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Open thread – for comments of general Biased BBC interest:
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The BBC’s methods :
Introducing the report, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said unabated climate change would cost the world between 5 and 20 per cent of global gross domestic product each year.
“It is not in doubt that, if the science is right, the consequences for our planet are literally disastrous,” he said.
What a pity the BBC can’t be bothered to report what was actually said. Bigging it up as usual.
Looks like another “don’t have your say” is going the wrong way for the Beeb:
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?sortBy=2&threadID=4581&&&&edition=2&ttl=20061030151548
“Technical difficulties” are imminent, I fear, along with some whole scale manipulation of the “recommended” figures…
umbongo
I heard the comments of Robert Peston, the BBC business editor, on the radio, but I missed the introduction. Hearing the man speak I thought he was obviously from one of the more radical environmental groups. When he finished and the presenter said “that was the BBC business editor” I was staggered. Rarely have I heard a more fawning uncritical analysis of any statement or report — let alone comments by a supposedly independent journalist.
Another cherished beeb stereotype crashes to the ground.
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/
From the River to the Sea is an eye-opening documentary about how the UN and Arab nations surrounding Israel have conspired to keep Palestinians in refugee camps without jobs, citizenship, or opportunity, thereby encouraging them to turn to terrorism against Israel. The film features shocking footage of Palestinian terrorists escaping in UN vans, and explores the controversial issue of “right of return.” It also documents the shocking corruption of UNRWA and the PLO in robbing hundreds of millions from Palestinian refugees, and reveals the anti-Israeli, anti-Jewish propaganda that is taught to schoolchildren in UN-funded schools in Palestinian camps.
BBC Radio Times comments on tonight’s “Spooks”.
The plot line, a frighteningly plausible one, involves a Christian extremist group called the Sons of Phineas, who are taking retribution on the Muslim community in the hope that it will spark a Holy War here
Okay, so we have government-sponsored “scientists” providing data to a government-sponsored economist, who produces a report which, low and behold, conforms exactly to the government’s agenda! This is then (pre-) reported in absolutely uncritical and glowing terms by the government-sponsored BBC.
And this is surprising… how?
bw
Obviously Peston is happier at the BBC and Jeff Randall (the ex BBC business editor) is happier at the Telegraph. Everybody’s happier except us suckers who have to pay the licence fee: I can choose to buy (or not) Randall’s opinions – I have to buy Peston’s (although I can choose to ignore him).
Stoatmen,
Followed your link and like you say nobody want these taxes or sees them as a solution.
Yet, go to
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6096084.stm
And the BBC picks out a comment from the “Have Your Say” which totally goes against the grain of opinion.
No bias there then….
Here’s the new BBC thriller called “The State Within”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/thestatewithin/index.shtml
Hands up those who think it will enhance the BBC’s reputation for balance. You only need to read the character sketches to work out who is, and who isn’t, going to come up smelling of roses. The human rights lawyer will turn out to be noble and courageous. The deputy to the US Secretary of Defence will not. The only hope is if the latter manages to have the former bumped off before we all vomit.
There’s a great story of conspiracy and cover-up involving a world-famous, bent, leftwing human rights lawyer that the Beeb isn’t interested in.
Copy exactly –
“Geoffrey Robertson QC” + Fayed
– then paste it into Google and hit return to find out why.
If the government is serious about its green agenda, all products -industrial and consumer – would be subject to an energy audit, including transportation, and would be taxed on that basis. Accordingly, I’d wager that the most energy-efficient products would be those made in the UK, and the least energy-efficient would be made in China/India.
JR
…..and then said that bananas from the Windward Islands came in on …a banana boat.
I heard that too, I don’t think he did say that, he highlighted bananas from the Windward Islands as a good example of how, so called ‘fair-trade’ buying, would also stop, if the same logic of evaluating carbon emissions was used.
Why transport them 1000s of miles from across the Caribbean, ‘local’ North African sourcing would make greater sense?
Former colonies, & historical trading links come into play here, they cannot be evaluated in such a heartless manner. In fact, the logic of local sourcing raises the profile of Europe again and gets rid of the ballast of the British empire. The common sense cry of the genuinely Green trader would be “Buy European” you know it makes carbon emission sense!
” Perhaps they have
worked out the obvious: that unilateral tax increases will make their economies uncompetitive, and will increase unemployment.”
And which countires release the most pollution per unit of economic activity. “Developing Economies”.
