Been away so just back home and time for one of these. As you may have seen from ASE’s post below, we have a technical problem on the comments thread. If there is anyone out there with a technical bent, please drop me a line as we figure out how to fix things. In the meantime…please detail bias here.
OPEN THREAD…
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I see that ‘Allegro’ Stratton is having ANOTHER GO at the Tories tonight on Newsnight. It occured to me that since she started at Newsnight she’s not done one bad story about Labour, even Red Ed’s disaster on Radio 5 the other day where he was savaged by Labour voters seems to have passed her by.
Who wants to bet that in a few weesk the right wing Tory press will suddenly wake up and start to accuse her of lefty bias?
You read it here first.
I guess Guido’s assumption that her partner/husband James Forsyth of the Spectator would keep her grounded has been proved wrong.
Is she by any chance related to Michael Crick?
So did anybody listen to Radio 2 at Lunchtime and the Jeremy Vine Show. (I share an office with somebody who only listens to R2) Anyway first up was the news about the deaths of 6 British soldiers and I couldn’t have been the only person who presumed that the bBC narrative was to promote a enough is enough lets pull our troops out motion.
You know what I’ll go with that on one condition, each and every Iraqi and Afghanistani living in the UK gets sent home. Yep no ifs no buts my message to the ethical latte drinking crowd is I will support your mindset of bringing the troops home as long as we send every Iraqi and Afghanistan back home to sort out the shit they want us to sort out. (I mean it can’t be that dangerous as they all go home for the holidays) But something tells me that my train of thought won’t be taking on any passengers with the bBC mindset of everybody is equal but some are more equal than the rest.
Then Vine opined about how Brazil has overtaken the Uk in terms of wealth. The Show then took in callers and such and each and everyone was a Latin American (apart from one Greek) who nearly all related this downtown to British imperialism and that in South America everybody is equal. Funny enough everybody who called in lived in the…….UK. But it allowed the bBC to slate the people who pay their way. (How many South Americans living in the UK own a TV licence???)
I decided there and then to purchase a Roberts DAB radio So i can listen to Smooth 70s at work
The bBC, the traitors in our midst.
The bBC, it’s so called defence expert and her knowledge of military matters.
So a sad day over the news that a warrior IFV was taken out by a blast of somesort.
The bBC has all day been pandering to the lowest denominator by saying this was the work of a IED, but failed in all their coverage to state that just like the IDF with their Heavy APCs and such an IED wouldn’t touch the paint on such an armoured beast. I get the impression that a couple of Land mines were placed on top of each other and detonated as the tracked vehicle went over it. (Just like they try to do with the IDF). Well the bBC have been wallowing in self pity and that got me thinking why. Silly me anything to bring the troops home. I mean according to the likes of the bBC we shouldn’t be in any country (Including the UK) and so these soldiers who died, well they died for nothing.
Of course that slapper of a bBC Defence expert Caroline Wyatt had an article already on her hard drive (Or should that be inside her Koran) ready for public consumption and at lunch me and a mate (who was in Afghanistan this time last year) read the bbC news coverage and even he (he’s a LT) noticed the lack of knowledge of the subject she is supposed to be an expert on. I quote:
Bitter reminder that Afghanistan fighting is not over
But Warrior armoured fighting vehicles – the only British tracked infantry vehicle used in Afghanistan – are among the most robust, and many have been newly upgraded with extra armour.
The only British Tracked infantry vehicle used in Afghanistan Caroline??
Well how about the Warthog or even the Viking.
Even on such a sad day as this the bBCs so called defence experts can’t even get it right.
The bBC, the traitors in our midst.
The IED looks like a ‘kinetic’ IED, a crude but effective shaped charge laid in a culvert by the road side. It looks like the blast came from the side not under the tracks.
An old 155mm round or a 250kg barrel of fertilizer and a lump of steel cut from one of the Soviet tank carcases that litter the area. The lump of steel is blown into the Warrior and effectively smashes it to scrap. Even if the armour withstands the kinetic part of the explosion the vehicle is knocked around enough to kill the crew.
It does beg the question, was the Warrior carrying ammo resupply? And if it was then why was this not airlifted?
Because there are only 2 British helo’s in the theatre!
Ok, there are probably more than 2 BUT there wont be enough anyway to support the operation due to cut backs.
The other thing is for the type of fighting going on Warriors arent the best kit for the task. That job belongs to the specialist mine resistant vechiles that the labour government refused to buy because it would make their use of the snatch landrovers look bad.
Mailman
Yep the warrior was designed for fluid battles in Europe and is not able to resist large IED’s it wasn’t in its design, the tracks and weight hold the vehicle in the way of the worst effects of a blast and the slab sides and seating are no use at all and work against the crews survival! as As your say Mailman the special vehicles that deflect away losing wheels and guards but dodgy most of the explosion are what we need they are not perfect [as even Merkava MBT’s taken have been out with IED’s !] but they are the best for the job in hand !
I grew up in the era of communist backed insurgency in Southern Africa. Rhodesia (as was) and South Africa jointly developed these vehicles in the 1960’s. South Africa has thousands of these vehicles rusting in the deserts which could have been leased or bought at low cost.
When in Health Services during the Rhodesian War I remember we had troopies brought in after their Crocodile (50 seat armoured personnel carrier) detonated double anti-tank mines. The most serious injuries were burst ear drums from the blast.
The Crocodile was back in service the following day after the drive shaft and suspension were replaced.
This is criminal neglect when such designs were developed nearly 50 years ago.
I read Johnson Beharry’s autobio – his outfit lost five Warriors on one tour. At the same time as they were losing Warriors he had comrades going out on the same streets in Snatch landrovers. Insane.
Of course as soon as mine resistant Mastiffs were delivered, out flew Mad Gordon McRuin to be filmed in front of them for his ‘…as you can see behind me’ shot.
I’ve long campaigned for the anniversary of McRuin being appointed Chancellor to be named National Snatch Landrover Day.
The Tories have failed to act like Tories, they are shit scared of the liberal left, we keep giving billions to foreigners who hate us (I wonder how much Brazil gives to Pakistan?).
I’m with you on kicking out those who refuse to obey our laws or put some silly book writen by a drugged up halfwit who liked shagging little girls above our laws.
