General BBC-related comment thread!

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.

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187 Responses to General BBC-related comment thread!

  1. frankos says:

    Peter Mandelson is, once again, illustrating that he is a cut above his Cabinet colleagues; how different his career might have been if he had not been so clearly identifiable as Blair’s Man – to be attacked as a surrogate for attacking the erstwhile PM.

    PM for PM!!!

    The person who wrote this comment was strangely in a minority– gave me a good laugh though.
    Mandy’s grandad Herbert Morrisson was a real wanker as well (see biography of Atlee) so at least the little nobody has consistency!
    People must start asking what this snake’s intentions really are.

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  2. George R says:

    BBC report:

    “Bomb plot doctor jailed for life”

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7786884.stm

    A better understanding than that BBC report provides on the Islamic jihad nature of the crime, is provided in this ‘Telegraph’ report:

    “Glasgow bomb plot: Wills to families left by airport terrorists”

    [Extract]:

    “Just before the two men set off from Loch Lomond to Glasgow airport Kafeel Ahmed sent a text message to his brother Sabeel in Liverpool telling him to go to an email account.

    “In that account, called ‘cool.finalword@googlemail.com’, which Sabeel read more than an hour after the attacks, Ahmed told him to pretend he was in Iceland working on his PhD on global warming.

    “‘Know that, I did what I did for the pleasure of Allah alone and I care little to what the people have to say,’ he added. ‘However, enjoin the truth, and make the masses know that this is the best way forward. The ultimate deed to do and achieve.

    “‘Alhamdulillah [Praise god] if I have succeeded and Alhamdullillah if I haven’t. I did my bit with my limited resources bestowed on me by Allah.

    “‘This is the ‘Project’ that I was working on for some time now. Everything else was a lie! And I hope you can all forgive me for being such a good liar!! It was necessary. Just so that you know Alhamdullillah every thing since last week were executed by me and my team on behalf of our Amir [leader].'”

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3689301/Glasgow-bomb-plot-Wills-to-families-left-by-airport-terrorists.html

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  3. henryflower says:

    global warming – how hard they try to push all the right buttons. And usually, they succeed. They’ve already seduced the anti-globalisation crowd, it won’t be long before Islam makes common cause with the greens. And the BBC can act as pimp in that deal.

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  4. henryflower says:

    anyone else having trouble with comments today? I’ve tried to reply to someone over on the church fire thread about 20 times. It won’t let me. Even when I include swearwords and introduce random personal attacks on Gordon Brown, it still rejects me. I hit publish and nothing happens. Is the B-BBC computer something like HAL from Kubrick’s 2001?

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  5. George R says:

    BBC’s Frank Gardner is surprised by the latest UK Islamic jihadi bomber; but it is no surprise really:

    “The ‘unlikely’ jihadi bomber”

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7786906.stm

    There is an ignorance among Western security ‘experts’ about the nature of the Islamic inspiration of Islamic jihadis; such ‘experts’ are inclined to talk of ‘grooming’, or ‘foreign policy’ or ‘poverty’ as motivation, and to relegate the motivation of Islam itself.

    ‘Dhimmiwatch’:

    “Memo to EU: we call it Islamic terrorism because it is terror inspired by Islam”

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/011422.php

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  6. George R says:

    More cryptic, glib stuff from the ‘BBC The Editors’:

    “Pakistan: Britain’s terror heartland?” (Tom Giles).

    His first words of article:

    “It’s never easy to make documentaries in Pakistan..”

    No, especially when the BBC:

    1.) doesn’t see, nor name the threat of Islamic jihad there and its links to the UK Pakistan Muslim diaspora;

    2.) doesn’t criticise Labour’s stealth policy of mass immigration from Pakistan to the UK.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2008/12/pakistan_britains_terror_heart.html

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  7. DB says:

    There are rumours • which I would like to believe are baseless • that Radio 4’s controller, Mark Damazer, is a raging Leftist, and was seduced by Mr Webb’s rampant Obamamania during the late presidential election campaign. Certainly, what I heard of Mr Webb during those heady months leaves me surprised that he has not been offered a job in the administration • people far rougher than he is have been, after all.
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/3795998/There-is-a-class-war—but-Ed-Stourtons-sacking-is-not-part-of-it.html

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  8. Hugh Oxford says:

    doesn’t criticise Labour’s stealth policy of mass immigration from Pakistan to the UK.

