164 Responses to OPEN THREAD….

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  1. deegee says:
    July 5, 2011 at 10:05 pm

    The BBC says: Israel forces ‘kill two militants in central Gaza’
    Israeli military sources said the army had targeted militants who were trying to fire rockets into Israel.

    Israel Defence Forces say: Israeli Air Force Thwarts Rocket Launching Attempt
    A short while ago, a squad of terrorists preparing to launch rockets at Israeli territory from the central Gaza Strip were identified by an (Israeli Air Force) IAF aircraft that thwarted the attempt by firing at them. A hit was confirmed.

    At best, straight misreporting of a statement confirmed in writing. At worst, continuing attempts to manipulate the language to benefit the narrative.

    Commitment to accuracy? in breach of BBC Guidelines yet again?
    As such, we should not change the word “terrorist” when quoting someone else, but we should avoid using it ourselves.

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    • Millie Tant says:
      July 5, 2011 at 11:45 pm

      It’s not the first time they have “misquoted” something the Israelis said  about terrorists. My impression is that it is Beeboid standard operating procedure. They must know by now that the Israelis do talk of terrorists and not militants.

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    • TooTrue says:
      July 6, 2011 at 8:33 am

      Good catch deegee. And yes, they have been doing this for a very long time indeed. I recall they were doing it already back in the days when Nick Reynolds used to come on here and defend the BBC’s allergic reaction to the dreaded ‘terrorist’ word.  
       
      They feel free to ignore their own guidelines re quoting because they aren’t quit PeeCee enough or Islam-friendly enough. It doesn’t get much more arrogant than that.  
       
      You should complain (LOL).  
       
      Actually I’ve been finding that the direct route is sometimes more productive than trying to negotiate the infuriating and deliberately-engineered maze of the ‘Complaints’ website.  
       
      I’m currently trying to commuicate with this individual, top hack of the BBC News Website worldwide:  
       
      http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2011/06/story_removal.html        
       
      Just put a dot between her first name and surname and add @bbc.co.uk  
       
      So far I’m the grateful recipient of an automated “out of office” response.

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    • NotaSheep says:
      July 6, 2011 at 8:37 am

      Thanks for that spot. I have used it as the basis of a complaint to the BBC.

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  2. D B says:
    July 6, 2011 at 6:41 am

    Hard to disagree with David Allen Green and Tom Watson – Robert Peston’s attempts to make Coulson the centre of the hacking story are very helpful to Rebekah Brooks.

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    • My Site (click to edit) says:
      July 6, 2011 at 7:22 am

      The near total tribal politicisation around this story has, if possible, simply further dragged down my opinion of near all in politics and their way too close buddies in various supportive media.

      This is above all a grotesque criminal case, with implications on media practice. That Ms. Brooks/Wade is clinging on seems amazing, even if she knew nothing. As a CEO, this is surely unsustainable on her watch.

      These two gents seem to have sat back and actually looked at how some in the media behave, with less dogma guiding their pronouncements, and credit to them for that.

      As with the economy, there have been decisions made and actions taken going back decades, spanning a bunch of folk of cross-party affiliations, that goes beyond petty political point scoring.

      It’s the media (with NoTW well and truly at the top by virtue of being caught, and justifiably being highlighted) who need the spotlight on them. All of them.

      Just saw a very dignified 7/7 relative eschew the usual maudlin breast-beating and simply wonder what on earth a journo would gain from hearing his conversations at such a time. Much more effective.

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      • Grant says:
        July 6, 2011 at 8:24 am

        My site,
        Even Jeff Randall on SKY yesterday joined the bloodbath.
        Surely this is a police matter ?  And what the hell has it got to do with the politicians ?
        Every day this country sinks further into the s***.

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        • My Site (click to edit) says:
          July 6, 2011 at 9:07 am

          Grant,

          As you may have gathered, I am ‘political’ in as much as I find the whole political class unfit for purpose.

          Equally, I have a professional interest in media, and am appalled where we are being dragged by overpaid children at the top, middle and gutter of the journalistic ‘craft’.

          As far as I can gather, these days ‘news’ no longer exists, and we are only served ‘views’. These in turn are shaped either by ratings or tribal agenda, or a mixture of both.

          As you say, this is a straight criminal matter, in theory catapulted into the headlines by a grotesque abuse of a sensitive case. Throw the book at all involved or complicit.

          However, that all seems to have been dropped within a matter of days in favour of petty political jockeying and media envy proves all I suspected from the off.

