On the surface, it’s peculiar that a story about a film made in America that has sparked protests, riots and other acts of violence overseas should have much of a Canadian or Albertan context.Here's the "trailer" for the film - judge for yourself:
Nonetheless, that’s indeed the case with regard to Innocence of Muslims, a film that virtually no one has seen, yet has sparked worldwide outrage, including here in Canada.
There’s been mystery and confusion as to the exact origins of this film, specifically, who was responsible for making the film and what exactly the point of it was. Actors who appeared in the film are claiming they were misled about the content and nature of the film, and that references to “Islam” and “Muhammad” were added post-production.
It’s even unclear as to whether a full-length version of the film exists. What does exist is a 14-minute trailer for the film that has been posted on YouTube. What is clear about the video is that the production values are atrocious. It is unclear, though, whether the content is intended to be serious or satirical.
Either way, it depicts a character who is apparently supposed to be the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. It is, however, a quite unflattering portrayal. Muhammad is implied to be a liar, a fraud, a womanizer and a pedophile, among other things. Clearly then, those who hold up the historical figure Muhammad as something much more are going to take deep exception to this video.
That’s nothing new. Christians took great exception, for example, to the film The Last Temptation of Christ, which many felt portrayed Jesus in an inaccurate and insulting manner.
However, in this case, it’s odd that a film so ridiculous would be taken seriously at all. It would not take one long to find all sorts of bizarre and laughable videos on YouTube making all manner of unfounded or biased assertions about religious figures, religions, historical events, and more.
More broadly, however — much like the Danish cartoon controversy from seven years ago — the film has led to a debate about freedom of expression. That is, many seem to believe that the film (and even the trailer for the film) should be censored and that those responsible for it should face criminal charges.
Of course, as is always the case, the push to censor something ensures only that more people will be exposed to the words or ideas contained therein.
For example, a posting about the film on the Muslim Council of Calgary’s website demands we “punish the criminals for their crime” and asserts that “freedom of opinion should stop before violating the sanctity of others and transgressing against them.”
A rather large demonstration over the weekend near the U.S. Consulate in Toronto featured notorious Khomeinist Zafar Bangash, who called for the movie to be censored and for the filmmakers to be prosecuted for hate speech.
In fact, one Toronto protester was caught on video arguing that the filmmakers should be hanged to death.
The latter may be (hopefully) a view of a tiny minority, but the idea that a crime has been committed here in the content of Innocence of Muslims seems to be rather widespread, even in Canada.
It is indeed an absurd notion, and is compounded by the fact that for many, the film’s criminality exists only due to the violent reaction to it. In other words, if no one reacts violently to your claims or portrayal of a historical (or mythical) religious figure, then you remain entitled to your freedoms.
To succumb to this notion that we must prohibit “offensive” portrayals of religious figures is to then mandate by law that such figures are only portrayed in a manner decided upon by their followers.
In this country, you are free to believe what you want to believe, and certainly free to try and convince others of what you perceive to be the truths of your beliefs. It is that freedom that is entitled to respect and protection — not the beliefs themselves.
Quite the opposite: religious beliefs — all beliefs, in fact — should be open to criticism and even ridicule. Anything less is an affront to the idea of a free society.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
The Freedom to Mock Religious Beliefs
My latest Calgary Herald column looks at the furor surrounding "Innocence of Muslims", and specifically how the controversy has played out here at home:
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Minimum Wage Increases Don't Help the Poor
My latest Calgary Herald column looks at the recent increase to Alberta's minimum wage, and whether this policy is of any use:
It didn’t attract anywhere near the attention of the changes to Alberta’s impaired driving laws, but Sept. 1 also marked a change in the province’s minimum wage.
Alberta now has the second-lowest minimum wage in Canada, as the rate increased from $9.40 per hour to $9.75 per hour.
Perhaps one of the main reasons why the change took effect with such little fanfare is that there are very few Albertans who actually stand to benefit from the change.
For one, very few workers in this province actually earn minimum wage — the lowest percentage, in fact, in the country.
That should come as little surprise. Alberta’s hot economy has resulted in higher wages — a direct result of supply and demand. Workers are in shorter supply; the demand for them is up, and therefore, the costs (i.e., wages) rise accordingly.
Recent statistics bear this out. As of June, Alberta’s average hourly wage was $25.17 — more than three dollars above the national average. Now, of course, this figure includes energy sector wages — for those in oil and gas extraction, for example, the average hourly wage is $57.28 per hour.