    I suppose it’s not the job of the BBC to do that, but it is the job of the BBC to report it and the fact that it’s causing huge tension and concern within the country.

    My guess is that the overwhelming majority of politically and culturally engaged people of all democratic political persuasions are deeply concerned about the ascent of Islam and the government’s failure to address it on either an ideological or policy level, and in some cases to be seen to be promoting and encouraging it.

    This concern, which is threatening to set us on a path to civil war in the event of political solutions failing, is never reported by the BBC.

    I predict that the BNP are going to start making huge inroads in the next few years, particularly into the Labour vote, and certainly if Cameron proves incapable of addressing these existential issues. Then, it will be interesting to see what kind of coverage the BBC gives that political ascent.

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  9. Llew says:

    Labour Government & BBC headline:

    “Woolworths to close in January.

    Administrators at Woolworths say the chain’s 807 stores will close by 5 January, unless a last-minute buyer is found.”

    If a Conservative Government was in power though the BBC headline would have read:

    “27,000 jobs lost as Woolworths to close in January.

    Hardship for families as staff hear of their job loses on this Black Monday. Union officials blame the Tory Government”

    So predictable.

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  10. A_View_From_France says:

    My response to Robin Lustigs latest post on Democracy v Feudalism:

    ============================
    Ha ha, as all Private Sector workers in the UK have to hand over most of their money to the robbing barons (a.k.a Labour), exactly how does Labour democracy differ from feudalism?.

    CCTV cameras everywhere, tax on virtually everything, disposing of people with contrary views, freedom of expression banned, unelected leaders and a land full of peasant’s (let’s call them private sector workers) who have to work to safeguard the future of the nobility (let’s call them public sector workers) and of course the right to hold people for months without charging them.

    So again, I ask exactly where does Labour democracy differ from feudalism????.

    =============================

       0 likes

  11. David Preiser (USA) says:

    A_View_From_France | 17.12.08 – 4:46 pm |

    So again, I ask exactly where does Labour democracy differ from feudalism????.

    Well, at least Gordon Brown can’t go around taking his pick of women from the local crofters.

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  12. henryflower says:

    David Preiser, don’t be so sure. Brown does always seem to be working off a sore jaw with those weird mouth movements. I think he’s a busy boy.

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  13. David Preiser (USA) says:

    henryflower,

    You do realize you’ve just let the door open for “Gay Gordon” remarks, right?

    Martin, call your office.

       0 likes

  14. henryflower says:

    David, it started off with superb mental images of crofters’ daughters, and now look where I am… Martin and Gay Gordon… open doors… I feel backed into a corner on this one.

       0 likes

  15. Bryan says:

    Then, it will be interesting to see what kind of coverage the BBC gives that political ascent.
    Hugh Oxford | 17.12.08 – 4:21 pm

    They’ll do their best to pretend it isn’t happening.

       0 likes

  16. deegee says:

    The road to Bethlehem WEDNESDAY, 17 DECEMBER: JENIN

    The road to Jenin from the West Bank’s border with Israel began as quite a desolate walk this afternoon. Once, this was a busy area of trade, but the shops were all destroyed in an Israeli invasion six years ago. This statement is flatly contradicted by the accompanying video in a busy street lined by shops. At least six taxis pass Aleem Maqbool in the one minute 13 seconds of his report.

    A little later we learn: It was dusk when I reached the town’s centre, which judging by the amount of litter being swept up, was just winding down from what had been a busy market day. This further contradicts the impression he had entered Berlin in 1945.

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  17. Tim says:

    Sorry to shatter your illusions BBC, but those Blackwater guys will all simply all work for another company in Iraq (or Afghanistan) doing exactly the same thing!

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  18. Mailman says:

    http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/12/code-pink-marches-in-support-of-shoe.html

    Whackos getting shot down in flames by Iraqi ambassador. Anyone see this story being carried by al beeb?

    Tim, those blackwater guys are innocent until proven guilty. Although its interesting that the law used to bring a prosecution against them has absolutely nothing to do with the reason the law was passed.

    Then again, I guess we here in Blighty are used to laws being abused like this (Mr Green anyone).

    Mailman

       0 likes

  19. Tim says:

    I have worked with Blackwater on many occassions and I have been taken out on the ground by them, when I was the UN Election monitor in Tikrit (whilst riding with the State Dept guy) and I know them very well.

