A reader called Dina writes:
Hi, I just wondered if anyone else watched the programme on BBC2 on Friday 17th March about called “The Family that Walks on All Fours”?
I watched this expecting it to be a scientific documentary about the curious anomaly of a rural Turkish family who have several mentally handicapped children who walk on all fours, like monkeys. The programme started well. About half way through, one of the scientists interviewed the Imam at the local village Mosque who was afraid that the programme might hint at Darwinian evolution in explaining the childrens symptoms. The programme went on sympathetically to explain that the idea of evolution is generally anathema in Turkey as an Islamic country, especially in rural areas and the Imam thought that to allow a Western programme to make the connection could invoke the wrath of an Al Qaeda attack on the village. The programme then went on to emphasise that hostility to the idea of evolution is not exclusive to Islamic countries and then, in classic BBC style, the programme switched to show an American Evangelical Church discussing the bible. At this point I changed the channel. I thought I was watching a genuine scientific documentary, but I should have known that the BBC needs to insert a political (especially anti-American) angle into such a programme. I try not to watch the BBC as much as possible as I cannot stomach the boring and predictable PC, anti-American drivel that is their stapel diet. Anyway, I just wondered if anyone had seen this and agrees with me?
Just be grateful they didn’t find some reason to show a clip of Gitmo.
BBC news is claiming 15,000 attended the march.
That sounds like a gross exaggeration. There were very few bobbies as far as the scan showed – many more would be needed for such a large crowd.
This isn’t the Beeb, but I fear The Telegraph’s headed in the same direction.
Reporting on the slight recovery of some of the victims of the tragic drug test, here is what The Telegraph says about the two most severe cases:
“The two critically ill patients are 21-year-old Ryan Wilson, of Highbury, north London and a 28-year-old man reported to be an assistant bar manager.”
Hmmmm. Any guesses about the name of the 28-year old man “reported to be an assistant bar manager”. Mohammad, for example? That’s what his girlfriend had already told the press.
the war is just a convenient excuse to take their pathetic world view to a wider audience.
henry, UK
I’m finding the Iraq war very testing, but I seek to reassure myself by the thought that Benn, Galloway, Corbin, Tonge have never been right about anything. Is Iraq the 1 time they got it right?
No, Will. Don’t worry. Clare Short’s against it too. We’re on the side of the angels. Relax.
will -> paddys day in nyc has just been posted up here:
Paddys Day NYC 2006
it helps, raises the spirits and all that, after viewing moonbattery reports on the BBC like this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4818952.stm
will -> also, remind yourself that if the SWP/Claire Short/Benn/Corbyn brigade had prevailed, we’d still have a Berlin Wall. Millions upon millions of fellow Europeans have be liberated from the yoke of Soviet tyranny, and they still cant bring themselves to apologise for their pandering to the Soviets.
i guess they wont be invited to tea in the Latvian embassy anytime soon.
iraq is a bit rough and messy. But my gut feeling is that it’ll work out in the end.
I lived in the US for years and am utterly baffled by their attachment to St Patrick’s day, which doesn’t mean a thing anywhere else in the world. I think it is totally pointless, boring and phony.
archduke – I agree with you about the war, though. It’s rough and messy, but if I’m not mistaken, that’s what wars are. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a tidy war.
HRC – the first paddys day in NYC was organised by an Irish-American regiment of the U.S. military.
so, its all more about America than Ireland , in reality. Giving the troops a pat on the back and all that.
england are leading ireland 5-0
bugger…
😉
i’ll have to go to the pub soon.
I lived in the US for years and am utterly baffled by their attachment to St Patrick’s day, which doesn’t mean a thing anywhere else in the world
It is a commercial festival and an excuse for people to shop. the Americans live in a world of sentimentality and kitsch which makes St Patrick’s Day a perfect Disneyfication experience
“The two critically ill patients are 21-year-old Ryan Wilson, of Highbury, north London and a 28-year-old man reported to be an assistant bar manager.”
The tests took place in London because the UK Regulatory Authority gave authorisation 3 weeks earlier than the German body so the Paul Ehrlich Institute lost the contract.
The biotech company is a spijoff of the University of Wuerzburg but the manufacturing is done by Boehringer-Ingelheim, a well-known drug manufacturer
Her Royal Cherieness,
Re Frank Gardner, all that was discussed under the post of 15 March headed “Roundup”. Your comment about the victims of the drugs test seemed rather pointless. The unfortunate men concerned were not guilty of any wrongdoing. No one had any reason to cover up their race or religion.
Rick,
This article is much better than any other I have seen in the drug trial
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8863-catastrophic-immune-response-may-have-caused-drug-trial-horror.html
Newnight’s prize pillock Peter Marshall last week gave us his expose of the mis-spending of Iraqi (or US taxpayers?) money on reconstruction contracts in Iraq. He was not required by the BBC to present any view from the US administration.
