145 Responses to OPEN THREAD…

  1. Paul Pot says:

    Unlike almost all other news sources the BBC makes no mention that the men arrested for murder in the Sunningdale incident yesterday were Eastern Europeans  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-11782869

    No surprise there then. 

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    • Millie Tant says:

      Once again I pose the question to the Beeboids:

      Why do you deem it all right for you to know this fact but not for us to know it? Do you think you are a uniquely privileged class and we some undeserving hoi polloi whom you can treat with this kind of contempt at will?

      Why is the Beeboid Corporation hiding information from us? Is this a politically motivated and therefore political decision which it sees fit to take even though the Beeboid Corp’s duty is to inform and act impartially? 

      Are they Muslims? Is that why?

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    • David Preiser (USA) says:

      Where is this information from?

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    • Paulo says:

      Well done Paul Pol and Mille. If it hadn’t been for your tireless investigations, we would never have guessed that Tom Johnson, Robert Johnson, Ben Johnson and Shaun Matthews were Immigrants/Muslims. Keep up the good work!

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  2. George R says:

    Maitlis and Mandelson.

    “Who says the BBC and New Labour are too close?”

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1330831/Who-says-BBC-New-Labour-close.html#ixzz15dLqtNbO

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    • Buggy says:

      Strewth ! I’ve never seen Anji Hunter before, but um…err….well…..she makes the blessed (or not) Widdie look like bloody Tinkerbell, doesn’t she ? Boy oh boy. Bet Prezza didn’t chance his two-incher in her direction !

      As for dear old ‘Blinky’ Balls: is it just me, or is he morphing into the dead spit of Sam “My teams are awful to watch but I’m Fergie’s best chum” Allardyce ? Perhaps that’s why Sian LLoyd appears to be wearing some sort of medieval pauldron.

      How the heck this assortment of grots and nasties got past security I cannot imagine. Perhaps the Speccie’s employing Group Four…….

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  3. Guest Who says:

    At school one teacher was universally loathed for covering incompetence up with petty abuse of minor localised power, punishing the whole class for their inability to keep a few in check.

    Hence, in this spirit, I do trust this exchange is worth the share, as much for the corporate mindset and defaults as the total failure to answer my actual concerns:

    Thanks for getting in touch. The post you link to had a high incidence of off-topic comment underneath and so was closed.  Posts where comments remain within the house rules stay open to comments for longer. Yours sincerely, BBC News website 

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/handle.shtml

    From: Audience Services [mailto:bbcaudienceservices@capita.co.uk
    Sent: 17 November 2010 16:14
    To: NewsOnline Complaints
    Subject: Complaint – Reply Required


    This blog has an enabled comment facility. Hence one presumes the opinion of the UK public, who pay the licence fee, is welcome, encouraged and facilitated.
    Hence please explain why this posting became ‘closed for comments’ on the same day it was posted, coincidentally at ‘clocking off’ time, before the majority of the population at work would have had any reasonable opportunity to return home, read and pass comment if so minded.
    It has happened before. Please reassure why it will not again.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/nickrobinson/2010/11/cameron_photogr.html

    So…. let me get this straight:

    a) Modding, already subject to mockery for being entirely arbitrary, is in fact pointless, or doesn’t happen at all… or…

    b) The minute ‘some’ (from within the BBC or calling on a few mates outside) don’t like the way a blog thread is headed, it’s simply a matter of popping in a few loon posts and the whole shebang gets closed?

    That, I would humbly submit, is a pretty rare and valuable admission when it comes to the impartiality and oversight of so-called ‘we seek your views’ BBC blogs.

    Now, who do I bump this up to next? Not Ms. Boaden’s complaints line, as it is already on record that she doesn’t actually read them, another interesting service standard for a #3.6B service organisation.

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  4. George R says:

    Continuing Mass Immigration.

