Alternatives International

Is the Harper Government Going too far to Control Information?

Joanny Bélair — 2013-06-02T22:43:02Z

In our digital era, in which the media is so ubiquitous and people are so connected, we tend to think that we are well informed. However, it appears that for the state, it is not very difficult to manipulate and control information.

Since the Harper government won its majority in 2011, it has been actively promoting its new agenda, trying to push forward its conservative ideology at home and abroad. Nowadays, Canadian values such as multiculturalism and tolerance appear to belong to the past.

The vision of Canada that has been promoted internationally is based on symbols such as the monarchy, and on military and economic power. On some issues, our views have changed significantly. For example, we now stand strongly with Israel, we are condemning, with disdain, international institutions such as the UN, and we are even preaching to European countries.

At home, this conservative vision is also pushed forward. The government has invested a lot of money to publicly promote its Economic Action Plan and the tar sands project in Alberta. Federal cultural funding is now mainly limited to the commemoration of the War of 1812 and celebration of the Queen's jubilee. Scientists have been muzzled through departmental cuts and restructuring. Democracy has been endangered in the process: just recall the 2008 and 2009 Parliament prorogations and mammoth omnibus budget bills.

Thus, it appears that the control of information and the spread of disinformation have been main strategies used by the Conservative government to put forth its political agenda. It is worth looking more closely at some of these strategies.

First, the Economic Action Plan, which was designed – according to the Conservative's message – to sustain Canada's economic situation in a global economic context of crisis, has also been used as a political tool to diminish funding to specifically targeted departments. For instance, Environment Canada and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Strategy both suffered significant cuts in 2011. However, at the same time, the oil industry continues to receive more than one billion dollarsin tax benefits annually, which reaffirms the ideological vision underlying these cuts.

Justifying themselves by referring to the need for a government to communicate with Canadians, the Harper government's last four years of Economic Action Plan ads cost the Finance Department over $25 million. Even if recent polls have shown that Canadians are getting bored with this public relations campaign, some calling this material “propaganda and a waste of money,” it is clear that it is not over yet.

The government has been using media publicity more extensively. Justin Trudeau's recent victory in the Liberal Party of Canada's leadership race has been an opportunity for the Conservative Party to launch ads against him to undermine his credibility and capacities. And the government is not only targeting Canadians, but also Americans. Selling our neighbors the idea of “responsible resource development” is a priority, in hopes to give Alberta's oil producers privileged access to the giant American market. The government has put aside $16.5 million for advertising in the United States in 2013-2014.

Last, but not least, starting mid-May, Harper's government has invested in publicities to promote a new program – the Canada Job Grant Program – that does not yet exist. The program is in development and, so far, has not been approved by the provinces. All this is getting ridiculous and costs are running high for Canadian taxpayers.

Additionally, Harper's government has strongly denied any implication into the robocalls scandal during the last election, which apparently targeted non-conservative voters, giving them wrong directions to polling stations. The investigation conducted by Elections Canada gave birth to a proposition of a bill to reform political robocall rules and to fight “rampant procedural errors”. Then, in May 2013, Harper's government announced its decision to cut 8 percent of Elections Canada's budget and put the bill on hold at the House of Commons because of an unspecified problem. Opposition parties condemned the government and its vision of democracy. Liberal leader Trudeau even said: "For me it's an indication that the Conservatives have understood that the less people turn out to vote, the better it is for them."

But, the straw that broke the camel's back is Bill C-60. This bill will give the cabinet explicit power to give Crown Corporations orders on how to conduct collective bargaining. It is a very dangerous step, threatening, for example, CBC's independence from the state. AsIan Morrison, spokesperson for CBC stated: “If this Bill becomes law, the government will have more lever to control what the CBC does, the programs it presents and the editorial content of the news. Our national public broadcaster will take one step closer to becoming a state broadcaster.”

However, despite of all this, recent polls surveying Canadians about their overall appreciation of this government have shown that 42% of them still approve it. So, the question that we should ask next is: Do they approve of it wittingly?

Information is always displayed with an ideological perspective, pushing forward an underlying discourse that aims to influence people's thinking. On the other hand, Canadians have a right to access information, and plenty of alternative sources of information are available, especially in our technological era with social networks. So, to access analyses and critical thinking on a variety of subjects, coming from various perspectives should be easy in theory. However, some people do, many do not. Why is that? Perhaps, this flow of news and information creates the feeling that we are definitely informed about what is going on, preventing us from going further in our analysis. Moreover, the strength of the dominant discourse is that it is getting accepted as a truth, without being put into question. That might explain why this government is using such tools to influence Canadians. It can push forward an ideological revolution and redefine Canadian identity with its Conservative vision.

However, we should not forget that we have, as conscious citizens, powerful tools to diffuse and promote critical thinking about our leader's priorities and decisions. Social media offers opportunities that we are just starting to discover. Part of the solution might lie on the integration of critical thinking and alternative discourses in this ongoing flow of information. Definitely, it is our responsibility to show our government that we are expecting more from it and that disinformation strategies are not a proper way of ruling a democratic state.

