Please use this thread for comments about the BBC’s current programming and activities. This post will remain at or near the top of the blog – scroll down for new topic-specific posts. N.B. This is not an invitation for general off-topic comments, rants or chit-chat. Thoughtful comments are encouraged. Comments may also be moderated. Any suggestions for stories that you might like covered would be appreciated! It’s your space, use it wisely.
General BBC-related comment thread!
Bookmark the permalink.
Jason | 19.01.09 – 5:02 am
Beautiful!
No more jokes please about terrorist acts being committed by Bhuddists.
Now we just need to hear from the leader of the Quakers :-/
Martin,
NOt sure what your on but Im pretty sure that Prime Ministers have never been elected in to that position in this country.
Now of course if you were talking about an unelected president then you would be on to something…but as it is, you need to find another reason to hate Brown.
Mailman
Martin | 19.01.09 – 9:04 am, and other posts.
I’d just like to say that since you’ve taken David V’s request to tone down your language to heart I’ve actually read your comments and note that you make some very good points. Points that were lost by your previous addition of homophobic and frankly crude adjectives.
Stay with it and all power to you, mate!
PS: “fatty one eye” is OK with me, and I agree he shouldn’t be called PM until the people actually give him that mandate through the ballot box.
(Has there ever been another resident of 10 Downing Street who didn’t get there through elections?)
Mailman: In theory you are correct. However Fatty One Eye made sure no one stood against his in the leadership of the Labour party, Tony Bliar said he’d serve a full third term and as Scotland now has its own Parliament I don’t believe a Scottish MP should be PM as most of the legislation they will campaign on will effect England only and no one in England has a say on McFatty.
The reality is people tend to vote on who is the leader of the party, which is why (but god knows why) Bliar kept getting re-elected.
Brown must reign and call an election.
I have no respect for McFatty, he’s a liar and he is a coward.
Excellent!
Another pontificating article by Labour’s non-white Trevor Phillips telling us whites of Britain how ‘racist’ we are.
The BBC dutifully reports his false ‘truth’:
“Phillips clears police of racism”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7836766.stm
Typically, the BBC report does not challenge the Trevor Phillips’ false presumption that ‘RACISM’ is something to do with white people.
And, according to Phillips’ politicaly self-serving project, if British white people appear to be a bit less ‘racist’ than some other white people, this can be put down to the wonderful large increases of non-white people encouraged to immigrate here, and to have children with white people.
Of course, Trevor Phillips wants more of the same: for Labour to keep up mass immigration of non-white people particularly, encourage miscegenation, and thereby turn Britain into the ‘multicultural’ heaven (so stealthily connived by BBC-‘Guardian’ types) by eliminating the predominant indigenous ethnic group, to relegate their culture and to give power to immigrants and their cultures (not least Islam).
An alternative analysis (2006):
“Caucasophobia – The Accepted Racism”
[Extract]:
“I am tired of ideological censorship. Western nations can never mount a defense against Muslim immigration if this is always dismissed as “racism.” But above all, if you believe that non-white racism exists, it is actually immoral not to deal with the problem and its victims. I am convinced that not just non-white, but also anti-white racism, are real and underestimated phenomena.”
http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2006/10/caucasophobia-accepted-racism.html
‘Telegraph’
“Multiculturalism – Merits and Debits” by Pauil Weston
[Extract]:
“The educational and media led definition of multiculturalism is that all races and cultures are equal, that immigration enriches us culturally and economically and given an atmosphere of mutual tolerance and respect differing races and religions will benefit one another when intermingled within the same territory. This is the prevailing and generally accepted definition across the West.