    Like Soros, BBC-NUJ advocates globalisation, and the consequent abolition of e.g. the British nation state and the relegation of its hitherto predominantly white indigenous people in favour of continuing mass immigration from Asia and Africa.

    “Cut non-EU migrant workers by up to 25%, ministers told”

    In his BBC-NUJ editorial on this, D. Casciani put out this straw-man of an argument:

    “The question in the subtext is something that goes beyond the coalition’s domestic goals: Can any government in a globalised world prevent the movement of people? ”

    Who wants to stop the movement of people? International tourism in unaffected. Casciani does not mention the concept of the nation state here; he views the issue from the viewpoint of a globaliser who sees the nation state as an obstacle (as does Soros).

    And in the invitation to comment, at the very end of the piece, BBC-NUJ-Soros only wants to hear from immigrants, and from business people who may employ immigrants. There is no invitation to the present majority of British people with no immigrant imterest to comment: 

    “Are you a migrant worker from outside the EU? Are you a business owner relying on skilled, non-EU labour? How will you be affected by the proposed cap?”

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11783973

    Also, ‘Express’ frontpage:

    4M MIGRANTS WORK IN THE UK

    http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/212186/4m-migrants-work-in-the-UK

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    • dave s says:

      The marxist view of historical inevitability is resurfacing in another guise- the inevitability of globalisation.
      Nothing is inevitable. We have free will and decide our destinies.
      Any nation state or people is free to reject globalisation. It might mean a much reduced standard of living. It might mean a radically different model of society and the ethics that underpin that society.That will be for us to decide.
      The fundamental weak point of the pro globalisers( both libleft and neocon) is that their arguments are always based on economics and depend on the current economic system continuing to function.
      This could be about to prove a mistake. The system ,despite their efforts, could be on the verge of complete collapse. Ireland is just the beginnning.
      I hope so for whatever the hardship to individuals that is people like us, it will give us as a nation the opportunity to take back control of our country and of it’s future from the misguided theorists of fantasy land.

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  5. Martin says:

    I notice the BBC have been ‘hurt’ by the claims that they are unpatriotic over running a Panorama programme just a few days before the World Cup announcement and how this will hurt the England bid.

    Well of course it’s meant to, the BBC hate the idea of the Tories being able to bask in the glow of a World Cup coming to England (in the way Bliar did over the Olympics)

    The BBC would rather spitefully see the bid fail, oh and of course a World Cup in Russia means more beeboids can run up 5 star hotel bills.

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    • Bupendra Bhakta says:

      Al-beeb is never happier but when *it* is the story (or as is usually the case, the non-story)

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  6. Deborah says:

    Just a little thing but it is part of the drip, drip drip.

    Richard Allinson sitting in for Steve Wright plays a clip of Pamela Anderson joining the Indian Big Brother (I think – I was not really listening) but if correct she was sounding particularly drippy (in the brain department not as in coming out of the sea).. so Allinson says that was Pamela Anderson… unless he had got her muddled with Sarah Palin.

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  7. David Preiser (USA) says:

    Adam Brookes in Washington on the News Channel just now saying that the conviction of Ahmed Ghailani on only one out of 285 charges was a “surprise” and proof that The Obamessiah’s scheme for trying the foot soldiers captured during the war against Islamo-fascist terrorism in regular civilian courts works well.

    This is, of course, the exact opposite of the truth, as but the BBC must defend the President at all times.  It’s a trial run, he admits (no pun intended, I’m sure) for the upcoming trial of Khalid Sheik Mohammed in a civilian court.  Based on this one, that’s going to be an utter fiasco because lots of evidence was apparently thrown out of court because it was gathered while Ghailani was interrogated in so-called “black sites” by the CIA.  Since there’s no way to prove that his confessions weren’t done under duress without compromising security issues, the court had to assume it was bad and dismiss the evidence.  Which is only what critics of this scheme were saying from the start.

