Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Jones vs. Canada

You know you're rambling when a Russia Today anchor has to cut you off.
The last time Jones ranted about the Canadian border (claiming that Third World immigrants get preferential treatment at border crossings), a grieving mother had to steer him back on track. Sheesh. Focus, Mr. Jones, focus.



Just wanted to point out a few things about this clip:

- This has been covered by mainstream media outlets throughout Canada. It's not being suppressed or ignored.
- If it's difficult for Jones to get his material into Canada, you wouldn't know it. There is absolutely no shortage of Jones merchandise in this country. Endgame and The Obama Deception can be purchased at the largest audiovisual retail stores, Prison Planet bumper stickers are everywhere, and his show is freely available.
- I have crossed the U.S.-Canadian border more times than I can possibly count. Never had a problem. At all. Generally, if you just answer questions promptly and normally, even if they're stupid, you won't have any trouble crossing either border. Customs agents on both sides have similar training.
- "Behaviour placement" is far less creepy and obnoxious than product placement, particularly since at least one network (NBC) is freely admitting to using it in their shows. Not sure WTF this has to do with Canada.
- Canada currently has a Conservative government that is closely aligned with U.S. policy. The Liberal Party has been in decline lately, and the socialist-leaning NDP Party is toast. So where are all these blissfully ignorant, superhappy liberals of which you speak, Mr. Jones?

4 comments:

PSG said...

While I continue to appreciate Jones' antiwar stance, his over-the-top portrayal of Canada as a jackbooted tyranny distracts from real threats to our democracy posed by the Harper government. These include:

1. Harper's penchant for proroguing Parliament
2. His refusal, against the wishes of Parliament, to allow American war resisters to remain in Canada
3, His plans to bring back draconian national security laws, including preventive detentions
4. Detention of immigrants on the basis of secret evidence
5. Refusal to come clean on Canadian handling of Afghan detainees
6. Barring people like George Galloway from entering Canada while placing no such barriers in the path of war criminals such as G.W. Bush.
7. Refusal to defend the rights of Canadians imprisoned abroad, such as Abousfian Abdelrazik and Omar Khadr.

When US journalist Amy Goodman of Democracy Now was delayed at the border last year, Canadian Border Services Agency officials were concerned that she planned to criticize Canadian security measures around the Vancouver Olympics. This should concern anyone who supports free speech and democracy.

That said, Canada is light-years away from the police state that lives in the mind of Alex Jones. His tendency to overstate the problem might actually undermine those who have reality-based concerns about the state of our democracy.

S.M. Elliott said...

I quite agree, PSG. Well put.

Russell said...

"His tendency to overstate the problem might actually undermine those who have reality-based concerns..."

PSG, this is a great point. Sometimes I agree with Jones on individual issues, but his overkill ends up hurting the case.

S.M. Elliott said...

Yes. Or he chooses entirely the wrong people to address an issue.

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