Due to swinging boodget coots, the local council has had to close a library, a swimming pool, and a community garden, as well as put several adorable puppies to sleep in order to afford to put up this new open thread.
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How the bBC reports Islamic homophobia in East London.
Residents tackle East End “gay free zone” stickers
It is no bigger than a postcard but appears to spread a message of hatred and division in an area of east London that many residents pride for its diversity. Reprinted and glued to dozens of lampposts and railings in the area, a flyer states: “Arise and warn. Gay free zone. Verily Allah is severe in punishment.”It has been discovered near to Shoreditch’s gay pubs and outside a school in Whitechapel, both in Tower Hamlets, east London. But a group of East End residents say they have had enough. And rather than retaliating with anger, they are responding with messages of love.
The latest figures from the Metropolitan Police show rising homophobic crime in the area. There were six reported homophobic crimes in Tower Hamlets in January 2011, compared to two reported incidents in January 2010….. Despite the quote on the stickers appearing to reference the religious Islamic text of the Koran, the group is keen not to point finger of blame at any particular religious group… “We don’t want to blame any particular group for this,” said Mr Blake.”And if we did, we wouldn’t want to tar everyone in a group with the same brush.”
Religious groups have been quick to condemn the stickers.
“There is nothing in the Koran against Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) people,” said Mohammed Abbasi, co-director of the Association of British Muslims… Meanwhile, Reverend Alan Green, Chair of the Tower Hamlets Inter Faith Forum, said: “People of faith in Tower Hamlets are proud to be part of this diverse and vibrant borough, in which mutual respect and tolerance are vital to social harmony.”
Would that be the word “Allah” that “appears” to reference the Koran?
Surely Iran, that model of Islamic conformity, and according to John Simpson ” a kind of democracy” would not be executing people for homosexual conduct unless it was forbidden by the koran
Great minds and all that – http://notasheepmaybeagoat.blogspot.com/2011/02/we-dont-want-to-blame-any-particular.html – My take is that it’s a tricky one, isn’t it. What religious group, known for its intolerance of homosexuality might put up a poster that includes the words “Verily Allah is severe in punishment.”? Very, very tricky…
Are some people so brainwashed by political correctness that they dare not even blame the posters on a minority of Muslims or an extreme Islamist group? Are some people so scared of being called Islamophobic that they will deny the evidence right in front of them?
Not all Muslims are homophobic but it surely should not be unacceptable to say that some are and that in this instance it is rather likely that some are putting up these repellent posters.
Sorry. All muslims are homophobic. I’ve seen perfectlty “westernised” Pakistanis (and once good friends before 9/11 when their heads were filled with anti west, anti semitic propaganda) calmly say they would refuse to play for my cricket club if one of my gay friends turned up to watch (or play) and that all gays should be “stoned to death”. It sickens me to my stomach. And I am far from one of those irritating gay rights fanatics. The gay/islam thing really twists the left into knots doesn’t it, yet their rank hypocrisy just seems to carry on regardless.
I don’t think it does tie them in knots: in the hierarchy of PC causes, Islam is the highest and trumps all the others.
Oh dear.
The Qu’ran is the central text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be the revelation of God.It contains seven references to “the people of Lut,” the biblical Lot, but meaning the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah (references 7:80-84, 11:77-83, 21:74, 22:43, 26:165-175, 27:56-59, and 29:27-33), and their destruction by Allah is associated explicitly with their sexual practices:
“And (We sent) Lut when he said to his people: What! do you commit an indecency which any one in the world has not done before you? Most surely you come to males in lust besides females; nay you are an extravagant people. And the answer of his people was no other than that they said: Turn them out of your town, surely they are a people who seek to purify (themselves). So We delivered him and his followers, except his wife; she was of those who remained behind. And We rained upon them a rain; consider then what was the end of the guilty.”
The sins of the people of Lut became proverbial, and the Arabic words for homosexual behaviour (liwat) and for a person who performs such acts (luti) both derive from his name
This from Peter Parker on the Immigration thread below deserves an airing here on an open thread.
OT but I just saw an amazing piece of bias on News24.
They played a brief VT of Euroslime Dave speaking in Kuwait saying perhaps western governments had been wrong to put their interests in regional stability above their democratic principles when dealing with Arab dictators. The VT amounted to no more than 20 seconds.
‘For balance’ they followed this with a live Interview with Labours Douglas Alexander – on satellite from Glasgow – the interviewer threw him a couple of weak underarm questions – allowing him to waffle for about 8 minutes with ZERO interruptions – talking for 2 minutes non-stop at one point. The oleaginous weazle was allowed to attack the Tories and promote a completely ficticious account of Labour’s dodgy dealings with Libya – and was never questioned about Blair/Brown’s dispicable deal to release the McGahee.
I certainly don’t recall any Tory MPs being given a platform to attack Labour for 8 minutes every time he gave a speech. Appalling bias.
Yes, I saw that as well. The Tories never got so much air time about foreign policy while in opposition. The most the BBC allowed when the Megrahi release initially went down was replay a couple of Cameron quips from PMQs. Certainly no Shadow Cabinet members were given more time than the party in Government.
Odd isn’t it? It’s almost as though the BBC were biased!
The endless appeasement of Gaddafi under Labour has been white washed out by the BBC. Inevitably. The BBC must be stopped. It is for me, the singular biggest cause of the decay of British society. yet NOBODY IS DOING ANYTHING. Not even UKIP want to shut the bloody BBC.
So the bBC when faced with raising levels of homophobia in the Islamic East End of London, with intolerance towards Christians and even higher levels of Anti-Semitism is unable to point the finger at the guilty party even with actual evidence of who is behind all of this.
Instead they bring out a group of Gay Cavaliers who have a somewhat caviller attitude on how to rectify the situation , yup all you need is love. Err excuse me, you’re white ,non-Islamic and gay the only love that the homophobes in East London are going to share with you, is the love of a good kicking or even worse.
However in order to back up the view that Islam cannot be behind all this hate, the bBC bring out a spokesman from the Muslim Association of Britian who says that actually Muslims have nothing against shirt lifters. But hang on, what’s this taken from the MAB website:
Health is also another characteristic embedded in all the teachings and instructions of Islam. Anything halal (lawful) will lead you to good health, free from disease and suffering; conversely, anything haram (unlawful) will inevitably lead to disease and suffering of one kind or another. For example adultery leads to venereal diseases and other problems; homosexuality leads to AIDS, etc.; alcohol abuse gives brain damage, liver disease and many other medical, psychological and social problems (all these are forbidden).
Ok I’l admit that the above isn’t that bad and doesn’t represent all Muslims. But hang on what’s this taken a bit further down on the MAB website.
0% thought that homosexuality was morally acceptable. Not a single British Muslim said homosexuality was morally acceptable.
Then there’s the Priest the bBC bring on board why is he the same man in a frock who signed his name to this letter in the guardian:
Islamophobia is a threat to democracy
The same bloke who allows dubious radical Islamic groups to front their anti-Jewish bias at his Church. Groups I should add who profess (Like the MAB) that Shariah law is the only way..
Now what does Shariah law say about shirtlifters???
