Of Child Porn and Faked Scorn: When Bigoted Old Fools Do Battle

Oh, this is priceless. I swear, one cannot make this stuff up.

It appears that Tom Flanagan, that stalwart spokesman of right-wing Canadian politics, has shown an uncharacteristically liberal side that’s proving too much for even his oldest and dearest of cronies in the Conservative Party. Mr Flanagan, who joined the Reform Party in 1990 and has helped put Stephen Harper in office repeatedly since then, is renowned for his provocative statements and controversial approach to social issues. For example, in his role as political commentator for the CBC, he once stated that the US should track down and assassinate WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. But now Mr Flanagan has outdone himself, having stated at a recent conference in the Alberta town of Lethbridge—Canada’s capital of Christian conservatism, sexual hypocrisy and outright ignorance—that the law has no business putting people in jail for their taste in pictures. In other words, simply observing child pornography, says Mr Flanagan, is a private act which does no sexual or psychological harm to a particular child. One can only imagine what a ruckus this created with some of those close-minded Christian bigots that this part of the country is known for! Think about it, people: Lethbridge—the home of the Miracle Channel!

Now, I think I can appreciate the point Mr Flanagan was making—or attempting to make, given his audience and the editorial antics of Canada’s self-righteous mainstream media. Do we put people in prison for viewing animal cruelty videos (a fair-sized business in the US)? No. Do we charge them with staring at photos portraying bestiality? No. Do we fine them for cheering on illicitly organized ‘underground’ fights? No. Then why are we hypocritically stigmatizing welcomed exposure to child pornography, Mr Flanagan seems to be asking. There can be no question about it, we have reached a point in western culture where possession of a few depictions of illegal or dubious sexual acts is construed as more heinous than Nazi genocide and a dozen school shootings combined. We seem to have lost focus—concentrating more on the illicit creations than those who created them and the physical and psychological harm endured by any children directly involved. (Of course, the real underlying issue here is incest. I would estimate that at least ninety percent of all child pornography today is created by parents, stepparents or older siblings. One never hears those self-righteous socially conservative bastards mention incest, now, does one. I would not be surprised to learn that some of the most outspoken Conservative politicians are up to their balls in their young daughters on a nightly basis.) Furthermore, many pedophiles, rapists, sadists, etc note the positive role that illegal pornography plays in satisfying their urges and preventing them from committing such acts themselves. It’s a complex issue, and, as one may have noticed, the contemporary western media despise complexities.

As one can imagine, right-wing social conservatives immediately went into damage-control mode. Alberta’s Whiterose Party quickly dumped Mr Flanagan, their campaign manager during the 2012 election. “He will have no role—formal or informal—with our organization going forward,” stated their leader and drama queen Danielle Smith. Stephen Harper’s spokesman, Andrew McDougall, called such comments “repugnant, ignorant and appalling”. “Disgusting,” cried several fellow Conservative MPs. Effectively, Mr Flanagan has been thrown to the wolves, it seems.

Alberta premier Allison Redford said the incident turned her stomach. Yeah, I bet. Why don’t you try and be a little more sensational, Miss Allie.

Interim Liberal leader and former NDP premier Bob Rae was quick to score political points by making dog meat of Mr Flanagan—and a hypocrite of himself. Suddenly, it seems, Mr Free Speech & Civil Liberties isn’t so free and liberal. (Then again, I guess I shouldn’t expect much more from this stuffed suit—ideological soundness is not exactly Mr Rae’s strong point. Frankly, I don’t think this man has a loyal bone in his body. Of his mental capacity, I won’t even speak.)

It was a similar story at the CBC on Thursday, where Mr Flanagan was promptly relieved of his job as Power & Politics commentator. “While we support and encourage free speech across the country and a diverse range of voices,” stated CBC News general manager Jennifer McGuire, “we believe Mr Flanagan’s comments to have crossed the line and impacted his credibility as a commentator for us.” Yessiree, that sounds like real devotion to free speech, Jenny Scapegoat. It appears the spineless and pissant CBC is scared shitless of Mr Harper and his limitless power over their time-honoured corporation.

Meanwhile, the University of Calgary, where Mr Flanagan has taught political science since 1968, has distanced themselves from him. They announced last Thursday that the professor has been on a “research and scholarship leave” since January, and reminded the public of his impending retirement in June. Wow. And I thought universities were supposed to be bastions of open-mindedness and free thinking. Then again, this is Calgary we’re talking about.

If there was one thing that warmed my heart about this whole incident, then it was the fact that it offended Ms Rosalind Prober, the leader of those self-righteous and bigoted busybodies, Beyond Borders. Beyond Borders, if anyone needs informing, is a sleazy, hypocritical Canada-based lobby group. It specializes in chastising Asian countries who allow sexual tourists from our neck of the woods to take advantage of their little boys and girls and get away with it. The term ‘ethnocentric’ immediately comes to mind. I ask Ms Prober and her comrades in creepiness: How would you like people from Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, etc telling your government how to run its country? It also campaigns for raising the legal age for sexual relations. Apparently, it’s okay in this country to charge people as young as twelve with crimes, but if those same young people make love with an older partner, they’re suddenly seen as having the minds of mentally challenged infants. Heaven help the lobbyist, social worker, teacher or even parent who would have come between me and an older lover when I was in my early to mid teens! Ms Prober is a reverse-ageist, ignorant hypocrite and bigoted old bitch. In a perfect world, every young person in Canada would be defecating on her doorstep.

So... Let us summarize... Tom Flanagan, that arch conservative who helped put Stephen Harper in the PM’s office, suddenly thinks child porn might not be so bad after all. In turn, his old political friends and fellow right-wingers immediately begin to play St Peter and Judas to his Jesus, condemning his comments as “disgusting”. Not unexpectedly, idiotic Opposition leader Bob Rae makes a hypocrite of himself by taking sides with his Conservative political foes. Meanwhile, the CBC and the University of Calgary demonstrate their loyalty to dogmas and fear of Harper’s Ottawa, and phoney lobbyist Roz Prober makes her usual ass of herself.

Yes, it appears that the rattlesnakes of Canadian sexual politics are beginning to commit suicide and bite one another. Let us hope they succumb to their wounds and are slowly eaten by vultures and other carrion feeders. What a spectacle that would be. Hmmm... Yummy!