Problem is no political party will ever get elected to do that, the lefty media will trash anyone who tries that.
this Free Speech thing on BBC3 is utter shite
Just watching it now. It’s even worse than QT! One Tory MP against four far-left panelists, one far-left presenter and an entire audience of lazy work-shy juveniles who think the world owes them a living.
If anyone ever asks why employers are so keen to go for E.Europeans rather than these ‘British’ workers, then they need only watch this programme.
“Yo blud waa dem wunt mi ta be stackin’ shelf an’ ‘ting!?
I shud b startin’ on £60k innit. Even’ dow’ I can’t speak pwoper innit”
BBC 3 is utter shite. That’a all you needed to post!!!
. . . and 1, and 2, and 4, and Parliament, and News Channel . . .
Here’s the link. If you were wondering why the rate of unemployment in Tower Hamlets is one of the highest in the country.
I’ve not heard of Adam Deacon before, but I assume he must be Joey’s, less intelligent, younger brother:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01d8m0m/Free_Speech_Episode_1/
Wow…this Free Speech is a new low isn`t it?
I thought it was Dappy on the panel…but `twas only one of his clueless clones that was speaking the Ali G patter that I think he intended to be a joke.
But…like Alan Partridge…these cartoons are now unironic role models…I reckon the BBC must be grooming “fik kids” round Mile End to whoop and holler to order when the Tory/Daily Mail/Goodwin need to be youthfully booed.
Their bloke out Bristol way done for sex charges with young girls has obviously left a few notes for those who seek audiences from the slot machine alleys near Wood Lane or Piccadilly, Manchester
The bBC, its’ so called defence expert and their leftwing slant.
Replacing Trident makes no sense, Centreforum argues
The government is being urged to cancel the “nonsensical” replacement of the Trident nuclear submarines and use the money to “revitalise” the armed forces. Liberal policy think tank Centreforum says Britain is “sleepwalking” into replacing Trident at a cost of £25bn, while cutting the navy, Army and RAF.
Yup that old favourite of the bBC, attack the MOD , I mean how can we pay all these f-ing immigrants with AIDs who the bBC want to import into the UK to be treated at our expence, I mean far better to treat somebody who bloody well hates us than to threaten to kill the fuckers which is why the bBC reports:
Report author Toby Fenwick said: “Replacing Trident is nonsensical. There is no current or medium-term threat to the UK which justifies the huge costs involved.
Really bBC, it seems that nobody read the front page of the guardian today, you know that story which for some reason the bBC hasn’t bothered mentioning:
Iran ‘seeking to build nuclear weapon’, warns David Cameron
David Cameron has warned that Iran is seeking to build an “inter-continental nuclear weapon” that threatens the west, as he urged Israel to allow time for sanctions to force the Iranians to change their strategic stance.
The thing is, this story was first reported in Jane’s defence the other month and that explosion which hit a guards base just outside Tehran which killed so many including the head of the Iranian missile program (as well as a load of North Koreans) was due to a solid fuel rocket they were testing with an aim of been able to reach the US. (I wonder why the bbC never mentioned any of this) and yet the bBC reports we have nothing to fear and which is why they say:
But, it says, the UK’s ballistic missile submarines should now be converted to an attack fleet and equipped with conventionally armed cruise missiles.
Ah yes arming cruise missiles which can be knocked out of the sky by jets ,anti aircraft missile and require the submarine to move close to nearer the target. But just like the liberals argued about getting rid of the death penalty saying a prison behind bars for life is much more of a deterrent, who wants to bet that if we did as the bBC wishes, a few years down the line they be demanding we get rid of our cruise missiles because they might hit the wrong person. Which is why the bbC ends with:
“It is important that the option of removing Trident from service immediately is considered as part of this review.”
Yup, the bbC, the traitors in our Midst.
The bBC, its anti American bias and half the story.
Texas execution: How much is a death worth?
The cost of lethal injection drugs used in the US to kill criminals on death row has risen dramatically over the past year. The increase comes as their manufacturers move to prevent them being used in executions…. “Even though it is a small amount in the big scheme of things, it represents one more spiralling expense that makes the death penalty less reliable and more costly,” says Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington DC.
And in the UK, we spend lots of money paying to keep foreign murderers alive because liberal orgs like the bBC insist it is cheaper to keep them alive them in the Uk, than deport them back to their own countries. You know countries like Brazil.
The bBC the traitors in our midst.
Clearly a planted story, anti-death penalty lobbists quoted, and this wonderful quote that shocked me about EU meddling to prevent drug exports that could be used in lethal injection. What business is it of the unelected EU to frustrate democratically elected US policies?
This is the kind of thing which I feel gives me the right to complain about BBC bias. Yet again the national broadcaster of my country’s ally advocates against a domestic policy which is none of their damn business. I assume this is what Paxman meant by “spreading influence”.
Yesterday a few people asked why has Jeremy Bowen been so quiet on the situation inside Syrai.
Well, the answer is simple, Jeremy is a personal friend of the Assads. Here have a butchers of him prostrating himself before his Islamic master.
And here is him doing the same a few years before
In the above video, Bowen allows Assad to blame Israel for everything, which is funny as this is how Bowen reports on how the Israelis treat the terrorists who launch anti-tank missiles , home made rockets (over 50 this year already) invade and kidnap Israeli citizens and of course target children in which to get the Jews angry. I quote:
I’m struck by the constant Israeli message that “any other country in the world would do the same”. Would they? Comparisons are difficult, because the century-long conflict between the Arabs and the Jews is one of a kind.
I’m not saying, by the way, that there are not any other long-running, bitter and bloody conflicts in the world. (Yeah right Bowen how about the following areas:kashmir, North Korea,Burma (karens), Yemen (read up on how Eygpt nerved gassed the locals in 1963)
At different times the IRA planted bombs on the British mainland that killed people and did a lot of damage. The actions of the British security forces during three decades of the Troubles were very controversial, and still are today. Sometimes the British army killed innocent people.
But Britain never used heavy weapons, fast jets, air strikes and attack helicopters. Tracked armoured vehicles were very rarely seen.There is no doubt about the extreme suffering that Israel is inflicting on Palestinians in Gaza to protect, in its view, its own citizens. It is deepening the hatred for Israel that many people in Gaza felt anyway.
Jeremy Bowen a traitor to the British people
And people wonder why Bowen has been silent on Assad, its simply because Bowen would never rat on a Islamic dictator who has the blood of thousands on his hands. Jews yes, Americans yes, British yes, Muslims..never.
