Wheat Marketing Western Style Cartoon -- What do you think?

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Permalink Reply by Joann on November 25, 2010 at 5:47pm

The CWB is a lawful corporation formed by legislation for a multitude of purposes. As I am not a stakeholder of the corporation, I am in no position to comment on the functionality of the CWB.. the future of the board rests with the western farmers alone...... but the question was about the cartoon itself.

I find the cartoon a classic display of "negativity effect". The cartoon clearly has one purpose and that is to deliberately demonize and humiliate the legislated corporation. The clip instills a sense of ownership and control of the wheat when he tells the farmer "it is not your grain". If there are interests to destroy the CWB then by demonizing the board, the general public will easily accept the or even encourage the demise.

The other subtle message which was repeatedly stated was "farmers are greedy".

Its what NOT in the cartoon that is curious. Wheat was placed in "trust" some time ago. Will the government please explain why and when wheat was placed in trust in Canada? Still waiting Mr. Ritz..........then take care to explain to the public who really "owns" the wheat.

The Canadian Wheat Board is a "Public Trust". Why doesn't the cartoon include that lawful phrase? Who does the CWB really protect? The farmer or the Public?

There is also a very curious Ontario connection. Some of the intelligence behind the formation of the CWB was also part of the formation of an important commodity board in Ontario a few decades later....a close friend of Premier Frost.

Where Premier Frost was a friend and advocate for farmers (as he fully understood their importance to the public)..... we now are witnessing a Premier that is divesting himself from the associated "legal implications" from government mandated marketing..... agricultural traceability and liability. If Mr. McGuinty imagines that his government can magically absolve itself from future liability just by divesting its responsibilities through the dissolution of marketing controls....could the same be true for the future of the stakeholders of the CWB?

hence.... the creation of humiliating cartoons that demonize Public Trusts.

The cartoon is disgusting with its veiled bullying tactics against the public. Who is behind it?

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Permalink Reply by Roadrunner on November 27, 2010 at 5:02am

It appears that a frustrated farmer developed this cartoon using some simple software and his wit.
I think this is an interesting example of how an individual can call out a large public institution on some issues.
I doubt many Ontario farmers want the CWB incharge of their marketing...they have impossible job of marketing...this public trust was set up in another era for farmers with different needs.

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Permalink Reply by Daryl on November 27, 2010 at 8:32am

This cartoon is an ongoing attempt to demonize the CWB. I am a western Canadian Wheat farmer and feel it is disgusting to listen to the cartoon.No one can really know where it originated. There are many corporations who would like to see the CWB gone. The CWB is not perfect, but who so ever would market my wheat on behalf of myself as a western canadian farmer may or may NOT be any better. I certainly do not think I can go to the world stage and market my wheat without some group or corporations help. I grow grain that HAS to be exported to the world. It will never be consumed all in North America therefore I am at the mercy of someone elses help. Do I wqant some ones help that works for me and other farmers from Canada or some one who works for the profits of share holders who may be from China
Joann said:

The CWB is a lawful corporation formed by legislation for a multitude of purposes. As I am not a stakeholder of the corporation, I am in no position to comment on the functionality of the CWB.. the future of the board rests with the western farmers alone...... but the question was about the cartoon itself.

I find the cartoon a classic display of "negativity effect". The cartoon clearly has one purpose and that is to deliberately demonize and humiliate the legislated corporation. The clip instills a sense of ownership and control of the wheat when he tells the farmer "it is not your grain". If there are interests to destroy the CWB then by demonizing the board, the general public will easily accept the or even encourage the demise.

The other subtle message which was repeatedly stated was "farmers are greedy".

Its what NOT in the cartoon that is curious. Wheat was placed in "trust" some time ago. Will the government please explain why and when wheat was placed in trust in Canada? Still waiting Mr. Ritz..........then take care to explain to the public who really "owns" the wheat.

The Canadian Wheat Board is a "Public Trust". Why doesn't the cartoon include that lawful phrase? Who does the CWB really protect? The farmer or the Public?

There is also a very curious Ontario connection. Some of the intelligence behind the formation of the CWB was also part of the formation of an important commodity board in Ontario a few decades later....a close friend of Premier Frost.

Where Premier Frost was a friend and advocate for farmers (as he fully understood their importance to the public)..... we now are witnessing a Premier that is divesting himself from the associated "legal implications" from government mandated marketing..... agricultural traceability and liability. If Mr. McGuinty imagines that his government can magically absolve itself from future liability just by divesting its responsibilities through the dissolution of marketing controls....could the same be true for the future of the stakeholders of the CWB?

hence.... the creation of humiliating cartoons that demonize Public Trusts.

The cartoon is disgusting with its veiled bullying tactics against the public. Who is behind it?

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