David Suzuki & Jimmy Savile

[August1991]

We all know David Suzuki is a saint. Especially now that he's 76, and refers to himself in the third person, as "an elder." Recently, Suzuki told his fellow CBC employee George Stromboulopoulos, " I feel though, at my age, no one can accuse me of wanting more fame or power or money."

That's what he says. But what does he do? Suzuki's visit to a small junior college in Montreal last October paints a different picture.

Sun - Ezra Levant

There are many different possible reasons why British celebrity Jimmy Savile was never caught over his half-century long sexual predator rampage. One was his psychopathic-like super-sense of being able to sniff-out the most psychologically vulnerable who would either not tell or not be believed.

...

A fourth may have been status: here we have an associate of the highest echelons of British society - this halo likely acted like a protective force-field around him, not because of any collusion by any of the elite necessarily, but simply because of his repeated association with their own super-status.

A fifth is celebrity - meaning a star is ultra-valuable to the media, and is part of a celebrity-worshipping, copy-selling and advertising-valuable industry: this suggests that any journalist threatening to tarnish such a celebrity 'brand' with bad news will have to be a very brave man or woman indeed.

Huffington Post

----

What young person would have the courage to confront David Suzuki or Jimmy Savile? Brigette de Pape?

[Michael Hardner]

Why would someone need to 'confront' Suzuki ? His message is that of the quaint nature lover. He has no power over individuals, and certainly not anything like a terrorist like Savile.

The comparison is ridiculous.

[BubberMiley]

The comparison is ridiculous.

Which is what makes it an August thread.

[betsy]

Why would someone need to 'confront' Suzuki ?

Almost being dictatorial on how he thinks we ought to subscribe to his worship of nature, and how to "preserve" the planet.....it'll be nice to know if he got his inpiration from Gaddafi and his all-women bodyguards???

Edited January 30, 2013 by betsy

[eyeball]

This thread should make it obvious why the environment doesn't stand a chance.

[betsy]

But on a serious note, that a College would pander to that kind of request from Suzuki is rather disturbing. Especially this message:

Another memo from Erich Schmedt to Milburn says students might just get a chance to bask in Suzuki's greatness up at his hotel room.

Though it makes you wonder if there's a little bit of sarcasm in the tone from Schmedt when he referred to Suzuki....I still question as to why you'd send young ladies in a hotel room, and even put it in a way that these women should feel rather privileged to have been given the opportunity to be with Suzuki.

Pimping can take on a different form....some don't have to be crude and blatant about it.

How old are these ladies? Are they adults?

Not that I'm saying anything untoward happened with these young women.....but if there was something inappropriate (of course the whole scenario is inappropriate) that may've happened, would any of these young ladies come forward to say something about it, or they'd just keep their mouth shut?

I like someone to confront the College.

I think I do understand the point that August is trying to make. And no, the comparison is not different. The same element of unconditional pandering to someone with authority - or someone highly "revered" - is there.

Edited January 30, 2013 by betsy

[Michael Hardner]

Almost being dictatorial on how he thinks we ought to subscribe to his worship of nature, and how to "preserve" the planet.....it'll be nice to know if he got his inpiration from Gaddafi and his all-women bodyguards???

A dictator is somebody with power, not just somebody with an opinion.

[betsy]

A dictator is somebody with power, not just somebody with an opinion.

Read my next reply - the one that sez: "On a serious note..."

[betsy]

This thread should make it obvious why the environment doesn't stand a chance.

Btw, are you pro-environment and anti-corporation?

Because no matter which way you go, you're being decieved by the Suzuki Foundation.

There's no one more hypocritical than David Suzuki. He blatantly yet subtly works on your emotions by saying he wants to save the earth for his grandchildren. Yes, he's looking after his grandchuildren, alright....but not by saving the earth. It's by picking your pockets. Wake up and smell the green tea.

[Michael Hardner]

Read my next reply - the one that sez: "On a serious note..."

