52 Responses to Open Thread

  1. Chris says:

    I enclose a link to the full text of Peter Oborne and Frances Weaver’s ‘Guilty Men.’ It clearly sets out- inter alia- the BBC’s far from impartial approach to all things ‘Europe.’ A strongly recommended read.

    Click to access oborne-guilty-men.pdf

       3 likes

  2. Durotrigan says:

    Did anyone note the BBC’s reporting of damage to the gravestone of one of the 7/7 bombers in Cottingley (Leeds)? Whereas West Yorkshire were quoted as stating that “We have received a report of damage to two graves in the Muslim section of Cottingley Cemetery and we are investigating,” the BBC report mentions ‘a number of graves’, which seems to imply more than two. Deliberate exaggeration? It also makes reference to ‘racist graffiti’ at the scene, but given that it classifies criticism of Islam as ‘racism’, was this really the case?

    My take on the report can be found here: http://durotrigan.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/77-bomber-grave-vandalised.html and the original BBC report here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-18466187

       9 likes

  3. Merlin says:

    I wake up today seeing multicultural advertising in abundance on the BBC – it’s everywhere, but nowhere more apparent than the Olympic Games build-up coverage; the diversity quota is in great health and can be appreciated across the BBC’s output. I suppose the point for contention these days is whether they are there on merit or because of some politically correct, multicultural balance-agenda? I suspect the latter!
    Anyway, more specifically, the theme on today’s Sunday Morning Live (the pinnacle of TV idle chit chat) will apparently orbit around the well-worn and tired BBC favourite topic of nasty police officers targeting poor-old innocent ethnic minorities for no other reason than the colour of their skin. I bet the debate won’t highlight the fact that ethnic minorities, however, commit a sizably higher percentage of crimes per head in the capital than white members of the community.
    If this fact is covered then I will cut my nostril hairs off with a teaspoon!

       23 likes

    • Harold says:

      Yes, this is almost a running theme (obsession!) with the BBC and I get tired of it. No one could ever justify the discriminatory targeting of any ethnic group but the reluctance from the Left to even acknowledge the severity of ethnic minority crime is the real issue at play here; anyone with a modicum of sense (apart from Whitman aka Jim Dandy) knows that crime is out of control in London with ethnics accounting for the lion’s share of it. BUT the BBC, however, refuse to debate this and shout ‘racist’ if anyone even alludes to it, thus canceling out all debate in true Stalinist style.

         19 likes

    • Merlin says:

      OK, goodbye nostril hair!

         6 likes

      • Merlin says:

        Good old Peter Tatchell spewing out the same old politically correct, deluded nonsense!

           5 likes

        • Harold says:

          I think it’s time to have a live thread for Sunday Morning Live; the level of political correctness is astounding! Peter Tatchell will always stick up for minorities because he’s a zealous Left-winger lol.

             14 likes

          • Berty Bentwhistle says:

            But, would it be humanly possible to type quick enough to detail the appalling bias? One hell of a challenge! I’ve only just progressed from one to two-finger typing

               5 likes

  4. noggin says:

    I note the McCarthy sharing the sofa with Randy Marr, this morning …. all cosy to talk about TA RA!
    … Israel
    how it is “considered by many” ??? to be a democracy …
    [he obviously mean t present company, (of course 😀 ) excluded] …
    Does he mean it isn t “shock horror” a fascist apartheid state? …
    anyway … so he drones on and on , so to find out about the multitude of problems the West Bank has … he s doing a program about, wait for it! … the Arab perspective 😀
    To even things out, he is going in to Israel too, hmmm to get a … wait for it 😀 … Arab perspective, on the West Bank.

    not biased at all, thank goodness for that.

       17 likes

  5. deegee says:

    If you can keep your supper down you might laugh, at about 2 mins into this video, at Mick Napier’s claim that the BBC is complicit in hiding Israel’s crimes.

