189 Responses to OPEN THREAD

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  1. Jeff Waters says:
    May 13, 2012 at 5:51 am

    ‘We don’t want a tooled-up nation that suffers from a constant sense of embattlement – like, oh, I don’t know, Israel for example.’ – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18038660

    The BBC is bang out of order by publishing comments like these. If it’s going to have someone writing an article expressing a particular point of view, it needs to have an article expressing the opposite point of view.

    Jeff

       3 likes

  2. Guest Who says:
    May 13, 2012 at 8:37 am

    ‘ If it’s going to have someone writing an article expressing a particular point of view, it needs to have an article expressing the opposite point of view.’
    You’d think.
    But apparently if, in a filing cabinet somewhere in the BBC behind a door marked ‘Beware of the Leopard’ there is a counterview on a Post-it note, that is enough to offset entire programmes devoted to a single advocacy, packed solely with tribal supporters.
    Uniquely.

       4 likes

  3. DB says:
    May 13, 2012 at 9:45 am

    Here’s Jackie Leonard, presenter of World Briefing on the BBC World Service, and Jonathan Blake, BBC Washington correspondent, bringing the snark to Romney’s appearance at the Christian Liberty University yesterday:

    Romney wooing Chrisitians – eeeuw, such a creepy idea for sophisticated BBC journalists.

       11 likes

    • DB says:
      May 13, 2012 at 9:59 am

      Leonard’s “#maydoitanyway” remark offers an interesting glimpse into BBC newsroom mindset.

         7 likes

  4. noggin says:
    May 13, 2012 at 10:05 am

    stand by yer beds! …
    panto nikki and co, on the big questions,
    (mo “don t mention islam” shafiq) going to discuss
    indepth muslim child gang rape cases … not really.
    but something concerning these sex abuse cases,
    so expect a lot of “men” and “asians”, even pakistanis …………….. and no islam.

       5 likes

  5. George R says:
    May 13, 2012 at 10:09 am

    “BBC spends more than £600,000 at the Holiday Inn.
    The BBC has spent more than £600,000 at the Holiday Inn near its new headquarters in Manchester. ”

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9262179/BBC-spends-more-than-600000-at-the-Holiday-Inn.html

       5 likes

  6. George R says:
    May 13, 2012 at 11:14 am

    The jihadist Trojan Horse.

    Of course, as Britain becomes increasingly Islamised (by political class, inc INBBC), the mathematical risk of habouring jihadists and jihadist sympathisers in state employment (police, armed forces, state security, education, health, political representation) increases.

    “MI5 feared British police attended terrorist camps.
    MI5 warned Scotland Yard that policemen in its ranks were suspected of attending terrorist training camps, it can be disclosed. ”

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9262179/BBC-spends-more-than-600000-at-the-Holiday-Inn.html

       5 likes

  7. John Anderson says:
    May 13, 2012 at 2:06 pm

    Obama is said to be steering well clear of any further comments on gay marriage – he scooped his $15 million from the Hollywood lefties.

    Here’s how the BBC’s “brave” Obama looks and sounds when out in the open. What a pathetic empty suit :

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2143321/Obama-makes-speech-couples-GARAGE–hosts-vote-him.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

    I bet the BBC won’t be bringing us that abject performance.

       4 likes

    • David Preiser (USA) says:
      May 13, 2012 at 6:50 pm

      That solar plant He was talking about giving tax breaks to for putting a lot of people to work is owned by a Canadian company and has created a whopping two full time jobs. And He still wants to give them $50 million in tax breaks.

      Ugh, then He brags about using taxpayer money to refinance bad mortgages and thinks that will make prices go back up, and put more money into the economy. Redistributing wealth again.

         2 likes

  8. Andy S. says:
    May 13, 2012 at 3:04 pm

    BBC News bigging up part of a survey by the Royal College of Nursing by headlining claims that patients are being treated in hospital corridors. Of course they have Andy (red nose) Burnham on shouting that it’s all Andrew Lansley’s fault and the CUTS!

    What the Beeb didn’t mention was that the claim came from 21% of those surveyed and the total number who took part was small compared to the membership. Nothing about the RCN being a union led by Labour placed stooges but still, it was a good excuse to bash the government and give the backdoor NHS privatiser Burnham a chance to blow off.

    I’m expecting Scottie or Dezzie to appear and denounce my facts ( got them from Sky News who at least put the claims into perspective.)

       6 likes

    • Dysgwr_Cymraeg says:
      May 14, 2012 at 9:19 am

      Phase 2 this morning, this morning’s survey data concern care at home services. Figures given: 2000 nurses surveyed, 89% agree blah blah blah.
      They all reponded?…did they say?…nope you betcha they didn’t but they won’t give the facts.
      Wonder what part they are saving for tomorrow.
      Their grid is well prepared.

