A sorry state

Unless you were visiting another planet, or stranded on a deserted island here on this one, you know the big controversy gripping Canadians from coast to coast to coast last week was the heart-wrenching saga over whether Ron MacLean would be back as host of Hockey Night in Canada.
That’s right. Not whether Canada should—or even can—join in a U.S.-led attack on Iraq. Not what the price tag for promises made in the throne speech will be down the road, nor new questions surrounding the awarding of contracts by Liberal Cabinet ministers to their buddies.
No, Canadians, instead, clearly wanted to watch Mr. MacLean on Saturday nights this winter—and mobilized their collective indignation and outrage into forcing the CBC to backtrack.
Too bad we, the people, don’t make as much of an outcry to get our government to fix the country’s health care woes, ensure our military actually has equipment that works, or insist the U.S. drop its silly (and downright wrong) fight over our softwood lumber exports?
These, after all, are complicated issues and, horrors, might actually distract our attention from Hockey Night in Canada.
Equally pathetic is that no one blinks an eye over Mr. MacLean earning something like $450,000 a year to be on the airwaves once a week over eight months (and that’s not to mention Don Cherry’s ludicrous $700,000 salary to do even less work) while there’s invariably an uproar when people with unimportant jobs like doctors, nurses, teachers, and our military personnel (and, yes, even politicians) seek a raise.
But who cares about real issues? Ron MacLean will be behind the desk this Saturday night and Canadians are happy again. Ah yes, all is right with the world.
At least until the next major national crisis rolls around—when the Leafs get bounced from the playoffs again.