I'd never heard of John Shavluk until today. I was reading through my daily blog haul when I came across his name. Shavluk was, at the time I read about him, a Green Party candidate in a Vancouver-area riding.
His name came up because a blogger had unearthed some online postings Shavluk made a couple of years ago that, if he did indeed make them, were decidedly anti-Semitic.
Well, Elizabeth May, the Green Party leader, is convinced that candidate Shavluk said these things. She fired him tonight.
“Respect for diversity is a fundamental principle of the Green Party,” said May in a statement. “We condemn anti-Semitism and our members work to encourage respectful dialogue, diversity, peace and cooperation.
“I communicated with John and thanked him for his work on behalf of the Green Party but explained that he will not be a candidate because his views are not consistent with our philosophy. I will not sign his nomination papers and the Green Party will nominate another candidate.”
Chalk this one up to the blogosphere. So far as I know, no mainstream paper, radio, or TV outlet reported this before May canned Shavluk.
Now that's not a failing of the MSM. No Canadian MSM outlet has the resources to do that kind of digging on the 1,500 plus candidates that will contest the election that will be underway Sunday. But smart MSM reporters will keep an eye on smart bloggers who do have the time to keep a special eye out in their part of the world.
Why do you think his statement was anti-semitic?
Did you read the posts, Robert?
Yes, which is why I asked the question. The only mention of Jews I could find is in a sentence in which he refers–somewhat sarcastically it appears–to the World Trade Center buildings as a “shoddily built Jewish world bank headquarters”. I fail to see the anti-semitism in that sentence.
Seemed self-evident to me. But feel free to make the case that the phrase “the Jewish world bank headquarters” isn't self-evidently anti-semitic.
If it's self-evident then it should be easy to explain. You know, it's okay to admit you don't know why it's anti-semitic and have just been swept up in the fascist climate of fear in which the accusation alone is evidence enough.
Robert? Google the phrase “Jewish world bank”, then come back and tell us what you found.
All but a couple of the 34 items listed on google are about this story. Did you have a point or do you, like Akin, believe what he said is anti-semitic simply because someone, a rather daft someone at that, claims it is?