Supressing economic activity in the developed world with green taxes will just move that same activity to other countires where it will be accomplished with more pollution.
If you want to reduce pollution, buy local.
@John Archer: In re BNP vs UKIP.
Why do you prefer BNP over UKIP?
As I see it, UKIP has a more palateable platform and isn’t weighted down with a long history of racist/anti-semitic nonsense like the BNP is.
If the right hand washes the left.
====
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6098310.stm
Far-right joins Israel coalition
Monday, 30 October 2006, 11:45 GMT
“[Yisrael Beitenu] leader, Mr Lieberman, has also accused some Israeli Arabs of treason for speaking to the Palestinian militant group, Hamas. ”
—
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6095846.stm
No Qatar trip for senior Israeli
Sunday, 29 October 2006, 13:20 GMT
“Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has cancelled plans to visit Qatar to attend an international conference.
A spokesman said she decided not to go after learning Hamas members would represent the Palestinian government.
Hamas refuses to recognise Israel and its charter calls for the destruction of the Jewish state.”
—
Now is not fascinating that what is known in one article is not mentioned in the other to provide context?
BBC News and Global warming -ad infinitum – One has to ask what is the BBC doing about it’s OWN green credentials? This enormous behemoth consumes vast amounts of electricity while jetting journalists around the globe. On my last trip to the USA I shared the same flight as Stephen Sacker the BBC Washington correspondent. Backwards and forwards across the oceans, globe trotting BBC journos labour on at our expense. At home programmes such as Top Gear spew out carbon deposits at an alarming rate while new channels appear to be created daily. We’ll be up to Channel BBC 103 at this rate. All this is financed by the gullible public who are being told by the very people who making more carbon than they will in a lifetime to pay up and look big. Save carbon, sack the BBC.
Discovered this while reading the Devil’s Kitchen (which I find strangely soothing)
http://timworstall.typepad.com/timworstall/2006/10/stern_report_ch_2.html
Hmm.
“just give us the tax ma’am”
Even if there is global warming, should the British taxpayer pay any more.
We send billions to the EU,which doles it out so that Poland for example,can build an underground system.
If that money was kept here, we could build underground systems and other public transport ventures.
As it is we dont have them, so we have to go to work by car, which is then taxed heavily. But the good Poles are going by public transport, and taking global warming seriously. They dont need to be taxed.
Disgruntled writes:
“All this is financed by the gullible public who are being told by the very people who making more carbon than they will in a lifetime to pay up and look big.”
Sadly, I can give you an even better example. The Digital receivers which the BBC is so in love with are vastly wasteful of electricity. If you combine the energy they waste with the huge losses caused by scrapping old analogue equipment before it is properly worn-out, the waste is enormous.
Still, never mind, eh? TV is important – not like driving to work.
Robin “Even if there is global warming, should the British taxpayer pay any more.”
Furthermore because the UK coal industry was closed down in the 80/90s the UK’s carbon emissions have reduced from the Kyoto 1990 benchmark.
The UK has no doubt incurred high costs as a result of closing the mines, e.g. an army of unemployed men, depressed & crime riven communities, tax bribes to attract (some) replacement employment.
With what result? We throw our carbon reduction figures into the EU pot in order to spare other EU nations the pain of reducing their emissions, saving them costs & reducing our competitiveness.
hahahah
christian suicide bombers on spooks now.
oh yeah,
and all the right wing christian fundamentalists have a MILITARY background.
‘christian suicide bombers on spooks now’
With Jewish terrorists last week they might get the right religion by a process of elimination.
If Spooks is like MI5 it might explain why 7/7 happened, they were off investigation Presbyterians.
Will,
We have also accepted more asylum seekers and migrant workers, who send their money home but still add to whatever they use to measure co2 here.
‘christian suicide bombers on spooks now’
With Jewish terrorists last week they might get the right religion by a process of elimination.
you don’t mean…
not….
No, it can’t be
The Hari Krishnas!
(I never trusted them. Sneaking about in those bright orange robes, playing those drums and singing. Dead giveaway)
After all, there is only one faith that is above suspicion…
I was in a restaurant in Aberdeen recently and I asked for still mineral water. A bottle of Italian water arrived. So, in a part of the country where there’s no shortage of water (it’s raining right now. Seriously, it is), bottles of water are imported from Italy, which has drought in its southern provinces. Surely that is what needs hit on the head.
