Listening to BBC Radio 5 live is always good for a laugh. Earlier this morning, I listened in the Breakfast programme with Nicky Campbell and Shelagh Fogarty. The item under discussion was in respect of a plan from some supporters of Liverpool FC to raise enough money to buy the troubled club from its American owners. The idea being contemplated is to see if enough fans would be interested in putting up £5000 each and thus buying 1 share each. Apparently Barcelona use this same method and it has kept them out of the hands of speculating capitalists! (Always bad in Beebview) What raised my eyebrows however was when Nicky Campbell asked the Sports correspondent what was to stop someone from investing more than £5000 – would this not entitle them to a greater level of share ownership for example? “No”, came the instant response, “it’s a good communist system” of one man one share. This was met with approval. Power to the people, eh comrades? I don’t know about you but Five Live is bias incarnate, do you ever listen to it and if so, would you agree?
TURNING THE TOWN RED
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“it’s a good communist system” of one man one share.”
Slight correction “One person, £5000, one share”
Not such a good communist system for those without £5000.
i suppose brain washing the british public with their propanganda is another “good communist system” used by Al Beeb
I listen to Radio 5 for football but occasionally hear its other coverage.
It can be very biased but I put that down to the fact that it likes to appear vibrant, young and trendy and that it employs presenters on speech programmes who should really be disc jockeying on one of the BBC’s many inane pop music stations.
I’ve just listened back and will send the following out on internal email immediately.
“Memo to BBC Staff: Don’t attempt humour. Biased-BBC don’t get it.”
Given that good Communists have been directly responsible for the deaths of twenty million humans its probably not a laughing matter.
Would a similar joke about clearing up immigration problems with “a good Nazi solution” also be an attempt at comedy?
I think we ought to be told.
David Gregory,
We do humour – we laugh at the BBC quite a lot.
… and in all fairness the beeb naturally laughs at us, the poor muppets who pay their inflated and undeserved wages out of an unjust tax system.
Going to jail for not wanting that brand of “entertainment”? Wow, you wonder when the revolution will start…
Have to agree with David here, it was said in jest. It was also a comment on the Barcelona system rather than the Liverpool idea.
I was an addict of 5lie from its inception until around 2003. The week before the “stop the war” march got me to finally switch off entirely.
No exaggeration when I say more than half of their Radio Five’s output that week was in support of the anti-war movement (a majority were in favour of the war at the time) and specifically advertising the march. It would have cost tens of millions to get that kind of promotion on commercial stations.
Hope the brainwashed beeboids enjoyed their day out alongside the SWP, MPAC, MCB and BNP because it lost them this regular listener for life.
I imagine the hundreds of millions of people who have sufferd and died under communisim might agree with me -a “good communist system” is probably the dictionary definition of an oxymoron. I doubt if the BBC would allow someone to describe something as a “good fascist system”
The BBC – can’t quite remember who was running the Gulag
Well in the footy context most attempts to run clubs around classical market capitalist lines have been miserable failures, so you can sort of understand the concern… If you want to win the Euro cup you need to be a socialist co-operative or outright dictatorship (preferably with a large dose of corruption) 🙂
“Memo to BBC Staff: Don’t attempt humour. Biased-BBC don’t get it.”
Pot.
Kettle.
Black.
“Hope the brainwashed beeboids enjoyed their day out alongside the SWP, MPAC, MCB and BNP”
Don’t forget the Islamo-Fascists and assorted N1 antisemites of pink champagne hue.
I listen to 5live quite a lot, of a weekend evening/night, and I have to say that the constant drip drip of anti-americanism, anti-israeli, pro multiculturism from the presenter Dotun Adebayo is getting rather tiresome.
Yes, he has, aa a regular guest, a New York cabbie, but the main purpose of that slot is to have a pop at americans and american culture.
