of
Montreal and still sits on its board. By far the best discussion and
coverage of the war has been on Pen-l, LBO and Vancouver Co-operative
Radio (our excellent local lefty/marxist/alternative radio station).
I too was surprised at the CBC poll that you mention, especially since
there has been a demonstraion in Vancouver every day against the
bombing. Some have been quite large. The current problem is to link up
the left/demonstration sector with the Serbian community who have been
organizing the demos. There still is a large faction even on the Marxist
left that supports the NATO/KLA. I suspect the reason so many voted for
ground troops was ignorance and the steady drumbeat of war mongering
propaganda eminating from the main information sources. I'm not sure
just how serious the politicians will take the polling data when they
make they're decision about the use of ground troops, but I'm sure it
will give them added incentive to increase the level of violence and
destruction.

Sam Pawlett

"We are plunderers. We go into primitive countries in order to destroy
for power and money"
--Colonel Phillip Roettinger CIA station chief, Guatemala, 1954