C4 Dispatches next edition covers the same ground – with the same cast if the trailer is anything to go by. I wonder if they will allow the adminstration a defence lawyer.
I also wonder whether either set of programme makers ever consider that they could perhaps have made a programme about Kofi & others involvement in the Oil for Palaces scam.
we won we won we won..
ok i’ll shut up.
Rick -> yeah sure , begorah – i know that saint paddies in NYC is a mawkish sea of Disneyland sentimentality. but what the hell – if it makes the Yanks feel good about themselves, so what.
the thing is, you dont see a St Georges Day , with the British Marines parading down Oxford Street.
and the question all English need to ask is – why? i really do think you chaps and chapettes should have a national day of your own. it is worthy of celebrating, and it gives the troops a huge slap on the back -a big thank you.
this is what is sorely missing from England. i just see a people who’s elite have abandoned them. thats my take. make of it what you will.
“we won” – by that i mean the rugby
“30 days as a Muslim”
american tv program – american christian tries out islam for 30 days.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8596690458731858361&q=30%20days
its actually quite interesting. i couldnt see the bbc ever doing something like this.
Look at the pictures from the ro-saddam march the bbc supports.
All low angle close ups to make it look like more people.
It was a low turnout. Another failure for the left and their i-slamic 5th columnists.
Natalie – sorry to tread on old territory. I’ll go back and read the Frank Gardner comments.
I don’t agree that my comment was pointless.
Of course the men weren’t guilty of any wrongdoing! Quite the opposite! But there has been a trend throughout the media in the Anglosphere to simply avoid the words Muslim and Mohammad, as though the words themselves were incendiary, which I find rather worrying.
Why be so specific about one of the two critical victims, as in “21-year-old Ryan Wilson, of Highbury, north London” and so evasive about the other, as in “and a 28-year-old man reported to be an assistant bar manager.” ??
His girlfriend had already told the press his name. His family in Egypt was said to be middle class and well-fixed and his friends couldn’t understand why he had volunteered. His family doesn’t know about the circumstances yet, as they had just been told that he was going to go into hospital for an operation, and had said, “Please pray for me.” In other words, plenty is known about this young man, yet there was a complete evasion about his identity, and with “said to be” they made him sound like some itinerant.
I find such evasions for political/societal purposes very disturbing. The editor has decided to be less than straight with the readers. He has deliberately withheld information. Why?
archduke, I don’t wish to sound bitter but the match officials won that game for Ireland. What were they on?
A foot on the touchline and that perfectly legit quick line-out gifted the first two tries to Ireland, and Brian O’Driscoll was at least a yard in front of RoG when he kicked ahead at the end.
I am not one for cliches but ‘the luck of the Irish’ does come to mind!
At least England played better than they did last week. That Paris game is still giving me sweaty nightmares.
I dont think anyone has mentioned the programme about Tony Martin on BBC1 Thursday,(sorry if backtracking).
It started with Divided the British Public.
No it did`nt,we were all behind him,its the left liberal elite who think Fearon should be allowed to burgle at will.
So what IS the best way to run an economy? Capitalism or socialism?
There’s only one way to find out.
FIGHT!
archduke, I don’t wish to sound bitter but the match officials won that game for Ireland. What were they on?
Welsh ref, Scottish touch judge.
A victory for the Celts!
taol-> “I am not one for cliches but ‘the luck of the Irish’ does come to mind!”
1-2-3 at the horses, and now the rugby.
yer dead right – luck of the irish. a huge cliche, but this weekend, yer spot on.
anyone want some shamrock???
taol -> ya have to admit , that last Irish try was friggin awesome. yer mans arm outstretched and just putting the ball down. amazing.
great game. and kudos to the english though – it was close like. it could have gone either way.
great match.
BBC News 24 17.07 hrs
BBC Bias made flesh, we knew it was coming but it is still revelatory.
The funeral in Belgrade was ” viewed by many with disdain and disgust”.
Yeah right mate, you can say that to a BBC cameraman, try saying it to the mourners face.
Do we hear this turn of phrase when reporting demonstrations by Muslims threatening Jihad?.
Why not?
Incidentally Slobodan Milosevic was innocent until proved guilty, human rights where are you?.
Robin, Fred Fearon is, indeed, allowed to burgle at will. I believe he has 54 “convictions” so far. I think he was also suing Tony Martin for crippling him for life, but then, alas! was photographed riding a mountain bike he’d stolen.
BBC News 24
Thousands at the funeral, thousands at Trafalgar Square, thousands at Pensions Day. Roughly the same turnout then? Not according to The Times of India,
BELGRADE: “Tens of thousands of mourners packed a square in front of Belgrade’s federal parliament building on Saturday to bid a final farewell to Slobodan Milosevic, who died while on UN trial for some of Europe’s worst atrocities since World War II.