    Israel probably would have been happier had the protests stopped the match as the Scots ladies thrashed them 8:0.

    Just how many turned up to protest? Couldn’t tell. As far as I can see, no one including the evil BBC mentioned their efforts. Scotland’s women smash eight past Israel
    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZbWgEkHjo0&version=3&hl=en_US%5D

       5 likes

    • Daphne Anson says:

      It’s this bizarre leftist claim that the BBC is biased towards the Zionist Entity that unwittingly provides the alibi that allows Al-Beeb to claim that as far as Israel-Palestine is concerned they get the coverage *just about right”.
      If it is “just about right” why the secrecy re the findings of the Balen Report?

         10 likes

      • deegee says:

        I suspect Napier believes the Jews own the media and the BBC. Somehow I doubt he pays the license fee, a rare point of agreement with B-BBC although for different reasons. He doesn’t want his hard earned cash going to the Zionists.

        BTW how does Napier earn a crust?

           4 likes

    • I’m only at 44 seconds in that first video and he’s basically outlined the Hamas charter for the Jews and put the word Palestinians in place of Israel and Jews.

         3 likes

  6. As I See It says:

    On Sundays the chattering class at BBC Radio 4 likes to take some time out to relax (chillax if you will), to reflect on the previous week’s news and to have a bit of a natter.

    Kevin Connolly is sitting in for Paddy O’Connell this morning on Broadcasting House. I think this is a blessed relief from that plastic paddy and his whispy lefty Eurovision Song Contest fan views.

    Kevin has a pleasant enough slightly old school radio voice but if you consider his recent BBC background of former USA and Middle East correspondent you will guess the kind of cookie cutter Beeboid attitudes he favours.

    The press review often throws up some nice insights into BBC approved thinking.
    Guests this morning are:
    Ngaire Woods introduced as an Oxford economics don. In fact the interests of this former Kiwi are more in the political area. She is a fan of ‘Fair trade goods’ and argues ‘democracy is not just about being elected’. So she is all for the EU sacking non-approved politicians and putting in the technocrats. I’m sure she would get on well with Lord Mandleson.

    Next up, Katrina Evran (?) a Greek Comedienne. (No, me neither).

    Michael Deacon political sketch writer from the Telegraph. Gosh I wonder if he might do a skit on Ed Miliband ‘I’m proud to be……(fill in the blank)’ speech? Somehow I doubt it.

    So how did the review of the papers go with this top notch team of independently minded entirely non BBC groupthink reviewers?

    Well the economics guru has left a massive hostage to fortune ‘I don’t think Greece is heading out’. The BBC still swimming against the tide there I think. I notice even Steph Flanders is keeping her powder dry this time.

    Katrina is wailing about the Greek public health service in melt down. She is not very funny for a gal billed as a comedienne. She wants to tell us about a cartoon she found in a Greek communist newspaper – lots of German bankers wearing Nazi armbands we are told. Again not funny. Miranda she aint.

    Here is my thought: Greece was a poor country. Once in the Eurozone they borrowed massively to catch up with northern european living standards. They didn’t earn this new wealth. This was the kind of spending the left like to call ‘investment’. Then the borrowed money ran out. Now they are poor again and with a big debt. (That’s economics folks!)

    Katrina has one good story for us. It is about a Green village in Germany – powered entirely with pig excrement. Ah at last she is getting the hang of this BBC newspaper review.

    Ngaire turns out to be a big Harry Potter fan. That would go some way to explain her belief in a magic new world government, devoid of democracy, but ruled by good wizards who know best and who protect minorities from mob rule.

    Kevin Connolly has noticed both Ngaire and Michael have picked Leveson related stories to look at. Well you could have knocked me down with a feather (as Paddy might say).

    Well this is a BBC gig and the BBC do so love Leveson – whatever the public might think.