However, when it comes to low-skill, entry-level jobs — the kind that might typically pay at or near minimum wage — we see these factors at play. Retail jobs pay an average of $14.07 per hour, gas stations pay an average of $13.07 per hour, and full-service restaurants pay an average of $12.39 per hour (not including tips).
For the vast majority of these workers, a higher minimum wage is rendered moot by the fact that they already earn well above that.
There are indeed some workers in Alberta who do earn minimum wage, yet it’s important to note that not all of them will necessarily benefit from the increase.
In an economy where employers are paying more to attract workers, even to low-skill jobs, it is clearly those with the lowest of margins who are paying the bare minimum.
But if those employers can’t afford to pay beyond the minimum, what’s likely to happen when a wage increase is forced on them? Wages are costs, after all, and do we really expect businesses to swallow a cost increase and do nothing in response? Some may respond by raising prices, although presumably their prices are already as high as they deem to be feasible. Higher prices may hurt their business even more.
Either way, higher prices hurt low-income earners the most — the very low-income earners that we’re ostensibly trying to help here.
What’s more likely to result is a loss of jobs, a loss of hours, or a loss of training and benefits. So yes, for those who keep their jobs, and their current level of hours and benefits, the higher minimum wage will result in a very slight benefit. For those who have their hours cut or lose out on additional training or benefits, their situation is worsened as a direct result of a policy specifically intended to help them.
This is borne out in the literature. For example, a recent study published in the journal Labour Economics by economists at the University of Waterloo found that a 10 per cent increase in the minimum wage correlated with a drop in teen employment and an increase in the percentage of families living in poverty.
In other words, minimum wage increases can exacerbate the very problems they’re supposed to be addressing. One would think that anti-poverty activists would be abandoning this strategy in droves. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. The argument from labour groups and anti-poverty activists in Alberta is that the increase in the minimum wage should be even more substantial than it is.
It may well be that the harms resulting from minimum wage increases are less evident in a province like Alberta, but a policy where the best-case scenario is minimal harm is by definition a useless policy.
It’s easy, though, for governments to raise the minimum wage. Others do the heavy lifting, and governments can boast that they’re “doing something.”
But if the goal is helping the less fortunate, then minimum wage increases are the wrong policy prescription.
Monday, September 10, 2012
How Governments Undermine Their Own Pro-Vaccine Message
Amid the barrage of news stories about executive excesses and other shenanigans at Alberta Health Services, it would be easy to become cynical about those tasked with administering the health-care system.
It may be true that such stories overshadow news about the positive work being done, and the efforts by AHS and Alberta Health to increase vaccination rates would certainly fall into that category. But not only does the negative coverage overshadow these efforts, it also serves to undermine them if Albertans start to lose confidence in the health-care system.
A multitude of reasons exist as to why the government and AHS need to deal with matters of compensation and transparency, but certainly restoring confidence in the system is one of them.
In the meantime, as we reach this midway point of Alberta’s 10-year plan to bolster vaccination rates, the leadership on the medical side needs to ensure its campaign is as effective as possible.
Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. James Talbot, says they intend on bringing in help from outside the province to develop new strategies and better understand why vaccination rates remain persistently low and how best to effectively communicate the importance of vaccines.
Given everything they’re up against, it’s a formidable challenge.
For example, as Alberta Health turns to the Internet as a means of getting its message out, it’s up against a torrent of anti-vaccine websites. Certainly suspicion of vaccines predates the Internet and social media, but the abundance of anti-vaccine websites has created an echo chamber that has hardened such views and undoubtedly influenced those who were wavering or had doubts.
Vaccines can also be a victim of their own success. Once diseases are confined to the history books, or at least perceived to be, complacency can then arise. Suspicion and complacency can be a dangerous mix, as we’ve seen recently with declining rates of whooping cough vaccination and the recent outbreaks here in Alberta and in other parts of Canada and the U.S.
However, anti-vaccine sentiment is not just emanating from the dark corners of the Internet. Various levels of government may be inadvertently contributing to the problem, and if the efforts by Alberta Health and AHS are to succeed, this will need to be confronted.
Within the circles of so-called alternative health, vaccines are often seen as conventional medicine, and therefore something to be wary of. For example, in a study last year, Toronto researchers found that parents who rely on naturopaths for health guidance were far more likely to have unvaccinated children.
