F***ing bull***t

By Michael J.W. Stickings

So I'm on the WestJet flight from Charlottetown to Toronto this evening, and as I'm flipping through the available satellite TV channels, during Olympic commercial breaks on CBC, I come across, as usual, only one U.S. cable news network. CNN, right? Or MSNBC? No, Fox News.

That's right, for some reason, it has been determined -- by whom, I'm not sure, but the airline itself must be held accountable -- that WestJet passengers ought to have access to American jingoism and right-wing propaganda.

Now, WestJet does fly to some U.S. destinations, but it's primarily a Canadian airline. (Our second major airline after Air Canada.) So this is really about Canadian passengers having access to Fox's jingoism and propaganda. And while there are some Canadians who might welcome some pro-Republican flag-waving in the skies, it is safe to say, I think, that most Canadians don't want anything to do with Fox -- in the air, on the ground, or anywhere. (The major U.S. networks are available on WestJet flights, as they are on cable and satellite throughout Canada. I have an extensive digital cable package that includes Fox News, MSNBC, and most other U.S. news networks. CNN is on basic cable.) It would be fine, I suppose, if Fox were offered alongside CNN and MSNBC, but it's the only one available. That's fucking bullshit.

And you know what else is fucking bullshit? Fox News itself. (I know you know this already, but I'm tired and I need to vent before bed.)

I generally make a point not to watch Fox News, ever, except some clips here and there when I want to highlight some especially egregious example of jingoism and/or propaganda. But, well, there it is, on WestJet. I remember being on a flight -- it might have been last summer -- and coming across a segment with Michelle Malkin. Yes, of course, she's completely insane, but, on Fox, she's a political analyst. There was no "liberal" to provide "balance," she was just on by herself. And this evening, flipping around, I came across an "All-Star Panel" -- yes, that's what it's called, seriously -- featuring right-wing ideologues Krazy Bill Kristol and Charlie Krauthammer, both of whom are to fairness and balance what Michael Phelps is to not winning. And what were they discussing, these geniuses of rightist hackery? Well, the presidential race, of course -- hero-worshipping McCain and slamming Obama.

What fairness! What balance!

What fucking bullshit!

And I got to watch some of it at the tail end of a fantastic vacation.

Thankfully, back on CBC, I got to watch Russia's Yelena Isinbaeva win gold in the women's pole vault, a stirring and truly amazing performance, a new world record of 5.05 meters, one centimeter above the record she herself set last month in Monaco. (Move over, Sergey Bubka.)

And that's it for now. More later.