    BBC and Leveson, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G

    Now we see why Michael Deacon is on. He does his bit on Cameron which is de rigueur but he really warms the cockles of the BBC heart with an attack on Michael Gove (boo hiss, we perceive the cry from the production crew across the studio).

    Deacon likens Gove to Niles who was Kelsy Grammer’s brother in the 90s TV show Frasier. Well there’s a reference for the chattering Beeboids of a certain age!

    Gove is also a ‘Fruit Ninja’ and his perfermance at Leveson (how many weeks ago was that?) was full of ‘campness’.

    Steady BBC, it’s lucky Gove is a Tory, you’re beginning to play to that crowd that used to follow English football before they all took to Dido on their Ipods and voted Yes in the AV referendum to leave the Russians to pick up their baton – and break the windows in foreign cafes with it – what would Paddy make of such casual homophobia?

    Kevin Connolly is oblidged to make a disclaimer: ‘I have a vague feeling I should be disassociating myself and the BBC from that – but it’s too late now’.

    They do say there is many a true word said in jest. I’m afraid there are few true words or much in the way of jest on the BH press review.

       13 likes

  7. Jeff Waters says:

    ‘If young Americans knew what was good for them, they would all be in the Tea Party.’ – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-18456131

    This is probably the first article I have ever seen on the BBC news website that is written from a right wing perspective! Sadly, it will probably also be the last…

    Jeff

       7 likes

    • Span Ows says:

      I suggest you look at the author: the superb Niall Ferguson: I’m reading The Ascent of Money again now.

      (OK, yes, I am surprised he is allowed an outlet on the beeb!)

         9 likes

  8. 1327 says:

    Apologies for being late in with this comment but I was busy last week and never had a spare moment.

    Anyway did anyone watch BBC1s Springwatch last week ? To cut a long story short I enjoyed it and ended up watching parts of it on most of the days it was on. What was very pleasant was that while I watched it there were no mentions of Climate Change what so ever ! Even when the nature reserve in Wales they were filming in was basically flooded out the event was just treated as freak weather with no preachy mention of Climate Change. When I have watched it last year and the year before there only needed to be a spot of rain , an hours sun or a bird breeds numbers to be slightly down and we would suffer 10 minutes of why Climate Change was to blame.

    This year though it was like a switch had been turned off and the subject was no more. Does even the Beeb realise they jumped the shark with their pet subject ?

       10 likes

    • Phil Ford says:

      Since it’s now been ‘decided’ that as ‘climate change’ is too controversial for the Great Unwashed, the new watchwords will be ‘sustainability’ and ‘poverty’. Just wait for the press releases coming out of Rio next week.

      In the light of all this, the BBC is doing its level-best to keep all mention of ‘climate change’ out of the public eye. Even Captain Black has been uncharacteristically reticent on the subject in his recent epistles from Rio.

      Rio will be getting the BBC full backing, but they have to be careful at The Corporation not to frighten the horses if they are to allow the undemocratic shenanigans at Rio to pass unchallenged – and this is of the utmost importance. Truth, openess, debate be damned. Getting all those lovely new draft treaties, laws and ‘green’ taxes approved MUST come first and must be allowed to slip quietly under the radar.

      So for the next few weeks whatever you do ‘don’t mention climate change’. Not until the knees-up in Rio has crossed the ‘t’s and dotted the ‘i’s, that is.

         11 likes

      • 1327 says:

        Phil – I fear you could be right about this. Realising CC is so unpopular they moving into stealth mode much as they did with the EU a few years back.

           9 likes

  9. George R says:

    “Viewpoint: Why the young should welcome austerity.”

    By Prof Niall Ferguson.

    BBC Reith Lecturer 2012

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-18456131

       3 likes

  10. velvel says:

    http://honestreporting.com/bbc-holocaust-denial-or-philosophy/

    If you care to check out the above — well, what can one say?

