So anyway, I bit my tongue and tuned in to the “Today” programme on Radio 4 for just around 15 minutes this morning. What a rich mine of institutionalised bias it is. First up, we had a report on yesterday in the Commons and the debate on the Nationalisation of Northern Rock. Thanks to the way in which the excerpts were spliced, every effort was made to make the pathetic Alistair Darling look in control. Naturally the always-in-favour of Statism of the GLib-Dem’s was given a soft ride, whereas apparently the venom in George Osbourne’s contribution “rallied” the Labour backbenches to their beleaguered masters. One Labour MP even referred to the Northern Rock as “the people’s bank”. And to hammer this home, we had Mark Simpson sent to Newcastle, interviewing “local” people on how they felt about the Rock. One man burst into tears claiming that the Rock had been very well run indeed (Wonder was he a local branch manager) A local Labour MP was brought on to tell us that it would be “unthinkable” had the government not stepped in. (Yeah, unthinkable for his re-election propects) The BBC is shilling to make us feel that this “temporary” change of ownership is the most natural thing imaginable and of course for one organ of the State to claim this about a new organ of the State is understandable, but still repugnant from an organisation that claims to be neutral. Following on from this, we had an item which suggested that a manager’s organisation backed the TUC campaign to cut back on the hours we work. Apparently we all work too far too many hours and the comrades in the Trades Unions have now found an ally amongst the managerial classes, to the BBC’s evident delight. Employers just need more regulation, right? Then to finish off, we had an item concerning the planned arrest of an Israeli General, stopping off at Heathrow, and wanted by the loony left as a “war criminal.” The BBC revealed that police feared a possible shoot-out if they dared boarding the El-Al aircraft to arrest the general. Hope so. It’s funny how the BBC did not question how it came about that a warrant had been issued for the arrest of this Israeli General – it merely repeated the far-left claim that he was a wanted “war-criminal” – well, all Jews are, right? There you go – just 15 minutes looking at the world through the prism of leftworld. Couldn’t take any more!
15 minutes.
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al Qaeda would back John McCain. That’s what resident US basher Justin Webb says.
http://ussneverdock.blogspot.com/2008/02/uk-al-qaeda-would-back-mccain.html
What a moron.
DV, luckily your a late riser. Farming Today was back to its urbanista beeboid best. Glossing over the fact that hilarity benn , deranged family careerist wealthy socialist , had been roundly heckled at the NFU conference , it then proceeded to let him ramble on about why he really thought it was inadvisable to do anything about TB in badgers.
It makes the handling of northern crock look reasonably competent by comparrison.
BBC favourite dictator steps down
Castro: Profile of the great survivor
Profile or hagiography?
But Cuba under his rule has made impressive domestic strides.
Good medical care is freely available for all, there is 98% literacy, and Cuba’s infant mortality rates compare favourably with Western nations.
Read Health Care in Cuba: myth Versus Reality
El cuento de la Salud en Cuba
http://www.gentiuno.com/articulo.asp?articulo=2167 Sorry no translation but the pictures speak for themselves.
Cuba vs. the United States on Infant Mortality
BBC2 last night.
I happened by chance to catch this, which at first seemed very interesting with some great photographs and film footage:
“The Twenties in Colour: The Wonderful World of Albert Kahn
2/5. Middle East: The Birth of Nations
In the 1920s, Kahn’s photographers visited the former Ottoman colonies of the Middle East, where the British and French Mandates had given the European powers control of Palestine, Syria and Lebanon, and where the first steps were taken towards the creation of a new state of Israel.”
Sounds very intersting no? But before long it was clear that the photographs were simply being used as a pretext to do something that the BBC does as easily as making a cup of tea – underlining and emphasising the “Arab Palestinian Narrative”. Indeed the programme became more and more difficult to watch, as the misdeeds of Western colonialists and Zionist Jews was set against the injustices that the proud Arab Palestinians had to suffer, and still suffer. This was no fact-based television, it was the BBC giving its editorial version of the Middle East, which lies somewhere between the opinion columns of the Guardian and the Independent. Shoddy stuff.
