Guest Column

Vision TV’s Crusade of Hatred Against America

by Dr. Charles McVety

May 19, 2003

Canada’s faith network, Vision TV broadcasts over a dozen American television preachers such as John Hagee, Pat Robertson and Charles Stanley who pay the channel millions of dollars each year for airtime. Vision TV then funds numerous productions of anti-American programming purporting that the United States government participated in the bombing of September 11^th for the purpose of "global domination by the American Empire". They propagate that Osama Bin Laden is a CIA recruit who was betrayed and setup as a scapegoat in the American quest for "future oil pipeline(s), the grab for Middle East oil, and big budget increases for the military". Canada’s national newspaper The National Post recently stated that "poisonous delusions such as these do not belong in a mainstream (media)."

The Post was responding to an outrageous article in the Toronto Star trumpeting Vision TV’s six part series "The Great Deception--What Really Happened on September 11^th ". In this documentary Vision’s long time Media Analyst, Barrie Zwicker, states that:

"…elements within the top U.S. military, intelligence and political leadership--which are closely intertwined--are complicit in what happened on September the 11th. Why U.S. complicity, you ask? Well, to stampede public opinion into supporting the so-called war on terrorism, to justify a war on Afghanistan for a future oil pipeline, the grab for Middle East oil, big budget increases for the military, and the general drive for global domination by the American Empire."

In part three of "The Great Deception" they outline incredulous claims that Osama bin Laden was recruited by the CIA, trained by the CIA and then when the United States needed a fall guy they sacrificed their long term ally, Osama. Vision leads the viewer to believe "that bin Laden is merely a piece in a chess game. The stakes of the game are the last of the world’s oil reserves and "…the Bush administration’s "(consolidation of power) to pursue a drastic unlimited militarization." After referring to George Bush as an oligarch and claiming that he knew of the 9/11 attacks before they happened Vision concludes "Today the "Big Lie" is the so-called war on terrorism (and) George W. Bush--with the aid of the media -- zealously promotes perpetual global war in the service of resource looting and permanent popularity for himself."

In today’s Toronto Star Vision’s Analyst/Producer, Barrie Zwicker went on to compare the United States to "Hilter’s Nazi war machine". Zwicker writes "One of the biggest issues ever is the provenance of the iconic events of 9/11, eerily reminiscent of the Reichstag fire of 1933, which helped propel Hitler into power and squash opposition. The events of 9/11 remain the linchpin for the so-called war on terrorism. This, in turn, is repeatedly raised as a rationale to justify hot wars such as those on Afghanistan and Iraq."

These claims continued in several other Vision TV productions including the "9/11 Roundtable" moderated by Vice-President, Executive producer Rita Deverell. Other programs such as "Vision TV Insight", "Mediafile" and more recently "360 Vision" continue to incite hatred of America. Tapes and transcripts are promoted on their website at www.visiontv.ca

The National Post editorial on May 12^th compares Vision TV’s claims to that of those who incite hatred of Jews by denying the Holocaust. To deny the Holocaust is not free speech, it is considered a hate crime. America is Canada’s best friend and partner. The United States provides Canada with protection, economy, and prosperity. Most Canadians fully support America and are appalled at the snake-like actions of those who bite the hand that feeds them.

It is outrageous that Canada’s national faith network, receiving over 8 million dollars per year from the Canadian public and another 8 million dollars from religious groups. Vision then uses these funds to produce and air hateful propaganda against America. How long will American preachers, Pat Robertson, Benny Hinn, Rod Parsley, Creflo Dollar, Jack Van Impe, James Robison, Robert Schuller, Joyce Meyer, Kenneth Copeland, R W Schambach, Charles Stanley continue to buy time? The number one rated broadcast of John Hagee has already cancelled its daily program. How long will the government continue to force Canadians to fund the network?