“However, this is not the way it is taught in our schools, nor disseminated by our media. Indigenous children are indoctrinated into the belief that Western civilisation is guilty of historical and present day inequality and oppression, in short, brainwashed into shame of their race and culture. Conversely, ethnic children are both encouraged to take pride in their own race and culture and to feel victimised by the majority white society they live amongst. This version of multiculturalism is force fed with a fervour almost religious in its intensity, despite it being a recipe for balkanisation and resentment rather than assimilation.”
http://my.telegraph.co.uk/british_renaissance/blog/2007/05/28/multiculturalism__merits__debits
I’d have more sympathy for Osborne – and the Conservatives – if they weren’t so supine when interviewed on Today. This morning Osborne faced the usual sneering Humphrys. Amongst other things Humphrys implied that the present position of the banks has nothing to do with Brown and all to do with bankers greed and international factors. Osborne mildly responded that, at the least, the regulatory framework – brought in by Brown – which failed its first serious test was a major contributory factor. Humphrys hurrumphed and retorted that, whatever the truth of that, it was all Thatcher’s fault for creating the “free-for-all” in the first place: he then went on to tackle Osborne’s possible discomfort over the appointment of Clarke to the Conservative front bench.
And Osborne’s response concerning the Conservative and Labour economic records – nothing! No denial of Humphrys’ claim re Thatcher and no (killer) statement – which can’t be repeated often enough – that Brown squandered Clarke’s “golden legacy”. If the Conservatives refuse to defend themselves (let alone go on the attack) when they have the opportunity why should we expect the BBC not to treat them with the contempt they appear to welcome. Osborne – who always gets a kicking on Today – must have known that the interview this morning wasn’t going to be any different. Robust defence of the Conservative financial record in government and slapping down Humphrys occasionally would do the Conservatives far more good than Osborne’s plaintive squeaking. This is not to defend the BBC – and Humphrys in particular – from its anti-Conservative bias. But the BBC, despite its lack of impartiality, still feels it necessary to give the Conservatives some access to the airwaves. Unfortunately for the Conservatives they consistently fail to come across as anything more than the “me too plus a bit more (or a bit less)” party which, it seems to me, is exactly what they have become.
If I were a BBC editor I would also keep selecting Vince Cable (as against who exactly on the Conservative front bench?). Although he’s a politician – and therefore congenitally unable to be wholly consistent or wholly frank – he does make an effort to explain where he’s coming from. I might disagree with his analysis but it’s out there to be criticised (not that he ever is by the BBC but that’s another story). Until the Conservatives can field somebody who is prepared to give as good as he gets and is able to explain an alternative economic/financial view in a straightforward and understandable way (with context) the BBC will be able to – and will – ignore any such alternative to the present road to ruin.
Bishop Hill on BBC Young Pioneer Tanya Syed here:
Tanya has been diligent and has paid careful attention to her training course. In fact she catches on very quickly indeed. Today’s contribution to the news effort is about a report issued by a political pressure group called the Worldwatch Institute (good girl Tanya, box ticked there), calling for drastic cuts in carbon dioxide emissions (tick). Our Tanya carefully omits to mention that they are a political pressure group of course (tick).
The Register examines yet more eco-spin parroted by BBC here:
It goes without saying that insurance companies need to keep abreast of developments in risk if they are to provide a service for their clients. But it also goes without saying that generating alarm about those same risks is also to their advantage. Indeed, Munich Re says as much on its website …
George R
“… miscegenation …”
Not a word used by cautious writers.
Umbongo: Humphries is a tool. When I took out my mortgage in 1995 I had to go through all sort of checks AND have a healthy deposit.
I don’t remember 125% mortgages or self certified mortgages under the Tories.
This mess was created by McFatty One Eye taking control of the regulation away from the BoE and the Tories should really keep hammering away at this.
Umbongo – yup, I heard that too. Twice Humphries stated that the current problems were the result of Tory policies. Osborne’s response was pathetic, he should have countered the accusation and not let Humphries proceed until this myth had been thoroughly destroyed.
Humphries later interviewed Alistair Darling – and not once did he make any sort of accusation that Labour might be in any way responsible for the current mess.
Martin
“This mess was created by McFatty One Eye”
I agree with you but it seems that Osborne prefers the pathetic squeal defence to anything more robust.
bodo
I have never heard any Conservative take any BBC interviewer to task (on Radio or TV) for the BBC’s shameless indulgence of government/Labour interviewees. Until they do the BBC can claim that the Conservatives appear to be satisfied with BBC “impartiality”.