But my main gripe with his show, and it is something which I have rang in and complained about, is the rather underhand way in which, when they have two guests putting opposing sides of an arguement, they make sure that the mic’ level of the person arguing for the anti-american/anti-israeli/pro-multiculturism side etc side of the debate can easily shout down their opponent due to their greater volume. Petty – yes, but bloody annoying.
I heard the discussion on Radio 5 this morning. I thought the reference to ‘ good communist system’ was said as tongue in cheek. I dont think that this item counts as biased BBC.
( I am normally supportive of your anti BBC comments but to include this particular item does not do justice to your blog)
Let’s apply a little BBC PC to this.
“it’s a good communist system” is funny? The BBC would never dream of saying,”it’s a good National Socialist system”.Rightly so,but why does the BBC not find the other mass murdering socialist system offensive also?
Radio 5 lite is the biggest joke at the BBC (and that says something)
Niki Campbell,Victoria Derbyshire and Simon Mayo being three of the biggest cheerleaders for Socialism and Nu Labour.
The endless bashing of the USA and George Bush (I’ve documented it often enough here)
They had some prat on the other week called “Nidhall” or something. I think he came from one of the “youff” BBC channels. He knew sod all about sod all.
Radio 5 live parade a continual list of left wing Guaridan readers and left wing politicians without any balance to their shows.
Just how often do we have to have the Guardian “media” correspondent on 5 live?
Just ask yourself the last time you ever heard Richard Littlejohn being asked for a comment on 5 live? Yet left wing garbage like Polly Toynbee, Yasmin Alabi Brown and other Champagne Socialists are never off.
As was pointed out the other day, when Peter Hain was sacked, the following day there was NO mention at all by 5 live. Yet when Derek Conway was given the boot we had a whole morning (and evening) dedicated to it.
Why?
David Gregory….Last week on five Live when a correspondant covering the police march in London commented on them ‘looking stupid’.Was that humour.You really are a tosspot.
Martin,
You are exactly spot on in what you say. I do appreciate that this throwaway comment was said more in jest than anything else BUT I was curious to see that a default position for a quick comment praised Communism. That aside it was 5 live that I wanted to discuss because I do feel it is massively unbalanced, and the Conway vs Hain story coverage it provided makes the point. Hain was off to clear his..ahem..good name. Conway was just a sleaze merchant.
Lurkers:
Talking pf pots, kettles etc – I have yet to find a dedicated socialist with the ability to laugh at the absurdity of concepts like scientific socialism, planned economies or marxist ‘analysis’. On pain of a sweeping generalisation, communists have a well deserved reputation for humourlessness. This is unsurprising given their penchant for setting up or singing the praises of social systems that have in the last 100 years generated the death and misery for hundreds of millions of people.
Whilst I appreciate the light and humourous context – I await with interest the BBC broadcasting a ‘humourous’ article about someone who operates a garderning club using a “good apartheidt system”. Offended, most people would be but I feel the same way anout communism.
jeffD: Actually I listened back to that. She did indeed say “stupid”. But it came on the back of an extended live report in which the reporter managed to paint a great picture of what went on, the issues involved and what was happening at that moment.
She was describing a group of strapping police officers on a boat on the Thames, in matching baseball caps, taking a tourist trip on an amphibious boat more usually associated with families with children. The word she was reaching for was “incongruous” or similar. Stupid isn’t really acceptible, but from the context its clear she wasn’t simply calling all the police on the march stupid. Live broadcasting, harder than you think.
To be fair, communism is not the dirty word that fascism or Naziism is, so it’s more acceptable to joke about. This is probably the fault of our society in general, not the BBC.
al-Beeb – quite happy to give air time to someone bashing US owners of football clubs. Remember the kerfuffle when the Glazier’s bought Manchester United? (ps. How is the Old Trafford fan boycott, launched when the “Yanks” were buying Man. Utd., doing I wonder? I see there were a mere(!) 76,000 in attendance the other day).
Man. Utd. – US-owned and the current Premier League champions and league leaders.
Aston Villa – US-owned and nicely improving.
Newcastle Utd. – UK-owned and sponsored by Northern CRock. Underachieving mediocrities.
