“The second obstacle is that it is hard to know exactly what a world without the BBC would look like. The ramifications on media, cultural, political and social life would be so profound that it is very difficult to predict what they might be. It is not too dissimilar, for example, from envisaging a country without a national electricity grid.”
– from Measuring the Value of the BBC: A report by the BBC and Human Capital (October 2004) [Text version here, PDF here.]
This gem was found by commenter “Grimer”.
LOL! Nicely put….
Well done Tom; thought you would ‘fess up eventually; much too good to remain unaccredited. 🙂
Paul M
Great stuff.
When Im Prime Minister,you get the job of helping me write my speaches.
It is now time to find a new Thatcher . Unfortuately my wife has tottaly refused to let me have the opperation….shame.
In a effort to at least make a small point does anyone have any idear how one can organise a protest march in this country with more than 12 people when your not a student a member of a trade union or a member of the BBC/Labour party.
Its worth remembering that Thatcher was 30years ago. Nearly 2 generations. 2 generations that dont know this countries desperate state that made her election so esential. But they are old enough to remember a lott of very pissed of people paraded on the BBC night after night while she was in power. You got to admit Labour may make a disasterous goverment but in opposition, along with there BBC mates, were magnificent. Shame they did not just stay there. Why dont Torys try to learn a bitt from the Labour book? I think that there are many potential conservative voters that are being succesfully conned into believing that every thing is just O.K. and you know how much the British love a quiet life. So complain long and load even loader than the lefties as nobody at the BBC is going to give you a microphone. Look angry be angry sound angry this is still your country, it is not to late.
The good news is that there are more and more young voters that dont remember any of the anti-Tory goverment BBC/ITV propergander.They were to busy playing video games.
My father suffered being educated while bombs exploaded over his head and then worked for his family inspite of living in a nearly communist country.(3 day weeks and all).THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO HAPPEN AGAIN
Do not let the bastards take away from us what the National Socialists could not without at least a good fight.
If you still “hold your manhoods cheap.” Try a visit to the Imperial War Museum. If that does not work visit the bit devoted to the holacaust. Which should humble even the most commited stateist.
Frank P and others
“Well done Tom; thought you would ‘fess up eventually; much too good to remain unaccredited.”
I’m afraid it really is time to “fess” up; the main bulk was lifted entirely from the Adam Institute blog site. I merely polished it up heh hmm by adding intro and end. I just couldn’t live with the guilt………………humbled and ashamed I will slink back to ignominious exile.
http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/index.php/blog/individual/happy_birthday_baroness_
Never OT: the licence fee ‘debate‘ on Any Questions (34 minutes in).
The panel are unanimously supportive of the BBC’s demands for more of my money, full of the usual gushing praise, a fact that even Dimbleby seems to find embarrassing.
At 40:28, Dimbleby realises the obvious bias, and addresses the audience:
“… and in case you think this question was planted in order to have a public service announcement on behalf of the BBC: it wasn’t. Is there anyone here who thinks it’s not right that the BBC should get a 2.5% [sic] increase over and above inflation for the next … 7 years? Not a single hand goes up…”
He then appeals to the questioner, presumably hoping to find some balance, but none is forthcoming, and he is left to end the ‘debate’ by expressing the hope that perhaps there will be ‘one or two’ opposing views expressed on Any Answers.
On Any Answers the licence fee topic was squeezed in at the end, with time for only two, rather inarticulate, callers, both opposed to the increase, but not obviously anti-BBC. Dimblebly then put the cherry on top by reading out two rabidly pro-BBC emails, containing all the usual rhetoric.
How deliciously ironic it is that in a ‘highbrow debate’ on a highly contentious topic in which the quality of the BBC’s ‘highbrow debates’ is so relevant, the BBC utterly fails to show even the vaguest semblance of balance.
I couldn’t resist doing some sums. Let’s use the figures from the BBC’s own propaganda report on the supposed overwhelming support for their TV tax. As you will recall, 81% of their hand-picked respondents were supportive of a £10 a month tax, but only 60% were supportive of a $15 a month tax.
The current tax is already over £10 per month even without the proposed inflation-busting increases (£10.54 in fact), but let’s take the 81% approval figure anyway.
I don’t know how many people were in the Any Questions audience, but let’s suppose it was 100.
Q: What is the probability that an audience of 100 people selected at random from the same biased sample used for the BBC’s own propaganda would be unanimously supportive of the current level of the TV tax?
A: 1 in 1.4 billion.
