44 Responses to Open Thread

  1. Martin says:
    October 2, 2009 at 9:46 pm

    Poor old Obama turd sniffers on newsnight, clearly lined up another Obama love fest for the evening, then those effing foreigners go and pick Rio, how dare they turn down the black Jesus and Mary after their fantastic speaches that had Nicki Campbell in tears (and me laughing)

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  2. Martin says:
    October 2, 2009 at 9:49 pm

    More Newsnight horseshit now wanking on about Michelle Obama and Sarah Brown. Hang on neither woman has achived anything personally other than marry a retard.

    Poor old beeboids, but I don’t expect them to include Cameron’s wife.

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  3. John Horne Tooke says:
    October 2, 2009 at 9:53 pm

    Here is an interesting piece:
    http://www.financialpost.com/opinion/story.html?id=2056988

    I bet Harribin et al at the BBC don’t pick it up.

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  4. dave s says:
    October 3, 2009 at 12:30 am

    In today’s Brussels Journal I came across a quote from Chomsky which could almost be a prime directive for the BBC and the liberal media. It is in a most interesting essay by Fjordman.
    I quote
    “The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum”
    How familiar that sounds when watching , listening or reading these days.
    Perhaps OMTE would care to comment.

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  5. Boris Godunoff says:
    October 3, 2009 at 1:13 am

    Challenge for the day: is B-BBC social expert Martin capable of writing a comment without any reference to faeces?

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  6. Mailman says:
    October 3, 2009 at 6:53 am

    As Ive already noted in the last global warming (TM) thread, al beeb is refusing to report the death of the hickey stick, and my implication every piece of global warming propoganda related to it (like the IPCC report!), because according to harribin, they dont report on single issues!

    Mailman

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  7. Grant says:
    October 3, 2009 at 8:30 am

    Reports on this morning’s news that the BBC have won a court case to prevent them disclosing the pay of their top “stars”.  Legal costs to the licence payer £200,000.  Democracy, what a joke ! 

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    • Marky says:
      October 3, 2009 at 1:37 pm

      It’s not really anything to do with democracy, the BBC have forgotten that we the tax payer own the BBC and for that reason if anyone in the UK wants to know something about our TV corporation (especially in regards to bias in the Balen report or how the corporation is run) then they have a right to know. Those who work for the BBC in essence are employed by us.

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      • Marky says:
        October 3, 2009 at 1:39 pm

        Oh, and to spend £200,000 of our money telling us (who pay thier wages) we have no rights is taking the…

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  8. George R says:
    October 3, 2009 at 10:27 am

    ‘Cranmer’ has a different take on Britain’s broken families, than does Labour (and the BBC?):

    “Are ‘broken families’ responsible for ‘Broken Britain’?”

    http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/2009/10/are-broken-families-responsible-for.html

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  9. Umbongo says:
    October 3, 2009 at 11:38 am

    A lefties jackpot on the News Quiz – Jeremy Hardy, Mark Steel, Francis Wheen and Sue Perkins with Sandi Toksvig in the chair.  No bias, of course: after all Marcus Brigstocke was omitted from the line-up.

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  10. Heads on poles says:
    October 3, 2009 at 12:59 pm

    Umbongo, I’ve given up listening to any comedy on radio 4 (except for ISIHAC) as it is full of lefties and liberals – both as bad as each other.
    Mark Steel and Jeremy Hardy are in the top 3 of my most hated leftie ‘comedians’. The problem I find is that ar$ehole Hardy ruins ISIHAC for me completely too – yes, I find him that nauseating.
    Hopefully come May, there’ll be some domestos in the stinking gene pool of talent at the Beeb.
    BTW, why are women no longer called comediennes, is this something that Hattie has sorted out?