       2 likes

  11. chrisH says:

    Like others above, I am both surprised and delighted that Niall Ferguson will be giving the Reith lectures.
    One of the few great thinkers and historians about these days, who can relate his historical knowledge to urgent current trends.
    His recent stuff on the West and on China were spot-on, so I have high hopes.
    Even the BBC won`t be able to hide this will they?

       8 likes

  12. Jeff Waters says:

    Tweet by Jeremy Vine:

    Thoughts about life in the BBC, gentle colleagues, some not-so-gentle: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/books/the-man-who-16173253.html

       1 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      ‘The most common question Vine is asked is how he refrains from giving his own opinion on his Radio 2 debate show…
      “It’s the ticket to doing the show that you mustn’t air your views but it’s complicated, because I do think you need to have values.”‘

      Yes, one is sure all have noticed how opinions, especially from the host, on air and twitter, are noticeably absent.
      Must be why Lunchtime Loather got banned, failing to appreciate that ‘fact’…daily.
      ‘He also enjoys valuable time with his family: wife Rachel Schofield, a BBC News presenter
      Are any of them not married to each other? I guess there is a fair % of office romances inevitable, but this is more like some bad 50’s Sci-Fi where there’s a department ensuring the gene match will be ‘suitable’.
      http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/books/the-man-who-16173253.html#ixzz1y4LLqzgo

         4 likes

      • There have been many occasions where Vine and a guest have ganged-up on a “2 against 1” attack on another guest. His opinions shine through in everything he says, starting with the trail for his show with Ken Bruce and continuing in to the not-so-subtle voice inflections used in “coming up on today’s show” at the start of the programme. If he genuinely believes he keeps his bias and opinions to himself then he is a bigger fool than I thought.

           3 likes

  13. Biodegradable says:

    Contrast & Compare:

    Palestinian ‘attackers’ killed by Israeli truck driver

    Two Palestinians have been shot dead in the West Bank by an Israeli truck driver, who said they attacked and tried to rob him, Israeli police say.

    The unnamed driver, who suffered a head wound, told police he opened fire after the Palestinians came at him with chains and iron bars, reports said.

    The incident happened in the village of al-Samu, near Hebron.

    There have been recent clashes between settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank, where tensions remain high.

    […]

    Palestinian Maan news agency quoted Yatta municipality chief Zahran Abu Qbetta as saying the men who were killed were on their way to work at the time of the shooting.

    Truck driver kills 2 Palestinian robbers

    Drama in south Mount Hebron: Truck driver shoots Palestinians who ambushed him; third Palestinian flees to local hospital

    A tow truck driver from Ashkelon shot to death two Palestinians on Sunday who he claims had tried to rob him in the south Mount Hebron area. Another Palestinian was injured in the incident.

    Sources at the Shai District police said that the driver was beaten by the Palestinians and was lightly injured. Despite his injury, the driver shot at the suspects, who were killed as a result. The Palestinians’ bodies were taken to a Palestinian hospital in Hebron.

    […]

    According to the investigation, the Palestinians called the driver and asked that he tow a tractor in Mount Hebron, but when he arrived they struck him with clubs and iron rods and managed to drag him out of the truck. The driver, who was lightly hurt, recovered and fired two shots at the Palestinians as they were trying to push him back into the truck. He told police he feared they were attempting to kidnap him.

    […]

    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the killing of the Palestinians, who were construction workers. “These settlers commit crimes under the auspices of the Israeli government and the IDFA,” he said, apparently unaware that the truck driver is from Ashkelon.

    An initial IDF inquiry indicated that the Palestinians had likely tried to rob the truck driver. Large IDF forces arrived at the scene to examine whether the incident could have resulted in a kidnapping.

    Israeli shoots dead 2 would-be Palestinian carjackers

    Police say it appears the tow truck driver was likely lured to the spot by Palestinians who ordered his services.

    An Israeli truck driver who was the target of a violent car jacking in the West Bank fired at and killed two of his attackers on Sunday.

    The incident began when the tow truck driver made his way to the South Hebron Hills near Yatir.

