The Great Empty Tent Scandal was a hoax—or, if one is inclined to be charitable, an incompetent use of inadequate equipment. But I don’t feel very charitable this morning.
Ezra Levant crowed when he and a Sun “news” crew invaded the #OccupyToronto camp at 4:00 in the morning* a few days ago, armed with a thermal imaging device. Tents are deserted! A canvas Potemkin Village!
The trouble is, however, that a strangely similar story surfaced in London, UK, last month—and was conclusively debunked well before Ezra’s manic exposé.
Lockstep, meet misstep. We are told the British media are “embarrassed.” They’ll recover quickly as they always do, of course, even though there is strong evidence that the “empty tents” story was fabricated.
Yet here in Canada, as though the UK debacle never happened, we have the same or similar useless thermal imaging gear lugged around by SunTV hacks to “prove” a contention already soundly trashed in Britain. Incompetence? Design? You be the judge.
Observe:
Unless you are suicidally inclined, don’t hold your breath waiting for any signs of “embarrassment” on Ezra’s part, however, much less an apology or a retraction. SunTV, after all, is in the business of propaganda, not news. And being a seasoned corporate shill means never having to say you’re sorry.
[Beeg h/t CC]
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* Say, wasn’t this the same Ezra braying feigned outrage recently about Mary Walsh’s attempt to interview Toronto Mayor Rob Ford at a far more respectable hour?