Well I’ll tell you what they don’t say,
“All you need is Love”
The bBC, if it walks like a racist, acts like a racist and abuses like a racist. well actually theres nobody there. Unless of course the guilty wankers are white or jewish.
Islam Not BBC (INBBC): globetrotting, at our expense, to support the Muslim Brotherhood –
[Muslim Botherhood and] “Middle East is a budget breaker for the BBC”
http://londonersdiary.standard.co.uk/2011/02/middle-east-is-a-budget-breaker-for-the-bbc.html
Certainly seems to have cramped the NZ coverage.
Maybe it was first the wrong kind of mineshaft… then earthquake… or community…?
Has the BBC blamed climate change for the NZ earthquake yet?
Tawny owls are evolving (usually takes thousands of years to evolve but science and the BBBC are not common bedfellows) to climate change and so are turning brown.
Yes folks, climamte change is making owls brown.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9401000/9401733.stm
Twit.
hehehe. It’s a reasonable” article with crap “science”:
…in years when winter weather was particularly severe, there was a higher mortality rate in the brown owl population.
This could be because brown owls were more visible to predators when there was thick snow cover
what predators?…and maybe it was fucking cold and they couldn’t find food!
Quite. What the hell eats owls ?
Heston blumenthal would be my guess he will skin and eat anything !
Apparently, on the same basis, foxes are in a few short years now able to mimic G-Wizes to hide in plain sight from illegal hunts chasing them through Islington.
The BBC’s rehabilitation of the heroic Gerry Adams continues apace:
Gerry Adams on campaign trai lin Ireland
A total whitewash of his past. Check out especially the bit starting at about 35 seconds in, where Beeboid Mark Simpson says:
Having led the political wing of the IRA for 25 years, Gerry Adams has been schooled in a different type of politics.
Then we get a clip of a famous speech by Adams from the 70s where he says that, “We fight because the people want us to fight”. Yes, his proclamations of murder are merely “a different type of politics” to the BBC – when they sympathize with the cause.
Not a word from Simpson about violence or anything. He reports as if Adams has been completely rehabilitated and none of that matters. All that’s important now is that he’s taking the fight to unite Ireland to Dublin.
If it was the same one I saw it finished with him high 5ing a young boy. With the same hand that is doubtless responsible for the deaths of civilians. It made my blood boil.
“Political wing ” !!! That’s a laugh. Adams is a murderer , pure and simple. A BBC hero , of course.
Gerry Adams is one of the BBC’s heroes; he fought the Britsh state and won.
Nota,
Spot on ! But, nothing we can do about it now. Sadly , it is unlikely I shall have the chance to be alone with Adams with a loaded gun in my hand !
Has the BBC asked Gerry Adams for a comment on the situation presently facing one of his organisation’s biggest benefactors in North Afreica?
Not too good with links , but the BBC website reporting the latest incident of Somali pirates, firmly takes the side of the pirates.
Can anyone provide a link ?
Grant, it is really trying to get the reader to think it was the US forces fault:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12541297
That is certainly the impression I got.
Of course it’s the fault of the US forces. If they hadn’t tried to rescue the people on the yacht, all this unpleasantness and death could have been avoided!
Can’t you see – they started it!
Not long ago there was a report, on the BBC I believe, that the pirates were less active in the areas patrolled by Russian, Chinese and Indian navy ships.
Perhaps they do not just remove their toys and send them home nor have armies of human rights lawyers (armchair or real) looking over their shoulder.
The useless Tories will be safe when it comes to Libya-because St Tony declared it all right and dandy. It`s near Sharm el Sheikh and the Foreign Office are well versed in World service platitudes. There has been no change regarding foreign policy and Hague is hamstrung by his past and insinuations. Doesn`t need the money either, so rest assured that the Tories will get an easy ride as long as they continue Labours project. This is what they are doing in the Middle east for now. All could be seen as an attack on the moderates in the religion of peace-and racist and colonial too.
In short,they will report from safe states adjoining dodgier countries and ,as long as they boo at Israel then not much will change for a while yet.
The famous BBC scare (“”) quotes makes a return.
‘killed by captors’ Whether you accept the American claim they attacked after hearing shots or the pirates’ claim that the US Navy fired a rocket propelled grenade that missed, it is clear that the captors killed the captives and the scare quotes simply cast unjustified doubt.
BTW Pounce (as our resident military expert) might answer this. Do the US Navy use rocket propelled grenades?could
PS
Unamed BBC reporter blames the US military for the deaths of US hostages !
see above! Great minds…
Span,
Spot on !!!!
Why doesn’t the bBC mention the colour or even show the pictures of the people behind this dreadful atatck
Young mother attacked on bus in pram argument
Police have released images of a young mother’s head being beaten against a metal bar on board a bus in a dispute over prams in north London.The 23-year-old woman was on the 83 bus from Hendon Central to Ealing Hospital on 17 January when she was attacked.
The victim had tried to move her buggy on board the bus when the female suspect spat at her. She complained and was attacked by the male suspect.
When the bBC reports on a story where the attacker is white, it has no problem informing you of that persons colour. But in this case the bBC not only doesn’t tell give you a description but posts out of 4 photos of the guilty pair one which makes no sence at all. Thankfully the Evening Standard doesn’t have such a problem.
And as a person with dark skin,black hair and white teeth here is a picture of the black thug who beat up the woman on the bus. Something the bbC won’t do. and here is a picture as he is about to kick her in the head. Again something the bBC doesn’t mention.
The reality of crime in the UK, particularly the major urban centres that it is the vast majority of violent crime is comitted by blacks. This is stone cold statistical fact (see how Liddle got himself in hot water over this quite recently at the Speccie). But the left will twist and turn around the numbers, and say “ah yes, but most burglary is done by white folks, as is most fraud). When you say most fraud is committed by illegal eastern european immgrants, the left will twist and turn and say “ah yes, but most peadophiles are white men” and so on ad infinitum. In other words, entirley avoiding the issue by twisting randome stats. The same happens with islam, with “climate change” with any trendy leftist cause. I wish, every day, that these leftists are the victimes of the crime they claim does not exist. I know that sounds a bit mean, but such is my ire at these bastards.
BBC Website headline ” Americans killed on hijack yacht “. !!!!
Yeah I’m just reading this part:
“But the BBC’s Will Ross in Nairobi says the pirates’ telling of the encounter differs from the US Navy’s. The pirates report the US warship attacked first, killing two pirates, and the hostages were killed in retaliation.The incident will provoke further debate on whether the use of force is wise when dealing with Somali pirates who have already taken hostages, our correspondent says.”
So let me get this straight, the thugs behind the murderers are either dead or locked up in a brig far out to sea. Yet the bBC can find somebody almost 2000 miles away who says different.
Amazing.
Here is the DM version:
The four Americans had been on board the Adams’ yacht, The Quest, off the East African coast when they were hijacked last Friday.The U.S. Navy said negotiations had been under way to try to win the hostages’ release when the pirates fired a rocket-propelled grenade from The Quest at the USS Sterett, which was 600 yards away .Immediately afterwards, gunfire erupted inside the cabin of The Quest, the Navy said.
