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.
General BBC-related comment thread!
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CBC (the Canadian version of the BBC) has pulled a regular column from their web site written by one of their reporters (Malik?). Apparently it was little more than a weekly rant about Sarah Palin – she was called, amongst other things, “a toned down porn actress that only appeals to white trash voters”.
Obviously other countries public funded broadcasters are about as impartial as the BBC, but at least CBC eventually realised that such opinionated diatribes were beyond their remit. What are the chances that the BBC will apply the same sanctions to Justin Webb I wonder, or will he still be allowed space to inform us that all “educated people hate Sarah Palin”.
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link;
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/entertainment/story.html?id=bbfd2e79-7058-4668-9eaf-7b23ec02b008
CBC News apologized Sunday for publishing a column about Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, conceding that it was “viciously personal.”
More than 300 people complained to the CBC ombudsman about a column that ran on Sept. 5 on CBCNews.ca by award-winning freelance writer Heather Mallick.
The article, A mighty wind blows through Republican convention, reportedly said Palin was chosen to appease the party’s “rural,” “unlettered,” “white trash” base and said that the vice-presidential nominee looked like a “porn actress.”
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Intolerance • courtesy of the BBC
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/thomas-sutcliffe/thomas-sutcliffe-intolerance-ndash-courtesy-of-the-bbc-946136.html
I guess it’s OK though as it was only his personal view on the Today show.
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Watched Phillip Hammond being interviewed by Andrew Neil on the Daily Politics earlier. Constant interrupting; you may as well have just had a labour MP doing the questioning.
Much like the Marr style earlier in the week, seems to be the BBC way to constantly snipe at Tories is if they have nothing worthy to say. Nothing like as much interruption against Labour MP’s the previous week, but what do you expect?
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My actions in the last two minutes:
*turn channel to BBC News*
Report about polar bears and global warming
*switch off TV*
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BBC’s Paul Mason is apparently pleased to name-drop on his blog that he received an e-mail from Michael Moore:
“I got an email from Michael Moore this morning denouncing the TARP*; and almost everybody who’s appeared in vision on agency footage protesting the TARP has been recogniseably left wing. However the real revulsion is coming from small-town, free-market, and above all fiscally conservative America.” (Mason).
(* the Bail-out Bill.)
Is this the same Michael Moore who’s been satirised in the film opening in the USA this week:
“An American Carol”?:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3CYSGCoflAA&feature=related
By the way, about BBC ‘Newsnight’ Paul Mason –
“Is Newsnight’s Economics Editor a SWPer?”
http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4ADBR_enGB232GB232&q=harry%27s+place+SWP
-Does Mason think that by some socialist implication, Sarah Palin may be politically OK to him because she somehow represents “plebian radicalism”?:
“Plebian radicalism versus the TARP”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/paulmason/2008/09/billy_yank_and_johnny_reb_defe.html
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Detailed ‘Harry’s Place’ reference on BBC Paul Mason:
http://www.hurryupharry.org/2008/09/22/is-newsnights-economics-editor-a-swper/
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Things must be bad if a Tory like Neil is also part of the BBC left-wing conspiracy. Evan Davies gave Gove a dolly of an interview this morning, despite Today’s proud tradition of giving politicians of all parties a tough time. Naughty BBC. Give our elected representatives an easier time.
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Snooze 24:
“Watched Phillip Hammond being interviewed by Andrew Neil on the Daily Politics earlier. Constant interrupting; you may as well have just had a labour MP doing the questioning.”
And Andrew Neil is a Tory.
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The FT show their contempt for Michael Moore’s e-mail:
Never underestimate the power of populist scare-mongering
http://ftalphaville.ft.com/blog/2008/09/30/16496/never-underestimate-the-power-of-populist-scare-mongering/
Quite a contrast to Paul Mason.
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whitewineliberal | 30.09.08 – 4:19 pm:
Things must be bad if a Tory like Neil is also part of the BBC left-wing conspiracy.
Such is the endemic Leftwing Groupthink within the BBC, the few Conservatives that are employed are under immense peer pressure to fit in and demonstrate their fitness for continued (highly-remunerated) employment.
Take Nick Robinson for example.
The last time I saw anyone employed by the Beeb openly exhibit Conservative leanings was Cliff Mitchelmore during the 1971 general election. (If I recall correctly it was the last election he covered.) Whereas I see Beeb presenters/reporters parade their Leftwing credentials every time I watch BBC television or listen to BBC radio.
