Tags: Politics   Rants


Geeks hate nothing more than being ignorantly labeled by stuffy conservatives.

It’s election night in Ontario, and Canadian media, especially the publicly-funded CBC, has done a fine job of insulting many of us voters.

During some elections, I turn into a political geek, watching the debates and forums on TVO, and reading about party policies. I have been impressed by the Green Party of Canada’s economic and social policies, both federally and provincially. They appeal to nerds like me by using lots of numbers, referring to studies, and talking about new and emerging technologies. I guess that’s part of their problem. They use too many facts and figures, which bore and confuse most apathetic voters. It’s much better to follow the Liberal and Conservative tactics of talking out the side of your mouth, blowing smoke out your ass, calling other people bad names, and waving your hands like a Jedi.

The Ontario Greens, who got only 2.8% of the vote in the previous election, got over 8% of the popular vote this time. That amounts to a big fat zero wins, but it’s a huge gain. Nevertheless, the CBC is still dismissing all Green votes as “protest votes”. Specifically, those were the words of the host Diana Swain and TV personality Allen Gregg, who didn’t give reasons for their analysis. Why must votes for the Green Party be protest votes?

It’s insulting, ignorant, patronizing, deceptive, and disparaging.

Those are the nicest words I can think of for the CBC tonight. They are trying to vilify those of us who vote Green, as if we are trying to throw away our votes and abuse our democratic system, the same democratic system that gave the Liberals a huge majority government while more than 60% of voters voted against them.

I voted Green because I did a lot of research and took interest in the economic policies and technologies that the party platform puts forward, and because I support their progressive social policies as well. My decision was not ignorant, emotional, or flippant. I want our economy and society to be built on cleaner industries, our air cleaner, our public transit systems more useful, and our media less manipulative. Ok, the Greens can’t do anything about that last issue...