Several pirates then moved onto deck with the hands in the air, as if to surrender, as a rescue force of 15 Navy Seals rushed to The Quest.Instead, the Seals were shot at by several of the pirates on board. In the ensuing gun battles, two pirates were killed.
Pounce,
Looks like a damn good military operation.
I wonder if the “use of force” might not be “wise” when “dealing with” the BBC .
“Our correspondent” ! In your dreams , Beeboids !!!
So let me get this straight, the thugs behind the murderers are either dead or locked up in a brig far out to sea. Yet the bBC can find somebody almost 2000 miles away who says different.
Amazing.
LOL! …and 300 miles inland in another country.
I hope Will Ross provides some proof for his sources (or is it the classic “I just made that up” or I spoke with a possible pirate’s possible brother, possibly)
Span,
At the end of the day, Beeboids, don’t really venture out of the 5-star hotel . They are just a bunch of w***ers.
I agree entirely…
The Yanks were to blame, thats all the BBC needs to know and they know it all even before they know anything. The innocent pirates ere just innocently going about their business when the evil Yanks did evil things, did I mention that the Yanks are to blame for everything?
If only the Yanks had tried to be nice and kind and peaceful the hostages would still be alive, the BBC knows this as the truth even before they know this as the truth, the BBC knows all even when they know nothing. The BBC knows who is to blame and who is innocent even before they know who is to blame and who is innocent, its obvious to the BBC you see, case closed.
So there you have it, the BBC brings you the full story even before they know the full story, not that they even need the full story to come to their conclusions.
THE BBC: WE DONT NEED NO STINKING FACTS!
So, to sum up: if you hadn’t punched me back in the first place, all this would never have started!
BBC editorial guidelines.
Americans: bad
American soldiers: bastards
Republicans: evil facists
Tea Party: racists
Sarah Palin, thick, stupid, facist, racist
Obama: genius, global statesman, reformist, leader, hero
Christ, even intelligent folk I went to school with/work with bang on and on about Palin. It depresses me that the MSM has twisted even clever minds. Gentyu remind them that Palin, while hardly anythig special, was FAR more qualified to be Presdeint than ths idiot Obama and they spit their dummy.
‘The pirates report’
A subset of noble correspondents to add in complement to Mr. Bowen’s in-Gaza embeds, Messrs Crick & Robinson’s ‘sources’ at Westminster, etc.
Unique.
N’djamena 20.10.2010 – Europe will be confronted with 30 million Africans trying to reach its shores unless it acts to stop climate change from depleting a lake on which they depend, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said on Sunday.
Scientists say changing weather patterns, along with growing populations and the construction of dams, are to blame for the shrinking of Lake Chad, which provides livelihoods for about 30 million people in surrounding countries.
“If Lake Chad dries up, there are about 30 million people who will be obliged to emigrate to Europe,” Gaddafi said at an international conference in Chad’s capital.
“The worst-case scenario is that we’ll confront them in the middle of the (Mediterranean) sea,” he said. “If Europe does not want these 30 million people who live around Lake Chad to emigrate… Europe has to save the lake.”
Well, at least the marabout isn’t a climate change denier.
sarc/off.
“obliged”
“Scientists say changing weather patterns, along with growing populations and the construction of dams, are to blame for the shrinking of Lake Chad”
Perhaps the dams offer the most likely cause of Lake Chad drying up!
“Scientists say changing weather patterns, along with growing populations and the construction of dams, are to blame for the shrinking of Lake Chad”
I presume is from here
http://www.tripolipost.com/articledetail.asp?c=1&i=5100
I thought for one moment it was one of Blacks propaganda pieces. Is Tripoli Today also a state funded media outlet? It seems to use the same “appeal to authority” propaganda technique as the BBC “environmentalists”.
Oh lordy, it’s truly a World Of Wonders (TM) today isn’t it ?
First the mysterious thing that’s eating Tawny Owls (though mostly the brown ones) and now our moral duty to re-fill Lake Chad.
Any suggestions on how we go about re-filling a lake several thousands of miles away ?
And rather than heading our way, isn’t it more likely that the poor unfortunates watching their drying lake will shift a couple of countries over to Egypt ?
Egypt !
Home of abundant water ! 😀
Now a paradise on earth (according to the world’s media) ! 😀 😀
Just like Tunisia ! 😀 😀 😀
Oh. :-[
We could all go and pee in it…
yep. that there global warming really dried up Queensland.
The BBC can quote the AFL-CIO boss about how the union protests are really not organized from the top down but are in fact some sort of spontaneous grass roots movement, but fail to mention that he also is on record as saying that he talks to someone in the White House every day, and visits in person every week. The BBC also continues to censor the facts about how unions control and fund the Democrats every bit as much as they do Labour. They also are very shy about discussing the President’s union ties.
Instead, they portray the protesters as fighting the good fight, censoring any news showing them in a bad light, or even spin it the other way when possible.
Heard the BBC on the “Toady” show this morning “bigging up” some Olympic venue.
Cue a gushing athlete saying how “amazing” the new velodrome is-for indeed it`s a bike track,and we shoudl all be celebrating this early triumph for Team GB( in her way of course-such athletes tend not to have too many critical faculties when it comes to their sports provision).
Then I heard it-the bike track will have underfloor heating so our cyclists will be able to go that bit faster!
So the polar bears are alright then?…there are no potential problems in getting oil at the moment…and we clearly have energy to burn! Underfloor velodrome heating-will Red Nose day allow us to donate?
Funny then that the BBC eco-loons in the Toady editing suite have no problem with this flagrant waste of the worlds resources.More fllodlights pleae,more flights to Qutar and (of course) more undersoil heating for our beloved footballers. Don`t the poor lambs use of snoods tell us all we need to know…turn up the heating you skinflints in your care homes!
All I`m saying is that there is a lack of coherence in the BBC-the Great God Sport can kill lugers, can use child labout to build our Commonwealth Games venues-and now the seals will slip on their glaciers because some bikes need their circuits all heated for them!
Well Done BBC-I expect no follow up on this. Sport is a new God!
Beware the global warming fascists: Johnny Ball on how he has been vilified for daring to question green orthodoxy
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1359350/Zoe-Balls-father-Johnny-vilified-questioning-global-warming.html#ixzz1EiexVA58
Has anyone ever heard one of our elected leaders standing up for free speech. Their silence on the vicious treatment meted out to people like Mr Ball is tantermount to being an accessory.
Oh I forgot Cameron like Brown before him only want free speech and democracy for others.
“DAVID Cameron today risked the wrath of his Chinese government hosts by boldly standing up for free speech and democracy.”
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3220006/David-Cameron-stands-up-for-free-speech-and-democracy-in-China.html
Free speech and democracy can seem a tad ‘selective’ in certain quarters.
Here’s the original piece:
http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6070579
But it seems the Guardian is having a real go at this issue, but purging any counter-views on it’s risible Comments Are Moderated pages ((C)BBC Blogs) whilst claiming no one has any other opinions!
Unique.