I see that the number of fatalities to knife crime in London has risen (again)
I’m sure that Mark Easton will be on the TV tonight though telling us it’s all a Tory lie.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23622459-details/Stabbings+on+rise+but+gun+deaths+are+down/article.do
Until the Conservatives can field somebody who is prepared to give as good as he gets and is able to explain an alternative economic/financial view in a straightforward and understandable way (with context) the BBC will be able to – and will – ignore any such alternative to the present road to ruin.
Hence bringing in Ken Clarke
Why do the beeb continue to use the politically correct ‘downturn’ when we’re in “recession!” How do they get away with this blatant propaganda?
I’ve just seen a pretty disturbing story in The Times.
Licence fee is going to be used to guarantee BBC staff house prices before they move to Salford. The BBC is committed to moving to Salford because – wait for it – it “…addresses concerns that the organisation is not fully representative of the peoples of the UK”.
Ha Ha!
Update – beaten to it by Andy (and others)
MilkyWay | 19.01.09 – 11:43 am |
I bet you’re the kind who objects when people say your comments have no credibility because you can’t type properly, right?
Martin’s coarse language doesn’t detract from points about real BBC bias. Well, maybe too many “rent boy” remarks can obscure it. Although it may make it more difficult to read, and limit the audience (apologies to Chuffer’s offspring!), the points about bias are still there. If you care to defend the points about bias, then we’d be interested in what you have to say. Of course, you can’t, so, like so many who won’t really try to defend the BBC against bias here, you resort to shooting the messenger.
And by the way, which examples of “subtle racism” against President-elect Obamessiah are you talking about? Bet you can’t find any.
Well you could argue at least the BBC covered this at all…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7837526.stm
Given its at least half as many killed as in Gaza which has wall to wall coverage (and in reality the final numbers will be much higher I’m afraid hundreds have died in the church burning alone), and far worse for intentional attrocities.
But its never even made the African page headlines.
Certainly never the main news headlines.
Obviously the wrong sort of black and too Christian to count as important eh BBC? Back to Gaza…
frankos
“Hence bringing in Ken Clarke”
Indeed but he comes with one enormous disadvantage – or advantage to the BBC. Because he is such a fan of the EU and of the UK entering the eurozone, every BBC interview/comment will highlight the Conservative “split”. Already this morning the BBC 8:00 News pronounced that “right-wing” elements in the party were concerned about this aspect of Clarke’s elevation.
Anyway, we’ll see. At least he can’t be any worse than Osborne or Cameron at dealing with BBC interviewers.
Umbongo: I pointed out last night that bringing Clarke back in was a mistake. The BBC will just see it as an excuse to bang on about ‘Tory splits’ when of course Liebour has been as split over Europe for years.
BioD
Unelected PMs at number 10.
I’m certain its actually been all too common.
The most recent examples…
John Major (he was ‘elected’ by the Conservative party and did win an election afterwards)
James Callaghan (never won an election)
Alec Douglas Home (Conservative leaders ’emerged’ at that time, and he never won an election)
Harold McMillan (at least won an election afterwards)
Brown is truly appalling already, so there is no need to add accusations he doesn’t warrant.
The leftist losers that post here pick on my sometimes ‘course language’ because they can’t answer the points about BBC bias.
Anonymous: Sorry but it is different with McFatty One Eye. He is passing laws that often only effect England whilst his own constituents benefit financially from the large slice of cash Labour gives the Scottish Parliament to spend.
Not for Scotland Foundation hospitals or yet more crappy Comprehensive schools. Nor the mess made with GP’s contracts. No free parking in hospitals for the English, no tuition fees for the Scots and no prescription charges. Very nice.