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  11. Heads on poles says:
    October 3, 2009 at 1:03 pm

    So el Gordo agrees ‘in principle’ to a televised debate.
    Will this really happen?
    Probably not.
    The list of questions that will not be allowed will be legion, bet your life the Beeb will be playing down all questions that could be deemed critical of the last 12 years – nothing regarding Brown and painkillers but Dave will get plenty of innuendo about University – you know the sort of thing.
    And how are they going to ration the tickets? If the Beeb can’t control that, there could be fun, perhaps even a right of centre attendee or two – another reason why Gorgon will say no.

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  12. Philip says:
    October 3, 2009 at 1:58 pm

    Looks like the Beeb is beginning to work itself up into a lather (in deference to DVs request for more civility I won’t say what I was going to say) over the expected Irish EU Treaty shoo-in.

    I expect the corridors of BH will be ‘strewn with champagne bottles’ again by morning…

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  13. David Vance says:
    October 3, 2009 at 2:30 pm

    Philip

    Yes – celebrate good times as the Irish cave. 

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  14. Philip says:
    October 3, 2009 at 2:58 pm

    Cheaply-bought chokers.

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  15. David Preiser (USA) says:
    October 3, 2009 at 4:47 pm

    The BBC continues to be dishonest about what’s going on in Honduras.

    Honduras thaw paves way for talks

    The ousted president was forced from office on 28 June by a military-backed coup and has been holed up in Tegucigalpa’s Brazilian Embassy since sneaking back into Honduras last month.

    This is a false depiciton.  In fact, the military arrested Zelaya, on the orders of the Supreme Court.

    Nearly every previous BBC report on the situation in Honduras has contained similar dishonesty.  They constantly refer to his arrest and removal from office as merely a “coup”.  Anyone who has followed BBC international reporting at all – especially regarding Mugabe and Zimbabwe – that the Beeboids use the term only with negative connotations.  In the case of Honduras, they have continually failed to report honestly the reality behind Zelaya’s removal from office.

    When the Presdient of Taiwan, Chen Shui-Bian, was forced to step down, did the BBC refer to that as a coup?  What about Suharto of Indonesia?  Of course they didn’t.  They were both forced out of office for breaking the law.  So was Zelaya, althought the BBC doesn’t want you to know that.

    Instead, they portray it this way:

    Mr Zelaya was forced from office at gunpoint after announcing plans to hold a non-binding public consultation on whether people supported moves to change the constitution

    His opponents said the move was unconstitutional and was aimed at removing the current one-term limit on serving as president, so paving the way for Mr Zelaya’s possible re-election.

    Ooh, “forced at gun point”.  A bit of emotive language to create just the right attitude in the reader’s mind.  They do this in on-air reports as well.

    “His opponents said”?  How about the Supreme Court, BBC?  They leave out important facts, and actually misinform the public.’

    Why would the BBC act so dishonestly, seemingly in support of Zelaya?  Because he’s backed by the BBC’s favorite South American ruler, Hugo Chavez.  The reason Zelaya was – quite legally – removed from office is because he was trying to follow in Chavez’s footsteps by altering his country’s Constitution so that he could become President for Life.

    If Zelaya was backed by Bush, they’d be hammering that point home every time.  But since he’s backed by Comrade Chavez, they keep shtum.

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  16. Umbongo says:
    October 3, 2009 at 5:39 pm

    David Preiser

    Not so much Chavez – although he’s in the starry firmament of BBC heroes – but the BBC’s uberhero himself  as noted here: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKTRE55S5J220090629

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    • David Preiser (USA) says:
      October 3, 2009 at 5:46 pm

      That was after Chavez reached out to his fellow neo-Marxist up North.  And the President was only too happy to help out one of the world leaders He so happily embraced at recent meetings.  The BBC was already being dishonest about Honduras before He gave his blessing to Zelaya.

