ST. PAUL’S INSTITUTE REPORT

Wondering if any of you have had the chance to look at the report from St. Pauls Institute that has come out today? I am on BBC 5 Live later this evening on the Tony Livesey show. Any feedback is appreciated. The bit of the report that entertained me was that some 41% of those interviewed believed on God. So, more than in the COE! Comments/points?

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45 Responses to ST. PAUL’S INSTITUTE REPORT

  1. cjhartnett says:

    Know nothing of Tony Livesey, but if he`s as well paid as other BBC types; it might be best for him and fellow “personalities” to tread carefully.
    Of course we down here on Planet Real resent the gap between the workers and the pimps of the City etc…but I need no breast beating agonising from BBC journalists on fat fortunes of salaries.
    At least, some of the toffs have earned some of it…the creeps like Fred Goodwin could easily be BBC Trust types had they wished to be!
    Ross, Hansen…if the BBC aren`t piling on the wealth unearned, and fuelling real resentment: then maybe Tony Livesey could tell us who does it as crassly as Patten, Coyle and fellow lotus eating grandees…

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  2. Paul says:

    I might have missed something but Al Beeb has hardly covered the story today about the ‘protestors’ have defiled St Paul’s with excrement and graffiti have they? Oh hang on they’re just like the tea party aren’t they? Silly me.

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  3. David vance says:

    Paul

    Don’t worry, I’ll be covering that.

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  4. David Preiser (USA) says:

    What’s the Church’s remit, exactly?  If these St. Paul’s mavens are so gung-ho to engage with the Occupiers, so many of whom seem to be believers, why haven’t the clerics been out there praying with them the whole time?  One might be tempted to suspect that this is sheer politics, a naked attempt by the Church to exercise political power, and nothing to do with spirituality at all.

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  5. David vance says:

    David P

    Exactly right. Also, any report carrying Rowan Williams and Giles Fraser’s imprimatur is something to be VERY suspicious of. Plus, it is qualitative so very easily manipulated to provide desired “we are all greedy” outcome. 

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  6. Richard Pinder says:

    So does that mean 41 percent are Creationists who believe we are all created EQUAL (Equality not Diversity). Rather than Evolutionists who know the fact that we are all DIVERSE (Diversity not Equality). Or are they amongst the confused idiots who believe in Equality and Diversity?

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  7. Kendall Massey says:

    David, for what it’s worth I would not put the boot in too heavily into the St Paul’s people. I see limited mileage in that.

    You may just find some that some of them share your point of view, if your point of view is:

    “We have had enough of BIG government and BIG corporations where the richest get even richer.” You may not agree with that statement, but please read on…

    What I mean here is that the BBC and other left wingers jump on high executive pay for the FTSE 100 and financial institutions. This tars ALL businesses with the same brush.

    Just look at the FTSE 100 and you will see
    Power companies – virtual cartel
    Financial services companies/Banks – underwritten a bail out promise, virtual cartel
    Large engineering companies/Property developers – major government customers, PFI recipients
    Pharmaceutical conglomerates – market protection for branded drugs
    Food producers – benefit directly or indirectly from the CAP
    Multinational holdings companies – can shop around for the lowest global tax regimes
    Even supermarkets could be accused of playing the planning system

    In my view excessive capital and excessive pay is a sign of an unbalanced market and markets are usually unbalanced through government interference.

    With some notable exceptions, the FTSE 100 is made up of companies that have been handed favours, tax breaks or market protection from government. These are the companies that have the resources to have full time lobbyists in Westminster and Brussels. These are the companies that are consulted by the government when planning legislation and some even have (or will soon have) a telephone hotline to the government. These companies LOVE government regulation as it perpetuates the cartels, discourages innovation and keeps out the little people. Some are becoming an arm of government and becoming too big to fail.

    The real heroes – and the ones that are NOT getting large bonuses and fat cat pay are the small businesses.

    Rather than targeting the protesters too much I would use the opportunity to find common ground with them and even suggest one or two demands they may make to politicians:

    Keep government small
    Don’t price the People out of a job
    And keep government out of free markets otherwise we end up with cartels.

    When you are thinking about the protester I would urge you to have a vision, not of someone playing Bob Dylan songs or slogan chanting weirdos (yes I know that they will be there), but think about the core message of excessive pay which, in my opinion has been brought about by left wing interference and in particular by the previous Labour government.

    NB having listened to Tony Livesey I have found that he seems to play a straight bat. Hope I’m not wrong! Best of luck!

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    • Frederick Bloggs says:

      In my view there is much that is wrong with the world and I do agree with the protestors about some of the problems of the modern world.