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Anyone wondering where The Obamessiah is on leading the way to solving the current financial crisis need wonder no further. He has been conspicuously absent for two reasons: he’s the most junior member of the Senate, and is therefore actually useless, and his campaign wants to use this as a weapon against the Republicans to aid his chances.
Why do I say that? His campaign co-chair voted against the bailout plan:
Jesse Jackson Jr. and why he voted against the bailout bill
Notice how Jackson is disingenuous about his reasons. He even lies about this being caused by a laissez faire attitude from Bush. The plan isn’t meant to do what he’s talking about, never was, and doesn’t need to. Most of the things he’s whining about need to be dealt with separately, and would have been if Barney Frank, Reps. Meeks and Waters, and their cronies hadn’t stopped it. Especially when they tried to make it about race.
This is Hope and Change? As I said, this is nothing more than a political football, and the BBC is going to tell you little lies about it:
Why did the bail-out bill fail?
Kevin Connolly, a known offender, says things like this:
The real problems came on the Republican side – where a large majority saw this as an un-American measure which flies in the face of the basic rules of capitalism.
Which as everyone here knows by now is false, as they only needed 12, while 95 Dems voted against, including the co-chair of the Obamessiah’s campaign. Nancy Pelosi said this was important, but couldn’t (wouldn’t, if we’re honest) bring her own party to the table.
Connolly manages to mention that both candidates were under pressure to show leadership yet fails to report that The Obamessiah failed to get even his own people to vote in favor. Pretty useless leadership, but the BBC will never tell you that. No, it’s only Boooosh who doesn’t have the clout to accomplish anything.
Then there’s this:
Some Republicans are saying they were preparing to vote “yes” until they heard the closing remarks of Speaker Nancy Pelosi who criticised the ethos of Republican economics, which prompted them to change their minds at the very last minute.
Senior Democrats are contemptuous of the idea that senior legislators would plunge their country’s financial system into chaos in what would amount to a fit of pique.
Would they be contemptuous of their own 95 naysayers as well? Connolly doesn’t seem to imply that at all.
Don’t expect any BBC “analysis” to posit that the Dems might be using this to deliberately screw things up to aid The Obamessiah in November.
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Webb slated Pelosi on Today this morning. Said she had a “tin ear”. For right or wrong, the story here is one of a lame duck Bush not being able to deliver enough House of reps republicans isn’t it? The BBC made the point that a disproportionate number of antis were those who will have to fight hard to retain their seats in coming elections. So playing to their electorate rather than some not entirely rational conspiracy to elect Mr Obama.
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Oh my God! (Literally).
I’d love to hear what Justin Webb has to say about this – or perhaps he helped write the words.
(Health warning: prepare your sick bag before watching)
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whitewineliberal | 30.09.08 – 6:04 pm |
For right or wrong, the story here is one of a lame duck Bush not being able to deliver enough House of reps republicans isn’t it? The BBC made the point that a disproportionate number of antis were those who will have to fight hard to retain their seats in coming elections. So playing to their electorate rather than some not entirely rational conspiracy to elect Mr Obama.
First of all, we need to retire the myth that the US President can always get his way. Sitting Presidents routinely fail to get their way even at the height of their popularity. There’s no reason not to mention that Bush was unable to get it accomplished, of course, but let’s remember that he failed to persuade a Democrat-controlled House to prevent this problem from happening in the first place. No lame duck status then, just partisan (and racial) politics as usual.
If Webb fails to mention that this will help The Obamessiah, he’s not doing his job properly. That’s a very obvious bit of analysis, and it doesn’t reflect well on his ability if he’s missed that.
Here’s a slightly opposite opinion:
Re-election fears, payback drove House GOP bailout revolt
Democrats have charged that the House Republicans’ revolt against the bipartisan bailout plan was a ploy to help Republican presidential nominee John McCain by giving him a mess to clean up.
as well as:
“When you’ve got 29 open Republican seats and the other party only has seven, you’re going to lose seats no matter what the political environment is,” Cook said. Throw in this year’s anti-Republican climate, he said, and “I think these guys are practicing local politics, and short term it’s politically savvy and economically irresponsible.”
It’s really the Republicans defending their own seats, much more so than Democrats. Which way has the BBC framed it? The story is only about a lame duck President if it’s presented that way.
Also, I’m not sure why you think a plan to aid the election of their own candidate wouldn’t be rational.
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Because it’s a high risk strategy that could go either way, and there’s no evidence of a conspiracy.
