Caught the One O’Clock news on Radio 4 at lunchtime and there was a discussion on the latest Amnesty International report on China’s pathetic failure to live up to the fine promises it had made concerning improving its wretched human rights record prior to getting the green light to host the Olympic Games this year. Now I am not a fan of Amnesty “Gulag of our times” International but on this occasion I think the report they have produced has real value. So who does the BBC invite on to discuss it? That’s right – Ken Livingstone. And what is his take? Well, he decided that since Britain is a human rights abuser it is in some ways worse than China! Red Ken was allowed to tell listeners that the UK’s record of starting illegal wars (Iraq) and human rights abuses meant that it is not in a position to lecture China. The Chinese must love Ken almost as much as the BBC.
RED KEN ON RED CHINA.
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Livingstone is an utter wanker. A sad little man who got kicked out of office (oh for a bit of Communism hey Ken?)
This was the man who once said “if voting changed anything, they’d abolish it..” Well it did. It got rid of you.
Except of course the BBC love Red Ken. The prick is never off the BBC.
As for China. What a shock. All of a sudden Amnesty International are realising they’ve all been taken for a ride.
Except on this blog where we’ve pointed out that scum nations like China and Iran are stringing people up on a daily basis, but the limp wristed left would rather whine about the UK or the USA.
Martin,
Livingstone is NEVER off the BBC. They must still be sad that he lost to Boris.
It would provide light relief from the coming olympic drivel if a few British jornos fall foul of chinese security…even better if it could happen to the odd beeboid.
Ken was appalling, but even more so was Martha Kearney’s handling of him. If a Conservative politician (or anyone from the perceived ‘right’) had said anything remotely like this (AGW is a left- wing con!) she would have been all over them with righteous indignation. As it was, she let Ken mouth his absurd nonsense with barely a word against what he was saying.
La Kearney is proving a disaster on WATO. I must admit I didn’t think she was too bad on Newsnight, but since moving to R4 she has proved herself absolutely without backbone in the face of lying ZaNuLabour politicians.
As for Livingstone – the BBC has gone completely overboard in its attempts to promote the little Stalinist creep.
Funny how none of the BBC’s apologists here ever try to defend it on that score. We’ll just take their silence as agreement, shall we?
She’s totally part of the ‘liberal left’ set. Years ago, I interviewed her for a job (which I didn’t give her) and her political beliefs were as obvious then as they are now. She was an average run-of-the-mill wannabe hack, nothing more, nothing less. I’ve watched her rise with disbelif…though I suppose she fits the BBC’s requirements to a ‘t’.
Liberals actually believe that totalitarian countries are equal to or better than the U.K. and U.S.A. They love Castro, Kim jong Il, Ahmedenijiad, Chavez and the Chinese commies. Yet none of our esteemed liberal ass-hats seem to want to leave the U.K. or U.S.A for these Redder pastures. And journalists are the worst of all. At the Olympics in China, the media will see only what the Chinese allow them to see. And the morons will eat it up.
Livingstone’s weasel comments were repeated on PM at 5 on Radio 4. So – 2 senior news producers plus their presenters regard his ridiculous remarks letting China off the human-rights hook were newsworthy. With no comeback from anyone.
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But of course he criticised Iraq policy. That makes it mandatory for the BBC to broadcast it.
No comment from the BBC on this other report on Yooman Rites:
‘Torture widespread in PA, Hamas’
Two human rights groups on Monday decried widespread mistreatment and torture in Palestinian jails – an issue taking on fresh urgency with a flare-up of Hamas-Fatah violence over the weekend in the Gaza Strip.
The groups’ reports looked at human rights violations during the past year, since Hamas wrested control of Gaza from the forces of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
In the past year, the security forces in both the West Bank and Gaza have carried out large-scale, arbitrary arrests of political opponents, the Palestinian human rights group Al Haq said in an 85-page report.
More than 1,000 people were detained by each side, Al Haq estimated, even before a roundup of some 200 Fatah supporters in Gaza over the weekend, following a bombing that killed five Hamas members.
An estimated 20 to 30 percent of the detainees suffered torture, including severe beatings and being tied up in painful positions, said Al Haq director Shawan Jabarin, citing sworn statements from 150 detainees.
“The use of torture is dramatically up,” added Fred Abrahams, a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch, a US-based group that is releasing its own report on abuse later this week.
Human Rights Watch said Abbas’s forces need to come under closer scrutiny because of the massive international support they enjoy.
“The international community has pledged $8 billion to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and that gives them a heavy responsibility to make sure the security forces don’t use torture and respect human rights,” said Abrahams.
Funding of Abbas’s forces should be linked to an improvement in the human rights record, Human Rights Watch said.
PA Prime Minister Salaam Fayad acknowledged “shortcomings,” but said human rights violations have decreased. “I’m not defending anyone, but I can assure you that we have treated flaws and don’t allow violations. The upcoming reports will be better,” Fayyad said.
In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum accused the Fayad government of trying to destroy Hamas in the West Bank with US backing.