A few years ago before my Mother retired from teaching she took a class of her 13 year olds to a science event for children that was hosted by Mr Ball in a local Museum. He had been banished from TV by then and my Mother was shocked that they had never heard of him. However he is a fantastic teacher and they were captivated by him so much so that on the coach home one of them predicted that he was so good he would be on TV soon 🙂
I see the bBC have allowed Porn Mistress Jacqui (call me madam) Smith to air a program about Porn. Yup, not only did Smith charge the public for porn the first time around thanks to the bBC she gets to do it again. Disgusting.
She claims that attacks on her use of porn films are sexist. No, the attacks on you were mainly for dishonestly claiming your sister’s house as your main residence and allowing you to dishonestly claim on your real home.
That was £100,000+ of tax-payers money that you filched and got away with you wicked old cow, and you’re still raking it in from too-regular appearances on Brillo’s show and now you’re Queen of BBC porn. You are disgusting, and you make yourself even worse by this ridiculous claim of sexism. (I’m sure I also remember Harman trying that trick once or twice.)
A thief to catch a thief? 😎
Dipping in and out of the house today I caught bits of the following.
1. An interview with Nulabour/BBC sometime cookery teacher Jackboots Jacqui Smith plugging her crappy Radio 4 Porndoc.
2. Nobel Prize for Literature Laureate Anne Robinson in an ad for her new ‘book’ programme where she’s interviewing another giant of world literature (and BBC employee) Richard Bacon about his favourite books.
3. Richard Giant of World Literature Bacon interviewing two presenters from (BBC’s) The One Show about a third presenter from (BBC’s) The One Show. – ‘Just how wonderful *is* Chris Evans?’ (Very, apparently)
4. And to cap it on my way back out in the evening I caught the beginning of an interview by Azma Mir (sp?) with (BBC employee) Dermot O’ Leary.
Finishing the day with the following email confiscating me off me to pay for this £3.5 billion giant self-licking lollipop.
l
<img style=”display: block;” src=”http://www.orchestrabristol.co.uk/TVL/Z249/15519/BAU/bullet-1.jpg”/> Pay £145.50 by Direct Debit or with a debit or credit card
To make your life even easier, remember
to choose to get your licence sent to you by email.
And that’s it: taken care of until next year.
“Britain and the US have fuelled instability in the Middle East by supporting autocratic regimes that suppress human rights, David Cameron has said ”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/8341211/Middle-East-David-Cameron-says-West-was-wrong-to-back-dictators.html
After the fact. Brave man. No doubt when the EU implodes he will announce how he was against it all along. Hypocrites make my skin creep.
Here is what Cameron thinks of British democracy (or lack of it).
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1345456/Prime-Minister-David-Cameron-using-scare-tactics-win-EU-vote.html
Sorry not BBC but this chap really does need to be shown as the opportunist he is. The type of person who has no ideals at all, in short a PR man. The BBC is safe in his hands.
One for David P.
I mentioned the tribal nature of Libya earlier and you commented on it.
Back in 1993, the following took place:
28 Oct 1993
CAIRO: Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s Government has executed dozens of Libyans and arrested hundreds after a rebellion aimed at toppling his 24-year rule, an opposition group claimed yesterday. A spokesman for the National Front for the Salvation of Libya, based in Cairo, said Government troops had quelled all resistance except in Bani Walid, eastern stronghold of the Warfala tribe that led the uprising. The spokesman voiced fears that Gaddafi’s troops will try to slaughter the Warfala. Libya has denied any uprising but Western diplomats have confirmed advances on Tripoli by rebel troops.
Fast forward to today, on a BBC tweet:
2146: Jussi Soini\r tweets: “Warfala has declared war, marching a convoy to Tripoli from Bani Waled and calling other tribes to join.”
History just repeats itself.
Gaddafi sees himself and his tribe as Berber ‘marabout’ in eternal struggle with the ‘munkar’ of the Salafist/Senussi Arab Cyrenaicans of whom the Warfala (and Ziwaya) are the main groups.
Maybe I should post this to Richard Black. It “proves” that earthquakes are caused by global warming. The bloke is an M.D. so he is a scientist.
http://drpinna.com/earthquakes-and-global-warming-4026
Here is the suggested headline for the BBC.
“Scientist proves link between New Zealand earthquake and climate change”.
‘Liked’, but … Noooooooooo!
The BBC doesn’t ‘do’ irony!!!!!!!!!
This will be tweeted, picked up by a Graun hack and front-paged on the Breakfast sofa, with a follow-up by Mil.E and Ms. Spelperson hand in hand on Newsnight ‘discussing’ it from one viewpoint only within the day, possibly with one of the BBC staff Whores of the Apocalypse brought in as an ‘expert’ guest.
I posted this earlier on the bDaily Mail site regarding David Cameron’s visit to Egypt – and they put it on:
And where is ‘baroness’ Ashton in all this Dave? Our so called European High Representative for Foreign Affairs should be doing the glad handing and pontificating, not you Dave. You should be back home preparing for a referendum on the EU, as promised; Dealing with the population crisis caused by immigration; Making the BBC impartial, instead of it’s current role as Her Majesty’s official opposition; Having a REAL bonfire of the quangos, especialy Dame Suzzi Leather of the charity commission; Stopping the infiltration/infestation of Common Pupose into local and national Gonernment; Withdrawal immediately from the human rights act industry; Scrapping the electoral commission, and replacing it with a genuinely impartial organisation, instead of the gerrymandering for Labour setup it currently is; Once you’ve done that, by all means go round telling other countries to be democratic, but while you are running a country still in the grip of a socialist nightmare, Shhhh.
– Michael, Stuck in a Socialist
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1359438/Cameron-hits-prejudice-suggestions-Middle-East-democracy.html#ixzz1Ejvhj6nX
The bBC says 1.6 million children Save the children says 1.4 million living in poverty in the UK. Seeing as the bBC are quoting save the children you’d think they would be singing off the same song sheet. or is the bbC just fluffing up the figures.
Clearly the Save the Children figures didn’t take into account all those children of illegal immigrants living in poverty, so the BBC felt the need to help out.
It could be that some kidz are having to go without the newest mobile phone or ipod(oh the humanity!) It could mean that certain groups want more state cash,better houses, more luxury goods etc.
It could mean that selfish parents are spending all the state cash they get on hols to spain and weekend piss ups and drugs. It could even mean that save the children(gravytrain) are pitching for even more cah to lavish on themselves. We will never know because the BBC are telling the story.
Save the children? When you examine how much they lavish on themselves in pay and perks and how much actually gets to poor kidz, how much goes overseas straight into dictators pockets you could be forgiven for thinking they were just a gang of crooks on the make and on the take. Just another parasitical leftist gang of scum.
Must saying I thought fluffing was something else, er, by all accounts (I think heard about it on a Jacquie Smiff doco).
Same result. Lot’s of huffing and puffing to get part way to a messy unsatisfactory outcome, but only managing to get cheapened in the process of failing while under the delusion cares about your role.
The BBC must be about the only news medium to see no problem in trying to fake an organ of the NGO sector’s factual report. Badly.
listening to chris evans on R2, thinking it would be harmless banter and music. even here the insidious al beeba philosophy is not far behind. commenting on an item about gaddafi, chris says all dictators are cowards, except fidel castro. he is ok. in one casual sentence he reinforces the lefty dictator good and horrible right wing dictator bad.
