July 27, 2004 - I can only assume Larry Zolf's editor is on vacation, because I can't believe his latest column is actually found on the CBC web site.
In it, the way in which Zolf discusses ethnic communities is more than just clumsy. It's appallingly insensitive and dumb, too. A sampling, with italics added:
...
"Now years later in Canada, the ethnic groups are playing out their game with the skilled hand of Paul Martin. The ethnic groups are a key to victory in the next election."
"The ethnic groups in the Liberal party are the main hope for a Martin victory in a run-off election. They constitute a large number of the 75 Ontario seats carried by Martin in the 2004 election 2004. They also holdd [sic] the key to a large slice of the 21 Quebec seats Martin carried in 2004."
"[Martin] realizes the ethnic vote is a fundamental of Liberal politics and he must cater to it if he wishes to survive as prime minister."
"Martin must also be careful not to go too far in his love affair with the ethnics. Too much ethnicking can be seen by anglo Canada as offensive and it is anglo Canada that rejected much of the Liberal heritage in election 2004. Ethnicking with the Quebecois in Quebec could mean the difference between minority or a majority government next time around."
"Still, it's nice to have the ethnics on board the good ship SS Paul Martin. The ethnics make good and loyal ministers."
...
The "ethnics?" Did Larry Zolf actually get paid to write that? Did the CBC then actually post that, for all to see? Playing out "their game?" "Cater" to them? "Too much ethnicking?" "It's nice to have ethnics on board?"
It's possible, of course, that Larry Zolf's intention was to sound accommodating and supportive of "ethnics," as he calls them. It is also possible that he did not intend to sound like a callous, blundering ignoramus. But that latter perspective, unfortunately for Larry, is very much what we're left with.
As a student of Canadian politics, I can attest to the fact that no Canadian political party - including the Liberal Party, now being breathlessly urged by Larry to "cater" to "the ethnics" - any longer regards ethnic communities as unintelligent monoliths, which can be counted upon to unquestioningly do the bidding of backroom party apparatchiks. Even if such a sad state of affairs ever existed, you can be assured it doesn't anymore. Ask any successful politician: in 2004 A.D., every predominant Canadian ethnic group has done what one would expect (and hope) to happen in the new millennium - they vote for Liberals, Conservatives and New Democrats like everyone else does. That is, according to the issues, and leadership, and so on.
Not, to put a fine point on it, because one of the CBC's, or Larry Zolf's, imagined ethnic overlords has decreed how they should vote. (And, yes, Virginia, your tax dollars do indeed directly or indirectly pay for such drivel. Sorry about that.)
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Original URL at http://www.warrenkinsella.com/musings_july04.htm
