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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134 Responses to General BBC-related comment thread.

  1. Martin says:

    Newsnight. I see slaphead Cable was on again as the ‘voice of the opposition.

    And as usual he was talking bollocks.

    Can someone please tell the BBC that slaphead isn’t part of the official opposition.

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  2. CCI Watson says:

    Classic piece of Michael Crickery on Newsnight tonight.

    Unelected Labour peer in “green shoots” gaffe.

    So how does it cover it? By digging out archive coverage of Norman Lamont, and talkng only about past Tory gaffes.

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  3. Dick the Prick says:

    Newsnight has just been a party political broadcast. Unbelievable.

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  4. Martin says:

    NOW ON RADIO 5 LIVE: George Bush was he all that bad? The Richard Bacon debate.

    So what do you think the answer will be? Any takers?

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  5. John Reith spins in his grave says:

    From Downing Street live –

    THE FINAL BULLETIN

    http://bbcpioneers.blogspot.com/2009/01/final-bulletin.html

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  6. George R says:

    What the BBC misses about Shriti VADERA, born in Uganda, now Labour’s Baroness of Leicester:

    -from ‘FT’ (2008):

    “The mystery of Baroness Vadera”

    http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2008/02/the-mystery-of-baroness-vadera/

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  7. Martin says:

    Bloke came on to defend Bush. Richard Bacon tells his he’s talking rubbish.

    Silly old woman comes on (with a thick sounding brummie accent) and talks bollocks and Bacon says nothing.

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  8. moonbat nibbler says:

    The latest dispatch from Hamas, with a veneer of al-beeb:
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7828884.stm

    The blatant bias: no mention of an Israeli injury figure (1,270 as of two days ago).

    Yet, the insidious ‘lets blame the joos’ narrative is even worse. Consider this duplexity of duplicity:

    “It is impossible to independently confirm casualty figures as Israel has refused to allow international journalists to enter Gaza.”

    1. No context as to why Israel has refused to allow international journalists in. Couldn’t be because those “international journalists”, from say, Iranian TV have been relaying army movements in real-time could it?!

    2. The aspersion from the sentence is that it would be possible to independently verify casualty figures if, so-called, journalists were allowed into Gaza. Presumably because Hamas are so benevolent and wouldn’t dare interrogate and torture press working for foreign outlets?!

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  9. jimbob says:

    classic ten oclock news tonight

    1. lady vadera defended – there actually are green shoots e.g tesco is taking on 10,000 people.

    ( they don’t mention that 10,000 jobs in retail will shut to make those jobs)

    2. then we are off to USA where an american medic tells us that obama will authorise stem cell research. the crippled will walk, the lame will be cured, MIRACLES will happen I tell you!

    3.finally a nice piece from gaza about how arab medics have been treating lots of children with close range gunshots to the head.

    classic bbc smears

    the allegation they wish to make is that israeli soldiers are deliberately shooting kids in the head at close range.

    no real right of reply given to the israeli army on this specific but unsourced allegation.

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  10. moonbat nibbler says:

    Track the loons from Free Gaza on their latest attempt to reach the hallowed land:

    http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0T9vIzDuqKd7Vz8WiSrZ73HnzaASECQS1

    Why mention this here? Well this time the Bbc’s own Jim Muir is on-board.

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  11. George R says:

    Is the Labour Party-indulgent BBC about to offer Labour’s unelected ‘Shriti the Shreik’* Baroness Vadera and the BBC’s own Robert Peston guest spots for a springtime ‘Newsnight’ special for ‘Gardeners’ World’ to talk about ‘green shoots’ and what they represent?

    No wonder the UK financial system is in a mess: we are given a master-class in ‘economics by metaphor’, e.g.:

    SHRITI THE SHREIK:

    “I am seeing a few green shoots but it’s a little bit too early to say exactly how they’d grow.”

    ROBERT PESTON, the BBC’s Business Editor and Gardening Correspondent:

    “there were signs in the past few weeks that conditions on the margin … ‘were getting a little bit easier’ and that this could be regarded by bankers as “traces of green shoots”.

    “However, it is very early days and only today we saw some of those green shoots vanish,” .

    “So right now, even in that narrow banker’s sense of green shoots, it is almost impossible to see them.”