          I fly no flag for Murdoch or NI, but how one gets from some toe-rags at NoTW being crass, and crooked (enough to compromise an investigation) seems every bit matched for seriousness by some toe-rags in the BBC Middle East desk not reading Hebrew, checking or caring enough to avoid an inter-faith flare up. 

          That the actual perpetrators of an illegal act that compromised a murder investigation seem to be now sidelined on daft insult trading on who deserves to be the bigger screwed up, partial media monopoly misleading the UK public, says it all.

          Peston and Prescott are the best to ‘discuss’ this on Newsnight with its 2 and a half viewers? Joke.

          I only single out the BBC here because that’s what’s on the tin, and I am compelled to pay for every hypocritical twist it is uniquely funded to impose.

          Jeff Randall and SKY can do what they like so long as it’s legal, because when I get fed up with them, I can pull the plug (accepting it will be eyeballs only, as I still like my Game of Thrones enough to compromise with dropping the news output from my selection).

          They are all as bad… truly BAD… as each other.

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    • Roland Deschain says:
      July 6, 2011 at 7:54 am

      I thought Peston was going to wet himself on Today this morning, he was getting so excited.

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  3. Will says:
    July 6, 2011 at 7:50 am

    “Today” 7:09 – Claire Enders, media analyst at Enders Analysis says Of News International “By far the biggest force in television”

    you can see why dear Claire is on the beeboids speed dial!

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    • My Site (click to edit) says:
      July 6, 2011 at 8:22 am

      Yup, that uniquely-funded, £4Bpa, 24/7 broadcast access into every home pales into insignificance.

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  4. dw says:
    July 6, 2011 at 8:06 am

    Shocking piece of extreme leftist propaganda on BBC 1 Breakfast at 2 minutes to 9 – a promo for ‘Just Do It’, a film glorifying ” an astonishing journey behind the scenes of a community of people who refuse to sit back and allow the destruction of their world.”

    “Just Do It introduces you to a powerful cast of mischievous and inspiring characters who put their bodies in the way; they super-glue themselves to bank trading floors, blockade factories and attack coal power stations en-masse, despite the very real threat of arrest. Their adventures will entertain, illuminate and inspire.”

    (blurb taken from their website)

    It’s no doubt already taken lots of public money during its production – now it gets some public promotion courtesy of the telly tax. It glorifies climate terror groups Climate Rush, Climate Camp and Plane Stupid.

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    • David Preiser (USA) says:
      July 6, 2011 at 1:51 pm

      This is incitement to criminal behavior.  Even if it’s for a “good cause”.

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    • Buggy says:
      July 6, 2011 at 7:31 pm

      “….despite the very real threat of arrest.”

      Oh noze ! Not “arrest” ! Wow ! This level of commitment in the face of terrible risks surely ranks right up with flying a Lancaster over Berlin !

      Consider me duly inspired ! I look forward with panting eagerness to the wacky adventures of these tousle-haired eco-scamps ! More, BBC ! More !

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  5. reformation70 says:
    July 6, 2011 at 8:49 am

    Great news the NUJ are going on strike at the BBC again.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/05/bbc-faces-strike-compulsory-redundancies

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  6. My Site (click to edit) says:
    July 6, 2011 at 10:15 am

    My morning surf stumbles across an interesting possibllity, whereby out of 16 comments, those of the Editor in ‘reply’ end up the only ones allowed to remain…

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2011/06/newsround_revamps_its_website.html

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  7. My Site (click to edit) says:
    July 6, 2011 at 10:33 am

    Democracy and free speech means that market forces can be stirred to hurt NoTW where it hurts, and go for it, but given the fact that the BBC sees twitter as the same as/interchangeable with ‘news’ and ‘UK public opinion’, I was interested by this:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14029033

    A bit of irony is missing, given the forum, here:

    ‘…the only way the gutter press will reform is if they are hit where it hurts them – in their pocket.’

    Some gutters (maybe not noticed if they are where some are happy to inhabit) have unique ways of side-stepping that.

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  8. Anthony Masters says:
    July 6, 2011 at 10:57 am

    I found this rather interesting article on “hate groups” in the US. It includes the wonderful line
    “Hate groups and other groups on the far right – so-called Patriot groups which vow to resist the encroachments of the Federal government”
    So basically, according to this BBC journalist, you are a hate-monger if you believe that the Federal government is acting beyond its constitutional restraints, you know, like almost all US conservatives do.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14018798

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    • RGH says:
      July 6, 2011 at 11:55 am

      There may be some unsavoury individuals and groups in Spokane and that bomb is criminality.