Perhaps it’s time for “The BBC in Colour: The Wonderful World of the Balen Report”.
Did anyone see the BBC’s Man in Havana Michael Voss this morning, reporting on Fidel Castro? I forget the exact sentence, but distinctly remember the words “great” and “leader” in fairly close juxtaposition, which I find sickening.
No mention of his infamous firing squads, the spectacular failure of socialism, his first unsuccessful murder of a popular student leader, or his successful assassinations.
Puzzlingly, a large star and crescent symbol appeared to be in full view in the studio background (?)
If the Tories do somehow manage to get into power at the next General Election, which judging by the corruption of McLabour, the dodgy voting and the continual arse licking by the BBC looks unlikely, we will have to really go for the Tories to end the BBC.
Of of the points my local Tory MP will have to answer is if he’s willing to agree to end the licence fee at the next charter renewal. If not, he won’t get my vote.
Al Beebs News 24 making out Castro is the best thing since the creation of computer programs used to predict climate change
Al Beeb seems to think Castro is a great man, beat them dam yankees at the bay of pigs and proof that communism works, a great country, great people, great system of government
Al Beeb and Castro have one thing in common, their days to do are getting few
Perhaps it’s time for “The BBC in Colour: The Wonderful World of the Balen Report”.
Abandon Ship! | 19.02.08 – 9:21 am | #
Couldn’t agree more Abandon Ship. This was pro Pal propaganda dressed up as impartial documentary. The programme was full of factual errors. For instance I noticed they showed a map of the region that made it look as if Trans Jordan existed in 1917. They conveniently left out the fact that ‘Trans Jordan’ was Palestine (not of course a state just a region) when the Ottoman’s fell in 1917. The British partitioned the region of Palestine, creating Trans Jordan in 1921 to ensure the Jewish homeland would be contained West of the Jordan. Jews were of course prohibited from living or buying property in Trans Jordan. The BBC also mendaciously made out (like they always do) that all was sweetness and light in Jewish/Arab relations before the Balfour declaration. What nonsense is that? How to rewrite history – it’s what the BBC do.
Clearly the BBC were slightly shaken by the response (e.g. http://www.spectator.co.uk/stephenpollard/510956/bbc-reporter-on-terrorists-and-elected-politicians-both-great-leaders.thtml)to Humphrey Hawkesley’s piece in which this Beeboid acolyte paid homage to Imad Mughniyeh on the occasion of this vile terrorist’s death.
What to do BBC? Well how about righting the ship by reporting on the shenanigins surrounding the BBC’s favourite whipping boy – a zionist “war criminal”:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7251954.stm
Scroll down and look at that photograph. Mohammed Al Dura eat your heart out! This one has it all – the bulldozed building, the poor Palestinain with outstretched arms, the crutches! One of Albert Kahn’s, perhaps?
Cuba has good medical care freely available for all…western journalists who visit there.
BBC news department is the militant wing of the vile NuLab. There is no real gap between them now. Without this support NuLab is finished – but the BBC keep them going.
The BBC are the ENEMY of the English people.
The BBC news department should be CLOSED DOWN and their broadcasting infrastructure opened up to private companies.
.
The BBC has done its job well. The bigger the lie, the more likely the population is to believe it.
Some of the most recommended on HYS:
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?sortBy=2&forumID=4312&edition=1&ttl=20080219100537&#paginator
“Castro has shown the world how communisn could work under responsible leadership.”
“People can say what they like about Castro but Cuba has a better health service than we do so not all bad !”
“Nothing but maximum respect and admiration to Mr Castro for standing up to American aggression and interferance. Communism may not be the best way of life but it sure beats so called democracies such as the US.”
Yes, and I’m sure that wasn’t a plane that hit the Pentagon on September 11th…….