Jeremy Bowen a traitor to the British people
Ken sent a letter to No 10, saying he will only do the one job if voted mayor. He got a reply from Shapps, http://order-order.com/2012/03/07/exclusive-government-response-to-ken-slams-tax-arrangements/ well another part of the Livingstone campaign not reported by the bBC. However they did think his unfunded EMA giveaway statement was worth printing!
They are all over the EU Kung Fu Hustle farce that Daniel Hannan first shared, and Guido has now picked up….. well, I am sure they will be. Soon.
Cherry vultures, please post when ready.
To me it makes sense that the ONLY job any politician does is being a politician. That means NO outside employment full stop!
Now, wouldnt that throw the cats amongst the pigeons! 🙂
Not a peep about Livingstons tax affairs is there from the BBC.
This rabid anti Semite is caught between the gays and the Muslims, fiddles his corporate affairs, but suggests that others doing the same should have been hanged.
If this clueless hypocrite and all round creep is not the very embodiment of the left turned to seed in slime, I`m at a loss to find a better face of 68.
Despite the cuts, I think that Texas might be well paid to use only the best drugs from Big Pharma to kill Kenny…and much more discreet that Livingstons lynchings from lamposts…
We should set up a days into the story before the BBC report it…very quiet about Ian Blair at Leveson were`nt they?…any thoughts why?….cue tumbleweed Jocasta…
Question Time Panel…
Eric Pickles – Communities secretary – awful title
Caroline Flint – Shadow climate change hot air windbag
Will Young – singer FFS
Janice Atkinson-Small – Daily Mail – Boo-hiss
Will Self – snide, sneery, miserable lefty miserablist
The vote for most annoying panelist will be a tough call between Flint and Self, I’m sure.
Will Young is a smart guy who knows his political onions. Don’t know his stance on the political spectrum – suspect he is an ex-Blairite, now a semi-detached Cameroon.
I don’t mind Caroline Flint, either. She tends to talk over people but she is passionate (and not in a blustering, incoherent Prescottian way).
I still won’t watch because QT is shit.
Hi Jeremy just a reminder – you commented on one of my posts here, to which I replied. I would welcome your feedback – thanks.
Self is already the most annoying, and it hasn’t even started yet. He will also get the most applause because of his ability to turn a phrase. Sanctimonious, arrogant ex-junkie, who believes it’s up to people like him to save the world.
I detest the man but love his writings: The North London Book of the Dead was brilliant and Teh Book of Dave a total triumph. Just as the left have the best tunes, they often have the best words too… Shame!
UK ‘must plan for euro collapse’…
Unfortunately, street parties don’t seem to be on the list.
“International economic problems could lead to our allies having to make considerable cuts to their defence spending, and to an increase in economic migrants between EU member states, and to domestic social or political unrest,” it said.
‘Could‘ lead to???? Like this isn’t already happening!!!! Don’t these people watch the news! Nice to know our ‘leaders’ are so on top of things. Full confidence.
…and they’re not too keen on the USA, this lot…
In a wide-ranging report, it said Britain might also have to re-think its relationship with the US, as Washington realigned its strategic priorities and turned its focus away from Europe.
It said changing US priorities raised “fundamental questions if our pre-eminent defence and security relationship is with an ally who has interests which are increasingly divergent from our own”.
Perhaps a change of President might make those interests less ‘divergent from our own’.
Hey, the BBC told me that The Obamessiah would restore our position in the world, and that Europe would love us again. How’s that hopey changey stuff workin’ out for ya, BBC?
Any who have had a BBC thread comment ‘referred’ or modded out for being ‘off-topic’, I suggest you visit here…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2012/02/twitter_guidelines_for_bbc_jou.html
… and capture for any appeal the last few that the BBC mods seem to feel is the kind of post that meets all their high, if oddly multiple-when-it-suits standards.
The poster is a certifible loon, yet they indulge near all they put up without censure.
One has to wonder, why?
I was wondering what happened to Atlas Shrugged…..
…and while I’m on.
If any of you are going out on a company team-bonding exercise, perhaps over an obstacle course, and perhaps shrieking a lot and telling everyone how wet the water is, do record an audio-tape of the fun and send it into the BBC. Ask them to vote for their favourite worker.
Then every few days send them audio updates on how much your calves/ thighs/ backs are aching and reminiscences of what a jolly day it was.
Strange request, I know, but the BBC seem to find this kind of thing absolutely fascinating, so who am I etc…
The BBC defending Hamas:
Hamas denies it will attack Israel in any war with Iran
By Jon Donnison BBC News, Gaza City
Leaders of the Palestinian Islamist movement, Hamas, say they will not help Iran militarily in any conflict between Israel and the Islamic Republic.
There is speculation in Israel that if it attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities, it could face rocket fire from Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Both are long-time allies of Iran.
But Mahmoud Zahhar, a senior leader of Hamas in Gaza, denied the group would get involved and told the BBC: “We are not part of any political axis.”
“If Israel attacks us we will respond. If they don’t, we will not get involved in any other regional conflict,” he added.
From the left wing Haaretz:
Hamas denies it intends to stay out of Israeli war with Iran
Speaking to Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, Mahmoud Zahar says retaliation ‘with utmost power is the position of Hamas with regard to a Zionist war on Iran.’
On Tuesday, a report by the U.K.’s Guardian newspaper quoted two Gaza officials as saying that the group did not belong to any regional alliance and would not involve itself in a possible conflict over Iran’s contentious nuclear program.
The report cited Hamas official Salah Bardawil as well as a second unnamed leading figure in the group’s Gaza leadership.
Speaking to the semi-official Iranian news agency Fars on Wednesday, top Hamas figure Mahmoud Zahar refuted a similar report apparently broadcast by BBC’s Persian website, saying: “Retaliation with utmost power is the position of Hamas with regard to a Zionist war on Iran.”
Zahar added that he doubted that Israel would choose to strike Iran, saying, however, that not only would Hamas react to such a conflict, it would also target “whoever helping them.”
The BBC. I’m guessing that they would prefer to ditch the word British.
Perhaps that will be the first item on the agenda of the next Lib-Lab coalition agreement? Just to distance themselves from the propagada?