    Nothing will change, they will just migrate to other companies – same guys – new company – probably same job.

    Yes they can be gung ho, and get a right slagging off by the rest of us, in the same industry.

    However the enemy are aware of this and have exploited it….The BBC have duly obliged, as normal.

       0 likes

  20. Tim says:

    Make no mistake about it, and I know the area of Baghdad where this happened.

    It was waiting to happen and the enemy set off a car bomb in close proximity to them and started a gun fight with them, usung civilians as cover.

    I would and have done the same. (execpt we hit the bad guys thankfully) End of story!

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  21. David says:

    Don’t know if anyone saw it, but there was an article in the Standard this evening about the BBC spending another £50,000 on a launch party. Why the hell do they need launch parties – they have their own airwaves on which they can advertise? Paid for by us, of course.

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  22. Martin says:

    Fucking lies lies lies by that cunt Paul Mason on Newsnight. Sticking up for fatty one eye that unemployment isn’t the same this time as those evil Tory bastards

    Why? Coz 2.7 million more people are in work. So what the fuck has that go to do with the unemployed?

    Oh and there was a report the other day that showed about 80% of ALL new jobs created have gone to foreigners.

    Well done Mason, get your cock up Fatty one eyes arse.

       0 likes

  23. Mark says:

    Newsnight report by Paul Mason was an absolute disgrace, it needs to be seen to be believed.

    Incredible bias.

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  24. TPO says:

    ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE OF THE BBC REPORTING THIS.

    Immigration ‘must be slashed’ to keep population below 70m

    Net immigration in to the UK has to be slashed by 80 per cent if the Government wants to keep the population below 70 million, the official statistician has warned.
    The balance of those settling here over those leaving must be cut to just 50,000 a year if the population is not to pass the landmark total.
    But that would require an enormous reduction from the current net level of 237,000 a year and makes a mockery of immigration minister Phil Woolas’ pledge to keep numbers under control.

    Karen Dunnell, the National Statistician, has revealed for the first time the dramatic changes required to keep population growth in check.
    It comes as the Home Office will today announce it is keeping restrictions in place for at least another year on low-skilled workers from Romania and Bulgaria.
    Sir Andrew Green, chairman of Migrationwatch, said “This is a stunning admission which we have had to wring out of the statisticians.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3814843/Immigration-must-be-slashed-to-keep-population-below-70m.html

    Good to see that Sir Andrew Green, chairman of Migrationwatch is still there doing the government’s job for them.
    He’s the same Sir Andrew Green that the Maitliss trollope introduced as ‘far right’

       0 likes

  25. TPO says:

    Mark | 17.12.08 – 10:53 pm |

    Mason is a communist.

       0 likes

  26. North Northwester says:

    Right now, findings that 11-plus pupils from wealthy backgrounds are being professionally tutored and that the ‘moral of the story’ [ as pointed out by the helpful presenter/interviewer] is that grammar schools are not spreading the benefits of education across the range of, well, classes.
    The chap they had on with his research ‘thought it would be interesting’ to see what sort of backgrounds people come from whose children subsequently go to the 160-odd grammar schools that are ‘left.’
    Apparently about 26 schools out of that number were willing to give access to the researchers, who found, oddly, that some of those having professional tutors in, or who tutored their own children, had combined incomes of £50,000 or more.
    Say, two lots of the national average-ish wage. Astounding.
    THIS was the big story just before 7Am on a week day.

    Selective, aren’t they? Where’s the balancing ‘grammar schools lift poor peoples’ children out of their economic circumstances’ thread here?
    Not.
    Where’s the ‘comprehensive schools are sinks of violence, disruption, and
    illiteracy thread?
    Not.

    Oh and Nick Clegg, I think, blaming housing associations’ financial problems on the credit crunch and ‘private contractors,’ when HAs should be building and employing Britain out of Mr. Brown’s recession. Nice unchallenged Keynesianism there.

    So , 2 left-wing agendas in the 5 minutes it takes me to make my toast and tea. No Tories. No counter-questions from helpful interviewers. Just the Left-wing line.

    It’s all in the selection.

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  27. Llew says:

    This morning on breakfast news – article on NHS dentists overcharging.