      The problem is that Dymond has extrapolated a local issue and linked it to Obama. Thereby he has unsubtely shifted legitimate widespread political opposition and dissatisfaction and nudged this into the racist/extremist debate.

      It is similar to the nonsense with the Giffords shooting whereby Palin (and the tea party) were accused of creating an atmosphere of hate which prompted lunatics to act.

      This is the BBC bias at work. Instead of explaining America to us, the BBC is maintaining its narrative which is well explained and analysed elsewhere on this site.

      Dymond gave the voice to a certain Ms Rachel Dolezal.

      “Rachel Dolezal, who teaches art and African-American studies, has been repeatedly harassed since word got out about what she taught.”

      The Spokane Review has an interesting background on Rachel.

      “The education director of the Human Rights Education Institute in Coeur d’Alene has resigned, citing “issues of fairness and equity” after she was passed over for the institute’s top job.
      “For all intents and purposes it was a forced resignation,” said Rachel Dolezal, who has worked for the past two years for the institute, which was established to combat racial intolerance through education.
      Dolezal said she wrote the institute’s board of directors two weeks ago seeking to be named executive director. She also submitted her letter of resignation, contingent on the board refusing her promotion.
      She said she had been performing the duties of a director and “wanted the opportunity to compete” for the job.
      Instead of promoting Dolezal, the board named its new development director Dan Lepow as executive director and accepted Dolezal’s resignation.
      “We appreciate all she has done for HREI and human rights,” said board president Marilyn Muehlbach.
      The Coeur d’Alene Press reported on Monday that Dolezal said she was the target of discrimination, but Dolezal declined to discuss this allegation with The Spokesman-Review.
      Muehlbach said Dolezal’s allegations came as a surprise.
      “That’s nothing we talked about at all,” Muehlbach said Tuesday.
      While she was education director, Dolezal, who is multiracial, said she was the victim of racial harassment, slurs and threats against her and her son by white supremacists.”

      http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/jul/28/human-rights-educator-resigns/

      What do her students say:

      “Hard time understanding alot of the material. She knew a ton about art and whatnot, but does not have the capability to teach it. I was very disappointed in this class. I would suggest taking this course from someone else!”

      “Dolezal means well and is very nice, however,I felt like she was unprepared for her lectures and assigned busy work often. I felt like I walked away from most lectures not learning much at all and also like I wasted my time. If you want to memorize a bunch of dates and redundant information then take this class.”

      Measured criticism from ‘Rate my Professor’

      Dymond’s prime witness could reasonably be seen as having ‘issues’ about her career and has chosen to flash the discrimination card and cite persecution in her take on life.

      Not a good witness. Not good journalism.

      Bet Dymond doesn’t care though.

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      • David Preiser (USA) says:
        July 6, 2011 at 1:53 pm

        Well said, RGH.  Must be an election looming, eh?  We can expect lots more of this hate-mongering from the BBC in the coming months.

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      • David Preiser (USA) says:
        July 6, 2011 at 2:27 pm

        Here’s a news brief the intrepid BBC News Online sub-editors found after a lengthy search to support the Narrative that Nazi and other supremicist groups are suddenly “on the rise”:

        US teen Brandon McInerny in ‘homophobia killing’ trial

        A US teenager has gone on trial in California accused of shooting dead a classmate because he was homosexual.

        Must have been killed by Tea Party spawn, right?

        Brandon McInerney smuggled a handgun into a school near Los Angeles in February 2008 and shot 15-year-old Larry King twice from behind as he sat at a computer, prosecutors say.

        They say the defendant, who was 14 at the time, was influenced by Nazi ideology.

        Hang on: 2008?  That’s before the black man was elected, so there couldn’t be any,…..oh, wait:  Nazi ideology.  Audience:  Look out behind you, Puss!

        There’s no causality here between a rise of hate groups because of a black President and this crime, but logic is thrown out the window when it comes to creating a BBC Narrative.  There’s no reason to report this particular homophobic crime from three years ago except to reaffirm the impression in your minds that hate groups are a big deal in the US.

        Meanwhile, here are some hate crimes from 2009, some of which were inspired by extremist ideology, that the BBC doesn’t want you to know about:

        Out of 1575 religion-based crimes,

        71.9 percent were victims because of an offender’s anti-Jewish bias 
        8.4 percent were victims because of an anti-Islamic bias.

        That means there were 1132 recorded anti-Jewish crimes, none of which the BBC felt were newsworthy.

