Rex Murphy's Obscene and Demagogic Assault On His Critics

I see that Rex Murphy has finally responded to complaints that he is in a conflict of interest when he attacks environmentalists on the CBC, while shilling for Big Oil.

And that he has done it in his usual fashion, by trying to bury the inconvenient truth under a mountain of big words. 

First by claiming that he has spoken to everyone, and I mean EVERYONE.

I’ve given talks to farmers, academics, A&W hamburger-restaurant franchisees (a nicer group of people I have not met), and civil servants at both the provincial and federal level.

But I’ve also spoken frequently to nurses, health care workers in general; rural and urban municipalities, to Boards of Trade and hospital fundraisers, technical colleges, and once at a charming evening organized by family, friends and close associates of the founder of the Dollar Store.

Which is completely beside the point, and nothing more than chaff designed to confuse us, or bore us to distraction.

For to my knowledge the state of A&W hamburgers, or the expansion plans of the Dollar Store, are not the subjects of heated debate in this country, as is the out of control development of the tar sands.

Secondly NOBODY is saying that he doesn't write the gaseous diatribes he delivers himself. As he claims we do in a pathetic attempt to portray himself as a victim.

Like Richard Nixon did in his Checkers speech...



Curiously, during all those encounters, spanning (sadly for me) five decades — I have not had so much as a single suggestion that anything I have said anywhere during that long saga was anything but my own words, flowing from my own motivations, and not opinions “for hire” to whomever I spoke. 

Essentially the cry is that I’m a ventriloquist for hire. It’s an empty, insulting slur against my reputation as a journalist.

In an obvious and shameful attempt to set up a straw man so he can demolish it with a barrage of more big words. Or more gaseous emissions.

When what he is really accused of doing is taking sides in a controversial national debate, cheerleading for Big Oil by delivering demagogic diatribes like this one...



Getting paid handsomely for his oily performances, which he admits. Sort of.

And yes, I often get paid for my bon mots — usually more than a dollar.

And then returning to the CBC to attack Big Oil's opponents on the publicly funded network's flagship news program. Alone and unchallenged.

Which, since he calls himself a "journalist," not only violates every code of decent journalism, but is also a clear violation of the CBC's code of ETHICS. 

Employees may not take a stand on public controversies if CBC's integrity would be compromised.

Employees shall not engage without permission in outside work which...causes a conflict of interest with their CBC/Radio-Canada duties. 

The duty to disclose and remove conflicts of interest rests with the employee.

And CBC management can argue until it turns Con blue in the face, that Murphy is not an employee, he's a freelancer.



But what does that mean? When for people who watch the program he appears to be the editorial voice of The National. And by so doing compromises the integrity of the whole program. Taints it beyond repair.

It's Journalism 101, it's blindingly obvious, and the fact that the CBC management cabal doesn't see it, or is indifferent to it, is almost beyond belief.

Lordy, who are those dummies, who's giving them their orders, and how low have we fallen?

I have no idea how a kooky climate change denier and ugly homespun demagogue could have so many bully pulpits in a country like Canada.



It speaks to the moral degeneration and the mediocrity of Harperland, and the continuing degradation of the CBC.

But what I do know is that it can't be allowed to continue at a time when the political debate over the development of the Tar Sands, is also a debate about the very future of the planet. 

The stakes are just too high. And Murphy is too dangerous.

For only a twisted demagogue would end his pitiful defence like this:

I have never on television, in a column or in a speech said, written or delivered any views other than my own and what I actually believe. That’s my practice and I don’t much intend to change. 

Those who seek to shut me up on this, or any other subject, will need more than a few vicious blog posts. 

They’ll need a stick.

As if we're threatening him with a stick by demanding balance and accountability. 

And complaining to the CBC, as we have a right to do, and Lorne of Politics and its Discontents is doing here in exemplary fashion.

As if Murphy doesn't beat us on the head with his schtick all the time. Bludgeon us with his biased bullshit, his tired Con talking points, his ghastly Ezra Levant imitations. Day in and day out in newspapers, on radio, and on television to the point of exhaustion or nausea. 

That grubby little tea bagger, that climate change denier, that Harperite toady, that millionaire oil pimp...



Enough is enough. Stop this horror show. Get that twisted dwarf off the air. Complain to the CBC Ombudsman. 

Stage protests right across the country.

Tell the CBC managers to stop treating us with contempt.

Tell them we demand better. 

And Rex Murphy must be FIRED....

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