Free trade is a threat to the environment and to our security. Why do we have to import clothes from China, pipe from Japan, cars from everywhere, when all of these things can be made by ourselves?
also mossad is not untouched in this new episode of spooks.
Mossad hit squad currently killing christian fundamentalists after mi5 tricked them in beleiving they were anti-semites.
it gets better and better.
right wing combined with other derogratry terms must ave been used a thousand times in this dispicable episode.
thank god i refuse to pay for this shit.
In next week’s episode of Spooks…
When a suicide-bomber kills lots of people in a synagogue, the finger of blame points at the Muslim community. But MI5 soon realise that Muslims cannot possibly be responsible for any violent attack because this is a BBC drama.
The security services soon realise that they are faced with a huge conspiracy involving the corrupt Tory government, rich City fat-cats, an anti-abortion group, Mossad agents, the Countryside Alliance, the Daily Mail and the armed wing of the Salvation Army.
Can the Spooks save their programme from ratings disaster? Will Hermione Norris live to pout another day?
Is this bloke living in the real world?
“The UK contributes to a little over 2% of global emissions so how does our paying tax change the behaviour of China, India, the rest of Asia and the USA?
Martin, London”
“Tim Weber: Well, the UK tax regime hits UK tax payers only – it does not reach beyond the shores of these islands. Having said that, by setting an example the UK might change other countries’ behaviour.
Too often governments dodge green laws by insisting that other countries move first. If the UK goes green, other large EU countries are likely to follow suit. And the five-year plans of both China and India already put much more emphasis on protecting the environment.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/6100332.stm
Do you think that China and India will follow Britains example? Rubbish – we will get poorer, more jobs will be lost in Britain while India and China will benefit.
How much clout does this idiot think that Britains got in the world?
Not only is the statement idiotic but it is also very patronising.
The BBc talk to us like children, maybe this is why educational standards have been allowed to fall so that we will take all this garbage hook, line and sinker.
Market Participant:
If the right hand washes the left.
I just had a thought. In BBC-Speak what makes Avigdor Lieberman a far right-winger or even an ordinary right winger? What makes him an ultra-nationalist or even an ordinary nationalist?
How many members of the Israeli Knesset or even the British Parliament will admit to not being nationalists?
On the other unwashed hand, in BBC-Speak is Hamas right or left wing? Is Abbas right or left wing? What was Arafat and why?
I can’t recall the BBC ever calling an Arab left or right wing, except in the coverage of a football match. Strange.
Once again BBC Radio 2 refers to Yusuf Islam AKA Cat Stevens, as simply, Yusuf.
Will he soon be changing his name to ‘ﭡשּׂ’
a la The artist formerly known as?
It’s quite interesting to see what the BBC are censoring in their (D)HYS debate on Green Taxes.
http://newssniffer.newworldodour.co.uk/bbc/threads/show/4581
This is how much you can believe the BBC about “Global Warming”
Icy Greenland turns green
By Richard Hollingham
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/4145034.stm
“This land was being exposed for the first time for millions of years. Even a century ago, where I stood would have been solid ice, and I was struck by just how much vegetation there was.”
Then he says further down.
“A ruined church on the banks of a fjord marks the remains of a Viking farming civilisation.
The sun casts shadows through the arched window to the site of the altar, last used in the 1400s before the area was abandoned when it became too cold to support habitation.”
How could a viking church stand on land that has not been seen “for millions of years”?
Its strange how the BBC can contradict itself in the same article and still think its telling the truth.
is it me or is culture clash one of the best tv programmes this year. (on 18 doughty street).
it is way above any of the other programmes on 18 douhgty street, and the host peter whittle is a breath of fresh air.
watch todays programme which is available now on the website.
Re the bombing of the Pakistani madrassa –
The BBC do give a few words to statements by the Pakistani government that it was a legitimate target, but those words are swamped by much on the lines of
An eyewitness told the BBC that the madrassa was filled with about 80 local students who had resumed studies after the Muslim Eid holidays.
& to further undermine the anti-terrorist case
Bajaur, which borders Afghanistan’s insurgency-plagued eastern province of Kunar, was the scene of a controversial US air strike in January, believed to be aimed at al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri.
The 13 January raid killed at least 18 people, mostly civilians.