Conclusion: Dimbleby wasn’t lying when he said the question wasn’t planted to promote the BBC. It was the panel and the audience that were planted.
As an aside, this is an interesting but poorly organised compendium of BBC disgraces. Click on the BB1998 – BB2005 links for the BBC stuff. It’s desperately short of corroborating links, but interesting nevertheless.
Didn’t he ‘fess up, too?
___________________
JoC
Are you conflating Any Questions and Question Time. Because brother David D put a similar question to the studio audience there on the lat show and a similar outcome ensued. It was a tremendous own goal, because it exposed once and for all just how bent the selection is of the ‘balanced demographic selection’ process must be.
Sorry, it’s getting late: amend last sentence to …how bent the ‘balanced demographic selection’ process must be.
re: John of Coventry.
But DD sits within the panel. Are you saying he and the let’s screw up Britain BBC set it all up?
Watched the BBC today without having a heart attack. But then it was only BBC4. However did anyone see the George Orwell in pictures documentery. Started off a bit slowly but wow what an ending.
Orwell is asked, very shortly before his death “could 1984 happen here” He turns to the camara and replies.
“I think something like it could happen anywhere, weather it does or not now depends on YOU.”
Orwell worked during the war for the BBC. Where he leaned the power of propergander. When he was sure the war was won left “to do something more honest and more worthwhile.”Then wrote “Animal Farm” in 1946 Followed by “1984” just before his death.
The overblown patronising interlectual vanpires currently blood sucking at britanias tit,will never listen to us they dont even pay any attention to there own programs.
Good prog though I must say.
If Orwell was alive today I wonder what he would think about the current governing power here. If he had know that 60 years after the war it would use the BBC, allied with willingly compliant staff to not save the country but actively distroying it, and everything it stands for.
I think he would have died even more pessamistic than he did. Wonder also what so many of his generation had died for?
Thought control = P.C.
It is how it really gets started. A nation that can not use its own language will lose all confidence in their freedom and then will believe anything they are told because they can not deal with the fear of not believing.
They are left with nothing else to sustain them and nothing for the human spirit to find refuge in . No marrage, No love, No fatherhood, No motherhood, No art, No emotion, No freedom of speech, No personal property, No human dignity, No orgasims etc.
Just love for BIG BROTHER
Orwells image of a “boot stamping on a human face for ever” seems ever closer.
Beware those that have based there political veiwpoint since the war from any goverment controled source. (They are probely voting for the enemy.)
They had to become nazis to a large extent to defeat nazism. Be it the BBC or ITV. They are now the very establishment they so often say they are scutinising. Letts face it if you had their “cushy number” you would want to preserve your power also.
This state control is a sad throwback to the last world war. Particualy as I thought Thatcher had shown us it was now tottaly unnecessary,and gave us a choice.
Remember what Tony Ben said about the war. About how socialists in 1945 used the then “control the British had become used to,”to further their aims of nationisation.
Strangly creating the National Socialism that he and his brother had tried with the R.A.F. to defeat. If you dont think you can ultimately beat them join them. Just ditch the guns and concentration camps.
But then all Eton boys are a bit mad, and think they can run your life better than you. Pipe,Raincoat,”Hush Puppys “or not. So I hope we can see them coming by now.
Unite Unite British Middle Class (you are still 80% of the population) you really do have nothing to fear but fear itself.
The 5% of toffs and intelectuals can screw themselfs and we the people can look after the 15% downtrodden ourselves without any help from them.
When Thatcher does one day pass on I will be sad for her family. I will also expect an outpouring of spontainious emotion not seen in this counntry since 1965. I sincerly hope the BBC will no longer be around to report on it. That will be her final victory.
Regarding Any Questions & Question Time. It was AQ last week I heard it too.
Has there ever been a week when Shami Chakrabarti doesnt appear on one or other or both progs? She must take holidays sometime or have the odd sick day.
Lurker
You will not like the answer but as you asked you deserve it. Shami Chakrabarti does not take many hollydays for the following reasons.
1 As a lawyer she does not have to
2 As a lawyer she is very well paid when she does work
3 She wants to acheive something with her life thats why she became one.
4 She loves the media attention
5 She thinks she is good at her job and so enjoys doing it.
6 She is very inteligent and likes showing off.
7 Enjoys being a credit to here family.
8 Enjoys being independant and the sense of freedom it gives her.
Get the point…… No……. well let me make myself more clear.
It is a regretable shame that Miss Chakrabarti yourself and your fellow self confesed lefty friends dont understand why anyone works hard.