(This one is work safe)
Talking of which, here are the opening and closing words to James Naughtie’s report for the Today programme on Tuesday:
Naughtie: New York, Ground Zero around the corner. I’m standing on the site of a planned Islamic centre with a mosque, a proposal that’s turned into an angry national debate here and acted as a proxy for the wider culture war between President Obama and liberal opinion on the one hand, arguing that America stands for religious freedom, and the conservative Right on the other, saying that a mosque would be provocative, offensive and wrong.
[…]
Naughtie: Which leaves the writer Sam Lipsyte looking out to America from New York, wondering what on earth he can do, and dreaming.
Lipsyte: Sure, is there [sic] a lot of tittering and grousing and sort of blanket dismissal that there could be anything but hate in the Tea Party, and I gotta say that what, y’know, their presentation lends itself to that conclusion. And at my most despairing moments I too have that sense of why can’t New York just be its own country.
Judging by the latest poll for the New York Times, Lipsyte’s dream utopia could only be realised if they deported more than half the people (via Newsbusters):
Two-thirds of New York City residents want a planned Muslim community center and mosque to be relocated to a less controversial site farther away from ground zero in Lower Manhattan, including many who describe themselves as supporters of the project, according to a New York Times poll…
Over all, 50 percent of those surveyed oppose building the project two blocks north of the World Trade Center site, even though a majority believe that the developers have the right to do so. Thirty-five percent favor it.
Opposition is more intense in the boroughs outside Manhattan — for example, 54 percent in the Bronx — but it is even strong in Manhattan, considered a bastion of religious tolerance, where 41 percent are against it.
And yet BBC correspondents such as Naughtie, and Hilary Andersson, prefer to give the impression that such opposition is the sole preserve of a scary, reactionary right-wing Tea Party movement.
Just listening to that mong John Sopel going on about the death od David Cameron’s dad. All that mongo Sopel can ask about is is “Does that mean Nick Clegg is in charge” and “will Cameron be taking time off”
What a complete and utter prick Sopel is.
There was also a lot of sneering from the BBC scum today when Cameron missed PMQ’s (bottled it was the narrative), well BBC scum hope you’re happy now.
Nice one, DB, but you can’t have that Generic BBC Correspondent have a US accent. It has to be foreign to get the full flavor of BBC arrogance about their intent to interpret the US for you.
Good point. I chose that accent because it was closest to Hilary Andersson’s. Also, the Beeb’s expansionist plans in America seem to include the employment of more locals (of the left-leaning variety, naturally). But as you say, a foreign voice may have worked better.
Is the BBC taking the same tack with the Quran book burning? That the liberals and Obama/Bloomberg support the deed and it is conservatives saying its provocative, offensive and wrong?
Anyhow, anyone who describes the 9/11 victory temple* as a matter of freedom of religion is a blatant liar. We aren’t talking about ‘moderate’ Muslims here, the group thinks America is responsible for 9/11 and supports Hamas.
*see – didn’t mention ground zero nor a mosque!
The generic beeboids are much more watchable than the real mongs like fatty Mardell or Frei.
Very clever sketch – thanks.
The only thing missing was a dig at George Bush.
Well done DB! An Australian accent might have just as appropriate 😉 !!
Exactly 100% of New Yorkers who Lipsyte comes into contact with will share his views, hence his silly comments. He’s from the same insular, incestuous, ignorant and arrogant group of people in the US that most BBC news staff are drawn from in the UK. They call themselves liberals.
Perhaps we could crowd source the next script for Generic BBC America Correspondent. Email me via the Contributors sidebar on the left if you have any ideas.
Is it “crowd source” or “crowdsource”? Am I even using the correct phrase? I’m such a duffer.
Strewth, Naughtie in full glory, elicting his responses to the Tea Party from the mouths of others. A lot of bonhomie with the people he was interviewing, ending with snickering at Tom Lyset wishing New York was its own country.
Mr Lyset can see nothing but hate in the Tea Party? Has he ever had a look at Islam? .. About that Mosque they’re building that he supports ..