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  17. George R says:
    October 3, 2009 at 5:54 pm

    BBC report: “Air traffic problem fixed”

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8288313.stm

    BUT, BBC misses this ‘air traffic problem’:-

    (Muslim) “Bomb hoaxer closed airport to prevent UK authorities deporting him to Pakistan”

    [Extract]:
     
    <div id=”digg-button” class=”float-r hidden”>
    <script src=”http://scripts.dailymail.co.uk/js/diggthis.js” type=”text/javascript”></script>
    </div>

    “A failed asylum seeker shut down an airport and put three others on red alert with a series of hoax calls warning of suicide bomb attacks.
    “Salman Mukaty, 27, was trying to stop himself being deported to Pakistan after more than nine years in the UK. ”

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1217746/Muslim-bomb-hoaxer-closed-airport-prevent-UK-authorities-deporting-Pakistan.html#ixzz0StbJkTRC

     

    <div class=”thinFloatRHS”>

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
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  18. Martin says:
    October 3, 2009 at 9:36 pm

    Interesting to see how the BBC is reporting the Polanski story.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8288340.stm

    Look at the link stories on the left, all appear sympathetic to him and I notice that the disgusting vermin in Hollywood appear to be supporting a man who raped a young girl, I guess perhaps liberals think that raping children is normal?

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  19. Llew says:
    October 4, 2009 at 7:23 am

    BBC news is headlining that Harriet Harman didn’t stop after being involved in a minor traffic accident.

    Their empasis.

    Also on here…
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8289159.stm

    It’s not up to the BBC to decide the severity of the accident. The only fact the BBC should be reporting on is that Harriet Harman did not stop after a traffic accident and that, I believe is illegal.

    On other (non-Labour) issues, the BBC hold back until the full facts are known (at least that’s what they say when questioned over bias by ommission).

    BBC covering up for Labour again. If it was a Tory of course they would turn it into a major story, even if it was eventually found out to be a minor accident.

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    • Llew says:
      October 4, 2009 at 7:39 am

      Oops, I should add that it’s claimed she did briefly stop, but she then left the scene without leaving details.

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  20. Guest says:
    October 4, 2009 at 8:20 am

    Andrew Marr show paper reviewer for the Conservative Party conference… Polly ‘Why pick on Harriet? It’s not news’ Toynbee! There is a surprise. I guess Kevin Maguire wasn’t free for the other slot.

    But what is so funny is her having been programmed (by whom?) to intone, over and over again, the mantra about Tory EU ‘toxins’. To a ridiculous level.

    However, the most important story to our Andrew, is our Pol’s bigging up Dame Ellen giving up her boat for ‘climate (etc)’ promotion. One presumes she will also be giving up sailing (free air) for what mode of transport (hot air?).

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  21. Heads on poles says:
    October 4, 2009 at 11:07 am

    Just a few differing points:

    Anybody heard any talk in the MSM that Chicago didn’t get it *because* of O’bama?

    An item on Broadcasting House this morning regarding music played during conferences. Good number of bad Tory songs including Thatcher and absolutely no mention of James – sit down next to me during Brown’s play out last week.

    Should the car crash allegedly involving Harriden using a mobile phone whilst driving be thrown open to the court of public opinion or hidden away by the BBC as it is so far?
    Imagine if it was a Tory, there would be calls for a resignation or two.

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  22. Heads on poles says:
    October 4, 2009 at 11:14 am

    Soppy Sopel getting over excited on the Politics show.
    Has he been on the red bull or have a new set of orders been handed down?
    Milliblink in the studio getting questioned in a more calm and responsible manner.

    Oh dear, he’s getting so excited questioning Eric Pickles that dolphins on the East coast can only hear him given his high pitched squeeking. Ah, now blaming Thatcher and Milliblink is not being interrupted and the question is not being pursued – on’t know why I bother watching this biased monkey effluent dressed up as a highbrow political programme.

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  23. George R says:
    October 4, 2009 at 12:46 pm

    BBC’s CAMPAIGN FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, (Con’t):

     The BBC keeps up its heavy and continual political campaign on behalf of illegal immigrants.

