It sounds like half the country lost our minds over Sunday’s CBC broadcast of Cross Country Check-Up, and its hapless (since amended) question "What does Canada as the 51st state mean to you?”
This is just a pratfall of a question — it’s an almost laughable misreading of the Canadian room. We could have used a question like “How do you feel when your neighbour kicks in the door, shoots your dog, burns down the barn, and steals your cattle? And then tells everyone they’re expanding their ranch?”
Because this country needs a real national conversation about just what the hell is going on here, and what on earth is about to happen to us. That’s what we love about Cross Country Checkup.
It beggars the imagination that anyone could lecture Canadians on the benefits of having their cattle rustled, but the CBC found their man in perennial windbag Kevin O’Leary. What could go wrong asking the architect of one of the worst mergers of all time for advice on selling out our country?
It might be helpful, at times like this, for listeners to remember that O’Leary also carries passports to Ireland and the United Arab Emirates, so his own exit ramp is clearly marked.
But of course context is everything.
Since 2016, America’s most storied news institutions have failed to meet the moment, and have been cowed into timidity from reporting anything to do with Donald Trump. The public has been fed a constant diet of almost comically neutered headlines, while naysaying is framed as partisan hair-on-fire alarmism.
Trump’s onslaught against news organizations has now escalated dramatically, as he extracts millions of dollars in legal settlements for minor slights, threatens other platforms, and bans news outlets that do not bend to knee to his whims. This week MSNBC cancelled Joy Reid. On Wednesday the legendary Washington Post fell, as owner Jeff Bezos commandeered its opinion pages in service to his personal vision. The epically courageous newspaper that published the Watergate stories simply up and walked away from its post.
It is no secret that the business model of independent newspapers and outlets has collapsed, and the social media platforms that destroyed it are algorithmically torqued to amplify outright lies and division for profit.
What horrifies so many Canadians, and what the CBC leadership fails to appreciate from its embattled perch, is the urgency of this historic moment. Here is CBC News editor in chief Brodie Fenlon on the outpouring of rage that met the announcement of the Checkup’s weekly question:
“There are important lessons in all of this about the precision of language, the framing of questions and the challenges of conveying complex ideas when you have only a few words to use in a program title or description.”
This is humbug, of course, but it’s also the mental trap that has captured traditional news reporting. There is nothing complex or difficult about asking Canadians in plain language what they think about illegal threats of sacking and pillaging of this country, which is exactly what’s on the menu. And it wouldn’t hurt Americans to hear it, either.
Vagaries and euphemisms that masquerade as journalistic principles don’t serve Canadians, nor help us understand the gravity of a fate that will test us all, in ways we can’t even imagine.
We will need courage, resolve and clarity to face the hardships that lie ahead. We will need to resist very powerful forces that will exploit our division for money and power. That much we learned from Covid.
And we need our national broadcaster to be there with us, lighting the way.
Comments
I happened to catch when that venal fellow was on air and watching the repugnant O'Leary's face while he spewed his venom and viciously shot out verbal darts at Trudeau was indeed shocking and repulsive. He sneered the whole time which tells you what he really thinks of us all. CBC was also negligent years ago in using someone similar, that U.S. Prof working in Alberta, Flanagan, the guy who wore a buffalo coat on air. Also they've been using the extreme right wing Fraser Institute for actual facts when they've been caught fudging their figures.
The main stream media, especially CBC's P&P really making hay over the 51st State baloney that is in turn unsettling the whole population. They cannot make us the 51st State unless they invade, and if they invade the whole world will react in a way never before seen because they U.S. will expose that they are not a Democracy.
One of Trudeau's biggest failures to all of us in Canada was not cleaning out all the Harper appointments at CBC and everywhere else in the government. Mulroney had no problem doing it and was not punished for it so why Trudeau did not do it is puzzling because those appointments did not let up at trying to undermine the whole 10 years from 2015 to 2025.
New Chapter coming that hopefully Carney can fix and calm down and 'not respond' to the baloney doled out by the Opposition and their lil' slogans of 'baloney'.
I absolutely agree. Using O’Leary as a poster boy Canadian. What a joke. Who even cares what he thinks..
O’Leary doesn’t like anything about Canada/Canadians. He is exactly where he belongs .With the Capitalists. Money is his god. That is where the O’Leary loyalty lies..
Watched Cross Country, and yes, the country was pretty cross. Fortunately, at the start of the show, Mr. Hanomansing rephrased the question. Over all, I found it interesting, although Mr. O’Leary and the sad soul from Saskatchewan were negative, most people were clear that they were against any union with the US. I was most interested to hear how Americans responded to the issue, mostly with embarrassment. I think it was a valuable discussion.
