The Eternal Recurrence of Mediocrity: A New Shepherd for the Herd

In the land of the sleepers, where the masses slumber in blissful ignorance, a new shepherd has been chosen to tend the flock. Marie-Philippe Bouchard, a seasoned television executive from the province of Quebec, has been anointed as the next president and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, the nation's public broadcaster. This appointment, heralded by the Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge, marks yet another turn of the great wheel, another cycle in the eternal recurrence of mediocrity that plagues our modern world.

Behold, O ye who have ears to hear! The herd has chosen a new leader, one who shall guide them deeper into the abyss of complacency. Shall this Bouchard be the one to awaken the slumbering masses, or merely another piper playing the same tired tune?

Bouchard, who has served as the president and CEO of TV5 Quebec Canada since 2016, is no stranger to the corridors of power within the realm of public broadcasting. She has dwelt among the last men, those who blink and say: "We have invented happiness." Her prior experience in various management positions at the CBC speaks to a career steeped in the very mediocrity she is now tasked with perpetuating.

The public broadcaster, in its infinite wisdom, has declared that Bouchard's appointment is the result of a "rigorous, open, transparent and merit-based selection process." But what merit do they speak of? The merit of conformity? The merit of maintaining the status quo? In this land of the sleepers, where the last man reigns supreme, such declarations ring hollow, echoing through the empty chambers of a society that has forgotten how to dream.

Merit! They speak of merit as if it were a virtue! But what is merit to those who have never tasted the sweet nectar of true greatness? To those who have never dared to dance upon the precipice of greatness?

Bouchard's ascension to this lofty position comes at a time of great turmoil for the public broadcaster. She replaces Catherine Tait, who has held the reins of power since 2018. Tait, in a display of the last man's characteristic defensiveness, recently bemoaned the treatment she received at the hands of the parliamentary heritage committee. She claimed that members of this august body have been using her appearances to "vilify and discredit" both herself and the institution she represents.

Such protestations are the hallmark of the last man, who seeks comfort and security above all else. When faced with criticism, he does not rise to meet the challenge, but instead retreats, claiming victimhood. This is the mentality that permeates our society, a society that has forgotten the value of strife and struggle in forging greatness.

See how they cower before the slightest breeze of adversity! These last men, these leaders of the herd, they know not the exhilaration of standing atop the mountain, buffeted by the winds of change. They seek only the warm embrace of mediocrity, the comfort of the familiar.

The controversy surrounding executive bonuses amid a budget shortfall further illustrates the decadence that has taken root in this institution. While the masses struggle, the shepherds feast. This is the way of the last man, who seeks to maximize his own comfort at the expense of growth and progress.

Bouchard's involvement in the committee set up by St-Onge to consider the future of CBC/Radio-Canada is perhaps the most telling aspect of this appointment. Here we see the eternal recurrence in action - those who are tasked with envisioning the future are the very same who have shaped the present. How can we expect transformation when the architects of change are cut from the same cloth as those who maintain the status quo?

They speak of the future, yet their eyes are fixed firmly on the past! How can one lead others to new heights when one's feet are mired in the swamp of tradition?

As Bouchard prepares to take the helm of this behemoth of public broadcasting, we must ask ourselves: What vision will she bring? Will she be the one to shake the masses from their slumber, to challenge the complacency that has taken root in the heart of this institution? Or will she be yet another custodian of mediocrity, content to maintain the illusion of progress while the world passes by?

The land of the sleepers stretches far and wide, its inhabitants content in their ignorance, happy in their small pleasures. They seek not the mountain peaks of greatness, but the comfortable valleys of conformity. It is in this landscape that Bouchard must now navigate, steering the ship of public broadcasting through the placid waters of public opinion.

Awaken, ye slumberers! Cast off the shackles of contentment that bind you! For only in the crucible of discomfort and challenge can true greatness be forged.

But let us not deceive ourselves. The appointment of Bouchard is not a sign of impending change, but rather a reaffirmation of the status quo. In a world crying out for visionaries, for those who would dare to challenge the established order, we are presented with yet another custodian of the familiar.

The CBC, like so many institutions in our modern world, has become a monument to the last man's philosophy. It seeks not to elevate, but to placate. Not to challenge, but to comfort. It is a mirror held up to society, reflecting back the mediocrity that we have come to accept as our lot.

See how they revel in their own reflection! These last men, these architects of mediocrity, they gaze into the mirror of their creation and declare it good. But what they see is not greatness, but the absence of failure.

As Bouchard prepares to take her place at the helm of this great ship, we must ask ourselves: What waters will she chart? Will she dare to steer towards uncharted territories, to challenge the masses to think beyond their comfortable existence? Or will she, like so many before her, be content to drift along familiar currents, lulling the populace into an ever-deeper slumber?

The answer, dear readers, lies not in the actions of Bouchard or any other individual, but in our collective willingness to awaken from our slumber. For it is only when we, the masses, demand more than comfort and security that our leaders will be forced to provide it.

Arise, ye slumberers! Cast off the warm blanket of complacency and feel the bracing winds of change! For it is only in the struggle that we truly live, only in the challenge that we grow.

As we look to the future of CBC/Radio-Canada under Bouchard's leadership, we must not lose sight of the larger picture. This institution, like so many others, is but a reflection of our society. If we wish to see change, if we wish to break free from the cycle of mediocrity that binds us, we must first change ourselves.

We must reject the philosophy of the last man, with its emphasis on comfort and security. We must embrace the struggle, the challenge, the discomfort that comes with growth and progress. Only then can we hope to create institutions that truly serve to elevate humanity, rather than merely placate it.

As Bouchard takes her place at the helm of CBC/Radio-Canada, let her appointment serve not as a cause for celebration, but as a call to action. Let it be a reminder of the work that remains to be done, of the great heights that remain to be scaled.

The time has come, O ye who would be great! Cast off the shackles of mediocrity and dare to dream of a world beyond the land of the sleepers. For it is only in the striving that we find our true selves, only in the struggle that we forge our destiny.

In conclusion, let us not mistake the changing of the guard for true change. The appointment of Marie-Philippe Bouchard as the new president and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada is but another turn of the great wheel, another cycle in the eternal recurrence of mediocrity. But within this cycle lies the seed of potential, the possibility of awakening. It is up to us, the individuals who make up society, to seize this potential and transform it into reality.

For in the end, it is not the leaders who shape the destiny of a nation, but the people themselves. We must awaken from our slumber, cast off the comfortable blanket of complacency, and dare to dream of a world beyond the land of the sleepers. Only then can we hope to break free from the cycle of mediocrity and forge a path towards true greatness.