Escraches: Time for Outrage and Resistance

Joanny Bélair — 2013-05-01T22:18:05Z

The Western ideal of democracy has been put in jeopardy since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2008, especially in the European Union. The World has learned, that when the capitalist system is endangered, everything will be done—even in the democratic European model—in order to achieve stability and economic growth. What the leaders seem to forget are the consequences of this crisis management for ordinary citizens, and the resulting lack of resources to make their voices heard and to keep their governments accountable.

Greece, Italy and Spain, for instance, have been forced to implement economic and social reforms, struggling to get by their huge debts and mismanagement of public funds. Domestically, their governments are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Before the crisis in Spain, the government reduced corporate taxes (among others), optimistic about the economic growth, confident that the market would regulate itself and that lower taxes were the solution. However, when the economy collapsed, it chose to reduce social expenditures instead of reinstituting enterprise taxation. As a consequence, Spaniards' economic and social situation worsened. Unemployment reached a record of 6 million since 2008.

The housing bubble also brought terrible social consequences. There have been nearly 400,000 evictions since 2008; suicide rates increased and families are living in unacceptable precarious situations. In fact, the Spanish mortgage law allows the bank to seize property as soon as the borrower defaults on his payments, permitting thereby very speedy evictions. Moreover, even if the buyer has been evicted, they must still pay their mortgage back to the bank. Thus, in addition to being evicted and having to find a housing solution, Spaniards also have to deal with their mortgage debt through the Bank. The European Court of Justice itself recognized on March 14, 2013 that the country's legislation regarding mortgage was “abusive and violated the directive on consumer protection”.

Given the dramatic situation, many social organizations pressured the Spanish government. They asked Parliament to solve the housing/mortgage problematic by allowing a house's value to cancel the outstanding borrower's debt, by stopping residential evictions and by providing adequate social housing and reasonable rents.

The government refused to even allow the motion in Parliament!

In a supposed democratic country, this decision did not make any sense, considering that more than 80 percent of the Spanish population supported it. This refusal threatened the nature itself of the democratic concept in Spain. What can the people do if the government in power does not even allow Parliament to consider the proposed changes that are massively supported? Is it right that a large sum of people are suffering from a regulation that is profoundly unfair, and are condemned to silence in our so-called advanced model of democratic governance?

The answer is obvious.

And, then, Spaniards decided that the slogan used by Argentines against the direct violence of the State in the early 2000s was good enough for them: Si no justicia, hay escrache!

The Escrache concept refers to popular, autonomous and ethical justice. The word means: to expose, to uncover, and to bring to light. Escraches were initially social protests in Argentina used to denounce and condemn military and civilians that committed crimes during Argentina's dark period of dictatorship (1976-1983). Even if those individuals were prosecuted within the official justice system, there have been no real consequences to their crimes and many received official forgiveness from President Menem in October 1989 and December 1990. Feeling that official justice was failing to condemn those crimes, Argentines started Escraches as a peaceful public demonstration meant to inform and denounce the targeted individual's crimes. “After singing and shouting, the crowd disperses peacefully- mission achieved-the repressor is no longer living in peace.”

Finding no other solution, Spaniards are adapting and using Escraches to denounce the structural violence of the mortgage law and to hold their MPs accountable. Activists are following and harassing MPs, especially those of the Popular Party (PP;the conservative ruling party) even to their homes, shouting in their anger and dismay at a system they do not seem to influence: Yes, it can be done! (referring to the change of the mortgage law) but they don't want to (referring to politicians).
And it bothers them. A lot.

Some MPs have already threatened those activists, condemning their actions, taxing their activities as undemocratic. Isn't it ironic that this government, refusing to even consider a request massively supported by Spaniards, are taxing protesters' Escraches of undemocratic actions? They should certainly revisit the meaning of democracy.

The State also initiated new rules, ordering the police to keep the protestors at a distance of 300 meters to protect senior members of the PP. The PP is trying to criminalize Escraches, thereby limiting their actions and their right to ask for justice.

In a sense, it is true that Escraches could become a double-edged sword: individual attacks, even peaceful, could easily get out of control and become risky if they are too personal. However, truth is that there is actually a discontent about governance across the globe: the Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street movement, and riots are all indicators of this malaise démocratique.

Are elections and freedom of speech sufficient means to provide democratic governance? Obviously not. Escraches in Spain demonstrates that citizens want to have their say on issues when it really matters, not only during the election period. Leaders should, by now, realize that power comes with a duty; to represent their people. And as long as Spaniards will not be heard, they will continue reminding leaders of their democratic duties.

Others references:

http://libcom.org/news/time-it%E2%80%99s-personal-mortgage-fraud-ifauxi-democracy-iescrachei-spain-11042013
http://www.expatica.com/es/news/spanish-news/Spaniards-bring-eviction-protest-to-lawmakers-doors_262501.html
http://www.lesechos.fr/entreprises-secteurs/finance-marches/actu/reuters-00511486-espagne-le-mouvement-contre-les-saisies-immobilieres-s-amplifie-554857.php
http://www.lesechos.fr/journal20130411/lec1_derniere/0202695690975-le-rejet-des-politiques-se-renforce-en-espagne-557190.php
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/02/04/spai-f04.html?view-=print