        According to the same report, there were less homophobic crimes than there were crimes against people because of their religion.  Yet the BBC chooses to report an old crime against a victim from a group which sees less attacks.

        Get bent, BBC.  I see through your bias, and will not stand by while you slander my country.

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      • D B says:
        July 6, 2011 at 3:16 pm

        The link to the Southern Poverty Law Centre in that article takes you to a map of hate groups. Included are chapters of the Nation of Islam and other black separatist groups. Funny how Jonny Dymond doesn’t mention that.

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  9. Sres says:
    July 6, 2011 at 1:36 pm

    Interesting article by Steph Flanders on BBC regarding US Economy, this isn’t the line that Mr Mardell is pushing…

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14025485

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    • David Preiser (USA) says:
      July 6, 2011 at 1:56 pm

      Technically, Flanders is still blaming Republican intransigence and ideological obstinance for any negative outcome.  Mardell would approve.

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  10. David Preiser (USA) says:
    July 6, 2011 at 1:59 pm

    Is there really no other news worth reporting that the BBC thinks it’s worth everyone’s time to listen to an hour of MPs demagoguing over a NoTW inquiry?  Oh, wait, it’s an excuse for Labour figures like Yvette Cooper to say, “We must make sure this never happens again.”

    Wade and Co. have done serious damage to more than just their own paper.

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    • My Site (click to edit) says:
      July 6, 2011 at 2:52 pm

      And here I thought it was justified outrage and a desire for Justicce for Milly…


      ePolitix ePolitix.com  by Old_HolbornBrave Ed declares war on Murdoch http://bit.ly/qQzY4p
      I still care about the criminal cases and their victims. Beyond that I could care less about Murdoch. But I am starting to care a lot more about how the non-NI media estate here does ‘business’ too, and especially with whom they do it in cahoots.

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      • David Preiser (USA) says:
        July 6, 2011 at 4:03 pm

        It’s not justice for a murder victim they want, it’s justice for luvvie actors.

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  11. RGH says:
    July 6, 2011 at 3:50 pm

    BBC recycling for the Palestinian Information Centre.

    The copy at:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13989989

    Looks at the question of Palestinian prisoners in jail. The tone, as ever, is one which suggests an arbitrary policy of repression of an ‘occupied’ people deprived of their rights of ownership.

    That is the sentimentalised view we have come to expect from the BBC.

    Their journalism though moves from this to something more seriousand sinister.

    Suicide bombers/murderers are not isolates. They have a teams behind them. This terrorism is not a crime of opportunity but a planned act of political violence. Politics of the Act.

    When parents of young children are full accessories to the crime, driving the bomber to the scene, they must know that, if caught, their children will suffer.

    In the BBC report the case of a girl living with her grandmother is cited. Her parents are in jail, convicted of driving the bomber to the scene.

    This girl is the victim not of Israel but of her parents. That is where the guilt lies.

    “It gives Ghazali psychological problems,” says Zeinab, the girl’s grandmother. “She never had a chance to build a relationship with her mother and it’s extremely hard for her to see her parents in jail.”

    Where did the BBC come across this unfortunate child.

    The family was featured on 26th May in the Palestine Information Center as a victim of the ‘Zionists’ a deliberately dehumanising term for any Jew.

    Just read the hateful tone and the politicisation of the ‘victimhood’ in the Palestinian article

    It is morality turned on its head ,but the BBC went straight ahead and, in its own way, used this case to make its point.

    “Sarahna, a Ukrainian woman who embraced Islam and later married Palestinian man Ibrahim Sarahna, was arrested on May 23, 2002 and sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges of aiding her husband to transport a resistance fighter to Rishon Le Zion, where he carried out an attack that killed two Zionists and injured 50 others.

    Her husband is now serving six life sentences.

    Sarahina is mother of two girls, aged 12 and 14, who live with their grandmother in a refugee camp in Bethlehem province.”

     

    The resistance fighter was a suicide murderer. The victims, anyone who happened to be near the explosion at the time.

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  12. nickname says:
    July 6, 2011 at 3:51 pm

    Leaked email reveals BBC Wales journalists being paid to tidy desks

    http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/07/05/leaked-email-reveals-bbc-wales-journalists-being-paid-to-tidy-desks-91466-28993615/#.ThLzPiqfeQk.twitter

    Sorry if it’s lredy been posted (& for lousy typing – broken keybord).

