THE JOKER
Have you spotted the bizarre image of a grinning Gordon Brown accompanying a lead news item on the economic perils affecting the UK? The BBC carries the story on how Brown is going to be the first man in history to confound the logic that when you are in a hole you stop digging. Brown is boasting today how he will spend his way out of the financial mess in which he has placed us and that we should all put our faith in his economic prowess. The Tories are not even mentioned by name in this report (Have they nothing to say on it??) and it seems that the BBC narrative is that only smiley Gordon can save the day. Indeed it goes on to report that Brown is going to get “up to a million people” of incapacity benefits and into gainful employment. Again, no challenge to this delusional Labour nonsense! Brown is the man who allowed the acceleration of the Welfare culture and was central to the massive growth of those on incapacity benefit and now we are expected to believe he will get tough on it? I’m reminded of quote from The Queen in Alice in Wonderland who declared that ” Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” If you read the BBC each morning, you know how she feels.
government borrowing is at it’s highest level since 1945, but Labour believes you can get out of a financial hole by Depression style big project spending. The difference is that Roosevelt used American companies + labour + any benefits/ profits went to the American people. It also didn’t really work —the end of the true depression came from vast manufacturing kick courtesy of WWII. Will Gordon be able to guarantee using all Britsh labour?
The first half of the report is dominated by criticism of the policy from “opposition
parties” and the letter from economists. How is that, along with a non-flattering picture of the PM, part of the “narrative”? in what way does the article not challenge the thrust of his policy?
meanwhile, over in ireland , the government has embarked on budget cuts.. with the PM warning against a “borrowing spiral”
http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/1025/longford.html
interesting contrast, eh?
I agree that the BBC propaganda dept has been fairly neutral on this one.That possibly shows that even the BBC realises the huge risks of this policy. If the government runs out of credit –then the tax hikes will begin- I imagine Gordon thinks that he will be able to live on credit until the next election without raising taxes–after that whoever gets the reins of power will be buggered. Very prudent!!
I don’t know David, they seem to be going from one end to the other, while ignoring the Tories of course.
They must be very confused and at odds there as the headline reads: Benefits reforms to be introduced , which seems a very laudable thing to do, especially for this Government, then the main catcher and first paragraph reads: A new benefits system making it tougher for sick and disabled people to claim benefits is due to be launched later. saying, not implying, that sick and disabled people will be shat on.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7692364.stm
They must be squirming as lefty liberals over who to attack. Hopefully their collective heads will explode.
He looks like a cretin.
The new benefits system is a bit of a joke, it doesn’t actually solve the problem. It looks good to Daily Mail readers though.
I agree that Brown looks quite hilarious in the picture – someone’s having a laugh there.
whitewineliberal | 27.10.08 – 10:05 am | #
Agree on all counts.
Picture selection is for sure a powerful aspect of story creation, and I have now downloaded this as a classic example of someone making a point.
Sub-editor for BBC ar*se-end of the world beckons for someone I fear!
Sorry but the Brown bailout plan has failed. the economy is going down the tank, the financial markets are still going down the pan, the banks are sitting on billions loaned to them by the Government (for which WE pay the interest) yet still refuse to hand this money out in loans and of course the pound is going down the pan.
But of course what is the BBC talking about today? That fat c**t Prescott talking about class. The fat s**t is everywhere on the BBC.
Radio 5 have the phone in about it.
As I posted elsewhere, the BBC have the ability to kill stories stone dead (the Mandelson corruption and the failing economy) when they are going negative for Liebour and the fat one eyed jock.
Agree with the sentiments but 7 of the first 9 paras are critical of these policies – what more do you want??!!
How about allowing the Conservatives – the official opposition – the chance to comment?
“Global crisis” just how many times does Brown have to repeat this? He doesn’t refer to the recessions under the Tories as “global” even though they were.
Facts are HE created this mess and he should be punished for it.
Brown’s economics ‘on the hoof’: does he think he is master of the global economy, or its victim? -Or, does it depend on whether he’s in a boom or a slump (sorry, BBC word ‘DOWNTURN’).
The BBC has this piece:
“IMF aid for Ukraine and Hungary”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7692017.stm
But that BBC piece needs to be seen in this context:
‘Telegraph’
“Europe on the brink of currency crisis meltdown” (by A. Evans-Pritchard)-
[Extract]:
“The financial crisis spreading like wildfire across the former Soviet bloc threatens to set off a second and more dangerous banking crisis in Western Europe, tipping the whole Continent into a fully-fledged economic slump.
“Currency pegs are being tested to destruction on the fringes of Europe’s monetary union in a traumatic upheaval that recalls the collapse of the Exchange Rate Mechanism in 1992.
“‘This is the biggest currency crisis the world has ever seen,’ said Neil Mellor, a strategist at Bank of New York Mellon. ”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/3260052/Europe-on-the-brink-of-currency-crisis-meltdown.html
I don’t think the BBC has refused to allow a Conservative comment – it’s likely that they’re preparing a rebuttal to the policy for PMQ or similar.
Gordon Brown loves to blame everyone else doesnt he?
America is a favourite target but the Prime mentalist is expanding his list of scapegoats to include the EU/world/Africa/South America/middle east oil producers, Ooh yes, it seems everyone else is to blame for Browns downfall(remind you of a previous nutter?).
His speech just now was a scattergun mixed up pile of rubbish mixed with lies but the BBC reporter loved it!
Need I say more?
confirmed – brown really has lost the plot and is off his rocker..
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article5021543.ece
“The responsible course is to borrow now to maintain growth and output, and to reduce borrowing as a proportion of GDP as the economy recovers and tax receipts rise again.”
which means that during a downturn UK plc’s credit rating will get worse, not better..