    If this trial is proof of anything, it’s that KSM is going to walk out a free man and be celebrated by the BBC as a hero who defeated George Bush, because he was waterboarded.  The whole case against him is going to get tossed based on this precedent.

    The only thing that’s making the BBC unhappy, including Iain Mackenzie (see inset), is that if this civilian trial jaunt doesn’t work out so well, that nasty old Guantanamo might have to remain open a while longer.

    Oh, yes:  this trial is about mass murders in 1998.  The BBC’s second-favorite President, Bill Clinton, was in charge at the time, Sadaam was still in power, yet even then Mohammedans were still “radicalized” to fight against the US.  Just more proof that the BBC’s usual excuses for Islamic terrorism are not the real answer.

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  8. Martin says:

    How typical, when Welsh wanker Huw Edwards was interviewing someone who was defending the curb on immigration, Welsh wanker Edwards took the opposite view, now he’s interviewing someone who is pro unlimited immigration Edwards is still on the pro immigration side calling the restriction “crazy”

    Then again Edwards is a foreigner to me 🙂

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  9. Martin says:

    Shame the BBC doesn’t do irony. Newsnight, Emily Titless going on about the high pay of Council bosses, now I’m no fan of Council bosses and they are over paid, but I think it’s hypocritical of Emily Titless to sit there on probably a million pounds a year to talk total bollocks in a TV studio. She’s not even good looking.

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  10. Martin says:

    Jesus ‘This Week’ is really scraping the barrel. Hazel bloody Blears, Toilets Maguire, Ruby Wax and Janet Street Porter. All they needed was fatty Toynbee and old hag face Julie Bindel and I’d be throwing up for a month.

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  11. Llew says:

    Christ, BBC breakfast have just managed to get Andrew Pierce onto the show without having Toilets McGuire on at the same time screaming Tory Boy Tory Boy in every sentence. The regular editor/floor managers must have a day off!

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  12. John Page says:

    Mark Easton on Today about govt’s release of expenditure numbers: waah all these numbers, file too big for my excel (who cares), data in raw form (that’s the point, unspun), a few glitches but let’s highlight them – anything to be negative in ignorance,

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    • Martin says:

      Yes there was no evidence of Sheena reading out a Downing Street press release this morning was there? Funny that stopped after May, what happened then I wonder?

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  13. Jim says:

    Must be a hell of a slow news day for this Lord Young quote to be the top news story. Am equally certain the fact he’s a tory supporting former business leader is helping drive this coverage. Top of the beeb news site. Any excuse to paint the tories as uncaring and remote. He’s an unpaid adviser. What about Countess Harman’s rank hypocrisy in making otu that she’s in touch with the least well off – easy to say that from a millionairess pile in the country.

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  14. George R says:

    Of course, Islam Not BBC (INBBC), on ‘Today’ with its Mr. P. Mackie, along with West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, blame the resisters to Islamic jihad (the English Defence League) as the instigators of Islamic jihad! And anyway, INBBC is banned from identifying the enemy as Islamic jihadists, and uses the vague word ‘terrorism’.

    According to INBBC narrative, everything would be fine on the Islam front if groups of British people, such as EDL, let all Muslims do what they want, Conclusion of INBBC: we should be hostile to EDL who cause the problems, and apologetic to Muslims who are victims!

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9208000/9208423.stm

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  15. Martin says:

    So good old West Midlands plods are claiming the EDL are creating Muslim terrorists.  
     
    EDL formed 2009  
     
    The first attack on the WTC 1993  
    USS Cole 2000  
    Bombings of US Embassies 1998  
    Second attack on WTC 2001  
    Bali bomb 2002  
    London bombings 2005 (and other attempts after)  
     
    Again EDL formed in 2009, so what was the excuse BEFORE THE EDL was formed West Midlands plods and BBC?

