It is puzzling that this story isn't gaining more traction. The federal government is closing the NFB - National Film Board - offices in Montreal and Toronto. Sigh. As an educator who relies regularly on the NFB in my program, I shake my head. As a citizen who understands the importance of culture to survival of any civilization, I despair. As an educator who understands that jobs of the future will rely on the ability to use and produce digital media I shudder at the shortsightedness. As a tax-payer who recognizes the economic engine that the film industry represents, I think .. what the ...?
As an observer of government I can't help but make connections. It's about the power of voice. No government likes to provide funding to organizations that produce critical thinkers who are capable of challenging ideas. It makes governing messy and difficult. It is so much easier to govern when the citizenry remains uninformed. If the documentary makers don't have the funding to document with a critical eye
the impact of government and corporate decision making, it becomes easier to push legislation through and control a population. How handy for decision makers that the global economic crisis provides such a golden opportunity to close down the channels of communication. We don't want an Egypt or a Lybia happening here afterall.
Looking at these cuts in a broader context I do see a pattern. Industry Canada has suddenly cut funding to free internet access programs in libraries. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2012/04/06/ns-cap-funding-cut.html Given that these services are used by and large by those who cannot afford the luxury of internet access at home, it is a handy thing to cut off communication tools from the poor, the low-income and those who might challenge government policies that favour the wealthy. It's just that we have thousands of students in this country who rely on that access and by cutting them off - it's like denying them the opportunity to learn to read and write. We are cutting ourselves off at the knees! Internet access has been identified as a fundamental human right - in Canada apparently that's a right that no longer matters.
Attack on voice seems to be a common tool of our current government. It's why so many organizations that address human rights issues have had their funding cut off. It's why government scientists cannot speak freely with the press - their views must first receive approval from the Harper government. It's why our MP's are not able to speak freely; all communications must be approved centrally. It's why environmental reviews have suddenly been limited to two years by the federal government. And while I understand that a strong economy relies on development and industry and that bureaucratic red tape gets in the way of streamlined, effeciency - when industry disenfranchises a large percentage of a population or destroys our environment, this cannot be good for our long term future.
And of course, there is the $150 million cut to the CBC.
Many people wonder how dictatorships in formerly free countries arise. It's actually quite easy to lose a democracy - all it takes is taking away peoples' voices. That's is how our friends to the south have found their country slowly slipping into plutocracy. http://www.thenation.com/blog/167269/dont-just-pressure-alecs-corporate-sponsors-name-and-shame-alec-legislators
I understand that we are facing economic challenges and that cuts to government spending need to be made; what I don't understand is the vision. Our government is about to spend billions of dollars on prison-building because of the US style mandatory sentencing laws that have just been passed. Prisons that will have to be paid for by our tax dollars. As a country we have choices that need to be made. Investing in healthcare, culture, education, mental health, pensions, the environment, green technology, tuition fees, public transit, libraries, museums, public spaces and public insitutions in general lead to quality of life. They generate economic activity and make places attractive for others to visit, immigrate to and invest in and in Canada and elsewhere they are under attack.
We can remain complacent and let one more "little" thing slip by or we can begin claiming our voices. I know which one I'm choosing.
This google doc has a sample letter that you can send to our Heritage Minister, The Honourable James Moore (oh, the ironies) about cuts to the National Film Board.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=13693255b14c6eb0&mt=application/msword&url=https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui%3D2%26ik%3D1959b6370b%26view%3Datt%26th%3D13693255b14c6eb0%26attid%3D0.1%26disp%3Dsafe%26zw&sig=AHIEtbSyffrfnTrN4KcTQZYgDWJi1xy3fw
As an observer of government I can't help but make connections. It's about the power of voice. No government likes to provide funding to organizations that produce critical thinkers who are capable of challenging ideas. It makes governing messy and difficult. It is so much easier to govern when the citizenry remains uninformed. If the documentary makers don't have the funding to document with a critical eye
the impact of government and corporate decision making, it becomes easier to push legislation through and control a population. How handy for decision makers that the global economic crisis provides such a golden opportunity to close down the channels of communication. We don't want an Egypt or a Lybia happening here afterall.
Looking at these cuts in a broader context I do see a pattern. Industry Canada has suddenly cut funding to free internet access programs in libraries. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2012/04/06/ns-cap-funding-cut.html Given that these services are used by and large by those who cannot afford the luxury of internet access at home, it is a handy thing to cut off communication tools from the poor, the low-income and those who might challenge government policies that favour the wealthy. It's just that we have thousands of students in this country who rely on that access and by cutting them off - it's like denying them the opportunity to learn to read and write. We are cutting ourselves off at the knees! Internet access has been identified as a fundamental human right - in Canada apparently that's a right that no longer matters.
Attack on voice seems to be a common tool of our current government. It's why so many organizations that address human rights issues have had their funding cut off. It's why government scientists cannot speak freely with the press - their views must first receive approval from the Harper government. It's why our MP's are not able to speak freely; all communications must be approved centrally. It's why environmental reviews have suddenly been limited to two years by the federal government. And while I understand that a strong economy relies on development and industry and that bureaucratic red tape gets in the way of streamlined, effeciency - when industry disenfranchises a large percentage of a population or destroys our environment, this cannot be good for our long term future.
And of course, there is the $150 million cut to the CBC.
Many people wonder how dictatorships in formerly free countries arise. It's actually quite easy to lose a democracy - all it takes is taking away peoples' voices. That's is how our friends to the south have found their country slowly slipping into plutocracy. http://www.thenation.com/blog/167269/dont-just-pressure-alecs-corporate-sponsors-name-and-shame-alec-legislators
I understand that we are facing economic challenges and that cuts to government spending need to be made; what I don't understand is the vision. Our government is about to spend billions of dollars on prison-building because of the US style mandatory sentencing laws that have just been passed. Prisons that will have to be paid for by our tax dollars. As a country we have choices that need to be made. Investing in healthcare, culture, education, mental health, pensions, the environment, green technology, tuition fees, public transit, libraries, museums, public spaces and public insitutions in general lead to quality of life. They generate economic activity and make places attractive for others to visit, immigrate to and invest in and in Canada and elsewhere they are under attack.
We can remain complacent and let one more "little" thing slip by or we can begin claiming our voices. I know which one I'm choosing.
This google doc has a sample letter that you can send to our Heritage Minister, The Honourable James Moore (oh, the ironies) about cuts to the National Film Board.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=13693255b14c6eb0&mt=application/msword&url=https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui%3D2%26ik%3D1959b6370b%26view%3Datt%26th%3D13693255b14c6eb0%26attid%3D0.1%26disp%3Dsafe%26zw&sig=AHIEtbSyffrfnTrN4KcTQZYgDWJi1xy3fw
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