      These include excessive corporatism, an over-sized financial sector which has behaved imprudently and has not really changed its ways, and the economic suicidee of unrestrained globalisation.

      Where I disagree is the solutions. Most of the OWS solutions involve higher taxation, more government, more socialism and on the fringes there are flakes who want to abolish all money and revert to barter, abolish capitalism and some who claim it is the fault of the jews. That is why I steer clear of these people.

      So while we can probably agree on the problems, the differences are in the solutions. 

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      • Kendall Massey says:

        You are right in all details. These protesters are not Greenham Common or CND (well not all of them).

        I hope that at least some of them will realise that the solutions lie NOT in doing more of the same and having even bigger government, but with the government getting out of the way and allowing business – and jobs and incomes – to flourish.

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  8. stuart provan says:

    Does anybody put there left foot in or is this site biased?

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    • David vance says:

      Readers can say what they want. 

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    • David Preiser (USA) says:

      stuart, Left-wing ideologues like yourself are welcome to debate the issues.  Or do you not understand the point of this blog?

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    • John Horne Tooke says:

      Why don’t you contribute. All shades of opinion should be heard, all sides given equal treatment. Usually however it is the side you never hear from the “unbiased” BBC. If the BBC stuck to its charter this site would not exist.

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    • Kanburi says:

      Stuart, the point of this blog (if I may make so bold DV et al) is that none of us mind whether a news organisation, website or any other form of media is biased, so long as we are not forced to pay for it. The BBC is funded by taxpayers, and those of us that do not share its left-liberal views object to paying for politcal propaganda that we do not agree with. Does that clear things up for you?

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    • Grant says:

      stuart,
      Unlike the BBC , this site is not censored and we don’t all have to pay for it on pain of imprisonment.  

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  9. stuart provan says:

    I am not left wing nor right wing. I just see a biased site where people have more important things to do than this. You dont  need a TV. Read a good book , take a walk in the park, pick some flowers. Or just watch the BBC, get some anger and then blog about it. 

    Ahh my LIFE….

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    • David Preiser (USA) says:

      So not interested in debate at all, just criticizing people. Why did you even look at the blog in the first place?  Very strange set of values.

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    • John Horne Tooke says:

      So we all should  just pay up and not watch the BBC. Can you pay my subscription to PC Format? I’m sure it would not bother you as you can still carry on as you are, just a little poorer.

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    • cjhartnett says:

      Agree entirley!
      That anyone is regarded as left or right (based of French politics and seats from way back) is a worthless label…to all but the BBC.
      I happen to think that Melanie Phillips and Peter Hitchens, Brendan O`Neill and the like are neither left nor right…they`ve got both as angels wings in contrast to the clots that run around in a circle waving their one left one.
      “The truth is never to be found in the middle but at both extremes” as someone said?

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    • Grant says:

      stuart,
      I would be delighted if you pay my TV tax for me !

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    • Bupendra Bhakta says:

      Just what I need – a self-anointed lifestyle coach.

      ๐Ÿ™

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  10. stuart provan says:

    Its ok am off enjoy your show…..

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    • David Preiser (USA) says:

      ๐Ÿ˜‰

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    • Teddy Bear says:

      Well…that’s made him feel intelligent – and we’re Soooooo far beneath him  ๐Ÿ˜€

      Of course he can’t engage – it would show him up.

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  11. London Calling says:

    Stuart, I’m not sure you said why you came here, or indeed why you are off. I suspect you are an “ad homo” – someone addicted to ad hominems. (Not that I’m being critical…) As for being neither left nor right, what’s the matter? Can’t make your mind up?

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    • David Preiser (USA) says:

      provan just wanted to point out that he doesn’t understand why nobody here agress with him.  Now he’s off basking in the warm glow of Doug Stanhope videos on YouTube.

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  12. David vance says:

    I welcome all views on this site but am disappointed when some come here, accuse us of bias, the flounce off without any attempt to engage in debate.

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    • David Preiser (USA) says:

      Of course we’re biased.  We have opinions.  But nobody here claims not to have one.  Anyways, those opinions are beside the point.  The point is to amass evidence that the personal opinions of BBC employees influence the reporting to a negative degree.

      People like provan have no understanding of that, and no interest in discussing it.  All they see is people with whom they don’t agree about various issues, nothing to do with BBC impartiality.

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      • Grant says:

        It is really weird behaviour. I don’t understand what motivates butterflies like stuart. They seem so, well, childish ! 

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        • Demon1001 says:

          I think he’s a Beeboid or at least a Beeboid’s friend.  He’s probably been told that this is a hilarious site full of stupid right-wing nutters.  He probably came on here to “have a laugh” at the crazies and pull apart the specious extremist arguments. 