Effectively we’ve got a Prime minister ruling us from a foreign Country.
martin
The leftist losers that post here pick on my sometimes ‘course language’ because they can’t answer the points about BBC bias
thats great. i loved that. anyone who disagrees with the nonsense you type is a leftist loser? not quite
MilkyWay | 19.01.09 – 4:48 pm |
thats great. i loved that. anyone who disagrees with the nonsense you type is a leftist loser? not quite
Dude. You haven’t disagreed or shown how you disagree or why. All you’ve done is complain about coarse language.
Must try harder.
The unbiquitous, uncriticised (because he isn’t white?) Labour propagandist, Trevor Phillips, the BBC’s chum, is against white people’s undefined ‘racism’, but not against non-white people’s racism, in his opportunistic speech on his Obama (wonderfully mixed-race)day:
“Parliament may be the pumping heart of our democracy, but its lifeblood is white, male and straight. That has to change.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/recession/4290154/Trevor-Phillips-warns-that-Britain-could-return-to-racism-as-recession-bites.html
Change to what?
This is the change which Trevor Phillips and his ilk are politically campaigning for:
‘The European Union may be the pumping heart of our democracy, but its lifeblood is black, female and bent.”
George R | 19.01.09 – 5:13 pm
Trevor P can’t be a very observant fellow if he thinks the UK Parliament is ‘straight’ (i.e. excludes homosexuals/ or has markedly fewer homosexuals than society at large).
Or maybe he’s not very attractive?
sean. | 19.01.09 – 9:16 am | #
Bush’s contribution to the people of Africa will be ignored by the left for generations, proving that their demented hatred of Bush is more important to them than millions of African lives. But does anyone truly believe that these lefties really care about the worlds poor and underprivileged? Here’s Bob Geldof’s view on Bush anyway:
“Former rock star and acclaimed humanitarian Sir Bob Geldof said: “President Bush is a bloody hero to Africa • no matter what ungrateful Africans, jealous Europeans or stupid Americans say.” And the numbers are compelling. The Bush administration nearly doubled the financial aid to the region in his first term in office; over the last seven years, the US has committed $1.6 billion to trade• capacity building assistance, and has committed to increase total assistance to the continent to $8.7 billion by 2010, double the level of assistance in 2004.
Sir Bob Geldof, even more wryly said: “Clinton talked the talk and did diddly squat, whereas Bush doesn’t talk but does deliver … the Bush administration is the most radical, in a positive sense, in the approach to Africa since Kennedy.” And it is this type of “grass roots” endorsement • the subtle presidential comparison • that pointed to a legacy defining-moment. “
Now then. We have at least two “saintly” figures – Bob Geldof and the Dalai Lama – coming out and heaping praise and adoration on George Bush. How the hell does the average leftist cope with this?
By the way I cast my vote for “fatty one eye” too (the term, not the man).
The Labour Party, the trade unions and the ‘New Statesman’.
‘Liberal Conspiracy’ reports (but apparently BBC doesn’t):
“More New Statesman journalist(s?) face axe”
(One, inevitably, to join Trevor Phillips’ outfit.)
http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/2009/01/13/more-new-statesman-journalist-face-axe/
Any more on the AlQ camp wiped out by plague?
I just passed by the newsagents and it was front page in The Sun
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2146286.ece
and is mentioned elsewhere too, if based on the same piece..
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/algeria/4287469/Black-Death-kills-al-Qaeda-operatives-in-Algeria.html
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=30237696
Oddly, as I am interested (more for what some folk might have been brewing up than what, or who, might have dun ’em in) my national news broadcaster… not so much. Tried the search but it seemed to get tied up with my varied attempts at spelling the AlQ name, and even came up with a few of its own. Google… no probs.
Now it may be they are waiting for all due confirmations to come in (not something I’d really expect from such as the Sun, to be honest), which is really the responsible thing to do. So kudos on the restraint.
However, this is not exactly consistently applied on the BBC’s part when rushing out ‘news’ from sandy places.
I’m pretty sure if they’d been wiped out by a drone they’d have had a messed up kid in there before you could say ‘our local journalist reports’.
