Red-Tory Podcast

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The Red Tory mission is to critically make sense of our world while having fun doing so. As researchers our current view is that nothing is sacred when so much is uncertain.

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The Assault on Reason

Allan Gregg discusses the decline of reason in public policy, drawing parallels to Orwell’s “1984,” and highlights the dangers of dogma and misinformation.

Highlights
📺 Media Influence: Television creates an illusion of authority but often lacks depth in discussions.
📉 Evidence Decline: The government is increasingly ignoring scientific evidence in policymaking.
🚧 Public Good: Collective action and enlightened public policy are essential for societal progress.
🔍 Census Cuts: The decision to cut the mandatory long-form census undermines informed decision-making.
📉 Resource Cuts: Significant budget cuts to research bodies hinder evidence-based policymaking.
⚖️ False Choices: Politicians often present misleading options that obscure true policy intentions.
🌍 Global Citizenship: Canada’s withdrawal from international agreements reflects a troubling trend in governance.
Key Insights
📺 Media’s Double-Edged Sword: While television connects people, it can distort public discourse by prioritizing sensationalism over substance. This leads to a superficial understanding of complex issues.
📉 Erosion of Evidence-Based Policy: The shift away from using scientific research in policymaking jeopardizes societal welfare, as decisions become influenced more by ideology than by facts.
🚧 Importance of Collective Action: Effective governance relies on collaborative efforts to address public goods, emphasizing the need for pooling resources for common benefits rather than individualistic approaches.
🔍 Consequences of Data Cuts: Reducing access to crucial data, like the census, hampers the ability to assess societal needs, leading to misinformed policies that fail to address real issues.
📉 Impact of Budget Cuts on Research: Cutting funding for scientific research organizations not only impedes progress but also silences voices that challenge government narratives.
⚖️ Manipulation of Choices: The framing of political choices often misleads the public, reducing complex issues to binary options that ignore the nuances of the policy landscape.
🌍 Diminished Global Responsibility: Canada’s retreat from international environmental commitments illustrates a concerning trend that prioritizes short-term savings over long-term global welfare.

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