This week’s Brasil is better than us message comes as no surprise when you bear in mind for instance the relish with which Beeboids kowtow to the image China likes to present.
So, does the Beeb see itself as another yellow-clad Kill Bill-esque (but forget the fighting let’s sit down and meditate our differences away) Eurobabe?
Of course not. The Beeb’s self image is more the coffee-coloured Islington-based but oh so world loving eco-babe with a penchant for the I-pad but no visible means of support.
That’s right, the Beeb self-image is really a carbon copy of the way multi-national phone companies, oil giants and bank empires wish to promote themselves.
Despite my ongoing appeal to the BBC Trust, they have just sent me the following email asking if I would like to take part in a survey about how complaints are handled! Damn right I would!
We are writing to inform you of the BBC Trust’s current consultation on the BBC’s Complaints Framework and associated procedures.
You may be aware that as part of the Chairman’s Governance Review last year, the BBC Executive was asked to make the complaints process “faster, simpler and easier to understand”. The Trust came up with a number of proposals for how this might be achieved and the Executive has done further work on this.
The Trust has set out the proposed changes in a consultation document and are now asking for the public’s views. The key changes are set out in six sections:
1. Tracking and speeding up Editorial and General Complaints
2. Speeding up the handling of a mass Editorial or General Complaint
3. Focusing resources on substantive Editorial and General Complaints
4. Focusing resources on current Editorial Complaints
5. Eliminating unnecessary process and making the complaints system clearer and fairer for all users
6. Setting out a more detailed complaints procedure about how to complain about handling and the Trust, Trust Unit and Trustees
There are questions after each section and also a chance for respondents to give their general views.
The consultation is running from 8 March to 19 April 2012. You can take part online here: http://consultations.external.bbc.co.uk/bbc/complaints_framework
Yours sincerely
John Hamer
BBC Trust Unit
Arf…
One from the ‘We are comnfortable/happy/[bunch of other things I, as the complainant, could give rat’s pitootie about as part of the actual issue] files, bless ’em:
New Statesman @NewStatesman – BBC has “stopped worrying” about gender issues, says top executivebit.ly/yoDYhh
You can see hwo this market rate got to be ‘top’.
Remember give ’em all the F’s:
* Facts
* Fair
* Fury
* Firmness
… and, though risky and an indulgence…
* Fun
They really hate being mocked.
Which is why I do it.
““faster, simpler and easier to understand”. The Trust came up with a number of proposals for how this might be achieved and the Executive has done further work on this. “
Then try working harder, you useless collection of boc-ticking makeweights, as so far all you have mnaged is slower, complex and more obscure, if not actively obstructionist.
On serious… much more serious note..
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/9131047/Taliban-very-proud-of-bomb-that-killed-six-British-soldiers.html
Might one ask, very quietly, as my fury is barely constrained, how the BBC comes to be told by one ‘how proud they were’ of the attack?
What was it… direct press release line? Or during an audiion for the next ‘Stricly Mass Murder?’
And I would like to say BBC how ‘proud’ I am of every grunt and techy that helps kill our enemy’s !
I of course don’t for one second think the B=BBC and us have the same enemy !
There’s a lesson to be learned from this BBC report about the Rush Limbaugh controversy. It’s made clear that the spontanaity and sheer volume of social media campaigns had a direct affect on how it’s played out. Angsry people can direct-message sponsors, media companies and advertisers who monitor trends can see this stuff happening practially in real time, and word gets out infinitely faster then ever before.
Funny how Brian Wheeler declined to mention that Bill Maher called Sarah Palin a c@#t, and there’s no campaign to get the President to return the $1 million Maher gave to His PAC. But I digress.
So, the lesson I took away from this is that there’s another Corporation who can be made to feel the heat from a social media campaign. Charles Moore made some noise all on his own, with the help of Telegraph readers and little else. It can be done.
So the overage “student” who demands that the American taxpayer pays her to have sex, but is definitely not a slut, has rejected his apology. That reflects very badly on her and shows the kind of woman she is and what her motives are.
Yes he probably went too far in what he said, but it is no worse than a lot of the names the left have been calling right-wing women, and with less reason.
Michelle Malkin in her latest posting has a summary of Left wing abuse against Conservative women over many years”
She writes “(Fluke) is really just another professional femm-a-gogue helping to manufacture a false narrative about the GOP “war on women.” I’m sorry the civility police now have an opening to demonize the entire right based on one radio comment — because it’s the progressive left in this country that has viciously and systematically slimed female conservatives for their beliefs.”
She lists many of these horrid attacks. Warning: her blog is pretty explicit but well worth a read.
http://michellemalkin.com/
Meanwhile talk show host Laura Ingraham relates her tale of when she was called a “slut” by MSNBC’s Ed Schultz. Ed apologized and she accepted his apology. But while the “ladies” on the view wrung their hands over Fluke, they joked about Ingraham.
The principle victim of this tirade of Left wing misogyny is of course Sarah Palin. She is a saint to put up with it.
The double standards are breathtaking. I suggest you write these down and remind the lefty friends at every opportunity that they are more vicious and bigoted than anyone on the right.
David, What sort of broadcasting code or regulatory regime do they have in the US for radio and television?
Millie, the standards in the US are about profanity and nudity. But the latter rules are only for network television before the watershed, and radio all times. HBO, where Maher resides, is a free-for-all, everything allowed except libel and graphic sex. Same goes for the subscritpion-based Sirius/XM satellite radio.
Libel laws are for everyone, and apply to networks as much as individuals.
There is no rule about being impartial, or even telling the truth. No overt party political stuff is allowed in tv shows, but these days there’s nothing stopping anybody from taking sides on any issue. Which is why CNN and MSNBC and Fox News are the way they are. But we do not – thank goodness – have any kind of official national broadcaster, so there’s no real need for officially sanctioned rules or watchdog groups about impartiality. Even PBS is not wholly funded by the government.
The audience is left to make up their own minds, and the networks themselves make the decisions about any consequences. Dan Rather and the faked memos is one example, and Bill Maher losing his ABC show over unfortunate remarks about 9/11 is another.
The bulk of the FCC rules are about assigning frequencies, who can own what, monopolies, There used to be a “Fairness Doctrine”, which said that broadcasters must provide air time for rebuttal on controversial topics. But it was impossible to get right, often challenged, and finally dumped in 1987, because by that time there were so many stations and networks and ways for voices to be broadcast, it was pretty pointless. Just because something is said on one network doesn’t mean the rebuttal has no chance to be heard.