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7828549.stm

    * Apparently, ‘SHRITI THE SHREIK’ is the woman’s nickname:

    “Baroness Vadera has staff problems”

    http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/people,1588,baroness-vadera-has-staff-problems,53678

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  12. George R says:

    For Baroness Vadera, read ‘Shriti the Shriek’

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  13. Joe says:

    I have not been on this site for some time but I found it quite amazing how many spurious sites with similar names the communist run BBC has established.

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  14. Grimer says:

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7823796.stm

    Gazan families: Pulling (the pins from grenades) together

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  15. Libertarian says:

    The BBC says its standards of objectivity and impartiality will be maintained

    F****ng Maintained!……………..Theres none there to start with.

    The BBC is well respected by opinion formers within Iran and brand awareness is high – despite government media restrictions

    ……..are those the opinion formers who hang gay people from cranes in public?

    The channel will show a wide variety of social and cultural programmes, as well as news.

    will the stoning to death of raped women be broadcast?

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7827574.stm

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  16. Libertarian says:

    In the avalanche of abuse and ridicule that we are witnessing in the media assessments of President Bush’s legacy, there are factors that need to be borne in mind if we are to come to a judgment that is not warped by the kind of partisan hysteria that has characterised this issue on both sides of the Atlantic.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/4241865/History-will-show-that-George-W-Bush-was-right.html

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  17. Anonymous says:

    PASS IT ON Cartoon from ERef

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  18. Garden Trash says:

    Those “green shoots” should just make it for the next freeze this winter.

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  19. Libertarian says:

    ‘Ring of steel’ to guard BBC’s HQ against car bombers

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1115163/Ring-steel-guard-BBCs-HQ-car-bombers.html

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  20. Libertarian says:

    It responds to repeated demands from Iranians themselves for news they can trust

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/15/bbc-persian-television-iran

    LOL!

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  21. Garden Trash says:

    “‘Ring of steel’ to guard BBC’s HQ against car bombers”

    Sorry,II misread that,I thought it said bummers.

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  22. Terry Johnson says:

    Have Al-BBC reported this piece of news from Europe….or does it not fit into their “Jews are bad..muslims are good” narrative ?

    “On Saturday, January 3rd, Muslims gathered in the historical city center of Antwerp to pledge their allegiance and express their sympathy and support for Palestine and the Palestinian cause. The police arrested 95 protesters. Several of them were in the possession of Molotov-cocktails, firearms and pepperspray and they were clearly out to get Jews and attack Jewish targets. That same night the home of a Jewish family, where 12 children were asleep, was set on fire. Luckily, only the house was damaged and nobody was wounded. Arson at night in an inhabited house is a direct attempt at murder for which, according to Belgian Law, one can be condemned to an imprisonment of 20 years.”

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  23. . says:

    WHYS today posted a topic-The Greatest Show on Earth?- claiming to want opinions on Obama’s inauguration stating “But let’s be clear, this isn’t going to be an unbridled Obamafest. If you’ve got Obama fatigue and would rather draw the curtains and turn off the radio, we want to hear from you as well.

    That’s interesting. I said that I would be volunteering in my community instead of watching and my post was not posted. All whopping 8 posts praise Obama? Uh, ok.

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  24. BROWNED_OFF says:

    BBC sounds off on the evils of capitalism:

    Privatisation “raised death rate”
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7828901.stm

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  25. DEJ says:

    Philip I: We I got through 8 minutes of it and I find him deluded not wise. Typical left-wing academic. How can he not see the aims of Hamas when they are not shy about announcing them?

    http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=i08L09V0_sg

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  26. David Preiser (USA) says:

    Here’s something else the BBC will not tell you about the UN and Gaza:

    U.N. Agency That Runs School Hit in Gaza Employed Hamas and Islamic Jihad Members

    The United Nations agency that administers a school in Gaza where dozens of civilians were killed by Israeli mortar fire last week has admitted to employing terrorists to work at its Palestinian schools in the past, has no system in place to keep members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad off its payroll, and provides textbooks to children that contain hate speech and other incendiary information.

    The UNRWA is one of the BBC’s pet sources for body counts, so I doubt this will be reported by them any time soon. Meanwhile, the BBC is about to hype the UN boss’s visit. But they won’t tell you about what his organization really gets up to.