BTW David Vance – a very good summary of 15 minutes of shame on this morning’s Today. What was the source for that disgraceful story about the Israeli general? Stop the War coalition? Palestine Solidarity Campaign? I notice that they don’t describe the destruction of the homes of Israeli civilians in Gaza as a “war crime”.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4392634.stm
Legend to the 11th picture in the BBC’s “Fidel Castro: A life in pictures”:
“But Fidel Castro retained enough public support to become one of the world’s longest-serving leaders.”
Funnily enough it sort of happens that way if you run a totalitarian regime where political opponents and journalists are jailed.
and by the way BBC, in this article
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/244974.stm
how about mentioning that bit about him urging Kruschev to make a first nuclear strike on US cities?
STOP PRESS! Clear the front page!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
Ajax | 19.02.08 – 10:13 am | #
Today in particular has become the house programme of McLabour. Even if the opposition were to gain power I fear they would hardly be able to govern with the constant barrage of hostile coverage you can guarantee the BBC would fire at them. That would be all the worse if the Conservative’s tried to break them up. The BBC would be leading the news agenda – noisily claiming their fierce ‘independence’ from government with the Conservative’s cast in the role of censors trying to shut down criticism. I don’t think any government would survive that. The only alternative is appeasement – which as we all know – never works. Britain has created a monster out of ‘auntie’.
Ritter
Looks like Castro has kindly decided to retire to save Alistair Darling’s career. Not one mention that I could see of Northern Crock on the front page. Castro rules (they wish).
Mr Anon: Yes, I just got a glimpse of News 24 and they read out a load of emails. All but one were supportive of Castro.
What is interesting is that all those that wrote in about Cuba being “great” live in western democracies.
How come none of them want to go and live in cuba?
And why sohlu dthe USA trade with Cuba? If they don’t like a Country why should they?
Richard Littlejohn giving us the alternative view that the BBC won’t
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/columnists/columnists.html?in_article_id=515888&in_page_id=1772&in_author_id=322&in_check=N
Oscar
But if the BBC were to be broken up and forced to fend for itself in a commercial environment is it not likely that we would see a more centrist shift in its coverage? Or more viewpoints from both sides?
Similar to many of the right-on brigade I knew at University, there comes a time when they have to get a job and pay taxes and bills. What usually happens is that they grow up a bit and their political views moderate, except maybe those that go on to suck state-funded teats, the BBC for example.
Whichever party promises to break up the BBC, even to a small extent, would get my vote.
@ Oscar
I realise the strength of the BBC. It was received wisdom in the 1960s and 1970s that the Unions could not be controlled by law as they were too strong. But it was done because it became a desperate situation.
The same is happening here with the corrupt BBC news department.
The time has passed for negotiating or discussing anything with the BBC new department. It is a feral, arrogant, mind-controlling monster. They cannot be tamed by consent – so they have to be closed down. They are not elected, and they have no divine right to rule over us.
If, as you say by some miracle the Tories are allowed to win, the solution is as follows: in the first week of the new Parliament a Bill is introduced into Parliament closing down the BBC news department and opening up the broadcasting infrastructure to private companies. This was done with BT and the phone network and the competition has generally worked well for the consumer.
In a digital information age we should be able to get a plurality of opinions.
No appeasement. Closure.
.
Hang on, yesterday we were crying about the shareholders of NR, today we’re suggesting that the government shouldn’t have intervened. Which is it?
Incidentally it’s interesting that the BBC coverage of the Serbia/Kosovo issue seems to be fulfilling all stereotypes. ‘Sod the historical background/context which might assist the viewers understanding when you can show lots of pictures of dudes waving flags’. Mind you the situation seems to be unique in being so complicated that even the usual tick the box leftys/rightys don’t know who to support – shame as it might’ve driven the interminable Israel/Palestine dirge off the comments for a while.
On the subject of the Israeli General, Doron Almog – read this extract from Wiki and weep. I don’t hear the BBC publicising the fact that five members of Almog’s family were murdered in a suicide bomb attack – they might reveal the sick selective use of their term “war crime”. In fact Almog is a hero.
