Jan. 14, 2007: Bud Talkinghorn -&- Corporate Welfare

The Little Paranoid Mosque on the Prairie

Only CBC could have given us this ridiculous comedy. Like their sledgehammer comedic "22 Minutes", not an ounce of nuance survived. Let us review quickly the plot line of this Islamic 22 minute show. The poor imam-to-be can't even get to his new job because he is hauled out of the airline check-in line. Seems that some white lady misunderstood his phone conversation, which referenced "suicide" and "going to a better place". Next thing he is being interrogated by the cops. They are interested in his charity work in Afghanistan--presumably during Osama's time there. It is left up in the air whether it might connect to that infamous Khadr "charity" *. Finally, he makes it to this small prairie town.

Immediately some white ninny is absolutely convinced he is a terrorist. The town's news reporter misinterprets the imam's every statement as jihadi talk. "Are you part of a sleeper cell", he blurts out. Next up to show that the non-Islamic folk are stone prejudiced is the radio interviewer, who refers to him as "Johnny Jihad". The beleaguered imam is not alone in his travails, as every other Muslim character in the show is misunderstood, as well.

The imam rightly decides that this is a mission impossible, so phones Air Canada to book a one way back to Toronto. But the agent there is suspicious also, so has to talk to her supervisor. He is then disconnected. This benighted man can't even escape this western Hell he has transported himself to.

Have I missed anything here? To summarize, the show is easy. The entire non-Muslim world of Canada is hopelessly bigoted. The imam is a clean-shaven native, no beard down to his navel and mumbling about his good old days with the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. Despite the endless ignorance of the town (white pastor excepted), these Muslim souls soldier on. Highlighting so many absurd stereotypical rednecks simply reduces the show to buffonery. The viewer has to wonder why the Muslim population of the town don't all go back to their homelands, having been heaped with so many racial / religious slurs. The only plot progression I can see is the white folk mocking every Islamic taboo. Of course, considering the "light touches" already employed, there could be a scene of the town's KKK forcing a pork chop down the imam's throat. Make it really dramatic by having it occur during the Ramadan fast period. And being CBC, there will undoubtedly be gratuitous body slams against the Harper Conservatives and George Bush. After all, this town is the symbolic heartland of western conservatism. Hogtown folk don't act like that.

Where does CBC get these scriptwriters? I could even see a genuine drama being presented on this cultural divide, as long as it wasn't produced by the didactic CBC. Frankly, I expected a gooey sop to multiculturalism, but this reverse stereotyping of average Canadians was way, way, over the top. CBC has done itself proud here. Smash the xenophobic western state. Yes sir! And that plot to blow up the CBC headquarters, right there in tolerant Toronto, was simply a boyish prank, wasn't it?

© Bud Talkinghorn--I understand that this premier effort garnered a large audience. It will be interesting to see if the show can sustain those numbers. Full disclosure: I will be tuning in because it so so lopesided and loony-leftist, it is fascinating to see how far CBC will go with it. The Ottawa Sun lavished praise on it. It said, "blah, blah, witty" and blah. I guess "witty" has gone the route of "hero" as a word you can't trust anymore.



* Bud, "Khadr" and "charity" as front for terrorist activities will never be mentioned in the same sentence on the CBC, in my opinion. Muslims are considered to be an important Liberal voting bloc, to those who barrack for the return of the same old, same old corruptos; therefore, CBC wouldn't want to turn away any voters by actually investigating anything meant to be glossed over for the sake of politics. CBC-politicized completely. I love it that one media company's owner or CEO is balking at funding them any more. Check CBC Watch for more on that. FHTR


Corporate Welfare

Note that reader Anna Keightley posted yesterday (comment: Jan. 13, 2007: Financing Disaster #2 Introduction) a link to this Edmonton Sun article: Editorial: Wasted Money -- "$18.4 billion in grants and loans" but there's more, and the details mentioned get worse -- a must read article , Jan. 12, 2007. If nothing else, read the solution in the last paragraph of the Edmonton sun article.

www.edmontonsun.com/Comment/Commen
tary/2007/01/12/3320097.html

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation put out a report this week that should curl the hair of any taxpayer who hates government waste.

The CTF has compiled a list of financial assistance paid out by Industry Canada to private companies covering a period from 1982 to 2005.

More: Corporate Welfare Continues to Fleece Taxpayers

OTTAWA – The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today released a report, entitled On the Dole: Businesses, Lobbyists, and Industry Canada’s Subsidy Programs, that details $18.4-billion in federal government handouts to businesses, associations and foundations for the period covering April 1, 1982, to March 31, 2006. It examines only tax money authorized through the federal industry department.

Canadian Taxpayers Federation

www.taxpayer.ca/main/index.php

Corporate Welfare Report pdf

www.taxpayer.com/pdf/2007_corpor
ate_welfare_report.pdf

Subsidy Appendix pdf

www.taxpayer.com/pdf/subsidies.pdf

Sunday is a day for quiet reading, isn't it? Catch up on the fleecing. More to come when the planets align and things get back to normal ... Libs in Ottawa practising politics as usual. See the series of Jan. 13, 2007 posts for more on that theme.