    There is widespread concern that there is overcharging taking place, not just from the Tories but others. The government have said they will investigate the worries.

    So who do the BBC find to interview? A labour loving dentist who promptly knocks the Tories in his piece to camera. Of course it’s the Tories who are in power at the moment.

    They just can’t report anything fairly.

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  28. AndrewSouthLondon says:

    BBC: “Plans to directly elect some police authority members are scrapped amid concerns over politicisation of forces”

    Hilarious! First you spend eleven years politicising the senior ranks of the police force. Then the penny drops that electing those responsible for top cops means the OTHER side might undo your fiddling. So you get all outraged at the prospect of Tory cops, when you want your PC cops left permanently in position after the electorate boot you out. So no accountability directly to the public.

    And this all with a straight face.

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  29. Martin says:

    Llew: The BBC were spouting that the Dentists had “rubbished” the Tory claims.

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  30. simon says:

    This is so outrageous I had to send a complaint, reprinted here. It refers to an article titled: “Bahrain foils “terrorist attack””, which contains a story about security officials foiling an alleged planned attack during the King’s coronation, using homemade bombs filled with many “small iron balls” (sound familiar?) and concludes with the following sentenced “No major terrorist attacks have ever been carried out on its soil,” using the term “terrorist” unattributed.

    “http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7788833.stm

    Here is a glaring, almost unbelievable double standard in the BBC’s reporting. It reports “No major terrorist attacks have ever been carried out on its soil” referring to Bahrain. There are no quotes around the term “terrorist,” neither is there any attribution. The article tosses around the term “terrorist” liberally, adding it to the headline as well (in which there is attribution) “Bahrain foils “terrorist attack.”” Now it is a known fact that Israeli security forces have foiled “terrorist” attacks almost daily for the last seven years, and not ONCE in all that time did the BBC ever deign to report them as such. In fact, it is also a known fact that the BBC has gone out of its way to literally change the words spoken by Israeli officials from “terrorists” to “militants”–these are direct quotes which the BBC has repeatedly changed so that it can eschew the use of the term “terrorist.” And let’s be clear, the attacks the Israeli security forces routinely have foiled involve everything from planned suicide bombings involving “hundreds of small ball bearings” JUST LIKE THE PURPORTED BAHRAINI PLANNED ATTACK (” The bombs would have contained “large amounts of small iron balls”, said a statement quoted by AFP news agency.”) to planned mega attacks intended to blow up Tel Aviv office buildings filled with civilians. It is inconceivable that the BBC would refer to the ONLY planned “militant” attack ever uncovered against Bahrain so liberally, as a potential “terrorist” attack, and NEVER refer to the hundreds of attacks deliberately intended to murder civilians in Israel as “terrorist” attacks. Simply beyond the pale in terms of bias. How do you respond to this outrageous show of partiality and example of a double standard?”

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  31. Chuffer says:

    ‘Ere, have you heard? We’re all going to die from vCJD. Again. It must be, ooooh, six months since we were all doing to die from it.

    Veggie beeboids dancing with glee.

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  32. Atlas shrugged says:

    I think many of you would be spending your time paying very real and urgent attention to the current FASCIST take over of your own country by your banking corporations.

    Our governments are not taking over the banks as the BBC would have you believe.

    The reality is that the people that own the BANKING SYSTEM long since took over your country and your government.

    Now the same system that has been deliberately impoverishing, and enslaving the world as much as ‘needed,’ is now doing the same to
    YOU.

    Your assets and savings are being removed, as are your property rights in general. Freedom was just a temporary move by the elites. This done so that our young men would have something to die and fight for. Now that they dont need us to die and fight for them anymore. Therefore the system is coming in for the kill, this time for the last time.

    When this is all over, many of us will not either be alive or at liberty, and certainly all of us will be as skint and powerless as skint and powerless gets.

    It is not just us that are being lied to.

    Gordon Brown, most of the BBC, David Cameron, our civil-service, industrialists, media in general, and even many of our bankers, are also being lied to, albeit to a lesser extent.

    This conspiracy and therefore exactly where it is all leading to is being controlled by only a very very few mega powerful individuals. These people are so powerful, their names hardly ever show up anywhere. Their vast power is in other peoples names. They already own much of the productive capacity and natural resources of the planet. They do in fact effectively OWN this planet. As they control the value of all of your personal and your governments, debts and assets.