From Wiki:
Almog is also the father of a son with severe autism and mental retardation. He is the founder of Aleh Negev, which provides residential, medical and social services to the handicapped of southern Israel.
Five members of the Almog family from Haifa: Ze’ev Almog, 71, his wife Ruth, 70, their son Moshe, 43, and grandsons Tomer Almog, 9, and Assaf Staier, 11 were killed in a suicide bombing of Maxim restaurant in Haifa October 4, 2003.
Nice one Oscar.
I wrote to my local(by coincidence jewish) M.P. at the time of the Almog incident….result… silence.Nulabour are often useless in the face of anti western activists.
HYS has been overrun by Fidel cheerleaders. I’m so fucked of with the morons. Don’t these people value their own freedom?!??!
or fucked OFF even..
Obama the devious is caught out, the word huckster exposed in his secondhhand clothes and Justin Webb throws his rattle out of the pram.
Aw, diddums.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/justinwebb/
Re Oscar’s post, the wiki article also has this to say:
The petition for the arrest warrant had been filed by Daniel Machover, acting as attorney for the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights. Machover is the head of Civil Litigation for Hickman & Rose Solicitors (London), and, co-founder (in 1988) of Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights
Nothing like a bit of “context”…
Yes, the Webb piece on the Obama story does seem to drop any pretense of impartiality. And I say that as someone who couldn’t bear to see Hilary win.
When that ex-police officer interviewed on Breakfast Time suggested that the Israeli “war criminal” had obvioudly been tipped off by UK Government sources it was noticeable the interviewers didn’t know what to say and the interview was terminated rather quickly.
However if it had involved poor polar bears or climate change Silverton would have gone in all guns blazing)
Simon: No these Guardian reading morons don’t care. Take George Galloway, the biggest Castro arse licker there is. Galloway prattles on about democracy yet loves a man that denies it to his own people.
Galloway in fact loves any dictator that denies the very freedoms he gets a large salay for doing at Westminster
Hugh:
Yes, the Webb piece on the Obama story does seem to drop any pretense of impartiality…
Hugh | 19.02.08 – 12:27 pm |
That is what I find so astonishing.
This is rather more informative:
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-obama19feb19,0,7743616.story
BBC Rip-off licence fee payers
Licence fee PLUS ££ pay per view
BBC programmes on your iPod £1.89 a go
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/technology/2008/02/bbc_programmes_on_your_ipod_1.html
“Now this is an in-house story, so I’m going to have to strive even harder than usual to remain impartial, but this morning’s announcement that BBC programmes are now on sale on Apple’s iTunes store seems really significant to me.
“The idea is that after getting access to BBC content for nothing for eight days via the iPlayer, you will then be able to pay £1.89 to download and own a programme from iTunes. It is the first time the BBC has asked UK viewers to pay to download content, and it will be interesting to see how they react.”
So let me see if I understand. I pay the £135 licence fee, then I pay £1.89 a programme?
I for one am not happy. Isn’t this contrary to the whole point of the mandatory licence fee?
How can the BBC charge twice for programmes?
Complaint to the BBC Trust going in on this today.
BBC Worldwide strikes iTunes deal
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/feb/19/bbc.apple?gusrc=rss&feed=media
I just don’t see how the BBC can charge me TWICE for watching programmes I have already paid for. The BBC are effectively saying that the licence fee pays for 8 days viewing (iPlayer) then you’ll have to pay again. (£1.89 per programme).
The BBC already charges you twice or thrice.
If you have Sky TV or Virgin cable you’re almost certain to be paying for the BBC Worldwide’s UKTV branded channels.
It is the great deceit of the BBC. While any normal corporation gives its stakeholders a refund or dividend when selling on IP the BBC charge license fee payers again. It is an opaque, selfish attempt to build an ever greater empire.