The Left wants to bring it back specifically to shut down Fox News. I don’t see it happening any time soon.
The only real hard and fast rules that I think would be relevant to discussions here are about political advertising. There are rules that networks and stations must give equal time to political parties. That concerns actual programming. Paid ads by campaigns and groups don’t count, although I believe stations are not allowed to reject those. I don’t believe that any kind of balance is required for politicians’ appearances on talk shows, either.
Other than profanity and nudity on non-cable networks, the FCC cannot censor broadcasters, as in telling them what they can or cannot talk about. For example, the FCC could not do anything about Dan Rather pushing fake memos, and they can’t do anything about Rush Limbaugh. That’s why there are boycott campaigns, and advertisers pulling out and whatnot.
In the end, it’s left to ordinary citizens – and bloggers still count as such – to hold the gatekeepers to account. Qui custodiet, etc.
Many thanks, David. I expected it would be very different in the US in view of the guaranteed right to free expression. And I have heard of the so-called shock jocks. Rush Limbaugh was unknown to me, other than as purely a name, before this, but I suppoose he is one of those. All the same, I imagine there would be media and public uproar if, for example, radio or TV broadcasters indulged in name-calling and insulting black people on the basis of skin colour – or calling homosexuals derogatory names. Or would criticising and even denigrating the latter be regarded as free and fair comment?
Depends on which derogatory names, I suppose. The FCC would probably fine a station for allowing someone to hurl the N-word around. but I don’t think they can fine anyone for expressing a racist opinion. The uproar alone would deal with the offender, free and fair speech notwithstanding. There have been radio talking heads who have expressed homophobic opinions, and the FCC hasn’t cracked down, as far as I’m aware. Howard Stern has made a vast fortune from making racist, sexist, and homophobic “humorous” remarks. When he felt that broadcast standards limited his vulgarity, he went satellite. The government can’t do a thing about it. His audience followed, and he made millions more. It doesn’t say much about the class of people who listen to him, but the government can’t legislate that, either.
This quasi free-for-all is what makes Beeboids turn their noses up at us and feel superior. But I’d definitely rather have our situation here than a protected, official state broadcaster with the special elevated status of the BBC. And nobody is forced to pay for Fox News or CNN or MSNBC or Rush Limbaugh or Bill Maher. If we don’t like it, we can switch it off and organize a campaign to scare off advertisers. It may not work very often or very well, but at least we have the freedom to do something about it. We don’t have to rely on something like the BBC Trust to grant us a boon.
The market decides, not the government. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I haven’t found INBBC’s reports yet of condolances from Muslim ‘community’ in Huddersfield and elsewhere in Britain about the Islamic jihad murders of six British troops in Afghanistan.
“Taliban: British Muslims Our Greatest Source of Funding“
(-from occasional ‘B-BBC’ contributor, ‘Un:dhimmi’ 2010).
UK: Muslim group “groomed men for jihad”
And, INBBC knows that a few miles from its new Manchester broadcasting base, some of the Muslim community indulge in another form of ‘grooming’ and far worse, against some young British people:
“Girl tells Rochdale sex grooming gang trial she woke up to find she was being raped.”
http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1487706_girl-tells-rochdale-sex-grooming-gang-trial-she-woke-up-to-find-she-was-being-raped
“If the Cabinet thinks Afghanistan is so important, get THEM to patrol the streets”
By Peter Hitchens
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2112008/Afghanistan-deaths-Get-Cabinet-patrol-roads.html#ixzz1oXsNplyl
And if British troops leave Afghanistan to the Taliban, will the many Muslims in Britain who support the Taliban go to live in an Islamic-dominated country, and leave Britain to the indigenous British?
A question for INBBC ‘Question Time’?
Only kidding.
Exactly, but then that’s politicians for you. You only have to stand outside Downing Street when Cameron & Clegg have to travel the 400 odd yards from Downing Street to Parliament in two seperate armour plated cars. First there’s a sea of armed police, followed by a 4×4 full of bodyguards and then followed by the high speed drive of their armour plated motors.
Stopped going on his bike, then, has he?
Off topic…one for our Gibraltar based contribtor…
http://www.thecommentator.com/article/974/and_now_spain_eyes_up_gibraltar
When Spain returns Ceuta and Melilla to Morocco, Llivia to France and the Canary Islands to Morocco or Western Sahara, they will be in a position to ask questions as to the future of Gibraltar. Then we could discuss it with them.
As long as the Canaries and the other territories are occupied by Spain they need to shut the f*** up!
We have an increasingly rare blog from BBC Economic Editor Stephanie floundering Flanders but after only an hour the comments section is closed!
Technical problems, like Stephanie’s support for 2 years for an increasingly failing policy? Oddly it slips her mind to point this out!
The BBC are 95% boring water torture with the same drums being banged like a duracell monkey.
And yet-last nights Storyville(BBC2 11.20pm) about the English neurosurgeon Henry Marsh was THAT good, I will allow the BBC 24 hours to talk all the biased crap that they like…as long as there are men like Mr Marsh, heroes like Igor Petrovich in Kiev…and people who can make a film as good as this…and, yes, some BBC executive who resisted getting Clare Gerada on to blame Lansley for it all…then hope springs eternal.
As Mr Marsh says…without hope, we have nothing…and this film is that good. they have a 24 hour window to talk horsemuck; and I`ll grow rhubarb for the day!
The BBC are 95% boring water torture with the same drums being banged like a duracell monkey.
And yet-last nights Storyville(BBC2 11.20pm) about the English neurosurgeon Henry Marsh was THAT good, I will allow the BBC 24 hours to talk all the biased crap that they like…as long as there are men like Mr Marsh, heroes like Igor Petrovich in Kiev…and people who can make a film as good as this…and, yes, some BBC executive who resisted getting Clare Gerada on to blame Lansley for it all…then hope springs eternal.
As Mr Marsh says…without hope, we have nothing…and this film is that good. they have a 24 hour window to talk horsemuck; and I`ll grow rhubarb for the day!
I’ll have to look out for that one on iplayer. There are good programmes on the BBC, you just have to search for them amongst the dross. I usually head to BBC Four, there’s often something worth a look there. It’s the antithesis of BBC Three!