The fact that Gaddafi calls himself a Green Socialist revolutionary leader seems to be rarely mentioned in the MSN.
So what is the difference between left and right wing dictators? Is it that left wing dictators kill more people without any outcry from their socialist apologists.
Dictator = “a ruler who is not effectively restricted by a constitution, laws, recognized opposition, etc., an absolute, esp tyrannical, ruler”
Funny how there is no distinction on type.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12548153
Not sure that’s the best named outfit to make claims, but one is sure the BBC will be keen to help in any way it can.
I heard that this estimate is double that of earlier critics.
Now, if I was getting estimates like that from suppliers, were I a professional passing them on, I might be a wee bit more circumspect about pushing the worst possible scenario… for some reason.
Really doesn’t take much for an “anti-cuts campaign group” to get a full page spread on the BBC website, does it? What are the chances of an “anti-pissing money up the wall group” getting that treatment?
A few jibs whose cut may be liked…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/fromthewebteam/2011/02/tuesday_22_february_2011.html#P106654059
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/fromthewebteam/2011/02/tuesday_22_february_2011.html#P106654238
… or not. Probably depending on one’s definitions of ‘unique’.
BBC’s outgoing Website World Affairs Correspondent Paul Reynolds, who some time ago was prepared to engage with comment on this site, provides his final thoughts on the changes to a journalist’s contact with his readership brought about by the new media. (Newsnight’s discussion on this subject last night still had a smack of condescension towards “citizen journalism)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12536855
Summary: “I think I got it about right”.
BBC’s outgoing Website World Affairs Correspondent Paul Reynolds, who some time ago was prepared to engage with comment on this site, provides his final thoughts on the changes to a journalist’s contact with his readership brought about by the new media. (Newsnight’s discussion on this subject last night still had a smack of condescension towards “citizen journalism)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12536855
It is perhaps a small thing in the big world of BBC bias, but it has been annoying me for a while and so I’m going to have a lttle rant about it. It is the BBC’s disapproval of our desire to own homes. Not infrequently, you will hear the Beeb state that this is a strange, peculiarly British trait. ‘It’s not like this in Europe’, a Beeboid will say, at which point I imagine him trotting off back to a Georgian pile in Islington which he owns, not rents, courtesy of the TV tax.
And so it was on Sunday’s Kate Silverton programme on Radio 5 that this exchange took place:
Kate Silverton: But why the drive, some will say, to own our home? It’s a…it’s a…wouldn’t call it a fetish but in France, for example, renting is the norm.
Guest Rene (Carriol?) ; It’s cultural here.
Kate Silverton: Doesn’t mean to say it’s right though, does it?
I would ask that Kate and her fellow Beeboids take a look at this chart and then shut the **** up about European home ownership and the peculiarity of the British.
PS No offence intended , Kate. I hope the house hunting went well and you get time to enjoy the charming period flat in Brighton. I’m not sure where the property in Norfolk fits in – you partner’s, perhaps? Dare one hope the central London flat is/was rented?
Full disclosure: I have owned a house, the only property I own, for some time. I’ve never owned a beach hut.
I expect they’ll be removing “Escape to the Country” and similar from BBC airwaves, then?
As a country boy in what’s left of Kent after 50 years of London emigration, I wish they would. Mrs Bug suggests an alternative programme called “Stay Where You’re Bloody Well Put.”
That is a fascinating chart, thanks for the link.
To be honest, I only just now looked at the chart. My above sarcastic comment was meant to imply that the BBC certainly isn’t institutionally against home ownership. In fact, I think their shows about buying and flipping homes were at least in part responsible for encouraging the grossly inflated house market (considering the BBC’s cultural influence, it’s a short trip from riding the wave to actually making it worse).
Having said that, There’s one brilliant bit of information in the chart: Britain not only has one of the lower home ownership rates in Europe, but has one of the highest rates of people still in heavy mortgage debt. How telling is that?
Very very interesting. If Eurostat figures are to be believed, the highest level of outright home ownership is to be found in Romania. Presumably that is made possible by all their pickpockets in Europe sending money home.
The country with nearly the highest proportion with mortgages but fewest owned outright looks like Iceland. I thought their Building Societies all went belly up in the financial collapse. Apparently not.
However France looks an outlier in having such a high rented population (BBC journalists always prove a rule by quoting an exception) At least that explains how the French can afford to sit in pavement cafes all day.
Typical BBC, never do their homework, never find the interesting stories, just bash out the Standard Left Narrative. Ironically, Thatcher made the greatest contribution to redistribution of wealth to the working class – through the right to buy council homes. More than the Socialists have ever acheived through “redistributive tax and benefits”. Not that the Beeb would acknowledge that.
The BBC supporting landlords, whatever next ?
Always been sceptical about bleedin’ hearts: the bBC was bound to lead with save the children.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12549523
So I went onto the stc site, and here is an extract:
“shows that there are currently 1.6 million children in severe poverty in the UK. At present, the government has no official way to measure this so it’s crucial they adopt a way to calculate severe poverty as a way to better understand the impact of their policies on this most vulnerable section of the population.”
So, bBC, the 1.6M is gospel?
It’s not poverty, it’s ‘relative poverty’. If poverty was measured in absolute terms then poverty could be eradicated but that would mean an end to the ‘poverty relief industry’ with all the well paid jobs that supports, so ‘relative poverty’ it is and thus the poor really will always be with us.
Notasheep
“It’s not poverty, it’s ‘relative poverty’
Good point and unlike many here I’ve actually taken the time to read the document in question:
It seems that for some strange reason that familes from Pakistani,Bangledeshi and Black African..aka Somali are hit hardest, Also hit hard are those with more than 3 children. Then there’s the areas where poverty in the Uk can be found@
Tower hamlets
Manchester
Newham
Hackney
I wonder if I am the only one here who can see the link between all the above. Then as NAS points out its about relative poverty and here is how the document acertains poverty:
Children in severe poverty are missing out on
things like school trips and hobbies, hitting their
educational and social development and leaving
them excluded from society. Parents in severe
poverty are managing very tight budgets and don’t
have enough money for things like household
contents insurance, repairing a broken refrigerator
or washing machine or saving just a small amount
each month for emergencies or a birthday.
Families in severe poverty are getting by on
The thing is a larger number of people (And I include white people) have lots of children so as to play the system. Almost the entire Somali populations in Denmark and Holland upped sticks and moved to to the UK when those two countries stopped handing out money willynilly.
And STC answer to this. Hand out even more money.
Oh, I forgot to mention the following examples of poverty:
These basic necessities include things like parents not having
enough shoes, being able to afford to decorate the home, pay for
household contents insurance or repair electrical goods. For
children it means missing out on things like celebrating
birthdays, having friends round, swimming lessons and school
trips
Your observations are supported by one particular statistic I have never seen published. People may be aware NHS Health Authority allocations are weighted in favour of those areas with high Deprivation scores (places like in that list above). I had to study which actual hospital services used were most closely correlated with Deprivation. I found only one: Maternity services. Chicken, egg, egg, chicken.
I wonder if I am the only one here who can see the link between all the above.
Labour-controlled councils and MPs?
