Whether or not the leaders in North America and Western Europe are listening, there is something significant happening all around us. This applies to the world of business, politics, and the media. Regardless of how powerful they believe themselves to be, they are at risk of becoming insignificant.
Tucker Carlson, for example, was recently fired by Fox News. A few days later, he posted a short, spartan video on Twitter that received many times more views than one of his regular Fox News segments. In the age of the internet, do we still need Rupert Murdoch and other media moguls - along with their corporate donors - to divide us and to tell us what to think?
While I’m still not convinced that Carlson is not a bigoted opportunist, he made some excellent points in his video. First, he critiqued the relevance of his own work in the mainstream media, pointing out that many of the talking points and debates are completely irrelevant. He also said, “The United States looks very much like a one-party state.”
He pointed out that no one believes the people in charge, that they are aware of this, and that is why they are cracking down. As I reflected on this, I considered the recent violence in France. The government continues to refuse to fairly tax wealthy individuals and corporations, so on May 1, millions of people again took to the streets. They were met with masked police officers, throwing tear gas, and beating protesters with batons as they hauled them away. Their president has been more focused on international diplomacy, meeting with other heads of state, apparently trying to promote goodwill between nations.
Across the English Channel, roughly half of British citizens opposed public spending for the coronation of King Charles III, and the police arrested people who publicly stated that Charles is not their king. Several former colonies plan to remove him as their head of state and become republics. Many are also discussing the royal family’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, the wealth it generated, and possible reparations.
In Carlson’s own country, although the Democratic Party establishment insists that Joe Biden will again be their presidential candidate in 2024, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson announced their candidacy. Both already have unprecedentedly high polling numbers, but the mainstream media is dismissing them as “crackpots” and “fringe candidates.”
On the global stage, the American-led G7 group of nations is losing influence while more and more countries seek to join the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) economic alliance.
Clearly, significant change is happening, but we need not be afraid.
Near the end of his Twitter post, Carlson called for real dialogue on important issues that impact people’s lives. He spoke about the power of truth. He asked, “Where can we find Americans still saying true things? There aren’t many places left but there are some, and that’s enough. As long as you can hear the words, there is hope.”
It is possible that Carlson, having heard firsthand the nonsense spewed by the rich and powerful of the world, had a change of heart and decided to become part of the solution rather than part of the problem. It is even possible that he was fired due to his willingness to interview people with diverse opinions, along with those who agree with his criticisms of the military-industrial complex.
Regardless of what those in authority do, we can share our informed opinions with one another. We can treat people with kindness and respect and work to improve the well-being of our neighbours, regardless of where they live. We can also embrace democracy by holding our political leaders accountable to the people who elected them.
Our current oligarchs are facing a choice. They can either begin to serve the common good, or they will have to accept that no one is following them.
Gerry Chidiac is a Prince George writer.