A crowd estimated by authorities at around 40,000 people many clutching photographs of the late Serbian leader and shouting “Slobo the Serb!” gathered around a large, red-carpeted outdoor stage.
As Milosevic’s coffin was placed on a bier draped in a burgundy cloth, the crowd erupted into chants of “Slobo! Slobo!” Many wept uncontrollably in an outpouring of collective grief as a death march blared from loudspeakers.
About 200 supporters rushed the stage in a scramble to get closer to the coffin before they were restrained by security guards.”
Off Topic
Anti-war marchers ‘not giving up’
How about this for purely objective journalism? Opening paragraphs:
“On a bitterly cold Saturday in March, many Britons could perhaps be forgiven if they settled down in front of the fire for a browse through the weekend newspapers and a nice cup of tea.
But thousands chose to leave those comforts behind to vent their frustration at the continuing British military involvement in Iraq.”
In one sentence we have the ‘objectivity’ of reporter Joe Boyle getting his disappointment in early in classic BBC style:
First up, (1) the “bitterly cold” weather is cited as explanation for a low turnout – not that any hard figures are given here, but had they been high they would – sure as eggs is eggs – have been given prominence. While (2), those not present – we complacent masses – are rebuked for our unwillingness or inability to overcome our greater desires for a warm fire and a nice cup of tea, as though this could be the only possible reason for our non-attendance. What arrogance! Joe seems either unwilling or unable to get his head around the idea that some people may feel equally strongly, and I would say with more objectivity, that the original case for invasion was as strong in 2003 as the UN mandate for the troops continuing presence is today.
Not that the protesters were of one mind anyway: “As with many large-scale protests, Iraq was not the only issue on the agenda. All around Ms Clarke there were bewildering numbers of banners exhorting people to “Boycott Israel” or “Free Palestine” or even take part in “World Revolution.”
And then, of course, the inevitable: More familiar placards proclaiming Mr Blair and US President George W Bush to be murderers were seen in their thousands, brandished by people representing organisations from students’ unions and socialist parties to African liberation groups and even Hare Krishnas.
Where do they get their ideas? Could it be the BBC and the MSM?
URL fo the above item:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4820646.stm
Her Royal Cherieness
Irish Americans had a soft spot for the IRA and gave a lot of support, which other Americans accepted unconditionally as part of their history in fighting England for independence.
New York Fire Dept and Police is traditionally an employer of Irish Americans who suffered a high casualty rate in 9/11, ironically by what some viewed as “freedom fighters”
I suspect the real reasons for the low turn-out at the ‘anti-war’ march are:
1) Most anti-war people have either ‘moved on’ or don’t particularly want to be associated with Respect and its cohorts;
2) People have better things to do on a Saturday afternoon;
3) Apathy.
For the record, I did oppose military action in Iraq but Respect/SWP/CND does not, and never has, spoken for me.
Slobodan Milosevic is described by the BBC as a “former dictator”. I believe he was elected to office by a small majority.
Stambolić had become the President of Serbia. To the dismay of senior figures in the party, he supported Milošević for election as the new party leader. Stambolić spent three days advocating Milošević as leader, managing to secure him a narrow victory, by the narrowest margin in the history of Serbian Communist Party internal elections.
Yes, tragically, Americans accepted the “freedom fighter” IRA lies because they associated it with their own fight for independence. Collecting for the IRA should have been outlawed 25 years ago, but American presidents are wont to court the Irish vote – as though the Irish voted as a bloc according to some hazy historical context rather than, like everyone else, on the economy.
Incidentally Slobodan Milosevic was innocent until proved guilty, human rights where are you?.
Sarge uncensored | 18.03.06 – 9:07 pm | #
Lawyers ! 66 Charges.
If they had done this in Nuremberg they would have still been at it in 1951 rather than hanging Ribbentrop in 1946
Don’tcha just love Alan Maccormac in the picture on that BBC reprt. He says “All wars should be stopped.”
Bless.
he thing is, you dont see a St Georges Day , with the British Marines parading down Oxford Street.
Arcduke…………..a) St George is the Patron saint of ENGLAND
b) they are Royal Marines not “British Marines” – they are completely different from the USMC both in training and organisation
The USMC is an army within an army with its own battle groups and equipment, the Royal Marines is not.
Her Royal Cherieness
Yes politics indeed, until 9/11 when perceptions changed. They found themselves on the other side of the fence – the receiving end
Re Tony Martin, I believe the BBC has denied allegations of “cheque book journalism” despite admitting paying the burglar about £4500.