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    • Umbongo says:

      Martin

      I’m not asserting anything but could there be a connection between who at the West Midlands Police http://www.west-midlands.police.uk/about-us/command-team/acc-patani.asp is in charge of, among other things, counter-terrorism and this EDL crapola?  Also this distinguished police operative http://www.west-midlands.police.uk/about-us/command-team/acc-rowe.asp who is now in charge of public order in the West Midlands (following on from her “success” in Lambeth) introduced there the “Prevent” strategy (“designed to provide reassurance to vulnerable groups and impact upon the underlying causes of terrorism by diminishing support for terrorists”).  “Vunerable” for these purposes does not apparently include white indigines who may consider that the EDL is doing more to protect them than those paid by the taxpayer to do so.

      Call me cynical but having the token woman and the token Asian (appointed purely on their merits as enforcers of the law without fear or favour, of course) encouraging their subordinates to give the EDL a going-over seems not only ridiculous but a shade transparent.  If the EDL is responsible for Moslem extremism then Nigel Farage is responsible for appointing Van Rompuy as President of the European Council.

      BTW a walk round West Midland Police HQ is enough to convince the BBC “journalists” to accept the police opinion without question or challenge.  Just suppose the police had said Moslem extremism and white desperation had encouraged the formation of and support for the EDL, do you think the BBC would have given that opinion time of day, let alone a constant drumbeat of publicity in its “impartial” news broadcasts?  No, I don’t think so.

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      • John Anderson says:

        Wasn’t it the West Midlands police who tried to bring charges against people investigating Muslim terrorism indoctrination on their patch ?  They had to drop it all – but it showed their mindset.

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    • sue says:

      Terrorism is exacerbated by right-wing provocation. The EDL is a recruiting sergeant for radical Islam. Terrorism is a recruiting sergeant for the EDL. The EDL is a recruiting sergeant for radical Islam, which exacerbates terrorism, which exacerbates the EDL, which exacerbates Jihad. Islamic-motivated terrorism fuels a backlash against Muslims.
      The counter-terrorism Unit is fuelling a backlash against the EDL.
      The BBC is fuelling a backlash against the counter terrorism unit and the EDL. The BBC is a recruiting sergeant for B-BBC. It’s Israel’s fault. 🙁

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    • George R says:

      Following INBBC’s report that ‘EDL demos fuel Muslim extremism’, it can be added to this list (of 2006):
      “Almost One Hundred Things that Fuel Muslim Extremism”

      http://www.newenglishreview.org/custpage.cfm?frm=4196&sec_id=4196

      Also:

      “EDL demos fuel Muslim extremism”http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/30805

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  16. james1070 says:

    The BBC has been running the Lord “never had it so good” Young story all through the night. It is not much of a story, but the BBC deems this the most important story since Pearl Harbor.

    Desperate.

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    • John Anderson says:

      Problem is – there are germs of truth in what David Young said.  Mortgage payments are down for most houseowners,  there will not be the extremes of unemployment,  nor instant massive “cuts”.

      “Bluff old cove” – he was simply pushing back against all the alarmist claptrap the BBC spouts. 

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    • Umbongo says:

      The BBC cannot – and doesn’t – forbear from describing Lord Young as a “millionaire” businessman.  However, my respect for his forthrightness diminished significantly when he was persuaded by Cameron to apologise (or else probably).  Apologise for what exactly?  Truth often offends.  Either he knowingly lied or he didn’t.

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      • John Anderson says:

        David Young was one of the early backers of Thatcher – and helped start the Centre for Policy Studies that espoused “Tea Party”-like values.  I imagine he was persuaded that his remarks are indeed embarrasing,  appear to make light of the economic problems that certainly are affecting many/most people.   What he seemed to be saying,  though,  was it is not as bad as a lot of people – BBC at the fore- make out.  3 points he made are undeniable – 1.  the “cuts” are not cataclismic and immediate;   2  even when all the cuts are implemented public expenditure will stil be at 2007 levels;  3  many mortgage payers are paying much less than before,  which softens the blow.