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  13. David Preiser (USA) says:
    July 6, 2011 at 4:02 pm

    Since we’ve now heard the Prime Minister shouting in Parliament several times that NoTw is awful, there must be a full investigation, etc., can the BBC now please stop allowing Hugh Grant and other to tell the lie that the Tories are afraid to challenge nasty Uncle Rupert?

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  14. Philip says:
    July 6, 2011 at 5:32 pm

    Al-Beeb Hits Bottom. Digs.

    Incredible – they’re shilling for some of the world’s most depraved savages in this piece.

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  15. David Preiser (USA) says:
    July 6, 2011 at 6:34 pm

    BBC playing with the truth again in order to protect a non-white extremist:


    Fort Hood: Nidal Hasan to face court martial

    No mention of the mass murderer shouting “Allahu Akbar” while killing unarmed innocents in cold blood.  The last line is a beaut:

    He has been described as a devout Muslim and a poor-performing military officer who alarmed his superiors with his eccentric behaviour.

    “Eccentric,” BBC?

    You mean like the time when he was supposed to give a lecture on a medical topic at a medical symposium and instead went on a weird rant about Islamic jihad that spooked his colleagues?

    Or maybe how Maj. Hassan identified himself on his private business cards as a Soldier of Allah?  It was mentioned in the HuffPo, too, BBC. =-O

    Or perhaps the BBC considers it merely eccentric how he kept telling his colleagues that Jews were descendants of pigs and apes and should roast in crematoriums?

    Eccentric?  Or unique?  Well, it’s a US issue, so you just can’t trust the BBC to tell it honestly.

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  16. Daniel Clucas says:
    July 6, 2011 at 8:16 pm

    16 minutes into the hour and it’s still all phone hacking on news 24, they just brought up some quote of Tommy Sheridan MSP asking Coulson a question about bribing police. Now where do I know that MSP from, the name certainly rings a bell…?

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  17. Daniel Clucas says:
    July 6, 2011 at 8:25 pm

    Thought I’d share this with you guys, I recently went on honeymoon to the Maldives. Being a news hungry person I had a flick through the channels and was aghast to find that the only news channel available was Al-Jazeera English. What a breath of fresh air! Proper reporting of the news, free of opinion and agendas. They even had quite a few neutral Israel related stories! If I had it at home I may even watch it over BBC and Sky.

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    • NotaSheep says:
      July 6, 2011 at 8:42 pm

      On Sky channel 514 in this house!

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    • TooTrue says:
      July 6, 2011 at 9:35 pm

      Yes Al Jazeera has its agenda, but it seems it is professional enough to understand the diference between news that it likes and news that is newsworthy. The BBC has yet to learn this important distinction and probably never will.

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  18. George R says:
    July 7, 2011 at 12:08 pm

    ‘Dail Mail’ Comment:-


    “Ending BBC bias
    While still capable of brilliant broadcasting, there are many reasons to despair of the BBC.
    Chief among them is the way the Corporation appears to have been captured by a Left-wing, metropolitan elite which either ignores or, worse, sneers at the views of the overwhelming majority of the British public.
    Most shamefully, in league with the Labour Party, it has conspired to silence any sensible debate on immigration with cries of racism or bigotry.
    So it is with great enthusiasm that this paper notes not one but two admissions that things have to change radically at Broadcasting House.

    First director general  Mark Thompson, in an apparent mea culpa, concedes that the BBC has been ‘very reticent’ about tackling immigration, and must in future have no subjects which are ‘taboo’ .
    Then, even more encouragingly, in his first speech as the new BBC chairman, former Tory minister Lord Patten warns staff must ‘listen hard to those who accuse us of drowning our viewers and listeners in a small metropolitan pond of stereotypes and prejudices’.
    He implores: ‘Audiences in every different part of the UK should feel the BBC is relevant to their everyday lives’.

    Of course, changing the culture of the BBC — which is filled to the gunwales with Londoncentric, pro-big State,  pro-government spending Left-wing activists — will be far from easy.
    But, for expressing a determination to try, Lord Patten, who has also pledged  to cut the Corporation’s bloated wage bill, deserves huge credit.
    He can start by removing the bias  inherent in practically every BBC news report on spending cuts or immigration.”

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2012064/The-green-tax-ruse-punishes-all.html#ixzz1RQ8NXuu1

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  19. deegee says:
    July 8, 2011 at 10:18 am

    Has the BBC said anything at all about the Flytilla? It seems Israel has picked an elegant, passive and non-violent method to stop trouble-makers from entering the country and disrupting the airport. Stop them from boarding planes in another country.

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