Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Thursday, June 16, 2011

James: Corporatization of city just a sign of the times

Pardon me if I’m not bent out of shape over the Brothers Ford’s intention to put corporate names on many of our city-owned assets and facilities. Parks. Subway stops.

Yes, it smacks of the commercialization of our city; it fits the creeping corporatization of city hall under the pro-business, anti-union regime; and yes it’s gauche, unsettling, and signals a city down at the heels, approaching bankruptcy and desperate enough to sell the family jewels.

But it’s a sign of the times.

Remember the old Maple Leaf Gardens, when Leaf centre Dave Keon seemed forever on a breakaway. As Foster Hewit’s voice rose a couple octaves in anticipation, there were no board signs in the television frame, no corporate logos, except the Maple Leaf, on the ice — just pure off-white ice, a fallen goalie, and another short-handed goal.

Now, you don’t even notice the sign-cluttered boards at every arena. It’s visual white noise.

Caribana, even before the original operators went to court to appropriate the name to the point where it can’t be used to describe the Caribbean-inspired jump-up in August, was the Scotiabank Caribana festival last year. Some of us found it offensive. But the bacchanal was as frenzied and feverish and authentic as ever.

Nuit Blanche is no less a cool event because a corporation has tagged it with its logo.

The Royal Ontario Museum wouldn’t have completed its transformation without extensive naming rights — even though it was tax dollars that started the renaissance. Michael Lee Chin gave the ROM $30 million and his name is attached to the addition.

When the Jameses moved into Bathurst Manor at the turn of the millennium, the kids discovered the splash pad at the nearest park behind the Irv Chapley Community Centre.

Their dad knew of Chapley and his years of public service as North York city councillor for the area. But the kids wouldn’t have been less impressed with the refreshing cool-down on a hot day had Ripley’s replaced Chapley on the name plate.

Full Article
Source: Toronto Star 

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