        He has a record of party loyalty that means he had no option but to try to limit the damage of some of his earlier remarks.   Can’t blame a guy for that.

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        • Umbongo says:

          Loyalty to what exactly?  A “Conservative” Party which – at every juncture – buckles in the face of LibDem squeals and shows nothing but contempt for its own loyal supporters.  Cameron? A CINO who Mrs T wouldn’t have given house room to (unless it was to make the tea).  What damage?  Oh yes, the damage which the BBC tries to cause by repeatedly mentioning Lord Young’s business success.  Perhaps a remark by Cameron about the BBC’s s***-stirring would not have gone amiss.

          In any event, there’s no doubt that those with mortgages who have kept their jobs have benefitted from money printing and the unwarrantedly low interest rates.  The backbone of the older middle class who are “natural” conservatives – largely the savers – have lost out and are now being taxed with relish by the CINOs to provide funds for an unreconstructed NHS, improvident members of the eurozone, third-world kleptocrats, “green” thieves etc.  IMHO, Young has a duty to be loyal to the interests of the nation not just to the interests of Dave.  He should have refused to apologise and forced Cameron to fire him.  This way, on Dave’s sufferance, he keeps his presence at the “top table” of national politics: the other way, he would have disappeared into retirement with honour intact. He chose the obvious alternative  for a present day politician (“Conservative” or otherwise).

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          • David Preiser (USA) says:

            The BBC is now making a meal of Lord Young’s resignation.  Cameron disavowed him as well, and the BBC is seizing the opportunity to remind everyone that the Tories used to be “the Nasty Party” (this was correctly attributed to Teresa May, albeit presented as an admission), and that this harkened back to “the Tory Party of old”. 

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            • Umbongo says:

              Credit to Lord Young for resigning – although he should not have apologised for telling the truth.  DP I don’t think you or I are surprised about the BBC making a meal of this.  It’s more that the Conservatives are allowing it to make a meal without a glimmer of protest.  The Conservative Party is not “nasty”.  It’s simply pathetic and, more to the point, stupid.  It couldn’t get any worse a break from the BBC if it did protest occasionally.

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              • David Preiser (USA) says:

                Cameron’s statement wasn’t helpful at all, and I agree gave fodder to the BBC.

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  17. kitty shaw says:

    The bBCs most recent offerings. Compare and contrast:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11781543

    It was the Israelis what did it.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11795966

    It wasn’t the Gazans or Palestinians what did it. The rockets were fired from Gaza but they must have fired themselves.

    Also note that though the attack was on Israel the bBC feels obliged as ever to insert UN claims about injury to people in Gaza, they did not however inform us of injury numbers in Israel when referring to the Israeli attack above, what a err co-incidence.

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    • David Preiser (USA) says:

      At least the BBC has finally broken from the ghoulish Body Count Narrative, and actually separated civilian from militant Palestinian causalties.  This is a first, as far as I can tell, and is something I’ve been comlaining about for ages.

      I call that a massive improvement.  Even if everything is still nasty old Israel’s fault and Hamas is an innocent partner in the peace process.

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  18. Will says:

    Peter Oborne, formerly of the Mail & now of the Telegraph is a bit like Mae West. He is a lover of Brown & a hater of Osborne, but today he is very very good on the follies of the formation & operation of the  euro
    The BBC, an integral part of the pro-European alliance, played its full role in marginalising critics such as Hague. The state-owned national broadcaster lumped the Tory leader in with cranks and xenophobes. By contrast, euro supporters were invariably presented as mainstream and sensible.
    Other apologies are called for. From the BBC, which distorted the debate. From the superior commentators who sneered at politicians like William Hague, John Redwood and Iain Duncan Smith as they fought against the euro. From Heseltine and Clarke for their calculated betrayal of Hague.
    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/peteroborne/100064330/margaret-thatcher-knew-the-single-currency-would-devastate-europe/

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