Monthly Archives: August 2010

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY WATCH…

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It amazes me how often Mona Siddiqui, Professor of Islamic Studies and Director for the Study of Islam, gets a bully-pulpit on Thought for the Day. She was on AGAIN this morning, extolling Islam’s quest for academic excellence. Last time I checked in parts of the Islamic world education meets an explosive demise.  It is very odd how Islamicn scholars get such prominence on the BBC given the minority status of their religion. When one looks to see how often evangelical Christians are afforded such a platform, one looks in vain. As I have written before, TFTD is politics by other means!

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THE PAKISTANI BROADCASTING CORPORATION…

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For almost a week now, the BBC has been flogging the dead horse of the “tensions” caused by Cameron’s straight-talking concerning elements within the Pakistani establishment being sympathetic to terrorism. I am sorry if I am being repetitive on it but it is amazing to turn on the radio or TV each day and see the BBC coat-trail this non-story as if it were a matter of great global concern. This morning we are even treated to some Beeboid speculating as to why Zardari did not stay overnight at Chequers “Most unusual” – we were breathlessly informed on Today. Meanwhile the big BBC other Pakistan story de jour is how helpful an Islamic terrorist network is proving when it comes to providing “humanitarian relief” to those afflicted by the floods. Pakistan has now dominated British news for almost a week – a remarkable achievement for the BBC.

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THE WAR ON CAMERON…

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OK, the attack line is clear. When it comes to Foreign Policy, Conservative leader David Cameron is “a klutz”. The BBC delighting here in a non-event comment where he accidentally suggested that Iran – the nexus of evil – had a nuclear weapon. Whether he actually said what is being suggested by Labour, and promoted by the BBC, is beside the point because the BBC then uses the same item to allow further criticisms of Cameron’s previous “gaffes.” I assume the BBC  miss the golden days when Margaret Beckett and David Miliband bestrode the globe, never making any errors and effortlessly advancing our interests. Furthermore, we know the BBC looks on the bright side of Iran and the Mullahs attempts to gain nukes but I have to say I am glad that Cameron is less rosy-eyed about Iran!

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NEWSPEAK…

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Greenies want to control with jackboots, writs and taxes every aspect of our behaviour under the cloak of “sustainability”. This is chillingly illustrated in the latest offering in the BBC’s regular platform for fanatics, the Green Room. Here, a career agitator called Owen Gaffney, who works for the the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP)- an international body so incredibly manipulative in its goals that it is beyond Orwell’s worst nightmares – argues that to save ourselves from “global change” (Newspeak that Orwell would have recongnised), we need to spend shedloads more cash, so that he and his barmy chums can:

…look at the risks of geo-engineering – intentionally manipulating the Earth’s climate by, for example, erecting giant sunshades in space, or adding small particles to the upper atmosphere to reflect heat away from Earth.

The architects of the new programme aim to go beyond the traditional boundaries of Earth-system science, and corral experts from other fields to tackle the technological, institutional and behavioural changes required if we want genuine global sustainability.

The scale of this challenge alone cannot be underestimated.

Note the way that Mr Gaffney so silkily talks about the need for “behavioural change”, in exactly the same way that the Nazis talked about “the Jewish question”. The BBC is giving these fanatics a platform as if what they are saying is respectable, objective, scientific fact. The reality is much more sinister.

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To Fix Firmly

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..in a Surrounding Mass.*
George Alegiah almost beamed as he announced that Israel has agreed to co-operate with the UN in the flotilla inquiry.
People who defend Israel might heave a small sigh of relief at that news. There’s a saying I’ve just invented that goes: ‘sometimes Israel makes things more difficult for its defenders than is necessary.’

I often read Ray Cook’s interesting blog, and he’s glad they’ve decided to go along with it too. But as he points out, not everyone is delighted. Some people understandably feel that “President Obama has now blackmailed the government of Israel into submitting its defense forces to the toxic oversight of the United Nations.” and I have a sneaky feeling that being relieved is quite selfish, and very premature. So I’m curbing my initial reaction, and won’t be beaming till we hear that there’s a reasonable and just outcome.

