Small dead hypocrites
One of the most stunningly hypocritical comments of recent memory was made by blogger Catherine McMillan in today’s Globe and Mail. Who does she think she is kidding? The topic was anonymous blogging. She said: "I figured if my views were worth sharing, it’s worth attaching my identity to them. It’s also a way to self-police. If you know your writing can be attached to you, you make more than a superficial attempt to … manage your content appropriately." The Globe quoted her reacting to a legal ruling by the New York State Supreme Court ordering Google to identify an anonymous blogger who is about to be sued for libel. The article was headlined "The virtual end of online anonymity" and McMillan appeared to be a critic of the practice. Who is Catherine McMillan, you say? She’s better known for her blog, www.smalldeadanimals.com, which is one of the nastiest right-wing political blogs in Canada. It literally teems with anonymous posters. It throws out the welcome mat for them. The only warning is to please stay the fuck on topic and refrain from profanity.
Her current pages boast rejoinders from folks like Slap Shot, meshuggah, blazing cat fur, Proud to Be a Canadian, Right Honourable Terry Tory, po’ed in AB, Set You Free, The Phantom, Joe Citizen and naughtypine, none of whom seems to provide us with a first name. It also links to a virtual who’s who of right-wing blogs, including royalty like Mark Steyn, Ezra Levant and Kathy Shaidle (five feet of fury), and other lesser lights like Being Right is Not Wrong, which gives you no clue about who’s behind it. If Catherine McMillan is a champion of signing your blogs, then I am Ezra Levant’s old man. McMillan doesn‘t even directly identify herself on her site, but posts under the moniker Kate and helpfully links you to her Wiki page. That identifies her, says she lives in Delisle, Sask., and gets herself in loads of trouble. Once she insulted residents of Saskatoon's inner city, saying they could easily improve their standard of living. "Put the cap back on your used needle and take it to a safe disposal site. Failing that, share it with your friends. It's a quicker solution to your problem, anyway." She added for good measure: "Try not selling your ass up and down the street in front of the doors. Try parenting your sticky-fingered brats." For that she was rebuked by the province’s premier, who said her remarks were "beyond the pale." Small Dead Animals is typical of blogs of that ilk. They profess to be strong defenders of free speech, but it’s all one way. They think they have an inalienable right to broadcast their bigoted, nasty views, but they themselves have stopped listening to anyone else. They make sure of that because you often cannot email them back whenever they flood your email with unwanted, abusive spam. If I’ve pricked that beast again, please note: I don't accept emails. Show some courage and pick up the phone.
Posted Aug. 24, 2009