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moonbat nibbler
It seems you do have a typical bankster inspired Hobson’s Choice. You either have a depression now without the US/UK/European/Commonwealth tax payer being more bankrupted then ever before. Or you have an even bigger depression 2-3 years later, with no hope left whatsoever.
Personally I would rather have the pain now rather then waiting another two years for the inevitable. However you may have your own opinion on this matter which is just as equally valid right now.
I have given my advice before, and will now give it again, whether people wish desperately to believe it is simply just scaremongering conspiracy nonsense or not. I do this to ensure my own place by the side of god, not yours.
1. Get in plenty of food and essential supplies.
2. Cash in your pensions and remove all savings from you bank or building society accounts and spend the lot on whatever you was saving it for, before it becomes worthless toilet paper, yet again.
3. DONT PANIC, take up some kind of religion, preferably one that TRULY believes in one god, if you can find one.
4. Trust no one, especially any type of politician, so called experts, or media people especially the BBC and other CIA/Jesuit stooges such as Michael More.
We are thankfully still living in very special times. Our ruling elites are well aware of this and therefore have no intention of relinquishing there almost complete control over our lives/minds. Therefore the HAMMER could very well be coming, as it seems obvious that the ‘Final’ ‘Brick In The Wall,’ is now being eased into place.
Propaganda is VERY clever, BBC type propaganda and rampant disinformation being the most clever of all.
‘WE DON’T NEED NO ( BBC/STATE ) EDUCATION, WE DON’T NEED NO THOUGHT CONTROL,’ but we get it and pay for it all the same.
You can never be sure what instruments our rulers are really playing. The music can seem like the band they are in is playing different tunes, but they all turn meet up on THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON in the end.
Sometimes because they are not all singing from exactly the same song sheet. But mostly because they are very likely to be using all their most devilish power to only seem to be wanting one thing, when they really wanted the opposite to actually happen in the first place.
The Ruling Elites select the answers they want. They can easily do this because our ruling class can genuinely be Capitalists, Socialists, FASCISTS, Communists, as all of these things where created by them. But what unites them all is a form of HIGH RELIGION the ordinary people have been conditioned to not at all fully understand, or worse still, not even notice anymore.
The Ruling Class are only free market capitalists or libertarians when it suits them, and never genuine constitutional conservatives, under any circumstances.
The ruling class care not one bit whether you get killed by a Socialist, a fascist, a communist, or yourself. As long as you are dead, enslaved, controlled, imprisoned, or permanently impoverished one way or another. While THEY are still in charge, getting forever more rich, corrupt and powerful, making all the rules that count, and selectively enforcing only the ones they wish to.
Atlas shrugged
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Andrew Neil is about as much a Tory as nancy boy Portillo.
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Just a reminder for those who haven’t listened to Radio 5 today, just how many times they’ve interviewed him or mentioned his name.
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We are talking about the largest conspiratorial financial scam since 1929 and beyond.
Still now as then, no one in power, real or potential, has even mentioned the words CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS.
Ask yourselves how in anything like a free democratic country, living under the rule of law, can this possibly be the case. While still the BBC says nothing on the subject of arrests, full criminal investigations, court cases and long long sentences?
A GREAT CRIME has clearly been committed against the interests of The British people. A crime that if not punished, must surly happen again. This crime must by definition go right to above the very top of the establishment pyramid.
This is why no one but the tea lady or messenger boy will see a court of justice over this matter. A straight forward tried and tested SCAM that without doubt will turn out to be a desperate matter of Life or Death for many thousands if not millions of human beings around the entire globe.
We surly know a very serious crime has been committed. We know there is going to be countless victims. But somehow the BBC, SEES NO EVIL, HERES NO EVIL, and continues to never tell the REAL TRUTH about anything important.
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Atlas shrugged | 30.09.08 – 7:23 pm | #
The Feds are investigating things here in the US if that’s any consolation.
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Vince Cable
Huw Edwards interviewed that honorary human being(despite past Tory leanings)Fat Pang ( who has a new book to plug). Patten pushed his luck by disagreeing with Edwards on the need to go back 20+ years for the origins of our present financial difficulties & also suggesting that “Europe” should lead on Climate Change, irrespective of the USA, as a sort of quid pro quo for Europe taking a free ride under US military protection.
Patten however ensured further invites by being horrified by McCain choosing that woman as running mate & by suggesting that Vince Cable should be drafted into today’s talking point, a government of all the talents.
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whitewineliberal and Anon 30.9 4.19 pm
So Andrew Neil is a Tory, is he?
What is your source for this and from when does your information date?