Leeds Utd. – UK-owned and a disaster zone.
sadly i listen to 5 live more than is good for my blood pressure.
there is a constant reference to the owners of liverpool fc as “the americans”. these guys, gillette and hicks are completely defined by their nationality in a way that other owners of football clubs are not – fayed, gaydanak,Iceland businessman Eggert Magnusson (west ham).
the subtext is always there – american money = unspeakably bad business practices possibly involving a profit somewhere.
omigod say fogarty and campbell every day as they collect there state subsidy paycheck.
glj | 31.01.08 – 4:22 pm |
I agree with your comments about Dotun Adebayo, unfortunately Rhod Sharp who for years was one of the better presenters on R5, seems to have been sent away for re-education, he used to seem to have a genuine interest in USA news events.
Nowadays, he`s towing the BBC party line.
Shame really.
Leeds Utd. – UK-owned and a disaster zone.
Anonymous | 31.01.08 – 5:58 pm | #
Whoa hoa there Anonymous old boy. We’ll have none of that about the Mighty Whites thank you very much. Actually a bit less of a disaster than it was 12 months ago. League One I know but we still have a bigger average home gate than most Championship teams and half of the Premier League. Sorry off topic but must defend the Mighty Whites.
“Live broadcasting, harder than you think” –
where are the violins? You lot are supposed to be PROFESSIONALS, or so you bleat day in, day out. That’s what we pay you for. If you can’t send a competent reporter with acceptable mastery of English – one who knows the difference between ‘incongruous’ and ‘stupid’, for example – then please don’t bother and save some (of our) money.
Communism still seems outwardly altruistic and not explicitly malevolent like its main rival Nazism. That’s why people deem it acceptable. There is no reason why this should ever change. The continued existence of the Chinese Communist re-education camps can called a deviation from Communism and a fulfillment of Communist doctrine.
People who believe Communism to be acceptable require sensitivity training.
…….Five Live is bias incarnate, do you ever listen to it and if so, would you agree?
Yes and Yes.
Nearly Oxfordian: Professional of course. But nobody’s perfect.
I have to put my hand up and say that I was interviewed by Radio 5 Live and allowed to give my views on (a) the Mirror forged photos affair and (b) the video shown by the BBC of the lads from 1 LI who were apparently duffing up some rioters in Basra (the incident where the BBC failed to show the mortar bombs landing ten seconds before…). I was allowed to point out that whilst the Army welcomed oversight from the emdia, it was also the media’s responsibility to tell the whole story and ensure they didn’t further endanger the troops.
The producer Chris Vallance was very professional and the show was very balanced I have to say. I can’t remember who they put up to argue against me but we both agreed that we had a fair shake.
See Mr Reith? When you guys deserve a pat you get it!
Having said all that……
Oh alright I’ll let you off this time and not comment on the fact that Nicky Campbell is a buffoon and ever since he discovered his grandfather was an IRA man he has been an insufferable smug git. Oh damm I just DID comment didn’t I? Oops!
WoAD / ThinAndBritish
Communism is every bit as hateful as Nazism. Communist leaders have shown no compunction whatsoever against violence, purging their own people, the use of deceit in propaganda, and sacrificing lives to obtain power. Don’t let any Beeboid convince you otherwise.
Which is still with us the USA or the USSR?
Communism never has and never will work. People like to own assets and property, compete in business, practice the religion of their choice, etc. Any doctrine that goes against these basic human drives has got, to put it mildly, a fatal design flaw.
To see a smiling Communist murderer click here.
It was a joke, albeit a revealing one. This shows the blind spot they have for Communism, because to view this community shareholder plan as Communist is just plain ignorant. And Barcelona isn’t even the best example. I suppose because it’s the same sport, it’s the only thing they thought was relevant. But that’s not right.
There is one professional sports team in existence that is owned 100% by community shareholders, and a rather successful one at that: the Green Bay Packers.