“Nelson Mandela’s grandson denies selling funeral broadcast rights to BBC”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/nelson-mandela/9131288/Nelson-Mandelas-grandson-denies-selling-funeral-broadcast-rights-to-BBC.html
BBC-NUJ is already spending our money on this Princess Diana-type, but political mourning fest.
http://tradingaswdr.blogspot.com/2012/03/anniversary-time.html?
‘How will the BBC – which loves anniversaries – mark the 65th birthday of its Creative Director, Alan Yentob, this Saturday ?’
Looks like my first guess was wrong, and there is no way they’d simply have yet another vast company party and bill it to the hapless licence fee payer.
Meanwhile, a luvvie sets us straight on Wimmin’s Day…
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tomchiversscience/100142520/there-is-an-international-mens-day-actually-so-shut-up/
Can’t wait for Nov 19.
(Sky today was embarrassing. Can only imagine the BBC matched it)
Yes Sky was just doing a stunt, it’s not like they are short of female presenters. Some nice totty anyway so I’m not complaining.
Can’t say the same about the female beeboids though, burkhas’ all round there.
Am I missing something on Krappy Kay? It has her down as a Washington correspondent, but all the BBC seem to have in terms of output are her tweets. Does she actually do anything but put out 140 characters of bilge? If it was crap they wanted I could have done that for a fraction of the cost to the taxpayer.
They like to hide behind the notion that BBC correspondents tweets are their own personal opinions and in no way connected to the viewpoints of the BBC. That argument looks flawed when they allow them to highlight their BBC credentials and only make it worse when the only thing they put on their site are the tweets.
Katty is the anchor for BBC World News America, a news program produced by BBC Worldwide and distributed to a few PBS stations in the US. It used to be a full hour, and was shown (twice) nightly on BBC America. But it was not very good (it won a Peabody Award at the beginning because we love British accents, and no US media organization has the massive funding and decades-old international infrastructure that the BBC does, so the internaional news footage imported from the mother ship stood out among the rest of the US news), and last year was cut down to half an hour and dumped from BBC America. Matt Frei was the anchor before that, and it’s probably why he jumped ship.
Katty also appears regularly as a panelist on the left-wing MSNBC – presented in her capactiy as BBC Washington correspondent – and is very partisan there, and also guest-hosts on a liberal agenda show on NPR.
Katty has tweeted her bias on many occasions, some of which have been documented here. She has an officially sanctioned Twitter account, though, yet nobody seems to care.
Nick Robinson’s interview with Ed Gonads just now was embarrassing for the BBC.
Not only did Robinson pull down the zip of Gonad’s trousers he didn’t even bother to ask if Ed wanted him to swallow.
Probably the softest interview I’ve seen Toenails give.
There’s simply not enough mind bleach.
Nice of the BBC to give Labour air time for a pre-emptive strike against Osbourne’s next budget announcement. Robinson had the wherewithal to ask Balls how he’d pay for his scheme, but somehow forgot to ask about where he’d get the money for more stimulus, which is not the same thing as paying for reversing cuts on tax credits for working moms. Balls was allowed to lie about borrowing.
Amusingly – in the interests of balance and not looking like a complete tool – Robinson has since amended his blog post on this to include Balls’ admission that back when he was touting the mansion tax starting at £100K, he was only lying for appearances during his campaign for leader.
Had to laugh at the comment of the day at Guido’s…
Ben Bradshaw tells Total Politics how much Ed Miliband inspires Labour students…
“I don’t know if you’ve ever been to a Labour students’ disco at party conference? Whose name do they still chant? ‘Tony’.”
A Labour student’s disco? I’d rather be Time-Warped back to the trenches.
Things…. can only get better….
They did for Brian Cox, not so much for the rest of us.
Boris has caved to the tube workers, giving them a £400 bonus just for showing up to work during the Olympics, plus another £350 for agreeing to work overtime. For which they will already be paid extra, although the BBC forgot to mention that. BBC in extasy over this union victory, “frankly”, says the Beeboid report, it’s about time this progress was made.
In the interests of balance, the BBC found three vox pops to say they disagreed with the notion that the workers should get paid extra for showing up to work. This does not, though, really make up for the fact that supposedly impartial the Beeboid reporter put a positive spin on the result.
Next up, Unite demanding their share of the pie. More BBC celebrations to follow.
“BBC spends £6.5m relocating 549 staff to Salford… and dozens receive tens of thousands of pounds each to fund move”
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2112420/BBC-spends-6-5m-relocating-549-staff-Salford–dozens-receive-tens-thousands-pounds-fund-move.html#ixzz1obbPi3Ii
Nigeria.
Islam Not BBC (INBBC) relegates the Islamic jihad murders of the British and Italian men, and instead INBBC tries to emphasise disagreements between UK and Italy.
A typical pro-Islamic piece of INBBC political propaganda.
Compare and contrast:
1.) ‘Daily Mail’:
“Hostage rescue ends in tragedy: Briton executed by captors as special forces close in on Al Qaeda gang’s lair”
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2112215/Chris-McManus-UK-hostage-executed-Nigeria-special-forces-close-Al-Qaeda-gangs-lair.html#ixzz1obf7puNi
2.) INBBC:
-only mentions the Islamic nature (Islamic ‘militant’ to INBBC) of the murders briefly in the 24th paragraph, and then after that mention proceeds to attempt to refute the Nigerian President by referring to INBBC’s like-minded Chatham House.
“Nigeria deaths: Italian anger at UK over rescue bid”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17308416
So, as usual, INBBC attempts to blame the West for Islamic jihad murders of Europeans.
Now would that be the democratically elected one of Berlusconi then…oh wait, he`s skiing out in Sochi with Putin and Medvedev?
Or is it the EU imposed technocrats put in to tank the Italian economy?
Bet if Silvio can find his phone from some poppets room, he`ll find a text from Cameron to say he`s thinking of doing something..
“…so shut up Beeb yeah…wha`eva!”.
This is the new language of diplomacy the BBC need to hear more of!
The BBC likes to hold authority to account/likes to have a poke at the current British Govenment.
So 5 Live this morning run with a story that the Italians might not have had prior warning that a rescue attempt was to be launched in Nigeria to save the lives of two hostages.
