Monthly Archives: June 2008

Che lives!

By | |
8 Comments

I haven’t time now to listen to Che lives! but when even the (admittedly idiosyncratic) left-wingers at Harry’s Place say, “It’s as bad as it sounds” the portents do not look good.

Meanwhile here is one the links provided to that programme, namely BBC History’s presumably considered and careful view of the great icon of cool: Historic Figures: Che Guevara.

Che Guevara was an Argentinean-born, Cuban revolutionary leader who became a left-wing hero … The widespread poverty and oppression he witnessed, fused with his interest in Marxism, convinced him that the only solution to South and Central America’s problems was armed revolution … From 1959-1961, Guevara was president of the National Bank of Cuba, and then minister of industry. In this position, he travelled the world as an ambassador for Cuba. At home, he carried out plans for land redistribution and the nationalisation of industry.

Alas, the author seems to have neglected to mention another aspect of Comrade Guevara’s revolutionary service during this period, namely his stint in 1959 as “Supreme Prosecutor” and commander of La Cabana prison. During this time he enthusiastically fulfilled his proletarian responsibility by disposing of several hundred reactionary elements by means of the traditional bullet in the head. For the BBC to present a historical view of Guevara that blandly says, ‘From 1959-1961, Guevara was president of the National Bank of Cuba, and then minister of industry’ is actively dishonest.

A strong opponent of the United States, he guided the Castro regime towards alignment with the Soviet Union. The Cuban economy faltered as a result of American trade sanctions and unsuccessful reforms.

Sometimes all one can do is repeat a certain phrase incredulously. “Unsuccessful reforms.”

During this difficult time…

See my comment above. “Difficult time.”

…Guevara began to fall out with the other Cuban leaders …

Poor lamb, poor lamb.

“To send men to the firing squad, judicial proof is unnecessary…These procedures are an archaic bourgeois detail. This is a revolution! And a revolutionary must become a cold killing machine motivated by pure hate. We must create the pedagogy of the The Wall!” – Ernesto “Che” Guevara.

BBC History’s pedagogy is so much more sensitive.

Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

NAMING AND SHAMING.

By | |
29 Comments

I was interested to read this report on the BBC which states that companies that employ illegal immigrants are to be named and shamed in a further attempt to crack down on people smuggling. The move by the Home Office comes four months after officials launched a concerted effort to identify and prosecute companies breaking the law. More than 200 companies have already been fined for hiring illegal labour. The Home Office says names of companies and directors are to be published on the UK Border Agency website. The agency will publish how many illegal immigrants the company was employing and how much it was fined. Now I am in in favour of punishing those who break the law and employ illegals however the BBC article is unclear as to how this will affect the likes of The Home Office, and the NHS – which are as guilty as any private sector company when it comes to employing these illegal immigrants. I also wondered how all these illegal immigrants got into the country in the first place – will the UK Border Agency website be providing us with analysis of that?

Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

MORE GLOBAL WARMING ALARMISM

By | |
36 Comments

.

Each day, the sun rises anew and each day the BBC spews out more tales of global warming alarmism. I am sure this must have an impact on views held by the general population – which is all part of the alarmists agenda in the first place, propaganda before science, eco-faith before fact-based certainty. Today the BBC breathlessly tells us that the Arctic sea ice is melting even faster than last year, despite a cold winter. An ice free Arctic by 2013 is posited as is the prospect of a global 22ft increase in sea level, should the Pole melt. I’m sorry but this is pure eco-wackery, it’s The Day after Tomorrow on the license fee . There is NO serious climate scientists suggesting a 22ft increase in global sea level and in fact the UN, not itself an independent player on this issue, suggests that sea levels on average will rise by 34.5cms during the next century. (In itself the sea level has risen by 29cms since 1850) Using apocalyptic imagery – such as a total Polar melt – plays well to the media and this is what this is all about. There is no mention of the thickening in the Antarctic sea ice though presumably that would not suit the BBC narrative. There is also no settled science on this issue, For example a study published in Geophysical Research Letters (Winsor, P., “Arctic sea ice thickness remained constant during the 1990s,” Volume 28: 1039-1041 (2001)) found the same to be true in the Arctic. The study concluded, “mean ice thickness has remained on a near-constant level around the North Pole from 1986-1997.” Moreover, the study noted data from six different submarine cruises under the Arctic sea ice showed little variability and a “slight increasing trend” in the 1990s. Since the current warming phase ended back in 1998, what would drive the loss in sea ice area that the BBC reports on since that date? Climate is a huge issue and there is room for many opinions. My problem with the BBC is that it only allows one as this new story shows and that is pure green tinged bias.

Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

SURRENDER TO THE RHYTHM.

By | | ,
79 Comments

I see that at a time when we have lost several more of our brave British soldiers to the Taliban scum in Afghanistan Richard Bacon over on Five Live is running a morale-boosting “Is it time to talk to the Taliban” item on his programme. He’s managed to find a Conservative MP in the form of Adam Holloway, who served there with the Grenadier Guards, and who believes the aim of destroying the Taliban is now “beyond Britain’s means”. This Vichy Conservative wants to cut a deal with the murderous Islamics and naturally Bacon latches onto this. I heard David Cameron speak well on the import of our mission in the Commons earlier today but the BBC drum beat is always surrender. The BBC institutionally opposes the idea of fighting terrorism anywhere and so the likes of Holloway is an absolute gift to Bacon. Even as several British military families are in mourning for their loved ones and in need of the support of the nation, the State Broadcaster – care of a cowardly Conservative – seeks to put the boot in and imply that the mission has been futile.

Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

NOAH’S LARK.

By | |
42 Comments

Well then, did you read the BBC’s report on the story concerning the owner of a hair salon being ordered to pay £4,000 compensation to a Muslim stylist who was turned down for a job because she wears a headscarf? Bushra Noah accused Sarah Desrosiers of religious discrimination when she failed to offer her a job at her Wedge salon in King’s Cross, central London. An employment tribunal panel dismissed the 19-year-old’s claim but upheld her complaint of indirect discrimination. During the hearing Ms Noah, who lives in Acton, west London, told the tribunal (with an onion in one hand?) that she was “devastated” that she was not offered the job of assistant stylist “due to my headscarf”. The £4000 was to salve her “hurt feelings.”

However the BBC IS disingenuous because the “interview” it repeatedly talks about in the 6th and 7th paragraph never happened. Noah was interviewed over the phone and turned down then not because of any headscarf (which Desrosiers was unaware of) but because she lives in Acton (North West London) and Desrosiers thought this too far from Kings Cross (North London). Subsequent to this, Noah pleaded to come in for a chat and to make her case. Desrosiers reluctantly agreed out of politeness and it’s this 15 minute chat which has wrongly been reported as an ‘interview’ when it was no such thing. Desrosiers again explained at this meeting that Noah lived too far away and then made her fatal error – she asked about the headscarf and BINGO. To repeat the BBC piece states: “The owner of a hair salon has been ordered to pay £4,000 compensation to a Muslim stylist who was turned down for a job because she wears a headscarf.” Wrong. She was turned down, on the phone, before Desrosiers knew of any headscarf, because of where she lives. The BBC may delight at the news that a professional Muslim whinger gets more of our taxes in compensation for no good reason but that does not excuse them misrepresenting the facts of the matter.

Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

Balancing act

By | |
40 Comments

Adloyada talks about what the BBC didn’t talk about regarding what happened at Beit Lahiya. There was a vast explosion, killing a four month old baby amongst others. This was claimed by Hamas to be an Israeli strike. Since then Hamas has admitted that no, this was another Palestinian “work accident”.

Two of the BBC stories can be found here and here. The former story did get round to mentioning a “senior aide”. To see how much is not said, read Adloyada’s post.

Note also how the latter story sticks closely to stating the relevant facts, with no extraneous commentary about how Hamas must have been lying in its original statement. Sticking to facts is an admirable principle, if applied equally to all. The BBC doesn’t. For instance, the BBC is very keen to “add the context” and talk about war crimes when Israel blows up Lebanese bridges, but it’s “just the facts, ma’am” when Hamas launches attacks from among civilians, as in this case, although that is undoubtedly a war crime.

Following links here and there, I came across another comment on this from a blog new to me called “The Useful Idiot”. It’s about one of those odd “balancing” insertions that the BBC rarely fails to include in any report of Israelis being killed by Palestians though not vice versa. This time mention was made of a six year old Palestinian girl being killed by the Israelis. Presumably that refers to this incident. But what does this have to do with Syrian policy, the alleged subject of the article? Just enough information is given so that you know that the Israelis Kill People Too, and of course the BBC must add that it was a child. But no more. Not the time, or the place or the crucial fact that the Israelis didn’t just kill her because they fancied it, didn’t want to kill her at all, and only hit her because they were retaliating to attacks deliberately launched on them from areas where children live. (A further issue I don’t have the energy to discuss is that although I have no doubt that innocent civilians including children are killed in Israeli strikes I also have no doubt that many such reports are lies – unfortunately I don’t know which ones.)