But another way of reporting the incident
Between two and five senior al Qaeda militants were killed in the attack, including the mastermind of the airliners plot in the U.K., according to Pakistani intelligence
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/10/zawahiri_was_ta.html
Not sufficiently interesting for the British audience?
via LGF
Oh dear dear me!
Oh dear!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=413528&in_page_id=1773
Socialism is Necrotizing | 31.10.06 – 1:03 am | #
£813m?? do you realize this is over one BILLION dollars? and for what?
my head is spinning
Market Participant,
“Why do you prefer BNP over UKIP?
As I see it, UKIP has a more palateable platform and isn’t weighted down with a long history of racist/anti-semitic nonsense like the BNP is.” (Market Participant 30.10.06 – 6:48 pm)
In short, islam. The BNP is the only party not only to identify this vile creed as the ‘root cause’ of terrorism and many other threats, immediate and long-term, to us and the rest of the West, but is also willing to tackle it head on, in the UK at least. No other party is willing even to recognise the problem. In fact, they’re at pains not to. At best, they think we can come to an accomodation with it. We can’t. (The term ‘moderate muslim’ is nothing if not an oxymoron ― how can any follower of that creed be described as moderate? Subdued and temporarily quiescent perhaps, but not moderate.)
Secondly, a halt to all third-world immigration and its possible reversal, and thirdly their anti-EU stance.
These three are largely bound up with each other too, so they all need to be treated together. Again only the BNP fits the bill.
So far, these are the things I would positively vote for.
But they wouldn’t necessarily be enough for me to put my hand up for the BNP. If, say, UKIP looked as though it could actually win a general election if just a few more voters would favour them, I would be more than strongly tempted. The same applies if there still existed an actual conservative party in the country with a strong anti-EU attitude and pledged to sort out immigration in a similar electoral position. Neither of these outcomes would be as good, in my view, as implementing what I know of BNP policies in my areas of concern, but I’d be prepared to take the view that half a loaf is better than none.
However, I don’t believe such hypotheticals will come to pass. In which case it is largely academic which way I vote. Maybe. Who knows? Perhaps the BNP will go from strength to strength. I hope so. And I’m happy to take that chance. I’m also rather hopeful that if it did have popular support, that that in itself would serve to curb its more … sinister(?) .. members (if there are any ― I have no personal knowledge and, by default, I don’t take anything the MSM give out about them at face value) and to reduce its socialist element to acceptable levels. Actually, I don’t know much about this latter either as I consider it secondary to my main concerns. And that’s the case too with its (alleged*) anti-semitism, but only up to a point. I’ll have to agree with you here. This is an area of concern for me, as is what I sometimes make out as their anti-Americanism. These are more than a little off-putting. But in the end, as I’m neither an American nor Jewish, they are not as pressing for me as the need to protect, defend and further the interests of Britons. Nevertheless, anti-semitism and anti-Americanism would be the first things I’d want them to drop if they look to be serious contenders. If they didn’t, it wouldn’t exactly be a Sophie’s choice for me, but it wouldn’t be easy either. Having said that, I’ll tell you straight: the bottom line for me is that Britons come first.
Finally, the racism? Oh that. Yes, it concerns me greatly. I’m very agitated about what happened to people like Kriss Donald.
Would you care to tell me what you think of the BNP?
* I’ve heard the BNP has some Jewish members. Good for them, I thought.
Historically the BNP has been mixed up with sundry anti-semites (including Nick Griffen). The current conflict with the muslims is causing them to rethink this.
I think it just makes more sense to start with the UKIP, than to basicly try and re-image the BNP, which will be forever tainted by stuff that happened pre-2003.
It’s old news, but I was entertained by the predictability of this. The Telegraph reminds me of the old line “a man who finds himself on a bus after the age of 30 can count himself a failure in life”. One of the more obviously false “Thatcherisms”. Google searching swiftly reveals the most popular hit… The BBC! From Damon Rose, editor of “Ouch!” their webzine for disabled people. It can’t be true, but it does often seem like all lies lead to the BBC.
This post summarizes a BBC Radio report heard on NPR this evening. The report supposedly covers Lebanese reconstruction efforts.
The report was essentially an Israel-bashing session.
I say this despite being a fan of the Lebanese in general, and fully supporting their efforts to rebuild their country and establish its sovereignty.
.