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  27. Peter says:

    I found this ‘interesting’ on a variety of levels, from headline crafting to some choice bits of text later on…

    Israel’s Gaza news management

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/markurban/2009/01/israels_gaza_news_management.html#commentsanchor

    It seems extraordinary that the BBC has decided that the conflict has run it course, at least as far as outrage and ratings go, ‘But in the end money creeps into people’s thoughts…’

    Anyone would think they were not uniquely funded and simply matching their fellow gutter dwellers.

    A little concerned by what (or, rather, who) this refers to.. leaving the resident journalists to carry on with reduced coverage. Is this code for ‘some bloke’s cousin we deputised and told only to come back with really corking heresay’…. This would suggest as much…‘The BBC Bureau and its Gaza out-station, manned by two heroic local producers remain to tell the story of course’

    That’s rather the impression one gets, from the ‘big’ man himself, though I doubt that’s the actual impression he intended to leave with this: one reason why the conflict is dropping in the news agenda is because journalism’s big names have been prevented from gaining access to it

    This whole ‘we couldn’t get in (at least not in the way we wanted)’, toys out of the pram aspect seems way too prevalent, and the solution they opted for, namely standing outside moaning (with a slight admission on other possible reasons for this that may not reflect well on the other main protagonists: ‘In this sense, militants closed off a valuable point of contact’) with the outside world and running any old thing, might not have played as well with the viewing public. Especially when it highlighted how little factual substance exists to their usual emoting and ‘interpreting events’.

    It’s a tricky one, and indeed time will tell, and give cause to reflect on the actions of many, plus the consequences.

    Others have linked to rather potent tangible military reasons not to have the MSM running around a war zone, but on the propaganda value aspect, the opening frame of the featured film associated with this piece does rather eloquently set the ‘tone’.

    I guess kicking off with footage of rather less polite 8 years of popping rockets (or much by way of acknowledging the chaps that light those blue touch papers exist, save for the word of one… Dr. Mads Gilbert, with ‘chums’ rather spookily shoulder to shoulder) at another bunch of civvies was the initial context required.

    When the ‘awful reckoning’ does get made, I wonder to what extent the ‘unsupervised’ views of Gaza residents might be ‘shaped’ by those with a vested interest in ‘running orders’.

    As to whether those left behind will view Hamas’ ‘defence’ of their liberties was wise, effective or worth it is another matter. Not a view I expect to be shared, or broadcast, very much, even if prevalent.

    Which means the whole sorry charade will start again, and the circus will reappear when the ratings warrant.

    Something these big media hitters might want to consider their complicity with as they pack their bags and leave behind the kids they allowed to be used so casually to perk up the reports while they were ‘interested’.

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  28. Llew says:

    In the BBC news right now about social services. Doncaster Council. No mention of the political make up of them though.

    Guess why.

    Also on the website – Another missing word. That must be the 3rd council story in a week where it’s not important to mention it.

    They never have the same problem when it’s a nasty Conservative Council or Councillor. Pathetic news reporting.

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  29. John Reith spins in his grave says:

    David Preiser (USA):
    Here’s something else the BBC will not tell you about the UN and Gaza:

    U.N. Agency That Runs School Hit in Gaza Employed Hamas and Islamic Jihad Members

    Interesting, David.

    I particularly enjoyed;-

    A notebook captured by Israeli officials at the UNRWA school in the Kalandia refugee camp several years ago glorified homicide bombers and other terrorists. Called “The Star Team,” it profiled so-called “martyrs,” Palestinians who had died either in homicide bombings or during armed struggle with Israel. On the book’s back cover was printed the UNRWA emblem, as well as a photo of a masked gunman taking aim while on one knee.

    So ex-beeboid Chris Gunness is actually fronting an organisation which encourages kids to become terrorists.

    A new low – even for a beeboid.