Kevin O’Leary is a major failure of the CBC to even entertain this clown and the wrong topic to even discuss. You would think the CBC would have had more common sense than to even consider Kevin O’Leary and the topic. It is pretty clear that Kevin O’Leary is pro-Trump and should give up his Canadian citizenship as a traitor to this country.
I do not watch Cross Country Checkup but I do watch the news on CBC as well as Radio Canada everyday. Radio Canada does a much better job, even as they concentrate on Québec's dirty laundry.
Oh Thank you. Ms Garossino, for that perfect description of what those mealy mouthed CBC staffers did to us. They had an opportunity to be proactive never mind magnificent and they shuffled along with this bothsides don t hurt anyone s feelings crap that opens the door to evil and offers it tea so it s delicate feelings aren t hurt.
And please do not let my homie Hanomansing from New Brunswick off the hook. There s a time for even gentle souls to stop and say: no this is wrong. Particularly when they ve take a job of reflecting the truth of what is happening back to us. It was sickening.
Take a lesson from Charlie Angus. The lying abuse stops here.
I'm a follower of FB group Friends of Canadian Media. Before the programme, the feed was lit up with condemnation of the CCC subject. I suggested we wait and give them a chance. I listened to the whole (radio) show and thought CBC was vindicated as it was mostly smart, balanced and informative for both sides of the border, i.e. Real Journalism. As to the overall tone of the CBC: they are walking on eggshells due to PP's threats and the real possibility of a Conservative win in the next election. If they are bending over backwards to be more than "fair" in their coverage, that is unfortunate but predictable. Gov of the day needs to massively increase funding and guarantee it, thus taking it out of the realm of shifting partisan politics. Once secured, I believe the professionals in the organization will do better.
The CBC's lame strategy of anticipatory capitulation is not new. Back in 2007, they actually gave Reform godfather Preston Manning his own radio series, "This I Believe" (https://www.cbc.ca/programguide/program/this_i_believe). They seem to have taken down the programs themselves, unless they're hiding in some dark archival basement.
To me their whole 21st C strategy has been a repudiation of everything we spent the previous half century building. It started slowly and grew. Almost like those who haven t experienced deep pain do not believe it s real or why it happens. Think some social slight is equivalent and have no problem cutting off others who disagree.
I d like to live long enough to learn the psychology behind this devolution of empathy and consider ideas how to keep it from happening again. One thought is that after all maybe children shouldn t be too protected from struggles and pain. Letting them learn how to manage at appropriate levels might be a sort of inoculation and wisdom growing exercise..
Oh is that the 'wolf in sheep's clothing Manning'. The guy that gave us the Canadian Reform Alliance Party and its acronym CRAP which of course they had to change because they didn't want to be known as the crap party. Funny they didn't figure it out until 'after' it was out there.
That crowd is now known as Conservatives thanks to Peter MacKay handing over the brand to Harper by betraying his fellow 'Progressive Conservative' David Orchard. All's fair in love and er war or er politics so we are told.
If any one takes Trumos 51 st state seriously, I would question their sanity as dealing with an insane President is totally off. So the heading was worded incorrect! Are expecting an invasion? Nope.
Is CBC a trusted news source? Absolutely. So get off your butts and write a canada post letter to your MP because if you decide to elect Poilievre and his alt right Conservativesm he has promised no CBC as he follows Trump example of ruining faith in Government, in media and we are broken. I say bb ss.
Not only will institutions like CBC and likely Canada Post disappear, Canadians will be left with the extremely right leaning Post Media which owns every major city newspaper except Winnipeg and 2 in Toronto. Kevin Oleary on steroids.
The Fraser Institute tells The Liberals have shattered our Economy while the Star tells me Trudeau has reduced poverty and Increased overall wealth while increasing GDP and keeping debt to GDP ratio the lowest but 1 of all the Western Democracies. If you believe Poilievre and The Fraser Institute you better be prepared for the end of our social benefits which Conservatives call socialism. Examples: welfare, seniors pensions, daycare assistance, pharma care, dental care, EI, gst rebates. Oh also public education and medicare. And don't forget our Public University system and huge amount of research they do to benefit us all. That's socialism to Conservatives because they do not believe in the legitimacy of government. , Government is an impediment to freedom! More bbb sss. Try the USA or the the UK 2 countries with high inequality, high poverty and high homelessness. Canada is an exceptionally free country, we can move, work, play and educate where we want. In my 80 years I have never felt being unfree. And as Conservatives privatize every service every public asset , eliminate 15 Canadian Institutions, you won't realize what you had until too late. Trump shows us that. The Koch Brothers started their plan for a Trump, not the Trump back in the 1970s and 40 years later here he is. Stephen Harper and Preston Manning started their takeover in the 1990s, and are almost there, but fortunately Trump and CBC woke us up. So keep awake
Well said.