WERE THERE only 10 episodes to Patrick Watson’s pon- tifical CBC series called Democracy? It seemed like a hun- dred. But I was determined to stick in there, curious to know whether it was worth eight million bucks and five years’ work. . Let’s say it was worth itfor - Watson. 7 The hype was massive. The whole liberal media establishment salivated over this one. Maclean’s magazine described our hero as a “televisionary”’ and devoted half an issue to it, ‘Patrick Watson’s new 10-part series boldly iackles the issue of demacracy.’’ But how bold do you have to be to tackle that? (Even Donald Duck could stand in front of the.Parthenon and quack while violins play). The Globe and Mail and Satur- day Night magazine ‘played the same song. For Watson is one of their crowd. Smug, preachy, and above all, liberal. You financed this national TV turkey in two ways: by Petro- Canada’s kind contributién of $2.5 million, and by the CBC’s pro- viding nearly all of the rest. Let’s call it welfare nationalism. The series was little more thun a travelogue. Off to Africa we went, there to learn that ‘‘democracy”’ existed on that continent long be- fore we ever thought of it. Off, too, to Papua-New Guinea, where the bone-in-the-nose cannibals of yesterday are now perfect demo- crats. In East Germany, which calls itself the German Democratic Republic, we learned that things may not be all that bad. In any event, we followed a family around that had tried the West and thought better of it. Somewhere (I forget where, exactly) that same old tired footage of Nazi rallies was shown. ‘Booze Who' on the N. RECENT CONVICTIONS in North Shore courts have. resulted in the following fines and penalties for drinking and driving related offences. NORTH VANCOUVER: Robert George McDonald, 50, 3929 Triumph St., North Burnaby (over DR. CHRISTOPHER PARSON wishes to announce the opening of his practice at # 30S, 125 E. 13th North Vancouver This Weeks . TURKEY DRAW WINNER Mary | Beecroft PAVILLION rie wt HENCH & 1010 Park Bos South . In Zimbabwe we saw Watson stroking Comrade Robert Mugabe. We also heard that that one-party © state isn’t bad, cither, and there were snide references from Watson to the wretched whites who once ran the place. Watscn, however, dons a white settler’s sombrero and talks to us again, this time with an elephant in the background. ce Te series was little more than a travelogue. Off to Africa we went, there to learn that ‘democracy’ existed on that continent long before we ever thought of it.’”’ In the U.K., we saw unemployed miners picking coal from the tips. Jaded ‘‘two nations” stuff. Rein- forcing that theme, a comic-opera Lord was trotted forth. And never mind that the Watson lot are the first to complain about ‘‘stereo- t In Canada, the FLQ affair was used as an example of democracy gone mad. Valid cnough, I sup- pose, but it would kave been a bit more effective and up to date if more recent restrictions on free Shore .08, two years driver’s licence suspension, 14 days jail); Derrick Charles Champion, 26, 449 West Keith Road, North Vancouver (over .08, $450 fine); Joseph Claude Benoit, 44, Box 86683 Mosquito Creek Marina, North Vancouver (over .08, $1,300 fine). ATTENTION! | For anything you need in toys, hbpbies or trains... AMBLESIDE TOYS WN’ HOBBIES. 1425, MARINE DR. WEST VAN 922 3512 _ MON-SAT 930-530 pm. ”. SUNDAY 12.00 to 400 pm- speech had been sketched. But that wouldn’t have been suitable, since it is the Right that is suffering under those, not the Left. There were a few good mo- ments, one of which was the ex- cursion into Libya and the inter- view with that lunatic Moammar Gaddafi, the exponent of ‘‘direct democracy’’. As the program demonstrated, the whole thing is fixed. That’s not exactly news, of course, but Watson did well in showing how it is fixed. However, two or three swallows do not a summer or a series make. This production was a Child’s Guide, and one that ignored a vital point: "Westminster-style democracy is not suited to all na- tions and cultures. It grows slowly and cannot be imposed. It also demands common culture and education, and the absence of deep ethnic divisions. Petro-Canada appears to be having second thoughts about hav- ing helped to give birth to its Chiid’s Guide. It should also have second thoughts about putting on “Canadian perspectives’’ instead of ads. Excruciatingly painful were the sermonettes thus offered. They came from the nation’s greatest bores, starting with David Suzuki peering myopically through his coke-bottle glasses and putting in a word for multicult. Also on parade were Peter Gzowski, a champion mumbler; Gordon Pinsent, telling us that we believe in fair play. (We do?) And Adrienne Clarkson, with the news that we are wonderful and that without our institutions we would be just like Argentina. And so on. Bores bores bores. But the big- gest bore was Watson himself. As the TV critic for the Vancouver Sun put it, it was ‘‘Watson talking. Watson walking. Watson walking and talking at the same time. Wat- son listening while someone else talks. Watson, Watson and more Watson.” It was also Watson riding the bus, Watson riding the train, Wat- son driving a car, Watson having a shave, Watson having a drink, and Watson looking thoughtful. Too much Watson, Not enough democracy! @ “Wet Vanicouver le For Personal Injury and L.C. B. C. Claims, Experience Counts. 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