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| Kevin O’Leary channels Krista Erickson. This time guest bites back. |
This is sweet. Chris Hedges exposes Kevin O’Leary’s snotty, condescending name calling during an interview on CBC’s Lang & O’Leary Exchange. Amanda Lang Dianne Buckner tries in vain to represent the middle ground as a CBC pundit should do but to no avail as O’Leary keeps on piling on the insults.
Lang: Well I see you and Kevin could get into an absolutely huge argument here.
Hedges: I don’t usually go on shows where people descend to character assassination. If you want to discuss issues that’s fine but this sounds like Fox News and I don’t go on Fox News. Either you discuss the issues … look you have had very eloquent writers – people like John Ralston Saul in Canada – who’ve laid this out incredible lucidity and to attack this critique by calling someone a ‘nutcase’ engages in the kind of trash talking that’s polluted the corporate airwaves.
O’Leary’s stunned response to Hedges’ eloquence is to argue that he used the term ‘nutbar’ not ‘nutcase’. Hilarious.
At the end of the interview, a frustrated Hedges tells his ‘hosts’ that he will never come on CBC again.
Cross posted at Let Freedom Rain.
UPDATE: Dawg weighs in.
UPDATE II: A couple of Twitter hits.
UPDATE III: Commenter forgot to buy tinfoil noted at Dawg’s place that someone may have been sitting in for Amanda Lang during this episode. If this is indeed the case, my apologies to Amanda Lang.
UPDATE IV: Dwayne Radke, Billy Bean and Brian McGuinness advise that the fill in host was Dianne Buckner. Thanks guys.
I just watched the video. What transpired seems inevitable when an empty windbag spouting right-wing ad hominems encounters someone with a real intellect.
As for the CBC, the Corporation is a perfect illustration of Hedges’ thesis in his book Death of the Liberal Class, namely that in order to be part of the power elite, the liberal class sold out long ago, abandoning the chance of achieving anything other than a being mere reflection of the status quo.
Amanda Lang was not on the show – the interviewer was “fill-in” host Dianne Buckner
link for what ralston saul said?
Raymond Parker Reply:
October 11th, 2011 at 12:53 AM
See: Voltaire’s Bastards for a full treatise, or The Unconscious Civilization.
Mr. O’Leary is out of control. He does NOT speak for all Canadians. His treatment of Chris Hedges was unprofessional to say the least. CBC, what an embarassment! I nowC get my news elsewhere.
Hedges has cited John Ralston Saul more than once, such as here: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20081020_the_idiots_who_rule_america/
http://www.adbusters.org/magazine/88/chris-hedges.html
Saul talked about the rise of corporate power and wrote “we are now living in the midst of a coup d’état in slow motion.” That appears to be from Saul’s Massey lectures, which were published as The Unconscious Civilization. His book Voltaire’s Bastards also talks about such things.
http://www.flora.org/flora/archive/mai-info/confront.htm
http://www.johnralstonsaul.com/eng/non_fiction_books.php?mc=The%20Unconscious%20Civilization
Kevin O’Leary was obnoxiously rude to Mr. Mr. Hedges. There is absolutely no excuse for that on public radio. I hope the CBC and Mr O’Leary will both apologize to Mr. Hedges. I would do so myself if I could. The CBC should reign him in as his behaviour entirely out of keeping with the role CBC should be playing in radio.
complaints are being sent to CBC Obudsman
Kevin O’Leary’s behaviour is a violation of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Policy 2.2.21 Code of Conduct, in addition to Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Journalistic Standards and Practices. I have started an official petition to get him off the airwaves. Please show your support:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/professionaljournalismincanada/