Barhoum acknowledged “mistakes” were made by the Hamas forces, but said that unlike in the West Bank, violators were increasingly punished.
The Al Haq report described a series of methods used by interrogators in both territories.
Read on, and remember Gitmo…
I stand corrected, the BBC have covered the use of torture by Palestinians, sort of…
Palestinian rivals ‘use torture’
No descriptions of the torture methods used, just Palestinian leaders making light of it:
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad, acknowledged “shortcomings,” but said human rights violations had decreased.
“I’m not defending anyone, but I can assure you that we have treated flaws and don’t allow violations. The upcoming reports will be better,” he said.
In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum acknowledged that “mistakes” had been made by Hamas forces, but said violators were increasingly being punished.
The reports come after Palestinian security forces in the West Bank have detained more than 50 Hamas members, following a crackdown by Hamas in Gaza.
50?
The link in my post above says this:
… Al Haq estimated, even before a roundup of some 200 Fatah supporters in Gaza over the weekend, following a bombing that killed five Hamas members.
The BBC, brushing Palestinian barbarism under the carpet: it’s what we do!
thud:
It would provide light relief from the coming olympic drivel if a few British jornos fall foul of chinese security…even better if it could happen to the odd beeboid.
thud | Homepage | 29.07.08 – 4:45 pm | #
You never know. There’ll be enough BBC personnel to choose from. More than there will British competitors I believe.
“It would provide light relief from the coming olympic drivel if a few British jornos fall foul of chinese security…even better if it could happen to the odd beeboid.”
A fair point. We are paying for almost 500 beeboids to go to China for the Olympic Boondoggle, and knowing how many of them are partial to the old whacky baccy and Columbian marching powder, some of them might find out that China is not quite as accomodating as Denmark or Canada in this regard. We’ll probably have to pay for the bullet as well, but just this once that’s one bit of Beeb expenses I wouldn’t mind about.
I remember some arsehole by the name of hillhunt running off at the mouth a few months back about “Murdoch’s appeasement’ of the Chinese.
Now the BBC is doing what Murdoch was accused of.
BBC: Double standards and no credibility whatsoever.
I wonder who actually thought that allowing the Chinese to hold the Olympics would improve human rights in China!
Oh, yeah… I forgot – there are always the Lefties who believe anything other Lefties say.
China = real life socialism. No further comment required.
China is a dump hole. A Country pumping out more CO2 in a day than we do in a year.
But hey WE’VE got to save the planet.
Sorry, but there is no grey area with me.
I hate Amnesty,
I hate Ken,
I hate the BBC,
I love sport
China is a massive country and sure they got their faults, but it wont change overnight.
Let the games begin!
China should never have been given the games. Neither should we. An utter waste of money.
these same fcuktards who gave china the games then come to this country and have people worship them and roll out the red carpet. its sick.
Ken Livingstone is a living, breathing Spitting Image puppet.
traiterous and treasonous beeboid scumbags :+:
This is what the BBC seems to propagate.
Ex:-If sam robbed 1000 bucks he is much better than john who stole 5000 bucks.
I mean this is just a human psycology thing of comparing things and getting a satisfaction.
I dearly ask you guys to give a visit to site named anti-cnn,its ok if you guys don’t like china but its just to improve our knowledge about BBC bias.
http://www.anti-cnn.com/forum/en/
[quote]500 beeboids to go to China [/quote]
What are they going to do, charter a 747?
According to this article on Slashdot, the Chinese are charging ridiculous prices for internet access in the ‘Media Village’, where reporters will stay during the games.
” … for 512/512 it costs 7712.5 RMB (1131.20 USD); for 1M/512 it costs 9156.25 (1342.95 USD); for 2M/512 it costs a whopping 11,700 RMB (1716.05 USD). That is for only one month!”
I wonder how much tellytax payers’ money the BBC will pour into the commie coffers over this little scam? Looks like an embarrassing FoI request in the making there.
“China should never have been given the games. Neither should we. An utter waste of money.”
Too bloody right. The Americans are the only nation who really give a toss about the Olympics so why don’t they put it on every time whist the rest of us get on with proper sports and my council tax returns to sensible levels.
Cockney: The Aussie’s seemed to enjoy it last time around. Perhaps they could have it agian? The other bonus was most of the live stuff was on in the middle of the night here.
Perfect.
Proper British sports: tiddleywinks, basketweaving, Pooh sticks, metrosexual moisturising, synchronised whining. Slow-motion replays of second day of third test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Perfect. Slowest, weakest, last.
I see some of the 500 BBC journos in China are complaining that that cannot search “Falun Gong” on their comaputers.
Are they over there to report on the sport, or do they have their own agenda?
Tim:
I see some of the 500 BBC journos in China are complaining that that cannot search “Falun Gong” on their comaputers.
They’d better be very careful!
China Installing Spyware in Olympic Hotels
Cockney | 30.07.08 – 7:36 am |
Too bloody right. The Americans are the only nation who really give a toss about the Olympics so why don’t they put it on every time whist the rest of us get on with proper sports and my council tax returns to sensible levels.