Heavy stuff. A little light relief in order? What about some cutting edge humour by the BBC? Again, this one was found by Adloyada:

“I’m quite interested in the Middle East, I’m actually studying that Israeli Army martial arts. And I know sixteen ways to kick a Palestinian woman in the back.

“It’s a difficult situation to understand. I’ve got an analogy which explains the whole thing quite well:

“If you imagine that Palestine is a cake. Well, that cake is being punched to pieces by a very angry Jew.”

Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

General BBC-related comment thread!

By | |
211 Comments

Please use this thread for comments about the BBC’s current programming and activities. This post will remain at or near the top of the blog – scroll down for new topic-specific posts. N.B. This is not an invitation for general off-topic comments, rants or chit-chat. Thoughtful comments are encouraged. Comments may also be moderated. Any suggestions for stories that you might like covered would be appreciated! It’s your space, use it wisely.

Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

BUSHOPHOBIA AT THE BEEB

By | |
28 Comments

. Well, I appeared on BBC NI “Nolan Show” yesterday to discuss the US Presidential visit. I was there as a lone voice supporting the war on terror (Islam) and offering a warm welcome to the elected leader of the United States. I was up against the leader of the “anti-war” protesters – a wacko who considers President Bush a war criminal and referred to US military as “occupying forces” Now I expect deranged comment from the hard-left “Student Grant” types such as the guy I debated with on-air but the thing that really got me was the chuckling of the host – Steven Nolan – at the spectacularly ignorant comments of those who phoned in. Their considered opinions went along the lines of Bush was stupid/ a terrorist / a fraud / etc. This is witty, apparently. The BBC that was shilling faux outrage yesterday at the security costs for the Bush visit was the SAME BBC that delighted in the Clinton visits here with nary a word about the costs. Then again, Bubba Bill was their kinda guy and Bush is the anti-Christ. All in all it was a frustrating experience, my desire to talk on the matters of substance irrelevant when the key message was that Bush is not wanted by the political left who control the BBC and infest its programmes.

Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

ACADEMY OF CRIME.

By | |
35 Comments

Lord David Ramsbotham – three words that strike fear into the heart of anyone concerned about the criminal justice system.. You see Sir David is the kind of guy who thinks a criminal is just a friend you haven’t met yet and he was on the BBC this morning pleading for government to spend more of our taxes creating a to back a network of young offender “academies”. The aim would be to provide continuity for offenders aged 10 to 18 before, during and after periods in custody. Access to a range of health, education, and family support services would be offered, to try to stop re-offending. He got a sympathetic hearing from the BBC, as you might expect – no tough questions at all, no articulated concern for the victims of these teenage thugs. The BBC is in harmony with Ramsbotham’s view that crime is the consequence of parental neglect, truancy or eviction from school, lack of meaningful employment, drugs, violence and other causes. Individual culpability is not considered – society is to blame, guv. The thing is that Ramsbotham is never off the BBC, pontificating ever more ludicrous schemes to shift responsibility for crime away from the criminal and onto the victims of crime. He must give thanks that the BBC is always there – ready to provide a public pulpit for him and his soft on crime notions.

Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

WHY CAMERON IS A CONSERVATIVE THE BBC CAN DO BUSINESS WITH.

By | | , ,
49 Comments

It’s quite amazing that at a moment when the Eurocrats have been thrown into crisis thanks to the actions of our friends the Irish, and when the NuLabour junta seek to remove even more of our hard won liberties through the imposition of the 42 Day Detention Bill, Conservative leader David Cameron takes the opportunity to insist that his “green agenda” is still his pressing concern. As you can imagine, the BBC delight in giving favourable coverage to Cameron’s eco-wackery at this moment and that is why he IS the sort of Conservative that the BBC will do business with. He runs away from tough issues and returns to the soft soap sell of the environmental gospel that plays so well through the BBC . It strikes me that British conservatism has been ratcheted so far to the left thanks to years of Labour triangulation, that if administration on power changed tomorrow we would not notice the real difference. And therein lies why the BBC will settle for Cameron’s mob in the medium term.

Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.