Do you perhaps mean that he USED to be a Tory?
Did you miss the occasion some months ago when he proudly declared on one of his politics shows that he was supporting the Would-be Obamessiah?
Like the rest of the Beeb fan base, he had no shame or hesitation in publicly showing this preference.
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Comments here about postings on BBC blogs being referred to/deleted by moderators. I can’t even get an indication that my comment has been received. I have been asking Robinson why he allows Brown to distort facts re debt levels (37% of GDP when the government statistical office says 43%) & past interest rates Brown’s claim of 18% rates in last downturn). I have provided impartial sources to support my points. My postings have disappeared into a black hole.
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Jason
Yes it maybe. There are still plenty of good people around not gone over to ‘The Other Side.’
Our problem is that criminal investigations regarding clear conspiracies between seemingly disconnected yet vastly powerful entities must lead to the very top of the pyramid. Or they achieve not much of any long term good for us. Who knows, simply finding and punishing establishment fall guys, may even make our situation worse?
There is little point shooting the staff officers for simply obeying orders, although it does help for a while. It may also make us feel a little better, but the cancer will remain and forever grow in its malignancy.
Whats worse, there is less then no point bringing in belatedly new laws and regulations, when the people at the top control the courts and the judges. Therefore only intend to later drastically bend the new rules they always wanted in the first place, in their favour, backed up by an army of the very highest payed lawyers and other criminal gangsters available.
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the REAL reason for the credit crunch..
and yes… what’s in this video is all true.
essential viewing.
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whitewineliberal | 30.09.08 – 6:38 pm |
A party attempting to elect its candidate can hardly be called a conspiracy. I haven’t used that term, and the only reason you’re using it is to enable you to dismiss the idea without discussing it further.
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do you think pelosi sought to scupper the bill to gain her man an advantage?
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Archduke’s link is essential viewing and has been known to those of us who get our news and facts from the internet. The BBC would NEVER report this as Clinton is second only to Saint Nelson (Mandela, that is – not the dead imperialist, white racist sailor) as a icon to be worshipped.
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BBC news Front page
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/default.stm
Only captioned reference to Conservative Party Conference is Gay Tories link.
There is a one-line link way down at the bottom.
BBC UK news;
No captioned reference to Conservative Party Conference.
There is a one-line link way down at the bottom in ‘more from the UK.’.
BBC England News?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/default.stm
Nah.
Birmingham’s not England’s second city and the Conservatives aren’t England’s most popular party in the polls.
Politics page?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/default.stm
Mister Brown is Number One. { No sh*t, Sherlock}.
Messrs Cameron and Clegg are equal, and obviously lesser, seconds.
No anti-Conservative, pro-labour bias in the Beeb website tonight, the.
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whitewineliberal: Pelosi is an idiot. She just couldn’t resist a dig at the Republicans and got a good kicking.
The idea that this whole thing makes Obama look good is nonsense. Obama has gone missing like John Kerry in a Vietnam firefight.
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northwester – tories running number 2 item all day. now lead on politics page. a lot of coverage all over the bbc. and some real dolly interviews, particularly Gove (are they being soft on an ex bbc man?). no evidence of bias here.
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I’ve noted before how medialens is in many ways the flip side to your side of the bbc bias coin. See recent post on their site for evidence:
“just happened to catch a little of the awful Andrew Neil covering the Tory party Convention and of course, the main topic is the capitalist economic crisis that is upon us.
It is really striking how the BBC, through all of this, has not to my knowledge anyway, presented its viewers with any detailed alternative/left wing thinking or solutions to it.
When I turned it on, Neil was talking to Irwin Seltzer, and then, back to the studio where the presenter went on to discuss the crisis with “Sir” Norman Fowler!
Just had another quick look and now its New Labour’s Yvette Cooper’s turn, extolling the governments handling of the situation!
A constant stream of neoconservative, free marketeers excusing the reasons for and presenting the solutions to the problems they have caused for millions and millions of people, including the millions who pay for the supposedly balanced BBC.
Stupid question I know, but where are the Naomi Kleins? The Micheal Moores? Or any of those others who would state plainly what has happened and what these crooks are trying to engineer now in the wake of their unbridled greed and theft?
The BBC are just incapable of giving a sustained alternative account of events, they really are a disgrace to the country, shutting out, once again, a whole section of opinion and debate on a topic that is huge in its effects and implications for the masses.”
What is the BBC to do? Maybe we could have our very own hannity and colmes to achive more balance. Vance and Milne perhaps.
