[Newsbot]

Title: Was Mordecai Richler a paid operative of the CIA? Part One
Written By: Robin Mathews
Date: Monday, June 13 at 07:58
The phrase used was "The Cold War" - describing a state of international tension many hardly remember.  It was a time of huge pressure to "align" with the U.S.A. or the U.S.S.R. U.S. pressure was unstinting (in Canada) on individuals and communities to align.  Mordecai Richler usually took loud positions that would be pleasing to the CIA, however unpopular with many Canadians.  Looking back, that fact forces the question - did he have an actual relation with the CIA? Was he an operative?
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[Individualist]

I hope that in "part two" Robin makes a more compelling case for Richler being a CIA operative than his not being sympathetic to the Waffle.

[RickW]

Anyone who supports the FTA and it's offspring is a willing, if not paid agent of the CIA.

[Individualist]

RickW wrote:

Anyone who supports the FTA and it's offspring is a willing, if not paid agent of the CIA.

If that were true, then a significant portion of the Canadian population (possibly even the majority) are agents. That must really suck for you.

[RickW]

"A significant portion" of the population doesn't know what NAFTA et al is. Willful ignornace does not an agent provocateur make. For example, I doubt you are one......

[Individualist]

Still waiting anxiously for Mathews' big "reveal" in Part 2. Of course, it's easy to understand Robin's antipathy for Richler, who enjoyed skewering nationalists, whether Quebecois or Canadians. And really, there isn't a whole lot of difference when you think about it between the Atwoods and Hurtigs and the Levesques and Parizeaus. They just chose different whipping boys.