    Soon they will own all the income you are likely to earn in a lifetime or two as well.

    Which in my book means SLAVERY.

    The bastards did not mean “Britons never never never will be slaves.”

    What they meant was that ” Britons will be the last to notice that they have effectively been enslaved all of their lives.”

    Only that would be telling the truth. Which is something the establishment and their BBC only do when they believe the people will not notice, care, believe a word of it, or be able to do anything about it. Also the words would not so well, fit the tune.

    All is smoke and mirrors, but especially in the world of BBC propaganda. Please try your best not to underestimate the power and utter evil that is the BBC and the rest of our main stream media.

    Just like 1934 Germany the media is all singing from the same song sheet. If they seem not to be, in some kind of deliberately contrived manner. Then it is only when, the public will not notice, care, believe a word of it, or be able to do sod all about it.

    Muslims are not our enemy, as neither is any one else, more then our own system. Which if their noses did grow every time they told a lie. Not one banker, politician or media employee would be able to get through an average sized door, after only one hour on the job.

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  33. Chuffer says:

    Hey, Atlas Fruitcake. here’s one to really bring on the CAPITAL LETTERSSSS and MANY EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    We’re all doomed….sorry, DOOMED!!!!!!!

    http://www.2012-comet.com/

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  34. George R says:

    “Briton guilty of directing terror”

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7789773.stm

    Note the BBC’s usual web headline ruse
    -avoid mentioning the ISLAMIC JIHAD nature of the crime, and instead emphasise the word ‘Briton’ as a political attempt at ‘social cohesion’ and obfuscation.

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  35. The Beebinator says:

    dishonest beeboids fined using our telly tax money as well, it should come out of the person(s) wage packet

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7789439.stm

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  36. David Preiser (USA) says:

    When does the BBC ever use the T-word in connection to a Mohammedan? When they have no choice:

    Briton guilty of directing terror

    They have no choice because the T-word is in the conviction. Awww.

       0 likes

  37. Tom says:

    David Preiser (USA) | Homepage | 18.12.08 – 4:29 pm

    Yes, but as one door opens, another closes.

    The man has been well and truly convicted, but the beeb can’t stop themselves labeling him an ‘al-Qaeda suspect’.

    It’s not as if the al-Qaeda connection were in doubt; later in the same article the BBC says –

    Rangzieb Ahmed, 33, was also found guilty of being a member of terror group al-Qaeda, along with Habib Ahmed.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7789773.stm

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  38. TPO says:

    How unusual of the BBC and their website to remain quiet after the Archbish of Canterbury delivered his scathing attack on Gordon Brown.
    In past years when an Archbishop said unkind things about a Tory administration hysteria would break out in the BBC. A nonstop orgy of over reporting would take place for days.
    How strangely quiet they are now.

    Archbishop of Canterbury says Gordon Brown’s spending plan like ‘drug addiction’

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/3831837/Archbishop-of-Canterbury-says-Gordon-Browns-spending-plan-like-drug-addiction.html

    Like an ‘addict returning to the drug’: Archbishop slams Brown’s plan to spend his way out of recession

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1097133/Like-addict-returning-drug-Archbishop-slams-Browns-plan-spend-way-recession.html

    Brown slaps down Archbishop of Canterbury in credit crunch row

    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5365981.ece

    What do the BBC offer up?

    Archbishop sees benefit in split
    The Archbishop of Canterbury has said separating the Church from the state would not be “the end of the world”.
    Dr Rowan Williams said there would be benefits in the disestablishment of the Church of England.

    http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7789192.stm

    The BBC as ever following the party line.

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  39. henryflower says:

    DP – “When does the BBC ever use the T-word in connection to a Mohammedan?”

    I have an alternative answer: when they can omit all reference to islam in both the headline and the story, and emphasize instead the terrorist’s Britishness or plumbing qualifications in the headline.

    They mention islam frequently, and “terrorism” occasionally; but getting them to mention both words in the same story is like trying to force magnets together at the wrong end.

       0 likes

  40. David Preiser (USA) says:

    Here’s a little something about the inauguration of the next President the BBC doesn’t want you to know:

    Obama’s Rev. Warren Inaugural Pick Sparks Gay Fury

    President-elect Barack Obama made no apologies Thursday for asking evangelical pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration, a move that infuriated gays angry at Warren’s support for California’s Proposition 8 banning gay marriage.