I see. I recommend adding an emoticon to denote humour if its not entirely obvious. Even though I detested emoticons at first, I now feel that they enhance language in a useful way. It's easier to use those than to expect people to read other posts that refer back.

Cheers.

[betsy]

I see. I recommend adding an emoticon to denote humour if its not entirely obvious. Even though I detested emoticons at first, I now feel that they enhance language in a useful way. It's easier to use those than to expect people to read other posts that refer back.

Cheers.

Put emoticons??? How many do you see? Count them....

betsy, on 30 January 2013 - 07:03 AM, said:

Almost being dictatorial on how he thinks we ought to subscribe to his worship of nature, and how to "preserve" the planet.....it'll be nice to know if he got his inpiration from Gaddafi and his all-women bodyguards???

One-two three!

Are you grumpy?

Edited January 30, 2013 by betsy

[guyser]

Because no matter which way you go, you're being decieved by the Suzuki Foundation.

Like religion huh?

August, no idea why you put savile and suzuki together, some sort of point is there obviously , but MH is right, the comparison is horrible.

[TimG]

Here is an op that puts this issue in a more appropriate context:

http://fullcomment.n...-of-journalism/

Nevertheless, I’m not sure I would have pursued this story — even if I’d been the one who got the initial tip from John Abbott. Partially, it’s because I just don’t dislike Suzuki enough, let alone hate him. In fact, I probably have drunk a little of the Kool-Aid myself over the years; and so I am handicapped by the vague sense that it would somehow be wrong or impolite to make this great Canadian icon look bad.

Why, some day, if I become famous enough, I might even aspire to share a table with him at some awards banquet or other. Wouldn’t want to say anything that renders such a meeting awkward.

The great virtue of Sun — and yes, it’s a virtue — is that the people who work there don’t seem to be hobbled by such constraints. They’re the ones who tell us that Theresa Spence is still fat, and that modern dance is for ninnies — and they don’t apologize for it, because they know that most people think these things, even if they don’t say them.

Edited January 30, 2013 by TimG

[Michael Hardner]

One-two three!

Are you grumpy?

I am, but I'm more blind than grumpy evidently.

[g_bambino]

Like religion huh?

Touché!

[WIP]

Here is an op that puts this issue in a more appropriate context:

http://fullcomment.n...-of-journalism/

[/size]

Yep, nothing wrong with Ezra Levant that a nice hard throat strike to that fat neck couldn't fix! The Sun "journalists" and the goon squad in the Post's Full Comments section sure can let it all hang out.....as long as they are attacking the enemies of their corporate paymasters! Neither one of these "news organizations" really practices journalism (i.e. all of the fawning over the bloated Toronto mayor being acquitted failed to mention that it was for reasons of legal technicality and nothing more), and these "brave" journalists at the Sun and the Post are never going to attack the oil industry, Israel, corporate power, banking fraud, the environmental destruction caused by tar sands development etc. .....but they can attack: the poor, racial minorities, environmentalists, natives, muslims.....pretty much anyone and everyone who doesn't serve the interests of their corporate masters. And that's the price you have to pay when your "news" organizations are nothing more than corporate funded propaganda tools that would go out of business if they had to earn their way through subscriptions and ad revenue.

Typical that all of the propagandists for "free enterprise" never seem to practice what they preach, and earn their way from government largess and special tax and regulation rules.

[waldo]

Yep, nothing wrong with Ezra Levant that a nice hard throat strike to that fat neck couldn't fix!

yup - the only solace is realizing how far the SUN barkers will go to try to keep it afloat... as Quebecor makes ever increasing moves to down-size and divest.

I expect you've seen the relatively recent similar, slimy, unfounded and bizarro pedophile comparisons/associations thrown by climate-change deniers at a Penn State climate scientist; re: the Penn State 'Sandusky affair'. MLW member, 'August1991', has surely outdone himself with this latest piece of crap.

one only needs to closely read Levant's twisted column to appreciate his purposeful word-crafting. Even if you take everything that Levant states at face value, the only aspect that can be directly attributed to Suzuki (more correctly, his handler(s)), is the informal request associated with protection. I expect it's a request that reflects upon years of experience with crowds, realizing that a lower-profile presence carries a much less confrontational/intimidating face to potential protesters. Everything else is just Levant spinning wildly with second and third hand commentary/innuendo.