That would be fine with me. If New York had gotten it instead of London, I’d have done rather well. I live right next door to Columbia University’s sports facilities, so any rise in taxes will be easily offset by the $2000/per week (at least) I can get renting out my apartment. It’s a small place, but people pay ridiculous money to be close to events, and it would still be cheaper (and bigger) than a hotel downtown.
Plus I’d get to spend a month or so visiting friends overseas.
haha! actually that’s not a bad idea. i’ll put that into action for 2012 🙂
Reading this, I dread the London 2012 Olympics more and more. I can imagine how wonderful the event will be portrayed, how much the BBC will purr over every praising comment, how Mandela will somehow feature in numerous interviews, how Red Ken will be at the opening ceremony, how no-one will be able to voice any dissent whatsoever (or if they do they will be freaks), how crime in and outside the Olympic Village will go un or under-reported. Sorry, just not looking forward to it.
all the spoilt media freeloaders in the beeb going on a jolly to china. How exciting for them.
Everywhere these people go is so corporate and sanitised i doubt they will even notice.
Folks, this quoted figure of 500(or whatever) beboids going to China Olympics. Does anyone have a source for this? A site, hopefully? I need to bookmark this for future use elsewhere.
Thanks in advance
Sutekh | 30.07.08 – 1:43 pm |
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/30/bbc.olympicsandthemedia
Ahh, that’s great, many thanks!
My brother got unfaily treated by the police in a foreign country last month.
But we cant complain. Blair took us into an illegal war.
Speaking of China and Amnesty International, once again the BBC is forced to report something negative about China. This time, it’s the fact that a few reporters have discovered that China is still blocking certain websites, including Amnesty.
The journalists claim they were promised by China that they would all have free, uncensored internet access. However, it turns out that the IOC had already agreed that China could do what it likes, and that the censorship will remain. China says that they have provided all the internet access any journo needs to report on the Olympics, so they have kept their part of the bargain. And why would anyone need to access Amnesty or some similar website while covering swimming or gymnastics or the 100-meter dash?
What’s really happened is this: once again, the BBC is reporting on something bad about China because it has affected them personally. Except when supporters of their favorite feudal lord (the Dalai Llama) get smacked around unless the BBC actually feels the boot, they aren’t interested, and has only shown the public hours of footage about how wonderful China is.
The BBC won’t risk 500 of them missing out on thier first class flights, 5 star hotels and freebie’s for several weeks.
I wonder what Roger Harrabin and co will be up to? Telling us we need to reduce OUR CO2 whilst the BBC pumps out even more?
After all I assume the Chinese will actually be providing the live pictures of the games, the sound and so on?
Just what will 500 beeboids get up to?
Are there rent boys in China?
Beeboids continue to be outraged that the Olympic Committee told them for seven years that they would have full, uncensored internet access while in China. I know it was seven years because they keep repeating that factoid.
Ha! Now you know what it’s like to be deliberately lied to for years, BBC. Better include this story in your Ofcom-recommended training course.
I laugh, I point.
[quote]500 beeboids to go to China [/quote]
“What are they going to do, charter a 747?”
I believe Quantas have got one going cheap.
I believe Quantas have got one going cheap.
Rob | 30.07.08 – 4:49 pm | #
Actually, I thought was more of a creeeeeak… bang!
I caught a bit of a trailer for Colin Murray (sitting in for Simon Mayo). If I heard right it soundslike Ken fucking Livingstone is on tomorrow afternoon.
Come of BBC, this failed Communist should be out getting himself a proper job.
The bbc are flying out Damon Albarn to China for the Olympics, because, err, umm, err….
Seems like a failure of “editorial policy”.
According to their “Editorial Policy” they are suppose to pick a person who is qualified to comment on these matters.
I seem to remember – about a decade ago – that ‘Red’ Ken had a regular column in some magazine where he was a resturant critic who went to some of the then top places in London. When I say top I mean exclusive – what a perfect example of NuLabour’s brand of socialism.
Ken was of course a great supporter of illegal war when NATO wanted to bomb Yugoslavia. Like the BBC itself he has never had a word to say against the massacres (eg 210 in Dragodan beside the British HQ) etnic cleansing (350,000) & dissection of living people & selling of their orgams to our hospitals (300-1,300), all carried out by our “police” there.
Whatever one says about the Chinese in Tibet one cannot claim they match NuLabour for genocide. Nor can onr expect the BBC to report genicides they support.
I can only wish some of you had listened to the interview, instead of swallowing David Vance’s twisted interpretation.
‘Red Ken’ was very clear in condemning China’s human rights record, he simply though it unrealistic to have expected them to change because of the Olympics. He said the best way to improve Human Rights there was to improve economic conditions, the rest would follow. A view generally shared by the US administration.
It was in response to one of his comments, that the interviewer said’ Your not seriously comparing the UK to China?’ or words to that effect. He then went on to talk Iraq etc.
I don’t have time to listen again and post exactly what happened and I know this probably won’t et through. I’ve been banned again!!??!