Thread by @sunnshiiny

I seriously wonder what motivates people with academic reputations to promote disinformation?

Is it money? Notoriety? In group acceptance? Funding? Access to inner circles?

What causes those who build expertise over decades to push propaganda?

https://twitter.com/mgeist/status/1390413296021409794

Sometimes I wonder if it’s conservative’s way to discredit academia and expertise all in one shot. Convince academics to sell out every ounce (grams of your metric) of integrity to push disinformation for political gain of far right political parties.

Many will read Michael Geist’s opinion and not read the actual bill being proposed.

They’ll trust his assessment without checking themselves. Believing he’s non partisan and has years of expertise and experience.

He might even convince the majority of people.

That is the objective of Mr. Geist’s opine offerings. To present doubt, mistrust, smears and partisan hackery under the guise of protecting freedom of expression consistent with American interpretations of free speech.

But Canada is a sovereign country.

So why must we be subjected to the American interpretation of free speech, which considers hate speech and disinformation equal to truth, facts and democratic values?

Why does Canada get no choice in what is promoted to Canadians?

Especially knowing the very libertarian interpretation of free speech that liberalist humanist Canada does not share?

Even American academic experts are discussing the proliferation of disinformation and pushing for a modern update of internet content.

The internet is a powerful tool. We can connect with anyone. The American BLM movement has influenced Canadian culture. Even though the experiences of black Canadians are not the same as black Americans.

Black Americans have a platform and receive algorithmic amplification.

https://twitter.com/cigionline/status/1390076338992652288

Shouldn’t the Canadian black community be promoted in Canada along with American content? So the issues specific to Canada can be understood by Canadians. All Canadians?

I remember in university many people quoting divorce statistics with grave concerns about family cohesion.

But they always quoted American statistics. I’m not sure if the stats now, but at the time, so many were disturbed to know half of all marriages end in divorce. But that wasn’t the case in Canada. It was closer to 30%. Less than 1/3.

The Canadian experience and demographics was overshadowed by American culture.

And who remembers the Beach Combers? Classic Canadian cultural content reflecting west coast life over 18 years.

Who knew it was exported across the globe, including the US.

No wonder cons want to cancel Canadian culture. Relic was a selfish egotistical greedy ass. Everyone on the show barely tolerated him. The rest of the characters were a mix of people not usually found as central characters. A Greek Canadian, indigenous people in positive roles.

Canadians loved it! We reveled in our banality, kindness, diversity, and forgiving but cautious nature for the Relic’s in real life.

That’s Canadian culture. Canadians weren’t defined by content from foreign nations. We had our own identity.

Anne of Green Gables. Popular among Japanese couples. Once I attended an Anne themed Japanese wedding when I was touring PEI.

How about Degrassi? Canadian content, big hit in US market.

And what about k.d. lang who broke onto the music entertainment scene proving small town Alberta wasn’t all staunch uptight conservatives. I still love the song Constant Craving.

And who can forget SCTV, filmed in Edmonton, AB for two years. Very very Canadian.

Eugene Levy, John Candy, Catherine O’hara, Doug Thomas, Rick Moranus, Harold Ramis, Andrea Martin, Joe Flaherty. All started as Canadian content in a small prairie city, making us laugh at ourselves and our quirky Canadian idiosyncrasies.

That’s what conservatives want to drown out with American based algorithms that amplify Alex Jones, Steve Bannon, Milo Yiannopoulos and Donald Trump.

I’ll take Canadian content any day of the week and twice on Sunday! I’ve had enough of the orange menace.

But I can still pull up any Trump video. I just have to look for it rather than an American created algorithm programmed to expose me to the most putrid American content. That’s not free speech. That’s suppression of Canadian culture. One I experienced fully in my youth.

I was lucky to have experienced Canadian content because of the Broadcasting Act. Canadian content was mandatory on Canadian media.

It brought me this.

And this:

And this:

I want Canadian Heritage preserved. I want to revel in Canadian culture. I want to see indigenous peoples on social media. I want Canadian comics, music, film/video entertainment, variety shows, Canadian academic presentations and documentaries.

Because that’s who I am.

That’s who I want to raise my children to be, that’s what I want for my grandchildren.

And so does every other critically thinking Canadian.

Canadians are self effacing and humble, but we also know we are a cultural mosaic of complementary values and beliefs.

Canadians have long struggled to define ourselves as separate from Americans. Many take pleasure in NOT being a typical ugly American.

But many of us take pride in our quirky, boring, polite, passive aggressive but kind, friendly nature. Present from coast to coast to coast.

Harper and far right conservatives have been trying to destroy the liberalist Canadian identity for 30 years. Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime, Spotify, Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and many others are slowly edging Canadian culture out of existence.

What’s the last Canadian content programming you’ve watched or listened to over the internet?

That’s the point. We don’t have our own identity. It’s being shaped and altered by foreign internet hosts.

Give me the Chicken Lady every time over Andrew Dice Clay. Both are crass and provocative. (Yes I’m dating myself). But I’m also struggling to determine recently produced Canadian content that I would consume besides Hockey Night in Canada with my husband and two sons.

Podcasts. I do listen to a few Canadian podcasts. And the Good Doctor. Filmed in Vancouver.

Everything else is foreign influence.

That’s by design. I am Canadian, not American!

I support Bill C-10 so I can celebrate being Canadian again.

@s_guilbeault

#ISupportBillC10

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