Green Bay, Wisconsin, is a very working class town, with per capita earnings below the national average. Even Guardianistas would have to admit that they qualify as working class. But they are most certainly not Communists.
They are football fans who get to have a more personal connection with their team than most people ever hope to short of being rich enough to buy into a franchise.
I’m not surprised such a fine example of the concept is far beyond the ken of the average BBC talking head. Of course, the talking heads probably didn’t write the copy. Too bad whoever came up with it was also unaware. Just because it’s American football, I suppose it doesn’t apply.
David Preiser – if a Beeboid looks for an example of community ownership of a sports team you just know that F.C. Barcelona will be the one they go for, certainly not the Green Bay Packers from AmeriKKKA.
“Communism still seems outwardly altruistic and not explicitly malevolent like its main rival Nazism”
Only because our universities are still populated by the aging hippies who believed that the Soviet Union was the future. They have tried to change their names to progressives and socialists here in the US and NuLabour in Britain, but they are still the same dangerous people.
Clinton, Pelosi, Reid and Obama are all products of this misplaced fervour for the “revolution”.
They want government intrusion and control in all aspects of life, from the food we eat, to the cars we drive. Hillary even put it in her book “It takes a village” where she details her ideas about how governments would raise your children.
“Only because our universities are still populated by the aging hippies who believed that the Soviet Union was the future. They have tried to change their names to progressives and socialists here in the US and NuLabour in Britain, but they are still the same dangerous people.”
Where is it the BBC recruits?
The Guardian.
Also, don’t forget that the Frankfurt School developed “Sensitivity Training” – Psychological reprogramming through fear. That’s why the political class is unable to draw empirically verfiable conclusions, particularly with regards to certain religions. It’s also explains the investigation into the makers of Under Cover Mosque.
I think that Mark Kermode’s film reviews are worth listening to. Never listen to it apart from that.
kermode is up his own arse. easy to see why al-beeb employed this tw@.
Jeepers you people are developing such a thin skin about a trivial comment that it makes me almost feel sorry for the BBC.
The comment was trivial. It’s like saying that “The John Lewis Partnership” is “a good communist system” because its owned by its employees. It would be as far from real Communism as Liverpool supporters buying their own club and having one share each.
Theres plenty of real BBC bias out there but some people are intent on making a large anti-communist club out of the most trivial twig imaginable.
Needless to say airtime duly given to some obscure academic on making discussion of patriotism a controversial issue in school history lessons
I wonder what subtext he had in mind?
” Aussie Bystander”
“Jeepers you people are developing such a thin skin about a trivial comment that it makes me almost feel sorry for the BBC.”
No Jeepers,just applying the BBC PC method to correct a imbalance.
Didn’t you know PC was designed to stifle debate,that is why nobody uses “a good National Socialist system” in such context.Many are deeply offended by the pass the other mass murdering socialist creed gets.
“I agree with your comments about Dotun Adebayo, unfortunately Rhod Sharp who for years was one of the better presenters on R5, seems to have been sent away for re-education, he used to seem to have a genuine interest in USA news events.”
Don’t get me started on Dotun Adebayo, he’s just awful. It’s not any sort of bias I’m bothered about, the guy is just an inept broadcaster, it’s embarrassing to listen to him.
by the way, any Manchester united fans who wish to see the Champions leauge cup they won once in the 1990s, they can as its on permanment display at Anfield
😉
And any Liverpool fans who want to see what the Premiership trophy looks like are welcome to visit the trophy room at Old Trafford, given that LFC have never won the Premiership, and don’t look like doing it anytime soon.
Give them a break – it was just an observation that collective ownership of institutions is part of Marxist ideology. Are you all going to condemn the Co-op, John Lewis & Waitrose and the lads from Tower Colliery as all being evil commies who were responsible for the death and suffering of millions?
No Richard, because the Co-op, John Lewis et al are mutually owned organisations. They have nothing to do with Communism, which is a political system which has always and everywhere been based on mass murder and oppression.