How many times have you heard - to be a politician you need thick skin?
In my opinion they do not have thick skin - they have power and are willing to abuse it.
To make matters worse the media's skin is almost as thin. Try to critique the media and see what happens. Ask Dave Cochrane.
No matter what any of us normal mortals have to say about issues which affect us and are using our money - we are to say nothing or risk retribution in one fashion or another. The politicians and media are not interested in constructive criticism or even reasonable questions about the quality of their work - they are only interested in finding ways to make the criticism or questions stop.
This is not thick-skinned this is "we have the power" just watch us.
How many times during the election did you hear PC candidates say "we need to be on the government side". Why? What are the consequences if we are not? Better yet people - what are the consequences of zero opposition?
It is not acceptable to have less than adequate investigative journalism - and if the problem is the new budget - let the people know. Let us know why you are announcers of prepared government statements or the bearers of tabloid sensationalism like the twitter story. Show us the meat - then we can make up our own minds.
Make no mistake about it - the government and the media will X you out if you open your mouth in protest or in question. They will use their powers to cause you misery one way or the other. You are labelled as naysayers and treated with disdain. Ask Dunderdale how she treats me - professionally? Ask her how she gets to pick and choose the citizens she will talk to? Ask her how she punishes our own people while bowing to Ottawa or big corporations?
How about Dunderdale - opens the House of Assembly and the media do a story on what people think of how their doing.
Thick skin? - NO Power and Arrogance? - Yes Ignorance? The more the better they say. It is bliss after all.
2 comments:
The Local Media of Newfoundland and Labrador and the National Media were both complicit in the atrocities commintted on our province's natural resource base, that left our province high and dry with no appreciable economy.
Sue, I have been taking the media and other columnists to task for some time on the issue of media bias, laziness, fear, intimidation or whatever. It appears to me that the media in this province are trying to be scrupulously fair to all politicians but save their most biting criticism for the Opposition. In so doing, they come off as grovelling at the feet of the powerbrokers.
Why? I truly believe it is the fear factor, emanating for the days when Danny rode roughshod over anyone and everyone who disagreed with him. Ms Dunderdale has taken to doing some of the same but at least Danny had flair to go with his theatrics.
We have entered into a sorry state of autocratic rule in this province, like we have not seen since the days of Mr. Smallwood. I feel the kind of politics demonstrated by this administration, simply a continuation of the last eight years of autocratic rule, should be consigned to the scrap bin of history. Unfortunately, it will only happen if we become engaged as an electorate. Even then, unless we reform the electoral system, we will only be setting ourselves up for a future administration to do the same.
I am supporter of the Liberal Party but have grave concerns about its future, especially if they succomb to the Messiah factor and name someone like Dean MacDonald to lead them. I have nothing against Mr. MacDonald personally but fear he represents the St. John's elite who tend to control too much of the affairs of this province. If we, as an engaged electorate are to have any say, the Liberals need to start by opening up thier leadership vote to anybody who would like to cast a ballot. We cannot continue to play old-school political games and change anything but cosmetics.
A new political movement may well be the answer but the difficulty with that is getting people motivated, engaged, and viewing such a movement as a credible alternative. I truly don't mind being under the umbrella of an existing party but none of them inspire me right now.
If the media and politicians continue to allow us to drift along, we, the people, have to take control. It is a huge challenge but every movement starts with an ideal.
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