Just another excuse for higher taxes
By Ruth Lea
“Britain produces a mere two per cent of total global man-made carbon emissions and, as Stern himself has said, even if Britain closed all its power stations, that would be equivalent to only a year’s increase in China’s emissions. Last year, China embarked on a programme for building more than 560 large coal-fired power stations by 2012. Admonitions from the British Government will not stop them. It is an illusion to believe that if Britain leads, others will follow. This is a sad fantasy, I fear.”
More http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/10/31/do3102.xml
.
Indeed, in a speech in Oxford earlier this year, Sir Nick explained that he had previously been agnostic. Up to July or August 2005, he “had an idea what the greenhouse effect was, but wasn’t really sure”. Over the following months, he said, he had become “convinced that this a really big and fundamental issue.”
Wow, no longer agnostic, you become a believer and within 12 months a so called expert! I didnt notice Paxo repriminding him that he wasn’t a Scientist! Strange that, less than 12 months curiosity and you are an expert. Stern reminded me a little of Sir Alan Sugar, with an accent that sounds as if he could have been a former barrow bow from the East end. I found his performance on BBC2s Newsnight very poor- uninspiring, unconvincing. His biography from Wikipedia shows him to be a government pawn. And his relationship to Castro? Astonishing how the BBC devote a whole programme to this “apocalyptic” theme. Has it come to this- what sort of car you drive and if you fly to Spain or not will change the world? Miliband smiling at ethical man
Re: Zvi 31.10.06 – 6:05 am
Some additional interesting views on the Lebanon re-construction efforts – Hmmmmm !
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/10/31/wleb31.xml
Astonishing how this BBC report aligns itself with the Anti-Americanism
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6101092.stm
Rally condemns Pakistan air raid
There is sympathy for the Taleban and al-Qaeda among tribesmen in Bajaur and that is believed to translate into active support, the BBC’s Barbara Plett in Islamabad says.
Does that mean a few tears Barbara?
Compare this BBC propaganda piece with the presentation of facts in The Times of India
Pak troops destroy Al-Qaida facility
[ 30 Oct, 2006 1129hrs IST AP ]
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/228099.cms
KHAR: Pakistani troops backed by missile-firing helicopters destroyed an Al-Qaida-linked training facility in a northwestern tribal area near the Afghan border Monday, killing “many” militants, officials said. The pre-dawn attack targeted a madrassa — holding 70-80 militants in Chingai village near Khar, the main town in the Bajur tribal district, army spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, said.
Oh, and there is nothing about the “apocalyptic” Stern report in the Indian press. Should we be worried
Is it “full steam ahead with Nuclear power” Sir Nick?
Gobbledegook meets environmental moonbattery on the Today programme.
Presenter talking to representative from Marks and Spencer:-
“Are you doing anything to reduce the carbon footprint at M&S?”
What?
I fear this is only a taste of what is to come i.e. BBC presenters using jargon they understand not to back up the BBC environmental Armageddon worldview.
Re: – Abandon ship! – 31.10.06 – 8:53 am
Isn’t it nice to be there at the birth of a new religious movement complete with ‘Holy Scripture’, prophets, prophecies, MSM-Mullahs and eco-jihadists —– all you need is ‘faith’ (or else).
You should all be overjoyed and flocking to the designated houses of worship (BBC Broadcasting Centres) for education, enlightenment and guidance.
Hey, your already paying for it all (and more in the future) so climb on board to make the most of it and become part of the fastest growing religious movement of the future.
You know it all makes perfect sense.
Socialism is Necrotizing:
Oh dear dear me!
Oh dear!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=413528&in_page_id=1773
‘The cost of the project, which includes “specially conceived zones” for “creative discussion and interaction” as well as a public piazza and state-of-the-art air conditioning’
Just what is a specially conceived zone?
‘The BBC is claiming that a number of “enhancements” to the initial plans have led to the spiralling costs on the project. This includes setting up state-of-the-art technology for its new Arabic service’
‘The BBC is claiming that a number of “enhancements”.
In my experience that means project management failure on a grand scale. (been there, seen it, got the T shirt)
Conservative chairman of the of the commons culture, media and sport select committee John Whittingdale said: “This is something which I very much hope the National Audit Office would look at very closely. This is precisely why the BBC should be subject to external scrutiny.
But from the Jowell woman.. not a word. She’s deeply indebted to the BBC over her and her husband’s affairs. In other words, The BBC have her in their back pocket, just like the new Board of Trustees.
Any chance you could get your teeth into that one JBH.