Why does Brown get such an easy ride?
Its as if the whole freak show is rigged to protect Brown as he wrecks the UK!
Simple questions that would blow him out of the water are not asked, just strawmen waitng to be knocked over! Isnt there just one reporter there who has the balls to ask a real question?
Alice in wonderland politics with the MSM as mindless accomplices and Brown spewing out rubbish and lies and excuses like some demented loony.
All the while the UK sinks deeper and deeper into the mire, the UK is heading for total collapse and IMF bailout by Christmas/nu year! 1979 to 2009 thirty years between the two socialist inspired economic disasters and both remarkably similar in nature only this time there is no Thatcher ready to save us, into the arms of Dave, Heath MK2? God save us all!
Indeed it goes on to report that Brown is going to get “up to a million people” of incapacity benefits and into gainful employment
What as?
Members of the BBC TV Tax Collector Gestapo? Jackboots and Green Shirts supplied.
sky news : “FTSE drops to five year low”
http://news.sky.com/skynews/
i guess thats the market reaction to Browns “lets piss more money up the wall like theres no tommorow” plan…
http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=^FTSE&t=1d
The BBC is a joke. On Radio 5 they ran Gordon fatso one eyed McBean’s bollocks about how Britain is ‘poised’ to pounce when the economy comes back. Their next story was about the pound and the stock market tanking again!!!!!
I say blame Thatcher!!!!
Archduke,
McMental has already tried the ‘give all the cash to our supporters plan’ the ‘lets print fake money plan’ is just around the corner and I feel sure the ‘nationalise the private pensions plan’ is being considered too!
What next? Brownshirts coming round smashing peoples doors in searching for and siezing childrens piggybanks from our homes?
Stripping the lead from churches,making it into bars, spraying it with Halfords gold paint and pretending we have gold reserves when the IMF come round asking what collatoral we have for the IMF ‘loan’?
We have a ringside seat now to the disaster that we all saw coming but the retarded commissars were blind to!
They even had the editor of the FT on radio 4 telling us how Brown is completely right to spend without concern and those that caution financial discipline are wrong to do so.
unlike that editor of the FT, Liam Halligan writing in the telegraph warns about Brown bankrupting the country…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/liamhalligan/3259913/Browns-Keynesianism-is-bankrupt—and-will-bankrupt-us.html
Facts are HE created this mess and he should be punished for it.
Martin | 27.10.08 – 11:14 am | #
Brown, Blair et al should be prosecuted for this mess which came about as a foreseeable consequence of the treasonous policies which they imposed.
‘I imagine Gordon thinks that he will be able to live on credit until the next election without raising taxes–after that whoever gets the reins of power will be buggered. Very prudent!!’
Frankos | 27.10.08 – 10:20 am | #
I’ve heard that this is the plan; leave everything so bad for the Tories that they only get one term in power.
Anyone got a screencap? I think they changed it. When I click on the link, all I see is a video.
David Vance | Homepage | 27.10.08 – 11:03 am | #
I have to say their near total silence speaks volumes, and frankly while I am aghast at the BBC’s uncritical boosting of Mr. Brown & Co’s Jonestownesque fiscal death wish for the country, I don’t think the opposition being near mute for so long… anywhere… can be laid at Aunty’s door. Sorry.
Maybe they have cards up sleeves, but I’d really like my country run by those who care for it again; not cheap point-scoring, short-term careerists of any political or media hue.
iprefrred writes: “I don’t think the BBC has refused to allow a Conservative comment …”
Why? Because that is what you wish to think?
It is inconceivable that the Conservatives wouldn’t have offered a comment, had they been asked.
It is good to see Brown call huge increase in debt as “investment” A better investment would be large tax cut with reduced government spending–this would help the small business sector–whereas a large Goverment building programme will help big business and foreign business —the grass roots –(ie us) level need fiscal help
Peter,
That may be a fair point in case a plague on Cameron and his associates. They SHOULD be reflecting some of the excellent points made by contributors here on B-BBC on this issue. We can see the absolute folly of Brown’s bail-out and can articulate it – why can’t Cameron on a day like this???????
Frankos,
Great point.
David,
Osborne said some very good stuff about an hour ago on the radio. The only problem is the BBC are running his ‘admission’ about the Russian chap as the story, and not what he said about Brown – “a man with an overdraft, not a man with a plan” being the buzzphrase of the whole thing.
I think this article is a write-up based on an early release of the text of Brown’s upcoming speech.
I don’t know the protocols involved in this sort of thing, but I’d be surprised if it were allowed for the meejah to show the draft to the opposition and invite a reaction.
However, once the speech is actually delivered, then all bets are off…..
we’ll see whether the Tories respond then.
History is set to repeat itself – Labour inherited a fundamentally strong economy from the Tories, thanks to Margaret Thatcher and have ruined it again(big-time)over the last 11 years. When the Tories are elected and have to sort out the mess yet again, the BBC will pour venom on them just as they did with Maggie. The Tories MUST sort out this rotten dung heap that masquerades as a broadcasting corporation as a matter of urgency when elected.
I notice that Today has avoided too much debate about Browns ludicrous spending plans–or much about Mandelson –in fact they suggested that the bank bail out might have been better spent on African Aid–a thought applauded by many african dictators and their Mercedes dealers
Oh and Russel Brand and Ross are very talented–according to the official rep from the BBC..
Gordon Brown has always had problems telling the differance between spending and investing.
Good governance and a loyal attitude from the mandarins at Whitehall would reap far better rewards than government pumping money into pet projects.
For example, charging foreign trucks for the use of our roads would have netted a billion or two.