(Plausible deniabilty, anyone? Would they have made a fuss if the rescue had been successful? Would they have made a fuss if the hostages were killed and there were no attempted rescue?)
Beeboid Alan Johnston is well placed to give us some insights from his comfy gig in sunny Roma. Particularly since he spent some time embedded with Islamic radicals.
So Johnston tells us of the Italian ‘ire’ at the British over this lack of prior warning.
We hear the word ‘anger’ from the BBC almost every day so what is this ‘ire’? ‘
Definitions: ‘Ire suggests greater intensity than anger’.
BBC Thesaurus:
Britain = high-handed, arrogant.
Italy = righteous indignation.
If only Johnston had been asked why it was that in case his captors let him go!
I was watching newsnight last night where breaking news of this was just coming, faster than you can say: ‘Allah ackba’ the bBC had a labour spokesman (actually a woman) somebody from Italy (Who defended the British and thus was soon removed from our screens) then in the studio the bBC promoted this view that we were wrong to go in and try and resuce these two men.
That stance has been expanded on so by todays 5pm news, the British were wrong in which to try and rescue these men.
I too get the impression that the bBC has become an unoffical political party whose sole aim is to atatck the people in power. which is why I see more of Labour MPs than anybody else. Are they in Power?
This is perfectly substaniated by how the Labour MP for headbutting has had a very easy time from the bBC, why they actually defended him at lunch time and allowed him to say he was staying in his seat until 2015. (and they didn’t even mention how the thug has been shagging a 17 year old aide)
And just the other day the bBC were wanting a Tory MP sacked for saying something they didn’t agree with and all he did was say something. Funny that.
The BBC did very little to attack the government up until May 2010, in fact they were often acting like government spokesmorons – and they constantly attacked the opposition. Something changed in May 2010 that made them suddenly attack the government with a constant barrage, and to cosy up to the opposition at all times. I’m blessed if I can remember what happened in 2010 to make them change their direction of attack.
Contrast & Compare, and guess which is the BBC version:
IDF soldier moderately hurt after stabbed during West Bank arrest
Soldier returns fire at assailant, killing him; incident takes place in West Bank village south of Hebron while army forces arrested a Palestinian released as part of the Shalit prisoner swap.
A Palestinian man was shot and thought to have been killed by Israel Defense Forces on Thursday after stabbing a soldier in a West Bank village near Hebron.
The incident took place in the village of Yatta during an operation carried out by soldiers belonging to the Kfir infantry brigade, geared at arresting Khaled Mahmara, who was released as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange swap.
A preliminary investigation of the incident claimed that, while IDF soldiers searched Mahmara’s home, after already arresting him, two Palestinians assaulted the force stationed outside the house, stabbing the soldier in the neck.
The soldier, who was moderately wounded in the attack, shot four bullets at his assailants, killing one and seriously wounding the other. The soldier was then evacuated to Jerusalem’s Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Karem.
Israel investigates killing of a Palestinian in West Bank
The Israeli army says it is investigating the killing of a Palestinian teenager in the West Bank on Thursday.
Zakariya Abu Eram, who was 17, was shot dead by Israeli soldiers in the Palestinian town of Yatta, south of Hebron.
The Israeli military said he was accompanying a man who stabbed a soldier with a knife.
Local witnesses said he was an onlooker and not involved in the attack.
An 18-year-old Palestinian was also injured.
Bio,
Today the bBC reports on how the nasty hooknosed jews have slotted a terrosit for lobbing a few home made bombs over the border fence, according to the bBC only 2 mortar bombs.
But what the bBC don’t inform the reader is that since the 1st of Jan over 60 rockets have been launched into Israel from Gaza.
Now if the article stated that approx 1 rocket a day has been launced into Israel for the past 2 months, the reader would make his mind up and feel that actually slotting the terorist thug behind all this isn’t actually all that bad.
The bBC continues to spread this view that islam is a relgion of peace and that actually it is christians who are blood thirsty. The problem is the facts on the ground as well as the daily news (but not from the bBC) informs people otherwise.
The bBC the traitors in our midst.
Absolutely no contest is it?
Poor vulnerable young student would have been a top human rights lawyer, singer or footballer had the Israeli squaddie not over-reacted to the tradional Palestinian Shave Dance Ritual using a knife…blokade means there`s no razors or foam now as well…bloody Jews or what?
The BBC always tells you about even the slightest positive US economic news. But when it’s not so good, they either censor it, or try to spin it away. Today is no exception.
Our federal debt hit an all-time high in February. Worst. Debt. Ever. I thought we were seeing green shoots of recovery, the economy was improving, etc, BBC? Er, no. This is where all that borrowing and spending which Mardell and Katty Kay have championed has gotten us. So the BBC is silent.
Unemployment is back above 9%. A further 10% – at least – are underemployed, which means nearly 20% of the potential workforce is not contributing fully or at all. What does Mardell do? He tweets a link to a left-wing Politico article which uses fearmonging about how the Republicans will use to to attack as a distraction. Rather than contemplate the reality of the situation, readers will instead get their buttons pushed about nasty Republican attacks.
And of course the BBC doesn’t miss out on a chance to report that they’ve all seen the trailer of the new Obamessiah documentary, which, as the current link on the US & Canada news page says, portrays Him as a “steely leader”.
Your license fee hard at work, shilling for the White House.
The graph that the BBC wouldnt show unless the president just happened to be a Republican.
Very interesting that the BBC always mentioned unajusted figures BEFORE mentioning seasonal adustments when Bush was president. Not just sometimes but always.
Now their leftist ally is in power the BBC work hard to make the figures look as rosy as possible. Bias from the BBC?
As if to prove my point, just as I hit the “Post” button for my comment above, Mardell tweeted actual White House spin:
White house says jobs figures “encouraging sign” economy is beginning to heal.
We have the worst debt in history, unemployment on the rise, yet all he can do is tweet White House talking points and warnings about Republican challenges. This is why I call him the BBC US President editor.
I wonder what the BBC will say when the double dip hits the USA and the unemployment figures can no longer be hidden and manipualted?
You may remember the debt ceiling crisis?
The debt ceiling raised not five minutes ago and its going to be hit again soon. Tax receipts anyone? The regime of Obama is spending money like its going out of fashion and they will not be able to carry on just printing more and borrowing more for long. Mr kick the can down the road is trying to spend all the money and put the crash off, and crash there will be, the USA is like a pyramid scheme, borrowing new money to pay off older debts and sooner or later creditors will pull that plug and when they do its going to be default city Arizona.