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Newsnight:
Vince Cable
Vince Cable
Vince Cable
Vince Cable
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Has Vince Cable got shares in the BBC?
He’s on more often than Red Ken.
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whitewineliberal | 30.09.08 – 9:49 pm |
Yes. If the whole thing goes south, and the media hype causes things to get even worse, then it’s a huge boost come election time and they can say that the Republicans ruined everything and The Obamessiah is the best choice to fix the economy. He wasn’t involved in this mess, his hands are clean. Hope and change, etc.
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“Shocking Video Unearthed Democrats in their own words Covering up the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Scam that caused our Economic Crisis”
video is from 2004, when Republicans were trying to reign in subprime madness. the Democrats objected.
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David Preiser (USA): As soon as Obama came out with the “you know where to find me if you need me” crap he was going to do a McCavity the Cat trick as used by McFatso over here.
Shouldn’t Obama be showing leadership at this point?
What you mean he doesn’t want to go against public opinion? Where’s the great debater now? Where is the 60,000 cheering faithful now?
Oh hang on, just like his speech in Germany as soon as he tried to talk tough on Muslim terrorism the crowd went very quiet.
The media missed it but we didn’t and you just know he didn’t either.
He’ll do everything to avoid his fingerprints on any deal done in case it goes down the pan.
It’s also why Cameron is a muppet for getting involved as well.
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The end of the American century? Asks Paxman, on the day the Euro saw its largest drop against the dollar since 2001!
What planet are beeboids on?
No mention that the chance of Ireland going bankrupt doubled (based on CDS spreads) after introducing 100% deposit insurance. A rather pertinent fact mentioned by Channel 4 news earlier.
Having the same old pundits and MPs on about financial matters is getting boring, especially when Vince Cable and John McCall are such leftist establishment figures.
But don’t worry, we then get to hear Joseph “neo-Keynesian” Stigltz! Why is it always the left-wing economists, who have advised Clinton, that find their way onto Newsnight? Have they ever had Stiglitz’s sparring partner Kenneth Rogoff on? That would be worth watching:
http://www.imf.org/external/np/vc/2002/070202.htm
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Ireland won’t go down. They will be bailed out by the EU. However, there will be a price to pay and we know what that price is.
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Anonymous | 01.10.08 – 12:14 am
although, its very clever of the Irish to announce a 100 per cent guarantee on savings. that could well generate a capital inflow from the UK to Irish banks, improving their liquidity – especially if the government over here dithers.
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Anonymous,
I’m not saying Ireland will go down (indeed the move from a spread of 30 to 60 basis points still indicates that Ireland is more secure than any major bank).
However, there was a real-world consequence to Ireland’s decision, it did make itself less credit-worthy. Mason and Paxman talked as if Brown should offer limitless insurance yet never hinted at the downsides (the higher cost of government borrowing for one).
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Meanwhile in the Middle East -funny how that has disappeared from the MSM- navies and armies manoeuvre and continue to gather. Just a thought.
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moonbat nibbler | 01.10.08 – 12:31 am
irish banks are relatively safe. they are quite old fashioned in banking practices i.e. they dont do crazy Northern Rock stuff.
as far as i can recall , it was Royal Bank of Scotland that introduced the 100 per cent mortgage to that economy.
of course , i could be wrong. but thats my reading of it.
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dave -> the front page of debka is interesting to say the least…
“A 14-plane US airlift lands high-powered FBX radar in Israel with US personnel ”
“US approves 25 F-35 fighter aircraft sale to Israel ”
“Syria resumes covert nuclear projects in partnership with North Korea”
“US warship monitors Somali pirates to keep arms cargo from al Qaeda”
“Syria, Iran collaborate anew in nuclear arms development”
the chess pieces are moving.
when a great power like America gets into financial difficulty, its bound to happen.
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sorry. didnt provide a link
http://www.debka.com/index1.php
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Gordon Brown’s legacy…
or , how the rest of the world sees us
“Welcome to Saudi Britain”
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/31416_Pat_Condell-_Welcome_to_Saudi_Britain
video posted on the seriously high traffic American “little green footballs” site.
no wonder Bush treats Brown with utter contempt.
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archduke | 01.10.08 – 1:43 am |
Quite and it does nothing for the reputation of us poor Brits.
I don’t agree with everything Condell comes out with – but his take on Islam is spot on.
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The BBC are finished
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?feature=related&v=4UGtKbgmtWI
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just posting these two vids for ease of access
if both get seen by a wider audience, mccain will be the next president.
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