     BBC Panorama tonight has another sob story by BBC’s Paul Kenyon, the BBC’s reporter for Illegal Immigrants (he seems to use British licencepayers’ money to report on little else) which aims to get across the BBC message that the people of the EU and Britain must take in an unspecified and UNENDINGLY large numbers of such people. (BBC does like to talk numbers of immigrants.)

       A couple of correctives to the BBC propaganda case which it never allows to be developed in argument:

    1.) ‘The Camp of Saints’

    http://www.fourmilab.ch/fourmilog/archives/2008-06/001018.html

    2.) ‘Lifeboat Ethics’

    http://www.fourmilab.ch/fourmilog/archives/2008-06/001018.html

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  24. David Preiser (USA) says:
    October 4, 2009 at 3:50 pm

    Remember Newsnight and Greg Palast lying to you about ACORN, saying that all their voter fraud really wasn’t an attempt to affect the outcome of an election, and only nasty white Conservatives did that?

    Here’s proof that Newsnight lied to you:

    Now will Congress investigate ACORN?

    Meanwhile, in Oklahoma City, documents found in a recently vacated ACORN office included a detailed memo titled “Power Plan” for a five-year effort to elect supportive legislators and transform Oklahoma to a progressive state “in the way it was 100 years ago.” The man in charge of the office left town without paying back rent or utility bills, according to OklahmaWatchdog.org. Also found in the documents was a script for a Houston ACORN-directed recruiting campaign for “hiring Outreach Workers to remind people to get out and vote for Barack Obama in the upcoming election.” As a tax-exempt nonprofit, ACORN is barred from participating in partisan election activities, and its national spokesmen have insisted throughout the 2008 presidential race that their organization was not working to elect Obama.

    (Emphasis mine)

    So there you have it.  ACORN was actively engaging in voter fraud with the explicit attempt to affect the outcome of an election.  And The Obamessiah’s campaign gave them $800,000.

    Newsnight lied to – and the BBC has steadfastly refused to inform you of ACORN’s endless stream of subsequent legal troubles, simply out of partisan bias.

    NB Moderators:  Three times now I’ve posted a comment only to have it disappear when I go back to the main page.  Twice just now on this thread, and once on another.

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  25. George R says:
    October 4, 2009 at 4:42 pm

     In the following report, the BBC refers to ‘Nuristan’ several times:

    “Heavy US losses in Afghan battle”

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8289200.stm

    Here is a comment on the very relevant history of how ‘Kafiristan’ became ‘Nuristan’, not provided by BBC:

    “‘Nuristan’ was the name (land of light/enlightenment…as if Islam brings light) imposed after the genocidally successful late 19th century jihad by muslim-pashtun-afgahnistan crushed what had been “Kafiristan” (land of the pagans/kafirs) , inhabited by the pagan Kalash…Some were carried off as slaves, others killed, others forced to become muslim; many non-Kalash were also brought in from Kunar and other areas of Afghanistan in order to forestall future resistance.”

    -‘New English Review’ – “Attack in ‘Nuristan’ formerly ‘Kafiristan'”

    http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/23410

     The racist Taliban is also engaged in Islamic jihad against the Kalash tribes as described in this ‘Telegraph’ report, but NOT available on BBC news website in this context:

      “Racist Taliban targets descendents of Alexander the Great”

    http://infidelsunite.typepad.com/counter_jihad/2009/09/racist-taliban-targets-descendants-of-alexander-the-great-.html

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    • David Preiser (USA) says:
      October 5, 2009 at 1:00 pm

      When it comes to certain countries, the BBC hears no ethnic cleansing, sees no ethnic cleansing, and speaks no ethnic cleansing.

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  26. George R says:
    October 4, 2009 at 5:21 pm

    Jack Straw.

    Yes, the BBC will be discussing this with non-Muslims tomorrow? -(only kidding):

    “Jack Straw too close to pro-Hamas faction” 

    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6860246.ece
     
     
     

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    • George R says:
      October 4, 2009 at 5:36 pm

      Jack Straw.