    Police believe the call out to which the driver responded to was a trap.

    “It looks like he was lured to the spot by Palestinians who ordered his services,” police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

    The driver came under attack in the attempted robbery by three men, and was struck on the head with a blunt object.

    He fired six shots at his attackers, striking three men. Two were killed, and one was injured. Soon afterwards, a Hebron area hospital reported receiving the bodies of two Palestinians with gunshot wounds.

    The truck driver was hospitalized in the Soroka Medical Center in Be’ersheba in light condition after fleeing the area in his vehicle. He is a resident of Ashkelon.

    Security forces launched of the search of the area to locate forensic evidence and carry out ballistic tests.

    The driver was later questioned in hospital. Police said the man has a firearms license.

    Sources in the IDF Central Command said that while the incident was not a planned kidnapping, it did highlight the danger posed to Israelis in the West Bank.

    “A seemingly innocent job offer can actually turn out to be part of a kidnapping plot,” one officer said. “Israelis need to be extremely careful in such scenarios.”

    The IDF and Shin Bet have thwarted a number of kidnapping plots by Palestinian terror groups in the West Bank in recent months. In one case, the Shin Bet arrested a number of Hamas operatives who were plotting to kidnap an Israeli citizen or soldier from the settlement of Kiryat Arba.

    In 2011, the IDF recorded around 20 attempts to kidnap soldiers in the West Bank.

    The BBC covering for terrorists – it’s what they do!

       9 likes

    • Excellent spot.

      It was amazing how they used the conditional tense when reporting the Israeli side of events but the Palestinian side of it has little or no equivocation about it.

      I also found it interesting how they had used the “according to media sources” which effectively meant they have built this story based on Israeli media stories.

      So if we revisit those stories like those you’ve identified here Bio there is something very telling . The BBC quote the settler / palestinian tensions near Hebron – something not mentioned in the media reports they have relied on to build this story that I could find yet curiously omit the background quoted in the final report of Shin Bett thwarting a number of kidnapping attempts by Palestinians.

         5 likes

      • Biodegradable says:

        There was also a report somewhere else, which I can’t find now, that talks about the increasing number of truck hijacks.

        Maybe this thwarted attempted was an attempt at hijacking, maybe of kidnapping, but in any case the BBC bottom line, quoting the Palestinians as saying that the men were on their way to work is patently ridiculous. That, and the mention of “recent clashes between settlers and Palestinians” is clearly an attempt to paint the Israeli as a cold blooded murderer who killed innocent Arab workers for no apparent reason.

        You have to smile at this:

        Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the killing of the Palestinians, who were construction workers. “These settlers commit crimes under the auspices of the Israeli government and the IDFA,” he said, apparently unaware that the truck driver is from Ashkelon.

        (Ashkelon is not a “settlement”)

           1 likes

  14. George R says:

    “BBC criticised over Bomber Command live coverage failure”

    by Thomas Harding.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/9336890/BBC-criticised-over-Bomber-Command-live-coverage-failure.html

       2 likes

  15. #88 says:

    It looks like Greece’s pro bailout party, New Democracy, has beaten the Marxist Syriza party, increasing its share of the vote by over 33%.

    BBC News say that this result was closer than expected. You bet it was! For days now our ‘Newsnight’ friends were predicting nothing but a big win for the ‘radical left’, as they describe Syriza (BTW that’s an interesting phrase ‘radical left’ as opposed to the other end of the political spectrum which the BBC call the extreme right).

    Anyway, to coin a phrase, Karl Marx, Alexis Tsipras…Paul Mason (with all of your left wing ‘contacts’), your boys took one hell of a beating!!!

       5 likes

    • uncle bup says:

      What sort of a victory was it BBC?

      Ah yes, a narrow victory.

      Sorry, I missed that could you repeat it please.

      A NARROW victory. Did you get that everyone it was a NARROW !!!!! victory.