(and whose money is that? it’ yours and mine,the BBC licence payers money, imagine, the corporation has unilaterally decided
to
give a convicted thief money taken from the taxpayer without so much as a by your leave”
The BBC producer involved said something like, “We want to discuss the wider issues involved”
BBC faces storm over payment to raider shot by Tony Martin
By Matt Born
(Filed: 05/03/2005)
The BBC was embroiled in a row over chequebook journalism yesterday after it confirmed that it had paid one of the burglars who broke into the home of the farmer Tony Martin £4,500 to appear in a documentary.
MPs from all parties condemned the BBC’s decision to pay Brendon Fearon, while Mr Martin, whose case became a cause célèbre for defenders of the rights of householders to protect themselves, described it as “bizarre”.
BBC chief says cash-row film on farmer is in public interest
FERGUS SHEPPARD
THE BBC is to broadcast a documentary about Norfolk farmer Tony Martin that caused controversy after it emerged the corporation had paid burglar Brendan Fearon £4,500 for an interview.
Mark Thompson, the BBC director general, and Jana Bennett, the director of television, have now watched and approved the one-hour programme, called The Tony Martin Story.
http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1698102005
in 20 years time , Slobodan will be looked on as a man ahead of his time.
rick -> my apologies. i didnt mean to denegrate the royal marines. apologies.
“THE BBC is to broadcast a documentary about Norfolk farmer Tony Martin that caused controversy after it emerged the corporation had paid burglar Brendan Fearon £4,500 for an interview.”
You know, I would support the BBC’s decision to pay Fearon if I truly believed the corporation were committed to the public interest. The BBC has stuck to its editorial guns by deciding to pay Fearon because it knows it can get away with it.
Fine, but would it do the same in other politically sensitive cases? Would it pay Maxine Carr to appear on its programmes? Would it pay, say, one of the suspected killers of Stephen Lawrence’ even if he could provide information that was vital to the case?
The former, unlikely; the latter would be unthinkable.
The BBC’s commitment to truth, justice and other noble aims is rather flaky, I fear. Hence, the BBC will happily send an undercover reporter to a BNP meeting but it would be less comfortable doing the same in a mosque. Jerry Springer is “cheeky” while the Danish cartoons are “offensive”. And so on.
archduke
I`m quite sure that halting Islam dead in its tracks is going to be something that we may have to consider sooner rather than later. I am equally sure that once halted, it will need to be denatured. Certainly the appeasement by the current government, the opposition parties, the EU and most of the press (with special mention going to Al Beeb)does not auger well for an enlightened future.
Clinton was busy bombing Milosevic and saving Muslim lives as radical Islam was planning 9/11, which takes us neatly back to your original post.
Right now BBC news 24 is referring to some of the mourners at Milosovic’s funeral as indicted war criminals. My understanding of the word “indicted” is that it means accused does it not? So not actually war criminals but only accused of war crimes.
“”The clash we are witnessing around the world is not a clash of religions, or a clash of civilisations,” the impassioned 47-year-old told Al-Jazeera’s stunned audience across the Arab world. “It is a clash between civilisation and backwardness, between the civilised and the primitive, between barbarity and rationality. It is a clash between human rights on the one hand and the violation of these rights on the other, between those who treat women like beasts and those who treat them like human beings.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-2092167,00.html
That’s all right then!
My reply from the BBC!
______________________
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Thank you for your e-mail regarding the 14 March edition of the BBC programme ‘Watchdog’.
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Still watching news24. They have wheeled out a guy (Tim Judah) to reassure us that most Serbs dont favour the dead Milosevic, they want to travel, to join Europe – to become fully fledged EUnuchs like himself in fact. Almost in passing while pooh-poohing the decline of Serb nationalism he mentions that the new nationalist party are the biggest bloc in the Serb parliament. Bit of a contradiction there matey, then his next leap is to tell us that most Serbs fear this new party might get into power, really, so who voted for them – allowing them to be the biggest bloc in parliament? Martians?
The nationalist party would seem to be the Radical party. This Beeb article from 2003:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3353335.stm
tells us that “Preliminary results suggest the SRS has won about 28% of the popular vote, but it is set to take nearly one-third of the parliamentary seats.”
“about 28%” doesnt sound far off “nearly one-third” to me. Guess I baint be one o’ them clever mathahmaticin fellahs loik wot the BBC uses.
That “but is set” phrase is what worries me are they trying to send a message? It doesnt sound like a vast democratic deficit to me, 28% of the votes getting nearly 33% of the seats.
We are so much more civilised here of course, Blair (in 2005) got 37% of the vote but er, 55% of the seats. Hmmm…
O/T
The BBC’s “On This Day”feature about Princess Margaret’s split with Lord Snowdon refers to the then Archbish of Canterbury Donald Coggan…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Coggan
…As “Dr Donal Doggan”!
£3bn/yr for this lot!