       More for the BBC to research in preparation for inviting supporter of  e.g. ‘Stop the Islamization of Europe’ group to be allowed the opportunity to criticise such links:

      “‘Times’ exposes Jack Straw links with Blackburn” [Islamic] “radicals”

      http://standpointmag.co.uk/node/2257

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      • George R says:
        October 4, 2009 at 6:29 pm

        In terms of the sort of ‘society’ Blackburn is, this BBC report by Vivian White (2007) gives some idea of the conflict and segregation there, but the reality is worse, of course:

         “White Fright”

        http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/6631541.stm

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        • George R says:
          October 4, 2009 at 6:42 pm

           A more recent report on Blackburn, Muslims, some of whom will be Jack Straw’s constituents:

           http://www.blackburncitizen.co.uk/news/blackburn/4039376.Thousands_march_in_Blackburn_against_Gaza_attacks/?action=complain&cid=7443362

           No doubt the BBC in Lancashire, which I understand, has its HQ in Blackburn, will avoid all this.

           For BBC: Blackburn, a microcosm of the consequences of multiculturalism, mass immigration and Islamization of Britain under Labour.

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          • George R says:
            October 4, 2009 at 7:25 pm

            Jack Straw “‘too close’ to pro-Hamas faction”, is on BBC Question Time again soon; but Geert Wilders is banned by Labour from entering Britain, so that Labour can appease the Islamic vote further.

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            • George R says:
              October 5, 2009 at 3:19 pm

               Not that the BBC tells us, but this is how close the Labour and trade union movement is to the Muslim Council of Britain:

               “TUC and MCB braodcasting during Ramadan”

              [Extract] –

              “Short bulletins featuring the TUC and the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) discussing justice will be broadcast on a number of community radio stations around the UK during Ramadan.
              These include: Muslim Community Radio in East London (87.8FM), FMO Radio Ramadhan in Leicester (87.7 FM), ILM Radio in Blackburn (87.7 FM), and Radio Ramadan Edinburgh (87.7 FM).
              “The clips feature interviews with TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber and MCB General Secretary Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari.
              The TUC and the MCB have been working together since September 2006 to encourage more Muslims to join trade unions, encourage better community relations and combat Islamophobia, both within workplaces and in society at large.”

              http://www.tuc.org.uk/newsroom/tuc-16925-f0.cfm

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  27. David Preiser (USA) says:
    October 5, 2009 at 3:27 pm

    I’m getting some script error which prevents me from posting a detailed fisking of Peston’s latest effort to convince you that recovery is just around the corner, so I’ll try it this way.

    Microsoft: ‘No bounce’

    Basically he is saying that the doomsayers have a vested interest in the economy staying in recession, so don’t believe them.  And nobody can really predict anything, he says, which keeps him from being held accountable for anything.

    But he does manage to provide a bit of spin to make you think you are well on the way to recovery:

    Certainly many analysts and investors expect just such a rehabilitation. According to Bloomberg, they are anticipating a rise in corporate profits from 2010 to 2012 of more than 50% in aggregate.

    Which would wipe out most of the recession losses.

    This is misleading, beacuse “in aggregate” is meant to make you think it’s 50% recovery of profits from before the bubble burst, and not of current lower levels.  In which case all those losses will not be wiped out at all.

    But never mind.  The important lesson to take away from Peston’s post is that Ballmer and the guy from HSBC have vested interests in a continued recession and even a further contraction of the economy.  So don’t believe those doomsayers.

    Also, printing money out of thin air might not be the great idea he said it was when it was Mr. Brown’s cunning plan.  But don’t worry, nobody can predict anything, really.  Why, all those brilliant economists couldn’t predict the crash, right?  So don’t listen to anyone predicting gloom and doom now.  By extension, this should also mean that one shouldn’t listen to those predicting recovery, either.  But that doesn’t stop Peston from doing it.  Spin.