      Remember now – NARROW !!!!!

         3 likes

  16. Jeff Waters says:

    How the BBC is dragging its feet on bias – http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/9337932/How-the-BBC-is-dragging-its-feet-on-bias.html

       1 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      My fave, as cut and pasted by BBC CECUTT every time they reply to say they cannot be wrong becuase they are always right:
      ‘The BBC has ready answers to most of these complaints – it has clearly defined policies designed to ensure that its output is even-handed. ‘

         1 likes

      • Reed says:

        So – “Our impartiality is confirmed because our policies require it.”

        Nice little self-fulfilling virtuous cycle. Unique.

           1 likes

  17. As I See It says:

    Just as predicted Dame Nicky Campbell does his bit on Chernobyl this morning and a useful text comes in to the BBC (comment goes straight to air – natch) drawing a link between the disaster and the UK Coalition’s current attitude to what this mysterious texter apparently terms ‘clean energy’. Job done! Beeb green pension scheme boosted a per cent or two.

       2 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      ‘a useful text comes in to the BBC (comment goes straight to air – natch) ‘
      The ‘listening’ BBC – We want (y)our views
      If they select the comments broadcast in, and reject others out, it can only be propaganda backed by censorship.

         1 likes

    • uncle bup says:

      Time to start a petition to get Gameshow to *stay* in Chernobyl.

      I hear they’re looking for security guards.

         3 likes

      • Reed says:

        …might do him some good – cause some mutations in the supposed impartiality that resides in their DNA.

           3 likes

  18. will says:

    The “Today” 8:10 slot did at least have 2 politicians from the centre-right to discuss the outlook for Greece, but Humphrys continued with the BBC tunnel vision that “growth” can only come from government borrowing & spending. Whereas Greece actually needs lower public spending to allow the private sector to regain competiiveness & generate sustainable growth.

       1 likes

  19. Reed says:

    Here’s the end result of the ‘compassion’ that the Labour MP on Question Time insisted we must always demonstrate when it comes to the issue of immigration – it engenders an entitlement mentality. As always, it’s so easy for these Socialists to be generous with other people’s money.

    Not happy here? You were under no obligation to come, please feel free to leave.

    ———————————
    Mr Kiunsi, who is still here, complains that the state has failed to provide the family with their ‘basic needs’ of accommodation and food, so he has had to pay rent, council tax and other living expenses himself.

    The electrical engineer from Tanzania says he has ‘scientifically calculated’ the appropriate figure to compensate him and has reached the figure of exactly £11million.
    ———————————

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2160578/Immigrant-sue-UK-11-million–making-UNHAPPY.html

       3 likes

  20. Umbongo says:

    Oh look, Guido discovers that, on the basis of a 2009 report in the Guardian, Brown lied to Leveson or, at least, was very economical with the truth.
    Although this conclusion is based on a report in the BBC’s paper edition, I suspect that we will see nothing concerning this from the BBC.

       1 likes

  21. uncle bup says:

    ‘Stockmarkets have responded positively to the New Democracy party’s NARROW !!!!! victory in the Greek election – but we’ll see where they are at the end of the day’

    Gotta lurve that ‘we’ll see where they are’.

    The world’s greatest news gatherer firstly reporting the news it wished had happened rather than the news that actually happened. And then – reporting the news it hopes is going to happen: ie stockmarkets giving a thumbs down to an election loss by the lefties.

    Joseph Heller – where are you now, mate.

       2 likes

  22. uncle bup says:

    @NickyAACampbell: Hi folks, I like it so much here in Chernobyl that I have decided to resign from @radio5live !!!! and take a job here as a security guard,

       2 likes

    • uncle bup says:

      Well if the droids can report what they wish the news would have been I can report what I wish twitter would have been.

         3 likes

  23. You can certainly see your enthusiasm in the work you write. The sector hopes for more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to say how they believe. Always follow your heart.

       0 likes