[TimG]

these "brave" journalists at the Sun and the Post are never going to attack the oil industry, Israel, corporate power, banking fraud, the environmental destruction caused by tar sands development etc.

You seem to miss the point of the op. The point is not whether one agrees with the things that Sun chooses to focus on - the point is that Sun brings a valuable perspective to the news media because it is willing to act sacred cows that the mainstream media is too scared/too biased to attack. Obviously, the things that Sun news attacks you happen to hold dear so you are obviously going to hate them so it is not clear why you felt the need to state the obvious.

[WIP]

yup - the only solace is realizing how far the SUN barkers will go to try to keep it afloat... as Quebecor makes ever increasing moves to down-size and divest.

I expect you've seen the relatively recent similar, slimy, unfounded and bizarro pedophile comparisons/associations thrown by climate-change deniers at a Penn State climate scientist; re: the Penn State 'Sandusky affair'. MLW member, 'August1991', has surely outdone himself with this latest piece of crap.

one only needs to closely read Levant's twisted column to appreciate his purposeful word-crafting. Even if you take everything that Levant states at face value, the only aspect that can be directly attributed to Suzuki (more correctly, his handler(s)), is the informal request associated with protection. I expect it's a request that reflects upon years of experience with crowds, realizing that a lower-profile presence carries a much less confrontational/intimidating face to potential protesters. Everything else is just Levant spinning wildly with second and third hand commentary/innuendo.

Actually, I see as little of Ezra Levant and his theories as I can avoid! Whenever I find a copy of the Toronto Sun lying around at work, I pull out the sports pages and the page 3 girl/and the back section bikini pic, and throw away the rest! That's about all anyone else wants to read from them also. And I have Sun News channel blocked so I don't have to look at Levant & co. even by accident. It's not that I'm avoiding conflicting ideas, but there are limits to how much I can put up with destructive propaganda.

[waldo]

You seem to miss the point of the op. The point is not whether one agrees with the things that Sun chooses to focus on - the point is that Sun brings a valuable perspective ...

yellow journalism is not... a valued perspective!

[waldo]

Actually, I see as little of Ezra Levant and his theories as I can avoid!

exactly... this is the first I've heard of the guy since his Harper Conservative sponsored foray with the ethically challenged "Ethical Oil"

[GostHacked]

exactly... this is the first I've heard of the guy since his Harper Conservative sponsored foray with the ethically challenged "Ethical Oil"

Ezra was also out with the Occupy crowds in Toronto trying to make them look like idiots. Saying that they will repeat anything someone says. Ezra had little knowledge (or total feigned ignorance) of what 'the people's microphone' was all about.

[guyser]

Actually, I see as little of Ezra Levant and his theories as I can avoid!

Well....might be seeing them some more.

In one giant hypocritical turnaround, they (Sun News Network) are petitioning the CRTC to be included in basic cable.....meaning you pay for them whether you like it or not !

I suppose getting a couple of thousand viewers a day is bleeding them. Maybe if they were better and not such a second third rate looking station they may do better.

Edited January 30, 2013 by guyser

[Moonlight Graham]

Ezra Levant is a shill for Canadian oil companies. He's from Alberta, Alberta has tons of oil, therefore he wants Alberta (and himself and his friends and cronies and whatever investments he could be involved with) to get as rich as possible from the oil. He doesn't like David Suzuki because his environmental messages attempt to undermine Alberta oil interests. Ezra will say just about anything to try and discredit Suzuki (and his ilk) because of this. Ezra Levant has some good points from time to time, but most of the time he's an ass.

[Guest]

Yep, nothing wrong with Ezra Levant that a nice hard throat strike to that fat neck couldn't fix!

And I just want you to know that I'm really sorry for calling you a clown in that other thread.