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  30. George R says:

    ‘Daily Mail’

    “Licence fee payers could get refund after BBC admits it hasn’t spent all its alloted funds”

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1116323/Licence-fee-payers-refund-BBC-admits-spent-alloted-funds.html?ITO=1490

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  31. DB says:

    BBC’s Kevin Anderson, January 2005:
    With an estimated price tag of $40m, the three-day celebration that is President Bush’s second inauguration will be the most expensive ever…
    Some have criticised the expense, questioning the propriety of a flashy celebration as US troops are dying in Iraq and South Asia still recovers from last month’s deadly tsunami.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4187023.stm

    BBC’s Matt Frei, January 2009:
    The economy continues to tank, Gaza continues to burn and Eastern Europe continues to shiver without Russian gas but the world, it seems, does not begrudge Washington its festivities, just as the world wishes George Bush a speedy transition to retirement amid the tumbleweed of Texas.
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/world_news_america/7827592.stm

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  32. John Reith spins in his grave says:

    Yet more on ex-beeboid Gunness’ organisation (pre-dates the current conflict):-

    How UNRWA Supports Hamas

    http://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/article/53

    There have also been widespread reports of terrorism from UNRWA-supervised facilities, including sniper attacks from UNRWA-run schools, bomb and arms factories in UNRWA camps, the transport of terrorists to their target zones in UNRWA ambulances, and even UNRWA employees directly tied to terrorist attacks against civilians.

    Nidal Abd al-Fattah Abdallah Nazzal, an ambulance driver for UNRWA from Kalqiliya in the West Bank, was arrested by Israeli security services in August 2002. Nidal admitted that he was a Hamas activist and that he had transported weapons and explosives to terrorists in his ambulance, taking advantage of the freedom of movement afforded to UNRWA vehicles by the Israelis.

    Nahd Rashid Ahmad Atallah, a senior official of UNRWA in the Gaza Strip, was also arrested by Israeli security in August 2002. In his capacity as an UNRWA official, he provided support to families of wanted Fatah and PFLP terrorists. He used his UNRWA car to transport armed members of the “Popular Resistance Committees,” a militant faction of the Fatah movement, to carry out attacks against Israeli troops at the Karni Crossing.

    …UNRWA also appears to be in the business of cultivating new terrorists. The New York Times exposed in 2000 that UNRWA allowed terrorist groups to use their schools as “summer camps” so that 25,000 Palestinian children could receive paramilitary training, including instructions on how to prepare Molotov cocktails and roadside bombs.

    And the BBC uses this organisation as it’s main news source of Israeli “atrocities” (apart from the “Mad Marxist” doc of course).

    You really couldn’t make it up.

    Your BBC – Giving terrorism a fair crack of the whip

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  33. Ryan says:

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7829946.stm

    Apparently Milliband regrets “War on Terror”. However, on closer inspection it is apparent he only regrets the use of the phrase “War on Terror”, not the military action itself.

    The BBC is about as left-wing as George Galloway, I’d say. If they attack NuLabour at all, its always from the vantage point of the radical left.

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  34. Ryan says:

    This one is hilarious. It is in the Mirror, but comes from “Evanomics Davies”. He has come to the considered conclusion that the blame for the credit crunch lies with David Bowie:

    http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/01/12/david-bowie-s-back-catalogue-bonds-may-have-started-the-credit-crunch-115875-21036649/

    Davies must be on the same substances that so many other Beeboids appear to have resorted to.

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  35. Grant says:

    DB 9:45

    The arrogance of the odious Matt Frei in claiming to speak for “the world” is amazing.
    Really the pits, even by the BBC’s low standards.

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  36. Grant says:

    John Reith 9:46

    Many thanks for that link. Since, UNRWA openly support the Hamas terrorists, I believe that should make their staff ,including the repulsive Chris Gunness, legitimate targets for the IDF. I , for one, would be delighted if he got topped !

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  37. Grant says:

    Ryan 9:58

    It is quite funny to think of the BBC criticising the government for not being left-wing enough !
    As for blaming the “credit crunch” on David Bowie, well it is everyone’s fault but Brown’s , isn’t it ?

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  38. peter wyngarde says:

    http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2009/01/my-thought-for-day.html#links
    The Thought for the Day producer on the Today Programme surpassed him/herself by scouring the country to find the only vicar who thinks it was perfectly OK for the producers of Coronation Street to remove a cross from the church

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  39. mailman says:

    Any news on the house the stinky joooos supposedly hearded people in to and then bombed?

    Also, why dont all these reporters go in to Egypt and ask to cross the from that country?

    Mailman

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  40. George R says:

    Grant 9:46 am

    Yes, more Gunness pro-Hamas propaganda on BBC Radio 5, a few minutes ago; he was given an uninterrupted, friendly, anti-Israel slot, in contrast to the BBC ‘Today’s Humphrys this morning, when Israel spokeman, Regev was given a hostile, constantly interrupted, anti-Israel slot: (see ‘Gaza Update’ thread on this site below for details 8:23 entry).