Have seen and heard the Eric Joyce story most of the day.
Hardly any of the many accounts from the MSM say that he is actually a LABOUR MP who beat up Tories…the World At One said it was mere fisticuffs…hope the EDL take note of that excuse!
That he attacked Tories surely makes him guilty of “hate crime” as set out by that idiot girl on Question Time….she wants the Catholic Archbishop to be accused of the same if his letter on gay marriage gets read in his churches this Sunday.
Inevitably, he`s just an MP…albeit one who`ll “be suspended from the Labour Party”…what with him “being a member” an`all.
THis little detail is to be found way down the story…now might be the time for a Tory to exact revenge and see how it gets reported.
Subtle…so the BBC like to thing…but sadly, they`re all too predictable and we`re onto them…
Sky News just referred to him as ‘Labour’s Eric Joyce’.
The BBC is dutifully repeating White House press releases as factual news:
US economy adds 227,000 jobs in February
The US economy created 227,000 jobs in February, while the unemployment rate stayed at 8.3%, official figures have shown.
The rise in jobs added was above forecasts of an increase of 210,000 jobs, the Labor Department said.
Lots of jobs added, but no change in unemployment, yet this is still spun as an improvement. The positive is emphasized more than once in the BBC article.
Here’s the Dept. of Labour press release, so you can all see how the BBC repurposed it for their own use.
While the BBC article does mention that the trade deficit has risen, they make sure to remind you to blame oil prices. It’s not His fault, you see. Nothing to do with His policies. Naturally, they censor the news that the national debt is the worst in history.
Question: When is a comment on a BBC blog deemed to be “off topic”?
Answer: After about two hours, apparently.
I posted a comment about BBC use of “personal” Twitter accounts on this page earlier:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2012/03/bbc_news_facebook_app.html
It didn’t get posted as it was deemed to be off-topic. So I had another ago, and about 10 minutes later my post appeared. Result!
It was removed just under two hours later as it was now “off-topic”. Perhaps the moderators had a shift change at 16:30….
Looks like all of the other comments are very negative, not happy that the BBC is spending resources catering to specific commercial products. I can sort of understand, though, their displeasure at being called out for personal use of Twitter on a post about readers’ use of it. Sort of. I’d have to see your actual comment to know for sure.
And JunkkMale – My Site (C2E), I believe – got Nick Reynolds to come out from behind the portcullis. Well done!
This must all be very confusing for the focus group-driven Beeboids in charge of this stuff.
This is the posting I made that appeared on the site and was then removed two hours later…
If the BBC wants to use Twitter as a medium for news distribution then it MUST take responsibility for the use of Twitter by its staff. Currently I am “blocked” from following a BBC Radio journalist’s Twitter feed. I have tried complaining to the BBC but they tell me “nothing to do with us, his feed personal and he can do what he likes”, yet that same person is always asking for listeners to contact his programme by that same Twitter account. I am, of course, prevented from having that interaction due to the blocking. How can a Twitter account be “personal” AND be used as a major part of the audience interaction with a BBC radio programme? This is an issue that needs to be addressed, and soon.
The fact is that unemplyment (according to official figures) in the US is 8.4%.
The rest is spin.
Those spinning, including the BBC, is simply part of the Obama superpac.
Just got my first ever letter from the BBC Trust. But given the obfuscation, cherry picking and wilful misinterpretation therein, I wonder if Audience Services (a misnomer, if ever there was) have somehow intercepted it?
Perhaps the most striking thing that I hadn’t before realised is that my previous correspondence is up for analysis as some sort of collective works; this includes having my comments quoted out of chronological order to imply incoherence, and an assertion from one missive juxtaposed out of context with another to suggest inconsistency.
The good news is the promise of an ‘independent’ investigation if I am still not happy. Let’s see just how independent, shall we?
As the BBC goes into oversrive pimping the oh so rosy good news all the way US ‘recovery’ and the supposed and ‘adjusted’ unemployment figure of 8.3% they just happen to forget to report the not so rosy side.
Half a story all the time, take a look at this:
March 09, 2012
Jobless stats reveal disparities as economy starts to recover <img src=”http://a57.foxnews.com/video.foxnews.com/thumbnails/030812/640/360/190/107/anr_hunter_030812.jpg”/>
While the Labor Department reports a surge in private-sector hiring and the nation’s unemployment rate holding steady at 8.3 percent, a closer look at the numbers paints a less flattering picture of the country’s post-recession growth.
What the BBC claims is identical to the whitehouse spinners version isnt it? But the truth and reality is somewhat different as the BBC acts as Obamas re election agent. Can you imagine the BBC would be as sympathetic with a Republican POTUS? The BBC has and would take every left wing smear and attack line without question.
THE BBC: CHANGE YOU CANT BELIEVE IN.
More ‘green jobs’ success for the President…
Karma: $107k plug-in hybrid dies on test track, automaker got $528m US loan guarantee
http://blazingcatfur.blogspot.com/2012/03/obamas-green-lemon.html
“We have owned our car for just a few days; it has less than 200 miles on its odometer … We buy about 80 cars a year and this is the first time in memory that we have had a car that is undriveable before it has finished our check-in process.”
Oh dear.
The Nissan Leaf coming in at a whopping thirty thousand pounds and you could get an Audi A1/BMW 1 series/Merc A140 for that money PLUS petrol and diesel and insurance and servicing for two or even three years.
Its a hard choice isnt it? An electric car that you drive for 60-70 miles before it dies and needs a whole day to recharge or a luxury compact that you can fill up and drive 400-500 miles and takes a couple of minutes to refuel.
Its a hard hard choice but I will have to go with the Audi A1 top of the range that will take me from Cornwall to the top of Scottish land and home of the wild haggis.
Yes, I think you’re right. Electric cars have yet to prove themselves in the real world, when compared to the conventional alternatives. A good idea in principle, just not in practice (yet, if ever).
Until they really improve, I think they’ll just be expensive, trendy toys for eco conscious rich boys.
This is why the President and His Energy Secretary have deliberately and quite openly tried to force gasoline prices through the roof. They want to force the cost of driving a cheaper car so high that people will have to go electric.
Oops.