Uncategorized

BTC: Constructive criticism

It might’ve been more fun if he’d phrased it like a Page 6 blind item (“Which national columnist hasn’t a clue what he’s talking about?”), but still interesting to see Liberal Glen Pearson, via his blog, call out a representative member of the press gallery. To wit.

“The days following the announcement of Stephane Dion’s Green Shift proposal have been highly illustrative of much of what is wrong in the present political system.  I don’t need to go into the Prime Minister’s demeaning ‘It will screw everybody’ –  the level of rhetoric speaks for itself.

“I’m more intrigued by the pundrity coming out of national media.  That there would be numerous opinions was to be predicted.  I am more surprised at the sheer lack of understanding of the Green Shift plan.  I spoke to one national columnist today who scolded me for supporting a plan that would ultimately hurt (his tone could have more fit the PM’s “screwed” language) the less-fortunate in society.  He said this to me because he perceived (correctly) that because I’m still director of my local food bank, poverty should matter to me.  But then he assumed (incorrectly) that I should take issue with Dion’s new initiative as a result.  Once I took him through the details of the plan that pertained to the alleviation of poverty he simply stated he didn’t understand that before.

“And that’s the problem with it all.  Rather than spending time searching it out and speaking with experts (I’m not one, by the way), so many have just decided the plan won’t work.  I still find it incredible, especially considering the sheer importance of the initiative.  Whether one agrees with the plan or not, it is a serious policy effort and deserves to be treated with a corresponding seriousness.”

If this were Gawker or Perez Hilton, I suppose you could use the comments to start guessing as to who this national columnist might be. But that would be irresponsible and wrong and mean and wrong. Not that it would be terribly democratic of me to stop you.

(If you do wish to guess, please phrase your theories in the language of Clue. As in, “It was Paul Wells, in the library, with the misreading of tax rebates.”)

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.