          No doubt he then had a look and realised that he is not as clever as he thought he was, and that there is little of substance that he can sensibly argue against. 

          Unlike Dezzie or Scotty who, for all their inputs, have never actually properly debated any real issue.  All they have done is point out slight inaccuracies (spelling mistakes etc.) while not addressing any proven bias.

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          • Grant says:

            Demon,
            If I were a Leftie setting out to raid this website, I would make sure of my facts and arguments, because there are some damn smart cookies posting here. Certainly smarter than any dim Beeboid !  

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          • David Preiser (USA) says:

            Scott used to try to debate actual issues of bias, but gave it up and focused on attacking the occasional misstatement by David V instead, acting as if a handful of errors discredit hundreds of other accurate statements. A high standard to which he doesn’t hold the multi-billion-pound BBC with thousands of staff.  The best Dez can do is find a BBC news brief about something one of us said they ignored.

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  13. Kendall Massey says:

    Financial transaction tax, lets say 1% per transaction.

    Bank cartel will charge its customer 1.05% per transaction
    Insurance companies will charge 1.05% extra for premiums
    Pension funds will charge an extra 1.05% to pensions

    Nice little earner for the bank cartels, insurance companies and pension fund managers.

    We will all pay more so that the Archbishop sleeps easier in his hammock.

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  14. davejan says:

    pity they dont camp outside the BBC they are a big corporation with vast monies in pensions and have fleeced more people with their tv tax

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  15. George R says:

    An antidote to BBC-NUJ political propaganda for Miliband:  
     
     
    -the following is written by a Labourite: 


     
    “Does Ed Miliband really want to be prime minister, or is this just his extended political gap year? ”  
     
    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danhodges/100116063/does-ed-miliband-really-want-to-be-prime-minister-or-is-this-just-his-extended-political-gap-year/

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  16. Millie Tant says:

    I love the way some people presume their advice is needed about how other people should live their lives. And maybe that has nothing to do with right or left either but I am not entirely convinced of that.

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    • Grant says:

      Millie,
      You are spot on.
      Just on a personal basis, there are so many people who feel uncomfortable in the company of someone who does not share their views on everything, however trivial.
      The same type of people try to manipulate others to do their bidding. This can go right down to the level of choosing food from a menu.
      I think it stems from an inferiority complex and lack of self-confidence.
        

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      • matthew rowe says:

         Good points I find the idea of only finding others that confirm my views a bit well stupid boring and utterly pointless !how can anyone develop and learn if all they hear is conformational dross as the BBC so amply proves!
        Funny it’s always them with all their locked  in hive mindset that say we who are free to  argue and think differently are the nutters??

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      • Millie Tant says:

        You’re probably right, Grant. Fear, together with a need for affirmation and a handy comfort blanket seem to drive a lot of behaviour. 
        That said, I’ve largely given up trying to figure out people. I just think to myself There’s nowt so queer as folk and leave it at that.

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  17. cjhartnett says:

    There`s an old Jewish phrase I read from the great Jonathan Sacks…how the heck does one faith get the like of HIM whereas the indigenous faith of the country is represented by the exact polar opposite…Rowan Williams?
    Anyway he quotes
    “a virtuous person worries more about your body-by way of feeding it-than about your conduct; whereas a hypocrite is more concerned about your conduct than about feeding you”…something like that.(Sacks.J-The Great Partnership)

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    • Millie Tant says:

      That’s a good one, cj. Much wisdom there. He is so interesting to listen to.  I suppose we got the Wishy Washy One foisted on us more because of his politics than his wisdom or faith. He is supposed to be an intellectual, although I’m not sure what that means in his case or how it benefits him or us.

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      • Grant says:

        Millie,
        Yes, Williams is a “faux intellectual “, Jonathan Sacks is a real intellectual.

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  18. Bupendra Bhakta says:

    Point 1.  You will not find a single person in The City who will defend the bankers who fouled up.

    Point 2. If individual A wants to pay a lot of money to individual B to look after his (individual A’s) money, and that makes Individual C envious – then tough luck.

    Point 3. We all get a vote – and because someone nicks a tent, buys some skunk, and heads off down to St Paul’s that does not give them any more say in the running of this country than anyone else – much as they, Ed Camelnose, and the BBC seem to believe otherwise.

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    • Grant says:

      Bupendra,
      Well said, summed up perfectly. I wonder where Beeboids invest their massive wealth.  Presumebly none of it is with banks or in stock markets.

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      • Bupendra Bhakta says:

        Not to forget the BBC Pension Fund –

        Managed by : a job lot of City  :-$  asset managers

        Invested in : a job lot of profit-earning  =-X  companies.

        Funded by : you  =-O

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