More recently, the advocacy group Bad Science Watch called attention to the sale of homeopathic nosodes, which are being touted by some homeopaths as an alternative to vaccines. The branches of alternative medicine have been given legitimacy by governments. Alberta recently followed other provinces in regulating naturopaths and giving them status as medical professionals. And as Bad Science Watch has noted, Health Canada has approved the sale of these very homeopathic nosodes that are touted as vaccine replacements.
It’s one thing for governments to wish to respect choice in health care, but if our aim is to counter anti-vaccine sentiment, then health officials must be willing to confront and criticize the beliefs and practices of those alternative health practitioners who are sowing such sentiment.
It may also mean confronting high-ranking religious figures.
The publicly funded Calgary Catholic School District refuses to allow the HPV vaccine to be administered in schools, meaning that HPV vaccination rates for girls in the district remain very low. Despite mounting public pressure, Calgary Bishop Fred Henry’s intransigence on the issue ensures that the status quo will prevail. And by framing this as a religious and moral issue, rather than the health issue it truly is, Henry’s stance creates a controversy over this vaccine that should not exist. From there comes doubt and suspicion.
The effort by officials at Alberta Health and AHS to promote the importance of vaccines is commendable and deserving of public praise. But if those efforts are to succeed, it may require some uncomfortable confrontations. Above all, though, it will require the public to trust the messenger.
(Original link)
It may be true that such stories overshadow news about the positive work being done, and the efforts by AHS and Alberta Health to increase vaccination rates would certainly fall into that category. But not only does the negative coverage overshadow these efforts, it also serves to undermine them if Albertans start to lose confidence in the health-care system.
A multitude of reasons exist as to why the government and AHS need to deal with matters of compensation and transparency, but certainly restoring confidence in the system is one of them.
In the meantime, as we reach this midway point of Alberta’s 10-year plan to bolster vaccination rates, the leadership on the medical side needs to ensure its campaign is as effective as possible.
Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. James Talbot, says they intend on bringing in help from outside the province to develop new strategies and better understand why vaccination rates remain persistently low and how best to effectively communicate the importance of vaccines.
Given everything they’re up against, it’s a formidable challenge.
For example, as Alberta Health turns to the Internet as a means of getting its message out, it’s up against a torrent of anti-vaccine websites. Certainly suspicion of vaccines predates the Internet and social media, but the abundance of anti-vaccine websites has created an echo chamber that has hardened such views and undoubtedly influenced those who were wavering or had doubts.
Vaccines can also be a victim of their own success. Once diseases are confined to the history books, or at least perceived to be, complacency can then arise. Suspicion and complacency can be a dangerous mix, as we’ve seen recently with declining rates of whooping cough vaccination and the recent outbreaks here in Alberta and in other parts of Canada and the U.S.
However, anti-vaccine sentiment is not just emanating from the dark corners of the Internet. Various levels of government may be inadvertently contributing to the problem, and if the efforts by Alberta Health and AHS are to succeed, this will need to be confronted.
Within the circles of so-called alternative health, vaccines are often seen as conventional medicine, and therefore something to be wary of. For example, in a study last year, Toronto researchers found that parents who rely on naturopaths for health guidance were far more likely to have unvaccinated children.
More recently, the advocacy group Bad Science Watch called attention to the sale of homeopathic nosodes, which are being touted by some homeopaths as an alternative to vaccines. The branches of alternative medicine have been given legitimacy by governments. Alberta recently followed other provinces in regulating naturopaths and giving them status as medical professionals. And as Bad Science Watch has noted, Health Canada has approved the sale of these very homeopathic nosodes that are touted as vaccine replacements.
It’s one thing for governments to wish to respect choice in health care, but if our aim is to counter anti-vaccine sentiment, then health officials must be willing to confront and criticize the beliefs and practices of those alternative health practitioners who are sowing such sentiment.
It may also mean confronting high-ranking religious figures.
The publicly funded Calgary Catholic School District refuses to allow the HPV vaccine to be administered in schools, meaning that HPV vaccination rates for girls in the district remain very low. Despite mounting public pressure, Calgary Bishop Fred Henry’s intransigence on the issue ensures that the status quo will prevail. And by framing this as a religious and moral issue, rather than the health issue it truly is, Henry’s stance creates a controversy over this vaccine that should not exist. From there comes doubt and suspicion.
The effort by officials at Alberta Health and AHS to promote the importance of vaccines is commendable and deserving of public praise. But if those efforts are to succeed, it may require some uncomfortable confrontations. Above all, though, it will require the public to trust the messenger.
(Original link)
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