Monthly Archives: January 2011

TERRY JONES BANNED – BUT ON TODAY!

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My goodness, has the Coalition taken umbrage against ageing Monty Python stars? Phew, no, not THAT Terry Jones but rather the US Pastor guy who had threatened to burn the Koran on the last anniversary of 9/11, to the chagrin of many. In my view, Jones is a nutter but in a democracy we must be tolerant of all views. I wondered what you thought of John Humphyrs interview with Jones this morning? I wonder would an Islamic Mullah be afforded the same questioning>

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WARSI ON THE WAR PATH!

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Wonder what you make of the BBC’s coverage here on Baroness Warsi’s accusation that Islamophobia is acceptable in the UK? I notice that they ask for Muslims opinions of this at the bottom of the article. Perhaps they could also ask for the those who have victims of Islamic terrorism in the UK to venture their opinion? Perhaps they could also ask for those families who have had their teenage girls abused by Muslim gangs to also comment? But no. Warsi is right to speak against bigorty BUT she is simultaneously ignoring the menace that some within Islam represent. Last week, she had a go at “right wing” Conservatives, now the Baroness sounds like an apologist for Islamic separatism from the State.Cameron really can pick them, and of course the BBC laps it all up.

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Gavin Esler – Comedy Genius

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Sorry, did I say “comedy genius”?

What I meant was “intellectually insecure BBC tosser fishing for anti-Palin sentiment from like-minded unfunny condescending arseholes on Twitter”:


Bovril! Brilliant, eh?

Orwell wrote a couple of classic books highlighting the dangers of overbearing government, he despised the snobbishness and anti-patriotism of the intellectual left, and he spoke out against the incessant lies of the press. Not much there to appeal to Sarah Palin, eh?

The fact that Esler even mentions Palin in his plug for the Dubai literary festival shows just how deeply embedded she is within the media luvvie psyche. Her very existence is screwing with their heads, God bless her.

More of Esler’s smug disdain for Palin can be heard on this week’s London Dateline (15 mins in, available on iPlayer for 5 more days). A senior BBC journalist laughing along to childish insults – it’s all part of the superior political discourse we in the UK get thanks to our impartiality rules.

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BEYOND BELIEF

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Following Five Guys Named Mohammed, broadcast over 5 days at the start of the year, last night Radio 4 gave us Young, Muslim and Black:

Dotun Adebayo looks at why Islam is providing an attractive religious alternative to Christianity for Black Britons seeking answers.

Next Monday you can tune in for It’s My Story: The Imam of Peace:

Nadene Ghouri profiles the work of John Butt, an English Muslim convert who became an imam and is trying to spread a message of peace and tolerance across Pakistan and Afghanistan.

And Face the Facts on 27th Jan will be devoted to the issue of “whether sections of the British press are increasing tensions within communities by publishing negative stories about Muslims.”

Across the first four weeks of 2011, no programmes or series on BBC Radio 4 will have been wholly devoted to any of the other non-Christian religious communities of the U.K. Yes, Hindus, Jews, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists have all gone uncatered for by the allegedly diversity-loving BBC. Only Islam seems to interest the channel’s programme makers.

Though nowhere near as obsessive, even its regular religious affairs programme Beyond Belief is guilty of weighting its discussions with an excess of Muslims. Each programme has a trio of guests. There have been 27 programmes since the start of 2010. Here’s how the religious identity of the believing non-Christians breaks down in terms of number of guests:

Muslims – 15
Jews – 9
Hindus – 2
Sikhs – 2
Buddhists – 1
Jains – 1

Or
Muslims = 15
All the rest = 15

Is that fair, BBC?

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NEO-PURITANISM ON THE LICENSE FEE

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Another malevolent aspect of the BBC is what I call the ratchet effect. In essence, the BBC uses its media bully pulpit to force political debate ever leftwards. There’s a good example of this on Today this morning in the prime time 8.10am slot. The issue being discussed is the proposal by government to introduce minimum prices for alcohol in England and Wales. Now those of us who are more libertarian minded may conclude that it is no business of Government to be interfering in the free market and setting prices but obviously the BBC is in favour of such overt authoritarianism. So listen to the “debate” it frames between Sir Ian Gilmore (in favour of government setting such minimum prices but they must be higher than currently prescribed) and Gavin Partington from the Wine and Spirits Trade Association. I felt really sorry for Mr Partington who was sneered at by the BBC presenter and interrupted by the execrable Gilmore. The Coalition may be moving to accommodate the BBCA agenda on this issue, but instantly the BBC ratchets it further to the left. Government control of beer and spirits? Yes, but it needs to be higher..always greater..always MORE.

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YOU SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION….?

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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.

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AN ARTICLE OF BBC FAITH

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The BBC elevates the NHS to the position of unassailable criticism. I suppose there is something about this anachronistic monolith that absorbs vast amounts of cash that appeals to the State Broadcaster and all who work within it. This morning, David Cameron was on the Today programme for an interview concerning the planned changes he wants to make to the monolith. The BBC had already set the mood music for the interview by running interviews with all those interested parties with vested interests in maintaining the status quo.  One could have been forgiven for thinking that Cameron was seeking to..PRIVATISE the monolith, rather than simply devolve power from the top to closer to the patient. You should listen to the interview if you get the chance. Cameron plays the BBC game by telling us how wonderful the NHS is and then tries to glance aside the fusillade of criticism from John Humphrys. I’d love some Conservative to find the courage to just once tackle the BBC’s pro NHS bias – here is where the data lies that merits such criticism. But instead, this was all about Cameron being seen to be nice and caring and seeking a better socialised healthcare system.

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