Funny enough that webpage which I screen captured at 1,4 million doesn’t exist anymore . So I suppose Save the children are ensuring that they send the correct message about 1.6 million children living in poverty. It’s a shame that I’ve just screen captured another page which claims 1.7 million children are living in poverty. Make you wonder just how they arrived at 1.6 million in the first place. Any half decent hack would question STC about how on their website the figure for children living in poverty in the Uk can differ by over ¼ Million.
1. Jacqui Sniff eh?…”Lord” Prescott..let`s hope that the Job Centre get round to all of their houses pronto and see if they really are “actively seeking work”(just for once!) and not farting in the lifts at Bush House until a lined suited lotus eater from Oxbridge gives them his key to the Green Room .
Boy how green does YOUR BBC have to be before we bring Tahrir Square home-it seems to be what the BBC wants anyway isn`t it?
2. Nice bit on Woman Sour today-female correspondents and their risk of being raped or worse-funnily enough, it was not made clear to me which countries that were a worry to the sisters-or did I miss that word Muslim in amongst the verbiage?
Clearly not all Muslims are like this-but read the Koran, ask why nearly all current terrorism is connected to Islam and go figure for yourself-because the BBC and the chattering classes that dwell therein sure as hell wo`nt be telling you anytime soon!
3. The BBC love the thrill of dangerous countries as long as they are close to the borders-risk assessment? They also love the unnamed anonymous sources because it is unattributable and easily flexed for the lazy editors back home.
4. All this-that Miss Sniff never did her job as Home Secretary and is now rewarded with her jollies getting an airing that WE pay for…that Islam is the “love that dare not be spoken of”,and that Israel is “not exotic/cheap/dirty/dangerous enough to be slummed in by the media grief thieves and Whores Men of their Apocalpyse sums up the culture. If the Beebs buddies in Hamas etc are allowed their oxygen of continuing good publicityand equivocation then they shall not rest until Israel IS turned into something dirty and dangerous-but so exotic and with cheap waiters for Bayswater.
Tell you what-don`t take MY word for this…let`s ask those guardians of impartiality-the TUCs researchers to do us a survey on whether Jacqui Sniff/ Pork Prescott counted as “front line cuts to the public services” when they were numbered amongst the poor and vulnerable that are bound to lose their jobs-indeed all their self esteem and even their lives for Allahs sake!-if Fatches posh boys have their way. I only ask because the Today programme and the BBC seem to have discovered this new oasis of truth amidst the carnage. What have the TUCs “researchers” been doing since 1997 I wonder?…why wake them now ?
Matt seems to agree…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/matt/
This story must have nothing to do with Islam, because Islam Not BBC (INBBC) doesn’t mention it….
“‘Action needed’ on forced marriage says abused teenager”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/12536948
But:-
“UK court strikes down forced-marriage law”
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2010/12/uk-court-strikes-down-forced-marriage-law.html
For Islam Not BBC (INBBC) this is a trial not of ‘Muslims Against Crusade’ supporters apparently, but against the English Defence League!
Reminder: it is official BBC-NUJ policy to oppose the Englsih Defence League.
Compare and contrast these two reports:
1.) ‘Evening Standard’-
“‘Troops burn in hell’ chants at poppy trial”
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23925716-two-men-on-trial-accused-of-poppy-burning.do
2.) INBBC:
“Protests ahead of London poppy burning trial”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12551338
Note: the above INBBC report at 2.) above has now been totally revised by INBBC (hours later) either because some readers or a maverick editor has complained. Anyway, the latest INBBC version, with a totally different headline to the original one, has had to be changed to something nearer reality.
Pounce… earlier you quoted, with text pretty clearly cut and pasted: ‘
…pounce_uk
Yeah I’m just reading this part:
“But the BBC’s Will Ross in Nairobi says the pirates’ telling of the encounter differs from the US Navy’s. The pirates report the US warship attacked first, killing two pirates, and the hostages were killed in retaliation.’
I can’t seem to locate this text via the linked piece.
May there have been… an evolution of the story requiring an entirely legitimate stealth edit, or have I missed where it is?
Guest who
Please accpet my deepest appologies, It appears not used to whitemans magic I posted the wrong link. Here is the link to the correct article.
No apology necessary.
I consider your breadth of knowledge and integrity to be at the highest level.
I was quite sure that quote did not come out of the air.
TBH I was in mind of a stealth edit by the BBC, but a simple mistaken URL resolves this. You are, after all, just a person, vs. a £4B news organisation. Amazed the detail vultures didn’t, forgive me, ‘pounce’. Maybe they are MIA as so much is not going to be comfortable for them if they pop their heads over parapets on trivia.
And you have responded promptly, with the correct link and an acknowledgment, which the BBC rarely does.
Keep up the good work.
OMG! Again the BBC gives air time to Dougie Alexander to criticize the Conservative-led Coalition Government for failing to get British nationals out of a country full of rioting Mohammedans. Labour just calls them up and gets air time at the drop of a hat, forcing the Government to go on the defensive. The BBC really does behave as HM Opposition too much.
Ok, that answers my first question.
Just back from lunch, and as i can’t bear BBC any more I was munching to SKY. And also lost it when wee Dougie was up to spout rampant opportunistic tripe. I merely wondered if he was given the same, or worse/better opportunity via the BBC. Now I know.
I freely admit to being as prone to tarring with over broad brushes as most, but am starting to feel the problem with ‘news’ ‘reporting’ is down to the media in general.
It also seems to break down to which part of the media as well.
The BBC is a lost cause institutionally, but I am sure there are pockets of professionalism and integrity tearing their hair out at the over-arching narratives that control content for tribal reasons.
With SKY, the difference was epitomised by that dumb bint Kay Burley, who was more than happy to feed the flames of the ratings fodder served up in the control room, especially when presented with a Labour pol claimed that things ‘appeared to be’, which was quite good enough to lead with ‘the Government is being criticised…’. The little weasel was even running off a total of pedalos from Luxembourg that may, or may not, have been promised 3 minutes earlier. All lapped up.
But then there was an actual correspondent, Tim Marshall, who seemed to know a bit about journalism, and sources, and reality beyond ratings.
He was much more cautious, and essentially with calm fact and analysis making Dougie and Kay seem like sick, headless chickens.
But then his slot was off, and within seconds ‘the Government’ was ‘being criticised’ (by a totally complicit, venal, opposition) again.
IF the UK was sending sniper rifles this year, and IF they were slow off the mark on getting planes out to bring back folk who opted to earn a fortune in a foreign hell-hole and were cool until things kicked off in their West-end neighbourhood… then fine… there should be an accounting. Later.
But for now, I’d say our media, or at least large chunks of it, and our loyal opposition, should shut the hell up and stop making silly 24/7, 1/2 rotation sound bite petty points, and either get out of the way or help.
Hague and Cameron and crew are bad enough, but they are what we’ve got. Dougie and Ed are what got us here, and if they are what’s waiting at the end for the BBC to deliver ’em back, god help us.
The BBC is the propaganda arm of the labour Party and as such is the Official Opposition. I would say Her Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition, but the BBC are not in any way loyal.
The beeb has reported sod all about Tony Blair fostering food relations with Gaddafi and Libya, with the purpose of giving the nation a greater choice of energy suppliers.
