Check It Out: One perspective doesn’t tell the whole story

By Joan Janzen

I’m beginning this week with a corny Elvis joke. The voice on the phone told the lady she had won her choice of either $500 or tickets to see an Elvis Presley tribute band. To claim her prize, she had to press 1 for the money or 2 for the show.

After watching the latest movie about the life of Elvis, I began looking up more information about his life. Although the movie was well done, I soon discovered it only portrayed one perspective about the entertainer.

The media often picks one perspective and runs with it, which seems to be the case with the new Conservative leader. When Pierre Poilievre attempted to make his first speech at a parliamentary press gallery, he was repeatedly interrupted by long-time journalist David Akin.

The Toronto Star reported, “Far-right websites rushed to push out the video, saying mainstream media is the enemy.” However, the Toronto Star was unable to provide any evidence that independent media had used the label ‘enemy.’

Another response from a journalist said, “This is a dangerous path, specifically naming a member of the media as the enemy in your email to thousands of supporters. It’s pure intimidation by someone who interrupts for a living.”

However, Poilievre’s email said, “The media is no longer interested in even pretending to be unbiased. We can’t count on the media to communicate our messages to Canadians.” It didn’t label the media as an enemy.

When CTV News asked Tom Malcair, a Canadian politician, about his response to the incident, he said, “He (Poilievre) started a fight with a very senior and highly respected journalist.” Poilievre’s response to the journalist’s continual interruptions was to say there’s a heckler in the crowd and asked him to please let him finish his speech. He used the words “please and thank you” several times. Not exactly fighting words.

Power & Politics host Vassy Kapelos excused David Akin’s behaviour, saying, “But he apologized. Everybody has a bad day.”

Regarding the Conservative leader’s win, journalist Aaron Wherry said, “This is the arrival of 21st-century populism in Canada. The internet-fuelled, resentment-driven wave that already has flooded British politics.”

His use of the word populism implied negative connotations. The definition of the word populist is: a person, especially a politician, who strives to appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups. Isn’t that a positive attribute?

Andrew Coyne from the Globe & Mail doesn’t seem to think so. He pointed out the “irrationality of Poilievre’s fears he’s been playing.” He continued to explain, “... for instance, his stand regarding the World Economic Forum plays to a particularly irrational voter. The concern is you’re normalizing the abnormal, making fringe concerns seem legitimate.”

On the other hand, the WEF’s founder said, “So we penetrate the cabinets. I was at a reception for Prime Minister Trudeau, and I know that half of his cabinet, or even more than half of his cabinet, are actually Young Global Leaders.”

In response to Poilievre’s win, Trudeau said, “Politicians face a very simple choice. Do you allay those fears and empower people and show them how we’re going to build a better future? Or do you amplify those fears for short-term political gain?” Poilievre is amplifying the government’s handling of the inflation crisis.

Franco Terrazzano from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation relays the magnitude of the inflation crisis. “So during the 2020 budget year, we saw the government ring up a $328 billion deficit. During that time, the central bank created new money to buy about $275 billion worth of government bonds. The Finance Minister announced the projected deficit for 2021 would be about a $3 billion deficit per week. Two days later, the Bank of Canada announced it would buy $3 billion worth of government bonds every single week. It seems the printing press is being used to fund Ottawa’s deficit spending. The central bank is buying government debt and is increasing the amount of money. The more money central bank creates, the less the dollars in your bank account will buy. That is the inflation tax, and Canadians are suffering from it today.”

Meanwhile, a headline labels the party as “An edgier, angrier Conservative party of Canada.” Consuming mainstream news and opinions can be compared to watching a movie about the life of Elvis. After listening to people he knew tell their stories, I was able to see the entertainer in a completely different light.

Joan can be reached at joanjanzen@yahoo.com