World at One comes on, my heart sinks.
e.g. Beeboidess opines:
“Could this be an opportunity for the USA to take a more sophisticated approach to Cuba?”
Answer: Only once they get rid of that dumbass redneck far right chimp in charge, eh Beeboids?
Quote of the day on WATO – “Yes Raoul is only 5 years younger than Fidel – tho’ a good deal healthier”. Yeah – given that Fidel is probably dead that’s not hard …
Even tho’ Musharraf has conceded defeat in Pakistan elections el BBC lead on Castro. And of course the snotty anti-American sneers are rolling in.
Incase you hadn’t noticed, it’s Fidel Castro Day at the BBC. He tops the headlines across all BBC outlets, radio, TV & web.
Fidel is a dictator. Like Pinochet, like Mugabe, etc etc, but only Castro gets the full love-in treatment.
Why the BBC love-in with Castro??? On R4 WATO the glowing introduction crowed that Castro had outlived x Presidents and is only surpassed in ‘reign’ by some monarchs. “He’s a bloody dictator” I shout at the radio. Of course he’s going to outlive democratically elected heads of state, and certainly many US Presidents who can only run two terms.
Are the BBC thick? or just biased?
The one o’clock news on BBC1 had as a studio guest Stephen Wilkinson, described as a “Cuba watcher” from the London Metropolitan University. Not disclosed to the viewers – Wilkinson is a major player in the pro-communist Cuba Solidarity Campaign.
almog story it not really news is it?
this happened 2.5 years ago.
presumably hickman rose and the bbc will be calling for an inquiry into how a confidential ipcc report has been leaked to the media?
i have just started reading “flat earth news ” by nick davies. I don’t agree with much of it but it a fascinating insight into how our “news” is generated.
almog story is as davies would say ” churnalism”. the churning out of some rehashed press release.
Now they are starting on children. Who gave them the right?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2008/02/tough_topics.html#commentsanchor
How can the BBC charge twice for programmes?: Easy. You arse lick the man with the wonky eye and the deformed jaw in Downing Street, you praise his policies (as John Pinhead did YET AGAIN today on 5 lite) and hey presto you get a licence to print money.
Oh and how long will it be before the BBC demand that anyone owning an iPod needs to have a TV licence?
You might laugh, but….
As far as I’m aware the BBC can’t make content free as the commercial rivals would be up in arms about it harming the competition. The BBC wanted a 13 week window for iplayer downloads but this was reduced to 30 days for this very reason. I doubt complaining to the Trust will garner much sympathy. Add to that the fact they don’t own all the content…besides, don’t see anyone complaining about paying for Dr Who DVD’s.
“…the BBC can’t make content free as the commercial rivals would be up in arms about it harming the competition…”
because normally that’s a killer argument as far as the BBC is concerned.
Haven’t read Flat Earth News (only reviews) but I work in PR and rely almost entirely on churnalism to generate satisfactory results. Some publications’ entire business modelis based on generating enough copy on behalf of advertisers to ensure that they keep paying for advertising space.
I see Ron Sandler and the bird that McBean has appointed to run Northern Rock are non dom’s. So on Radio 5live we’ve just had that dopey Scottish cow Pauline MCCall spining for McLabour.
It doesn’t really matter that they don’t pay tax here she squarks. Hmm, well it matters to me that two people who don’t pay a penny tax here get to run a company with 100 billion pounds of OUR money invested in it.
Just when will the BBC start investigating McBean? Or do we have to leave it to Channel 4 every time?
Notice the story about McBeans’ dodgy expenses sunk without a trace, unlike the fuss the BBC made over a couple of helicopeter flights by David Cameron.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=515228&in_page_id=1770&ito=1490
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/2008/01/latest_from_conservatives_on_camerons_flights.html
See if you can find the Bean story on the BBC website.
Hugh | 19.02.08 – 3:31 pm | #
Well it’s more to do with the Trust. But Post-BBC Jam, yes.
So have they dropped this too? http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=39668&c=1