MilkyWay: You’re at it again. All you do is pick up on the fact you don’t like how people say things but dodge the real questions.
Are you Mcfatty one eye by chance or a family member? He dodges the questions as well.
Boy killed school friend in row
Amro staggered, bleeding, into a nearby health centre for help
A 16-year-old boy has admitted to fatally stabbing his 14-year-old friend in a row on the way home from school.
Amro Elbadawi had his throat slashed after they had left school in Queen’s Park, west London, in February 2008.
The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to manslaughter at the Old Bailey.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7838527.stm
and the killer is,
Amro’s friend Yusuf Drissi, 16, was arrested within hours of the attack in Kilburn, North West London.
What a shock. Still no mention of the surge in knife fatalities in London. Perhaps Easton is waiting for a press release from Jacqui Spliff so he can spout it as official BBC policy?
Nice to see the BBC spouting on behalf of McFatty One Eye giving away OUR taxes to a bunch of terrorists.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7835937.stm
I wouldn’t give the Palis a penny. Let them starve.
martin,
would you like it if people called you McFatty one eye? or worse?
i dont think so, so dont insult others that way.
i dislike brown’s policies, but i dont resort to insults an 8 year old might use. you should grow up, stop using terms like that, and more people might listen to what you have to say
Jason | 19.01.09 – 5:46 pm |
thanks again jason,and another great article i’d not read.love this bit.
Sir Bob Geldof, even more wryly said: “Clinton talked the talk and did diddly squat, whereas Bush doesn’t talk but does deliver …
Blimey, Milky Way, I haven’t heard a telling off like that since primary school!!
‘Fatty one-eye’ should be dropped.
Let’s use ‘slack-jawed disfunctional Scottish closet shirt-lifter’ instead.
MilkyWay | 19.01.09 – 6:14 pm | #
Oh come on Milky where’s your sense of humor. We’re allowed to have a laugh as well you know, as long as serious points are being raised in the process.
I very much doubt whether Fatty One-Eye reads this blog, so we can forget about the possibility that he’ll be hurt by it. As for other people who are fat or who have one eye….hell, I’ve been called much worse in my time and I’ve never been offended in the slightest. If it’s funny, I’ll laugh.
Peter 5:58 pm
‘Daily Mail’ has this:
“Al-Qaeda hit by Black Death fear as medieval plague kills 40 terrorists at training camp”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1121842/Al-Qaeda-hit-Black-Death-fear-medieval-plague-kills-40-terrorists-training-camp.html
Nonsense –we would kill + eat the people that work in the supermarkets–
Possibly so. However we wont be eating anyone important that is for sure, as we will not be able to find them.
As for the cops. In times such as these the state always feeds and pays its cops very well indeed. So there will be flesh on their bones, but they are far more likely to get us first.
After they have divested us of all our money and metallic substances hoodwinked us all, and put a noose around some of our necks. This after they having banned dangerous dogs, sporting pistols, or carrying even a kitchen knife on the street. What exactly are you going to do your hunting with?????? are you going to try to bore your prey to death?????
If so, do not bother because I have self apparently tried it and it does not work very well. Most peoples attention span especially when it comes to something they know they do not want to hear, is VERY VERY SHORT INDEED. Although some do compliment me on my persistence, usually people are, and wish to stay completely ignorant.
I do find pointless people that can only come up with tin hat, and lizard people straw man type arguments, highly annoying.
I do not intend to eat them or anyone else. I fortunately can afford to buy my food for whatever price it may be. That is after I have finished my six months supply of the best tinned food money can currently buy.
If you care about your family, may I respectfully advise you to do the same.
I have been many things in my life a boy scout being one of them…obviously.
One good thing.
The BBC may finally come in useful.
After all, when even SKY gos to the wall, we will by then desperately need somebody to tell us where the soup kitchens are.
Atlas: ‘I have been many things in my life a boy scout being one of them…obviously.’
You do surpise me. AFTER all EVERYONE knows that the SCOUTS are nothing more than an ESTABLISHMENT conspiracy.