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  28. David Preiser (USA) says:
    October 5, 2009 at 3:58 pm

    The BBC continues to lie about Honduras and the actions of the man they still refer to as “President” Zelaya:

    Honduras ‘to life emergency rule’

    In ever report, the BBC keeps calling it a “coup”, and try to portray it as something that happened because “conservatives” don’t like him.  Only once have they dared admit that the Supreme Court said that Zelaya was illegally trying to alter the Constitution.  But even these reports portray this as something that was really opposed by “conservatives”, and that Zelaya is “left-leaning”.

    In the latest, once again the BBC is trying to spin this is some Left versus Right deal, and totally sweeps the illegal aspect under the rug.  No, to the BBC it’s just fears of those nasty conservatives.

    What the BBC doesn’t want you to know is that the Honduras Legistlature and Supreme Court were in fact trying to protect their democracy:


    That Mr. Zelaya acted as if he were above the law, there is no doubt. While Honduran law allows for a constitutional rewrite, the power to open that door does not lie with the president. A constituent assembly can only be called through a national referendum approved by its Congress.
    But Mr. Zelaya declared the vote on his own and had Mr. Chávez ship him the necessary ballots from Venezuela. The Supreme Court ruled his referendum unconstitutional, and it instructed the military not to carry out the logistics of the vote as it normally would do.
    The top military commander, Gen. Romeo Vásquez Velásquez, told the president that he would have to comply. Mr. Zelaya promptly fired him. The Supreme Court ordered him reinstated. Mr. Zelaya refused.

    Did the BBC inform you just how much their beloved Chavez was involved in this attempt at destroying democracy in another country?  Of course not.  All they want you to think about is that Zelaya is opposed by right-wingers.  That’s how they see it:  Left vs. Right. Now Zelaya is backed not only by Chavez, but by the BBC’s other favorite Socialist leader in the New World:  the President of the US.

    Last year, the support of the US would be a negative factor in a BBC report.  Now it’s a good thing. And they are still totally dishonest about what happened and why.

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  29. George R says:
    October 5, 2009 at 4:11 pm

    More Islamic Jihad in Pakistan.

    1.) BBC report:

        “Suicide bomb hits UN in Pakistan”

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8290059.stm

    2.) ‘Jihadwatch’ report:

    “Bombing the hand that feeds: Suicide bomber attacks U.N. World Food Program office in Islamabad”

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/2009/10/bombing-the-hand-that-feeds-suicide-bomber-attacks-un-world-food-program-office-in-islamabad.html

    “The Economic Performance, And Drain, Of Muslims”

    (by Hugh Fitzgerald).

    http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/23429

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  30. David Preiser (USA) says:
    October 5, 2009 at 4:44 pm

    The BBC’s obsession with the death penalty in the US is ridiculous.  Here’s yet another news brief on some delayed execution of some criminal.

    Why is this news at all? Who cares?  Where are all the BBC items about executions in China?  Do they do a report every time some Chinese white-collar criminal gets temporarily saved from the firing squad?  And they only occasionally report on executions in Mohammedan countries.

    Yet, with the US, they find time to tell you about even the most obscure events related to the death penalty.  Agenda, what agenda?

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  31. George R says:
    October 5, 2009 at 5:55 pm

    BBC report:

    “Egypt cleric ‘to ban full veils’

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8290606.stm

    Daniel Pipes:

    “Ban the burqa – and the niqab too”

    [Extract]:

    “Nothing in Islam requires turning females into shapeless, faceless zombies; good sense calls for modesty itself to be modest. The time has come everywhere to ban from public places these hideous, unhealthy, socially divisive, terrorist-enabling, and criminal-friendly garments.”

    http://www.danielpipes.org/4783/ban-the-burqa-and-the-niqab-too

     Perhaps Jack Straw asked his Muslim Council of Britain chums in Blackburn whether the Labour government could ‘ban the burqa’, and they told him who they’d not vote for if he did.

    “Jack Straw ‘too close’ to pro-Hamas faction”

    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6860246.ece

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