A couple of Beeboids yesterday or the day before made an offhand remark about Blair shaking Ghaddafi’s hand. Even Nick Robinson took a swipe at Blair before running off to Ibiza or wherever it is he goes. But the theme has since been suppressed, from what I can tell. This thing today was an issue entirely manufactured by the BBC at Labour’s behest.
The BBC really does behave as HM Opposition too much.
Except during the period 1997 to 2010 of course. As the Tories vanished into obscurity during that time, shame the BBC didn’t feel the need to inject some balance back then.
Your mate Richard Black is at it again:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12530439
Coral threatened by OVERFISHING…fullstop…but climate change, global warming, acid seas etc all brought in for fluff.
The News Channel has spent nearly a full hour now hyping the plight of British nationals cruelly abandoned in Libya by the slow-moving Conservative-led Coalition, who have been “caught behind the curve”. Nothing else going on?
Well the wee Mon has a point see under labour they would have phoned up Gadfly??? and got him to postpone the uprising until the democratic shortfall could be checked by the stakeholders under a new quango call Gadoff that would write up a interim report on all the possible risk assessments and legal problems! then speak to their union masters about issuing a statement which would then be stuck it in a filing cabinet in Camden’s council office basement marked ‘beware of the islamist’ and then phone up the BBC to get airtime to berate the Tories for doing nothing about it !
Of course they’re NOT behind the curve as other countries citizens are in exactly the same boat (not literally!) but don’t expect the BBc to shout about it.
“One worker told the BBC he was in fear for his life and appeals to the government for help had been ignored. He said vehicles had been looted, local people were heavily armed and the camp only had a day’s food left.
Other countries, including France, Russia and the Netherlands have already evacuated some of their citizens.”
BBC the oil camp with 170 workers also has Germans, Austrians, Rumanians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis who have come together after the looting of their locations by men with AK47s.
Suggest that other nationalities also have big problems getting their people out of remote desert locations.
This is a mega-mess and to run the incompetency narrative is not helpful to families and friends who are now in more distress.
This is not helped by those who have arrived back in their sitting rooms saying how unhelpful the Foreign Office was.
Time for recriminations LATER.
Wonder how much wonga the poor chap stuck in the desert, seemingly with his wife, is on. Presumably there is an “attraction” amount in it to take into account some element of risk.
She was expecting a plane to pop down and pick them up, as it usually does when they need to get to Tripoli.
Here’s a fun one, and as i don’t have the energy to fight, or complain, I thought I’d just share where more are likely to read anyway.
Here’s a wee comment I tried to post as Aunty goes into full evening ‘analysis’ mode:
‘Plus we examine the West’s game plan and whether intervention should be stepped up.
Might we have more of the insights and views of Douglas Alexander? It’s just his hourly contribution today has been truly valuable thus far.
http://wn.com/Douglas_Alexander_defends_Labour_arming_Gaddafi_21Feb11
http://www.newsnetscotland.com/scottish-news/1675-scottish-news-libya.html
http://www.politicshome.com/uk/article/22882/douglas_alexander_british_government_has_been_slow_off_the_mark_to_help_nationals_in_libya.html
Well a week, or even 3 days, is a long time in opportunistic politics.
And a 24/7 media world where any spun up controversy is a higher ratings controversy.
Heres what I got: Your comment was failed by the profanity filter.
Is his name now considered rude? Or has my blog name sent up a few too many red flags and in the absence of argument Plan B is just try anything to put me off? Or is there a Scunthorpe in there I missed that the NaughtieMarrs can’t have outed unless it’s by them and hence… unique.
According to Guido here http://order-order.com/2011/02/23/a-bad-week-to-slope-off/ while the Middle East is in flames and in the middle of the emergency in the Libyan desert Bowen is . . er . . on holiday: well he’s only Middle East Editor after all. Don’t worry, he’ll explain it all when he gets back. Actually, we don’t need to wait for Jeremy to get near a microphone do we: it’s all Israel’s fault!
I thought this was fun:
http://blog.indexoncensorship.org/2011/02/23/bbc-distoring-the-market-nonsense/
Especially this: ‘The BBC has a funding model which is very successful’
Other than the slight caveat of ‘for whom?’, plus a few other minor details, one can’t argue.
Brian Cathcart teaches journalism at Kingston University
And one imagines he is well remunerated in this endeavour by, well, actual income generators to ply his skills. Way to go, Brian.
just watched BBC News at 6…they did a report on arranged marriages in Pakistan – mentioned a recent case with a 15 year old girl – not once did they mention that these kids are sold to blokes for thousands of pounds – so that they can get UK passport.So in effect its a non report – so whats the point of half-baked news reporting?! patheticgl
ha ha looks like the bullshit alarm went off on The One Show tonight
For alternative to Marxist Comrade Mason, Father of the NUJ Chapel at BBC-NUJ ‘Newsnight’, suggest go to:
FOX NEWS, Glenn Beck show*; Feb 22 episode here relates to Wisconsin, Trade Unions, Obama, Muslim Brotherhood, etc
http://www.watchglennbeck.com/
(* In UK, Fox News, Glenn Beck show is on Sky satellite channel 509, 10 pm, weekdays.)
“I hear by phone that Tajura, #Libya , less than 10 miles from Tripoli, has fallen. Rebel flag flying over it”
Tweets by rachelkennedy84
“”Residents of Tripoli told media by telephone on Monday there had been “a massacre” in the Tajura and Fashlum districts of the Libyan capital, with indiscriminate shooting and women among the dead.
“What happened today in Tajura was a massacre,” one resident of the district said. “Armed men were firing indiscriminately. There are even women among the dead,” adding that mosque loudspeakers were putting out appeals for help.
Another witness in Fashlum said that helicopters had landed what he called armed African mercenaries in the neighbourhood, and that the gunmen then opened fire on anyone in the street, causing a large number of deaths.
Both Fashlum and Tajura are suburbs of the Libyan capital. ”
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/witnesses-report-massacre-in-tripoli/articleshow/7543366.cms
She really does live in a fantasy world this woman. “Rebel Flags flying” – next we will see the arrival of El Laurence
Actually I find it fascinating reading this womans “twitters”. These are used as sources of news for the BBC. Rumour and specuation in small sentances without the need to use punctuation.
Any idiot could send this woman a “tweet” and she would take it as gospel. This is not lazy journalism this is BBC journalism.
How enthusiastic will INBBC be to investigate this and the implications for the way the Labour government jumped for Gaddafi over the release of Megrahi?
“Ex-minister says Gadhafi ordered Lockerbie”
http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/32829
They’ll blame Tony Blair. He’s an easy target these days, and completely disconnected from Gordon Brown and Miliband Minor and Other Red Ed. The BBC will have their scapegoat while still protecting Labour. Win-win.
Detailed critique of the BBC’s campaign to sanitise the MuslimBrotherhood, at Just Journalism:
http://justjournalism.com/bbc-focus/bbc-on-muslim-brotherhood/
The BBC has long been too easily seduced by flamboyant, anti-American, left-wing leaders. This article from 1999, Gaddafi: Three decades in pictures, is a case in point. (There’s also a typical, inappropriate BBC use of inverted commas around ‘terrorist’).