    Obama said he and Warren don’t agree on everything, but he’s collected a group of people to appear at his inauguration who share a variety of viewpoints.

    Repeating a line from his campaign, Obama said, “We have to disagree without being disagreeable and then focus on those things that we hold in common as Americans.”

    Obama noted that he was invited to speak at Warren’s Saddleback Church despite Warren knowing that Obama supports gay and lesbian rights, and Dr. Joseph Lowery will give the benediction at the inaugural ceremony.

    Those who rely on the BBC to inform them won’t know that there has been a bit of anger amongst the gay community against President-elect Obamessiah. It’s because not only did both he and his running mate state during a national debate that he did not support legalizing gay marriage, but apparently most of the minorities in California who voted for him also voted in favor of banning legal gay marriage. Oops. You probably didn’t hear from the BBC that some Mormon churches have been vandalized over this, either. As we know, the Beeboids choose their victims carefully.

    There must have been a couple of loud arguments at BBC editorial meetings about this one. The fact that their darling does not support gay marriage, and attended an anti-homosexual preaching church for 20 years, must really cause some inner conflict. They can’t report it because it makes him look bad, but I can’t believe there won’t eventually be an internal backlash.

    The BBC certainly knows who Rev. Warren is:

    What does Saddleback Politics say about America?

    Given that this is the first time the American public got to see both candidates facing the same questions in a live television event, why was the venue a church and why was the moderator a pastor? It perhaps says much about the continuing role of religion in American political life that Pastor Rick Warren is taken so seriously by both campaign teams.

    William Crawley then links to favorite whipping boy, Justin Webb, who also showed concern at the time.

    I must say, although I thought the whole thing weird in conception (why should the candidates be dragged into the evangelical bear pit at the very time that evangelical Christians are a fading force in US politics?)

    “Evangelical bear pit”, Justin? Surely you didn’t quite mean it that way. Judging from today’s post, though, he may have real prejudice against anyone who openly admits to being Christian.

    At the bottom of his post, after musing about who will do what when and how about the vacant Senate seat, he says this:

    The fact is, though, that they are frightened of Republican Congressman Mark Kirk getting his party’s nomination and winning the seat.

    Mr Kirk is a moderate with liberal social views (full disclosure – we were at college together) and would re-energise not only the Republicans of Ilinois but also, I suspect, the mainstream of the wider party who would see non-Palin routes to victory.

    “Non-Palin routes”? How pathetic. Sarah Palin never made her religious beliefs the centerpiece of her candidacy, never tried to legislate from the Bible, never forced her views on anyone. The Leftoid media – and especially the BBC and Justin Webb – were the ones that chose that route for her. Webb is totally blinded by his prejudice, and can’t see what he’s done.

    Hey Justin: it looks like President-elect Obamessiah is taking the “Palin route” this time. Where are the humorous, non-partisan remarks now?

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  41. George R says:

    Meanwhile, over at UK tax-payer paid for BBC World Service (and let’s remember that the licence-payers’ BBC uses the World Service political line all the time: e.g. on Somalia, Pakistan, with people like J.Simpson and B. Plett).

    Does the following explain the BBC’s political line on e.g. Georgia?:

    ‘Londoners Diary’-

    “BBC’s world service to Russia”:-

    “From Westminster comes the startling suggestion that the BBC World Service is becoming infested by people who, if not actually KGB spies, have decidedly rum backgrounds. Julian Lewis, Tory MP for New Forest East, said in a debate that he is ‘alarmed’ by the World Service’s attitude to objectivity and impartiality in the former Soviet Union.

    “He added: ‘I have been informed that a former deputy editor of Izvestia, who was a specialist correspondent in Iraq, and that a former senior functionary at Radio Kiev – an English language Soviet propaganda station of the cold war – are deeply involved in advising senior people in the Russian service and the World Service on editorial policy. I have no reason to doubt that information. If it is true, clearly the service has lost its way.’

    “Lewis, who once made it his job to sniff out the top brass at CND, is calling for the Foreign Office to investigate what he calls ‘the co-opting of former employees of Russia’s media into the Russian service’. Bill Rammell, a Foreign Office minister, replied by calling Thatcherite Lewis ‘an ideologue’ To which Lewis nodding vigorously.”

    http://londonersdiary.standard.co.uk/2008/12/bbcs-world-serv.html

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  42. David Preiser (USA) says:

    henryflower | 18.12.08 – 4:54 pm |

    I have an alternative answer: when they can omit all reference to islam in both the headline and the story, and emphasize instead the terrorist’s Britishness or plumbing qualifications in the headline.