    “What’s wrong with this title?” (H.Fitzgerald)
    http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/18843

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  41. RR says:

    Humphrys hit a new low this morning interviewing Mark Regev. It struck me that he was out to generate more heat than light – because on this issue heat is what the BBC wants to create.

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  42. DB says:

    Last Sunday’s Broadcasting House on Radio 4 interrupted its stream of anti-Israeli items long enough for Brian Hanrahan to trail The World This Weekend. He said the programme would include a look at the prospective relationship between Britain and the new American administration given that Obama’s Kenyan grandfather was locked up by the British. BH presenter Paddy O’Connell responded: We’re all looking for those Barack Obama angles. Thank you very much for yours.”

    Here are some of the stories that have appeared on the BBC website just since yesterday. I’ve ignored proper news and concentrated on the fluff, the “angles” as O’Connell put it.

    Will Smith hopes to play Obama
    Obama waxwork for Madame Tussauds
    Poem sent for Obama inauguration
    Obama echoes JFK’s Camelot romance
    Canadians select songs for Obama
    Obama’s ‘Beast’ of a car revealed
    Adams set for Obama inauguration
    Cashing in on Obama inauguration
    Notes to Obama: Iwu and Goldsmith
    Notes to Obama: Wynton Marsalis
    Diary: Railroad to the White House
    Celtic Connections gets under way (8th para)

    Here are the searches I used.
    http://news.google.co.uk/news?ned=uk&hl=en&ned=uk&q=Obama+source:bbc_news&ie=UTF-8&as_drrb=q&as_qdr=d&as_mind=14&as_minm=1&as_maxd=15&as_maxm=1&nolr=1
    http://search.bbc.co.uk/search?go=toolbar&uri=%2F&q=Obama&tab=ns&start=1&scope=all

    And there are more stories appearing by the hour. By inauguration day they’ll have more angles than a geometry book.

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  43. George R says:

    Where does the BBC’s political stance of being pro- Islamic jihad Hamas, and anti-Israel differ from that of Bin Laden?
    In principle? Or in degree?

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/024392.php

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  44. Frankos says:

    on another issue –George “please give me a proper job” Mombiot will be on the Vine show condemning that Middle class institution –the dreaded Aga cooker–
    He will saying it is environmentally unfriendly.(and no doubt will bring up class issues along the way)
    I suggest that everyone might want to send this self righteous Leftie a list of their kitchen appliances to check their Green credentials.
    Why the BBC insists on bringing on a raft of completely useless and unemployable Lefties is beyond me.
    I personally never take any decisions without George’s validation.

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  45. GCooper says:

    What’s interesting about Moonbat is that, like Goldsmith and so many other prominent eco-loons, he is another thoroughly middle class lad with the obligatory public school accent, expecting the rest of us to pay for his guilt-trip.

    When these fools manage to get governments dancing to their tune (they are never able to actually win elections themselves) the laws that are passed cause real suffering to ordinary people. But do these trustafarian neo-puritans feel the pain? Of course they don’t – nor do they understand the world inhabited by those that do.

    Their influence within the BBC, of course, is amplified by the number of Beeboids from exactly the same societal drawer.

    It’s like a new, parallel, establishment.

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  46. field.size says:

    This is an interesting read, I wonder why the several Billion pound “envy of the world” state of the art news gathering supermen of the BBC have been unable to report anything like this? either before or after the start of Israel hitting back.

    http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2009/01/secret-of-smuggling-tunnels-of-hamas.html#readfurther

    FS

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  47. Martin says:

    Perhaps someone will point out that Moonbat now owns a car. So just who is supposed to give up theirs so he can own one?

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  48. Martin says:

    You know I HAD to check this morning that I was listening to Radio 5 live. Perhaps I’m imagining it but since McFatty one eye has said there will be a third runway I swear blind that the BBC has gone pro runway 3.

    Certainly Nicki Campbell (the pint sized jock tool of radio 5) sneered at the idea put forward by Boris Johnson of building a new airport in the Thames estuary (away from houses).

    I can see the beeboids tearing themselves apart on this, but I suspect hey won’t attack McFatty one eye but the Tories instead.

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  49. Bruce says:

    With the use of this picture, do you think the BBC have taken a position on the proposed runway?

    BBC Bias

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