Think about it.
Considering the huge damage inflicted on the UK by the premier mental defective and Prime Mentalist I would have thought the term ‘fatty one eye’ was very mild.
I consider FOE to be a lying cheating scheming coward and a greasy pole climbing bully, Gordon Brown the double dealing two faced scumbag and a treacherous b*****d.
When McMental is fully exposed for the fraud he is and the BBC cannot protect and disseminate his lies people will not just call him names!
Notice how ITV dealt with Ken Clarke as opposed to the BBC who just didn’t shut up asking him about Europe.
On Radio 5 that idiot Yvette Cooper was allowed to spout complete uninterrupted crap for 5 minutes but Ken Clarke hardly got a word out before the thicko beeboid cut across him.
I’m not sure about the Al-Qeada black death story to be honest. Sure, a few sources are reporting it now but they all refer back to the Sun article from which it originated. I do not think that The Sun, by itself, is a credible source for this kind of story. Why wouldn’t it be confirmed by other sources if it were true?
The BBC goes for Brown’s attempt at financial reassurance with:
“Bank plan ‘will save companies'”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7838347.stm
But, the ‘Daily Mail’ has a less reassuring report:
“RBS on the brink as shares plummet by 69% and City is warned: ‘You’re about to become
Iceland-on-Thames'”
[Extract: relating to a quote from Labour Party, and BBC stalwart WILL HUTTON (and possibly the next DG of BBC):
“The starkest warning came from one of the Prime Minister’s own allies, Will Hutton, who heads up the Work Foundation think tank.
“He warned that the scale of the liability for taxpayers,as well as overall borrowing, was so enormous that the International Monetary Fund may have to be called in.
“‘With the amount of red ink in the UK budget deficit next year, together with the amount of new liabilities the taxpayer is having to underwrite, we look like Iceland-on-Thames.
“‘The open question is whether we can get through this without a loan from the IMF,’ he said ominously.”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1121365/RBS-brink-shares-plummet-69-City-warned-Youre-Iceland-Thames.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7838358.stm
This press release (as that is what it is), carries no counter argument, the results are open to debate, and what is most obvious from the press release is the use of terms such as “might”, “possibly” (as in causing global warming).
If the BBC thinks that by publishing non-peer reviewed papers is somehow going to convince me of so called climate change/global warming etc,, then they really are as daft as I think.
Jason | 19.01.09 – 7:12 pm | #
I’m not sure about the Al-Qeada black death story to be honest.
Me either. The Daily Mail citing the Sun has to crank an eyebrow at least.
Also, if true I do wonder at those who see unleashing the plague as a sensible form of counter-terrorism.
However, I do drift off and imagine the speed, and extent of reporting without much confirmation if the ‘perpetrator/victims’ had been from a less ‘sensitive’ grouping.
Maybe it will all go away as a bit of a silly punt by The Sun, and I know it’s all a bit ’24’, but what might be being cooked up with hostile intent outbound is of some concern until laid to rest.
I’m sure the BBC will have the objective facts to reassure me soon.
Anon: Oh the irony of it. On Radio 5 tonight one of the 70 beeboids that have gone over to see the son of god get his reward commented on just how cold it was and hoe the river was frozen over.
I just wonder if Roger Harrabin might do a report (he’s bound to be there) telling us that man made global warming gives us colder winters?
The same individual who feigns offence when Gordon Brown is called names made this statement earlier:
MilkyWay:
David Preiser, what are you talking about? attacks on british people of jewish persuasion? its hardly a news story comparable to 1000 plus innocent people dying in gaza is it? I agree it should be reported, but don’t try and claim it’s being ignored. not only are the media focusing on the human catastrophe in gaza, theres a new President being sworn in this week. oh, and the banks are collapsing further, so no tv channel/paper will ignore these stories for some piece about british jews getting beaten up.
MilkyWay | 19.01.09 – 4:27 pm | #
Right. “some piece about British jews getting beaten up” of course deserves to be kept under wraps. Nice one.