It’s NOT that I care much for British Foreign Secretary William Hague. His anti-Israeli comments combined with his weasel words about British sovereignty in the EU leave me cold but I did feel a bit sorry for him when he was interviewed by the BBC earlier today (Link to come) There were two things that struck me about the interview, which concerned the political upheaval in Tunisia and the prospects of the like elsewhere in the Arab world. First, Sarah Montague seemed hell bent to get Hague to say that Britain should be supporting revolutions. She has several attempts to get him to say this, which he avoided. Second, the glacial tone of the interview – quite striking.
YOU SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION….?
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Of course it is this country that needs a revolution!
Hague and Montague can both go to the head of the queue to be blindfolded (I know, I know, I am too soft!) and set against the brick wall.
Ian E,
You are far too soft. Why should they have the luxury of blindfolds ?
Did Sarah Palin tell you to say that? =-O
To correct that glacial atmosphere Mr Hague will have to come out of the closet & become part of a perceived “victim group” that the BBC paternalism requires to be always smiled upon.
Tunisia, and Beeboidistas.
It interesting that parts of the political ‘left’, including Beeboidistas, have now become instant experts on Tunisia, without mentioning that country ever before.
Such people apparently support ‘regime change’ in Tunisia, but not in some other Muslim Arab countries. And apparently some atheist Beeboidistas want what they think is a ‘revolution’ in Tunisia, a wonderful ‘revolution’ which consolidates an Islamic state apparently. As this ‘leftist’ article on Tunisia says, either you are for a ‘revolution’ (hijabs and all) or you are against it. But you’ve got to be on the ‘politically correct’ side (you know, as with the left’s support for Hamas).
Beeboidista-type political vibes here on Tunisia:
[Extract]:
“In a country where the left has, regrettably, been divided over the question of a woman’s right to wear the veil it was wonderful to see young women in hijabs marching and chanting in the streets. It shows that it is not what you wear that matters, but whose side you are on.”
http://www.newleftproject.org/index.php/site/blog_comments/Paris_celebrates_Tunisian_revolution/
In contrast, Christopher Hitchens has:
http://hurryupharry.org/2011/01/17/hitch-on-tunisia/
I saw one BBC report last night, and two this morning where they were grimly predicting unrest and revolution across the Arab world following the example of Tunisia. Jordon, Egypt, Algeria are apparently all heading this way.
Funny that, I always thought the BBC idolised the Arabs. It would seem they idolise revolution more.
I’ve only seen the alternative view on the net, expressed by an Egyptian journalist, who said that Tunisia is already begining to settle down, and predicted a softening of authoritarianism in Arab countries to counter unrest. I can’t say that I necessarily agree with the Egyptian journo, but presumably he’s better placed to know what’s happening on the ground than any BBC correspondant.
I don’t feel sorry for Hague at all. The Conservatives presumably accept this kind of treatment from the BBC as they’ve shown no intention of doing anything about it.
I was thinking a similar thing recently Roland. Its clear there’s leftie bias at the beeb, but what are the conservatives doing about it. There are so many lefties on the beeb that it made me wonder whether the coalition is perhaps simply not putting many people up simply to get biased questioning each time? Maybe they’ve just accepted the situation and decided not to play up to it? Seems to me the bigger coalition guns only go on the bbc when there’s a major new policy that they feel its important the maximum people understand, and then go on the beeb because they have to.
The LibCons love the BBC – without Harrabins total control over the BBCs anti-science AGW propaganda , people like Cameron and Huhne would be seen for the charletons they really are.
This is a government of high taxes and very little brains (and no principles) so it suits them to keep the BBC. Only a party which supported small government and democracy would tackle the BBC , the LibCons support neither.
It’s interesting the Foreign Secretary – the person in charge of our foreign policy (so fairly important then) – deems it appropriate to go on the radio to give his opinion about what’s happening in Tunisia.
Tunisia is of vanishingly small importance to this country. The overthrow of a corrupt (of course it’s corrupt, it’s Arab and Muslim after all) unmourned dictatorship in Tunisia is not the start of a domino effect. Almost without exception this is how governments are changed outside the West.
Hague has and had nothing to say except a few pieties about the “Tunisian people” now being able to choose their rulers (as an aside: if so, they now have more democracy in Tunisia than we have here). The issue of Tunisia is one for a junior minister at the FO: there’s nothing we can or want to do. This should be (almost) beneath Hague’s notice. But, you see, Hague has notthing else to do. Most of the “big issues” are being subsumed into the competence (the correct word but not one to be used in the same sentence as Ashton) of the EU. Hague has signed up to EU precedence on our foreign policy (actually almost all policy). Even the “special” relationship (I’m sure David Preiser could tell us how unspecial that relationship actually is to the US) is beyond Hague’s capacity to affect. So he’s reduced to coming on Today, to be interviewed by Sarah “I’m always grumpy when I have to interview a Tory” Montague about a tinpot country concerning whose future we have no influence whatsoever. It’s pathetic and shaming for the UK but it’s an indicator of how far this country has fallen since the 90s and how little we can influence our own affairs let alone Tunisia’s.
‘It’s interesting the Foreign Secretary – deems it appropriate to go on the radio to give his opinion about what’s happening in Tunisia. ‘
It may be because some Labour two-faced numptie has been doing the rounds ‘demanding answers’ on why the UK Gov hasn’t been doing this, that and the other like wot he’d have done.
Actually I was almost onside with some of this but then in a news segment I saw a SKY moppet started coming back with some pertinent context points one would never hear from the BBC thick and/or tame ‘interviewers’, and the berk suddenly was backpedalling… ‘Er… oh.. I’m not suggesting that…’
So… basically, you were simply going for some opportunistic sh*t-stirring, and got a nasty shock when out of the comfy confines of a safe BBC haven, then?
Umbongo,
Sums it up perfectly. There is no reason for other countries to take Britain’s “foreign policy” seriously, assuming we have one.
Britain can be safely ignored.
Very well put I could not agree more.
Voting for governments in this country is like voting at a Parish Council election. Almost all the power has been taken away from Westminister. The next election will be fought on how many bin rounds or how much salt should be bought
Assuming there is any money left to buy salt.
Given INBBC’s new found interest in promoting freedom of speech in Tunisia, perhaps INBBC will now apply such interest to Europe, and to Austria, and to this case:
“The Trial of Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff, Day 2 “
“Quoting the Koran Is Hate Speech In Austria, But Only If You Are Non Muslim!”
http://www.libertiesalliance.org/2010/09/18/quoting-the-koran-is-hate-speech-in-austria-but-only-if-you-are-non-muslim/
There will not be a peep out of the Beeb. Unless she is convicted of course. This is an extraordinary trial. The truth is ruled inadmissable as a defence as far as I can see. The criminalisation of the truth is the way tyranny begins. Not that the BBC has much regard for reality these days or for freedom unless it is the approved version of our ministry of truth.
Will INBBC be interested in this analysis?:
“Revolution in North Africa could prove a disaster for the West”
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/concoughlin/100072363/revolution-in-north-africa-could-prove-a-disaster-for-the-west/