I case across it while trying to find an old episode of Radio 4’s Crossing Continents with Rosie Goldsmith from 2003, which I remembered painting a pretty benign picture of Gaddafi’s dictatorship. The transcript is here, with Rosie telling some young schoolgirls that she found the young Gaddafi “very handsome.” In return they told her that Gaddafi gives them “complete freedom”. Rosie commented afterwards: “So people here really seem to believe they have power. They call their system a popular democracy, based on consensus.”
Her piece ended, “Colonel Gaddafi is extraordinary. He has survived where other dictators haven’t and his people seem to believe in him. At least, they all sing from the same song sheet. His portraits, all along this stretch of road to the airport, may still be everywhere but the face of Libya is changing.”
Typical incisive BBC journalism, never afraid to scratch just below the surface.
(The extraordinary comments of the British ambassador in that article show exactly what game the Labour government was up to at the time.)
Other mostly glowing pieces include this from Caroline Hawley in 1999, where the “mixed” views of foreigners aren’t really mixed at all. They’re enthusiastic. The message is “He may be Machiavellian, but he’s not the monster people make him out to be.” (Oh really???!!!) From the same reporter, there’s also Libyan shake-up boosts people power from 2000.
Also in 1999, BBC regional analyst Roger Hardy penned this: Settling down after 30 years. Hardy accuses the Americans of “demonising Gaddafi”: “Demonising Colonel Gaddafi, like demonising Saddam Hussein of Iraq, has become a habit.” (Maybe, like Saddam, he deserved “demonisation”!!!)
On Labour’s offer of military aid to Gaddafi, there’s this deeply biased article from 2004, which shows the BBC in full Labour-defending and “Tory”-bashing mode.
Another classic BBC moment comes in an interview with Gaddafi’s son Saif in 2004, when Libya was turning away from the BBC’s worldview and towards the West and capitalism. Here are some questions from the Left posed by the Beeb’s Mike Donkin:
Ninety percent of Libya’s economy is oil-based. Are you worried that you will lose control of that to foreign oil corporations as you privatise?
This has been called the people’s state. How are you going to safeguard Libyan people’s jobs here with privatisation?
After then (from around 2004) the BBC News website’s coverage of Libya dropped off sharply. Very sharply. Probably because the BBC turned its eyes away from all the dictators of the Arab World and fixed them on tiny, democratic Israel instead.
“Lybia’s official name is the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. There is no such word as “jamahiriya” in Arabic. It is a corruption of the word “jumhuriya” meaning “republic” and can be roughly translated as a “the masses’ state.”
http://en.rian.ru/columnists/20110223/162730758.html
I wonder if the BBC have “tweeted” this information.
JHT,
Yes, same word as “Cumhurriyet” in Turkish.
I’m still fuming about the 6pm BBC ONE news report about arranged marriages. Possibly also known as lucrative underage daughters marketing with added UK passport in return for huge wads of cash.
Its outrageous that we pay a licence to fund a news outfit that cannot quite delve deepenough to see what is really going on – British underage children being sold.
Its reported as some sort of distasteful custom – by a Radio 1 presenter. If they cant tell the full truth for fear of upsetting perpatrators etc, then they should be closed down.
If they are inept and dont see it – they should be closed down – its a junk organisation.
Liquid,
Here’s a true story.
1969 and a Sunday evening. MY father shows my oldest brother a photo of a girl and informs him she is on the way over from India (boat) and that he is to marry her. Next day he left home and joined the army I haven’t seen him since.
A few years later he does the same with the next brother, he packed his bags and moved to Wakefield.
Me, I was taken into care before I saw any photo.
Pounce- what an extraordinary story.
It seems that nature, and possibly subsequent nuture, plus shouldering some personal responsibility, didn’t do a bad job in setting your life on a fairer course.
Pounce,
Simply awful.
Before the Football, I had News 24 on and the 2 presenters (A black guy and a blond haired woman) were discussing Libya. So they are (between them) interviewing an ex head of the FCO.
They ask him, was it prudent of the British government (at the time) to bring Libya in from the cold.
He (Ex FCO) informs them yes, as they disabled Gaddiffi’s Terrorist plans/Chemical/Biological and Nuclear amibitions.
They state that we sold him weapons, and that those weapons were been used now on the protesters.
He in turn replied that actually that question was disingenuous and that the FCO kept a very close eye on what was been sold to Gaddiffi (For the info the biggest sellers of arms to Libya are as follows:
Russia ($1.6 billion)
France
Malta (yes Malta)
Germany
UK (£3 .3 million)
The irony here was while he was speaking the bBC aired a video clip of a helicopter flying by (it was a Russian Mil17.)
The black guy then changed the subject and started talking about how the failure of the British government to recover our 400 British people in the country was a disgrace and an embarrassment as even Bulgaria had managed to recover its people. So how many people did they recover? Here is the passenger list of the people the Bulgarians picked up:
One Bulgarian, 70 Croatians, two South Koreans and 10 Chinese arrived here from the Libyan capital Tripoli on Wednesday. (The distance between both countries is..800 miles)
Well the football has finished, the cat (Next doors at that) has woken up from sleeping on my chest and decided that more fun can be had from looking out of the bedroom window so I have newsnight on.
They are rabbiting on about the lack of support British ex pats have in the country and bring on line an oilman working out in the middle of the desert who says he is shit scared and that people are walking around with Ak45s (yup Ak45s) The thing is my mate is out there doing the same job and he’s told me that they work in the middle of bloody nowhere and that they have guards to prevent them been attacked by bandits. Ok that I can live with. But what Kirsty did next had my blood boiling
Talking to somebody on a link (government?) she asked is the British prepared to send in her troops.
(Now to be honest) I didn’t catch the full question) but the guy on the otherend started talking about working with the UN. Now why did this get my back up. Seeing as not 2 minutes before Newsnight was bitching about how British subjects are languishing in Libya and the next (with Gaddiffi still in power) they are talking about sending in the marines. The very same people I should add who promote the ‘Not in my name’ angle every bloody chance they get. Typical leftwing twats.
Yes; INBBC is forever keen to run down the size and capability of Britain’s military forces, but in an inevitable crisis, INBBC apparently wants preparedness for possible military action!
Meanwhile, the reality includes this:
“Arab uprising exposes Britain’s naval weakness””Telegraph View: Decommissioning the Ark Royal was a serious mistake whose folly has taken just a few months to expose.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/8339379/Arab-uprising-exposes-Britains-naval-weakness.html#
Pounce,
“What Kirsty did next ” is one book I won’t be reading !
Pounce, “They state that we sold him weapons… The irony here was while he was speaking the bBC aired a video clip of a helicopter flying by (it was a Russian Mil17.)”
So other countries where much bigger exporters of weapons to Libya; but that doesn’t change the fact that the UK sold military equipment to the Gaddafi regime.
“…So how many people did they recover? Here is the passenger list of the people the Bulgarians picked up: One Bulgarian, 70 Croatians, two South Koreans and 10 Chinese…”
Further down on the page you link to it says; “Earlier on Wednesday, a government-chartered plane brought back 110 Bulgarians and six Romanians from Tripoli.”