    I think you’re right. I forgot to mention that in the preceding reports about this particular Briton’s trial, they also used the T-word. It was in the charges, and anti-terror laws and police were involved, so the BBC had no choice.

    But why would that help a BBC Narrative? What editorial policy would drive that? Judging from the recent article on the motives of the flaming Glasgow doctor, they could be trying to blame it all on Bush’s War In Which Blair Illegally Involved the UK: It even drives Britons to madness, apparently. I guess that would work.

    Also, these guys were plotting to do something in the UK, so it’s a domestic issue. Like the flaming Glasgow doctor, this merits the T-word. Kind of a double standard, but at least it’s something.

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  43. George R says:

    It’s two big ISLAMIC JIHAD cases a week in the UK at present.

    Following on from the London-Glasgow Islamic doctor case, there is this:

    “Briton guilty of directing terror”

    (OR, more accurately): ‘Rochdale-born Muslim guilty of directing Islamic Jihad’

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7789773.stm

    Neither the above BBC report, nor the ‘Manchester Evening News’ below, (owned by the ‘Guardian’) use either the ‘I’ word or the ‘M’ word:

    “Leading UK terrorist guilty”

    http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1086302_leading_uk_terrorist_gulity

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  44. AndrewSouthLondon says:

    BBC:
    Shoe thrower “apologises”

    Why not:

    Shoe thrower apologises.

    Why the quotes around aplogises- like WE know he doesn’t REALLY mean it?

    Thank you the BBC for re-runing his insults:

    “This is a farewell kiss, you dog. This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq.”

    Never mind the toll of fathers mothers and children slaughtered by fellow arabs planting car-bombs daily for the last five years, oh angry journalist, because arab group-mind see only the great Satan.

    Pathetic BBC tries to keep the story running because it too wants to insult Bush.

    Go to the next public meeting at the BBC and lets all throw our shoes at them. Telly-tax payers are angry too.

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  45. George R says:

    This is what the BBC broadcast yesterday as ‘Thought for Today’ by Mona Siddiqui of Glasgow University.

    Note that this was broadcast on the day that an Islamic Jihadist doctor was sentenced to life imprisonment for the Glasgow airport terror bomb plot:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/programmes/thought/documents/t20081217.shtml

    Of course, Siddiqui does not refer to, nor offer an Islamic apology for that despicable crime.

    She does not suggest an apology from the Muslim Iraqi ‘journalist’ who threw shoes at President Bush.
    Her vapid words on the Bangaleshi doctor imprisoned by her Muslim parents speak volumes.

    Thanks BBC. Thanks Islam.

    ‘Jihadwatch’:

    “If the shoe fits, throw it”

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/023978.php#more

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  46. simon says:

    Here is the unbelievably obtuse response from the BBC to my complaint about the double standard of using the word “terrorist” unattributed, liberally, in its article on a potential attack in Bahrain versus its refusal to use the term when reporting on similar events in Israel (including similar cases of terrorist attacks being thwarted). Can anyone figure out what the hell Mr. Jolly is trying to say here?:

    ” Simon,

    Thank you for your e-mail. I don’t think this story is incompatible with
    our general approach to this issue. Terrorist is a perfectly acceptable
    word in a generic sense, which the Bahrain incident is. Where we do
    exercise caution is when applying this and related terms to specific
    groups, and that applies to the situation in Israel; our duty is to be
    impartial and independent and not to use language which can be seen as
    subjective.

    Best wishes,

    Ian Jolly
    News website”

    If that isn’t the height of incomprehensible incompetence I don’t know what is. Does this sentence make any sense at all?: “Terrorist is a perfectly acceptable
    word in a generic sense, which the Bahrain incident is.” Mr. Jolly seems to be simply re-iterating my point–that the BBC separates out Israel for special negative treatment. After all, he categorically states that the use of the term “terrorist” in the case of Bahrain is acceptable, but not in the case of Israel, by making the strange leap that the Bahrain incident is a “generic” one. What the hell does that mean?

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