I don’t imagine the BBC reads reports from people they dismiss as Israel Firsters. They must glean most of their information from Hamas and Hezbollah spokespersons, and various Arab and Islamist politicians, or regurgitate it straight from AP and Reuters. And they employ unhinged people with seriously worrying agendas. H/T Stanley Ukridge on the open thread.

In view of the Lebanese admission that it fired first, and the widely disseminated revelation that The Tree was in Israel after all, even the BBC has had to change course slightly. But will it learn anything from this embarrassing outing of its bias against Israel? No. As Elder points out, Robert Fisk carries on regardless, and no doubt so will the BBC.

It does make you wonder, with all those journalists and reporters on the books, why doesn’t the BBC bother to do some original reporting? They like embedding their reporters. I agree. I’m all for embedding* the lot of them.

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BIG OIL

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So-called charities like Oxfam and WWF are without doubt the leaders of climate change hysteria. They demonstrated this at the recent formal UN climate change talks by smashing the Saudia Arabia nameplate in pieces and despositing it in a hotel lavatory bowl, sparking a diplomatic incident. Their grievance was apparently that the Saudi desire to keep selling oil so that our cars can run and we can keep warm was blocking their desire for new, more extreme climate change measures. The behaviour of the WWF and Oxfam delegates offended even the climate change loonies who attend such events and now the offenders have been ‘disciplined’ and suspended from future talks for a limited period.

In his report of the furore, Richard Black, that continually objective BBC doyen of climate change reporting, makes no bones that he is displeased. But not with with the nutters at Oxfam and WWF – in his book it seems that they have every right to be frustrated. No, his real worry seems to be that despite the wonderful Obama, the US is unlikely to pass anti-emissions legislation any time soon. His attitude is illustrated graphically by the picture chosen to accompany the story: of a giant Saudi oil tanker. It’s big oil stopping progress on climate change, don’t ya know? And against that, any yobbery is fine.

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Storm in Teacup

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My post Self-Fulfilling Backlash suggested the press was trying to whip up an artificial storm over a comment by Shimon Peres, which was taken out of context and sensationalised by the Telegraph and Haartetz. Now it seems they have succeeded in doing so. A damp squib, anyway. Who’s surprised?
The Express and the Mail have jumped aboard, with the help of Andrew Rosindell who the Express quotes as saying:

“It is inappropriate for the president of Israel to make a comment like that. Maybe he should spend more time here, get to know the British people and realise we defeated the Nazis in the war. I and many other politicians are fighting groups like the BNP, whose views are not representative of the country as a whole.”

which is odd if there’s any truth in this article about Mr. Rosindell’s “form” in politics, which accuses him of “climbing into the gutter” with the BNP.

Robin Shepherd has written:

“What no reasonable person can deny is that there is a massive problem in Britain, that Israel is singled out like no other country in the world in the British press, that rising Muslim populations are bringing a new anti-Israeli dynamic into the equation, that the foreign office tends to support the Arabs against Israel — it imposes a Royal boycott on Israel, for example, while there have been several Royal visits to Arab countries — and that in some cases there is a problem with anti-Semitism.”

For a detailed examination of the long inglorious record of British anti Israel and anti Jewish behaviour read Daniel Greenfield, aka Sultan Knish.

Shimon Peres understands Britain’s historical relationship with Israel and the Arabs far better than David Cameron evidently understands what’s happening in Gaza. Yet Cameron’s ignorance has been given a free pass, while Peres is accused of “getting it wrong.”

For anyone who doubts that the foreign office is pro-Arab, look at who has been appointed big chief. Simon Fraser, formerly sacked (or not, depending on who you listen to) for cohabiting with the PLO official he is now married to.

Britain’s attitude to Israel today, and the press interest stirred up by David Cameron’s nonsense about prison camps is widely attributable to the BBC, which has reported, nurtured, created and re-reported matters concerning Israel in an ever increasing delegitimising exercise. Who knows who and what David Cameron is pandering to with his gaffe-ridden trip, but it certainly isn’t the all powerful media-controlling Jewish lobby.

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"BEHIND THE SHADOWS"

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What does Mossad really get up to? That’s the burning question that concerns the BBC. You can find out here! Funny how the success of Mossad so bothers the BBC. They’re still upset about the Hamas terrorist taken out by someone in Dubai. Can you imagine the howls of indignation from the BBC if our own secret services were half as effective as Mossad in these times?

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