         0 likes

  9. George R says:
    May 13, 2012 at 4:06 pm

    BBC-NUJ, indignant with capitalism, embeds with ‘Occupy’:

    “Spain’s ‘Indignants’ mark protest anniversary”

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18047618

    ‘Breibart’:

    “Report: Occupy LA Costs Taxpayers $4.7 Million; Entire Movement Close to $30 Million” (that’s USA alone).

    http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/05/12/report-occupy-la-costs-4-7-million-entire-movement-close-to-30-million

       2 likes

  10. George R says:
    May 13, 2012 at 6:05 pm

    BBC-NUJ’s political disconnect on: GREECE-TURKEY-illegal immigrants.

    While Beeboid journalists report on Greece’s economy, they do not seem to have the ability or inclination to report the serious weakness in Greece’s border with Turkey, and the mass influx of illegal immigrants from mainly Islamic countries including Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan.
    Of course, such illegal immigrants (whom Beeboids seem to politically support instinctively) are heading to those countries inside the E.U. with the most generous welfare provision, which includes Britain.

    Whenever Beeboids report on illegal immigrants it is inevitably from the illegal immigrants’ viewpoint, not from the viewpoint of the British people.

    “Hordes of Muslim Illegals Invading Greece from Turkey”
    (inc video clip)

    http://stopturkey.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/hordes-of-muslim-illegals-invading.html

       4 likes

  11. David Preiser (USA) says:
    May 13, 2012 at 6:41 pm

    The social media geniuses at the White House have started another Twitter hashtag: #AskMichelle. People can ask her questions and she might answer in some video or something. Some entertainment to be had here.

    https://twitter.com/#!/search/%23AskMichelle

    DB, have you seen any Beeboids dutifully retweeting the boilerplate about “our incredible First Lady”?

       2 likes

  12. Reed says:
    May 13, 2012 at 9:45 pm

    We need an annual award for the most venal, corrupt, dishonest, thieving shyster in politics.

    My nomination, in the ‘No depth is low enough’ category…

    “Chris Huhne claimed almost £10,000 in expenses for a survey asking voters how they feel about boundary changes that could lead to him losing his seat as an MP. ”

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9258374/Chris-Huhne-claims-nearly-10000-to-survey-voters-about-boundary-changes.html

    Although, to be fair, boundary changes are now the least of his worries when it comes to his political future. Perhaps he’ll run his constituency from his cell, as inmate #4029301 MP. Wouldn’t put it past this grub.

       3 likes

    • Reed says:
      May 13, 2012 at 9:47 pm

      Comment on the article…

      Stuck-Record
      I keep thinking I can’t hate Chris Huhne anymore. But he proves me wrong every time.

         3 likes

    • Guest Who says:
      May 14, 2012 at 7:25 am

      ‘claimed almost £10,000 in expenses for a survey’
      I wonder if he used the same company the BBC uses licence fee extortee’s money for to produce one of their regular ‘we’re most trusted’ bits of research with the Graun and LSE, only maybe without the unique FoI exclusions on how exactly it was all done.

         1 likes

  13. Millie Tant says:
    May 13, 2012 at 10:52 pm

    Here’s a Conservative telling the Biased Beeboid Corporation what he thinks of it in no uncertain terms:
    ‘The next director-general of the BBC must be a Tory who ‘understands the depths of the problems this country faces’, Boris Johnson has said.
    Speaking of his recent election campaign, Mr Johnson says: “I sometimes felt that my chief opponent was the local BBC news – the prevailing view of Beeb newsrooms is, with honourable exceptions, statist, corporatist, defeatist, anti-business, Europhile and, above all, overwhelmingly biased to the Left.”
    No mincing of words there. The timing of this intervention is interesting.
    Conservative fury with the Biased Corporation must be boiling over.
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9263603/Next-head-of-BBC-must-be-a-Tory-says-Boris-Johnson.html

       10 likes

    • Guest Who says:
      May 14, 2012 at 7:39 am

      http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9263603/Next-head-of-BBC-must-be-a-Tory-says-Boris-Johnson.html
      The frustration is clear, but the message could have been better as it simply polarises.
      I realise that the concept of an apolitical person is unrealistic, but this to me reads no better than the BBC’s cheerleading squad getting away with its rampant tribal skew being necessary to ‘counter’ Murdoch. This I can sympathise with: ‘I sometimes felt that my chief opponent was the local BBC news’
      So we have The Sun & The Times apparently offset by the entire BBC, and now in turn this would be offset by a bozo at the top reigning them across the other way?
      Don’t buy it.
      The only thing I have ever wanted is a professional, impartial national broadcaster, dedicated to reporting objective facts and providing agenda-free entertainment.
      Which is not what the BBC is or has been for a long while.
      Some daft tribal appointee at the top is like getting the Captain of the Exxon Valdez in to steer the Costa Concordia. The BBC is holed, sunk and no one with half a brain would go near her, much less for money, unless forced to as a passenger or bribed beyond reason (or drunk) as senior crew.
      Flagging this as needing a Tory at the helm may garner headlines, but is retrograde and will simply give the twitterati something to wail and flail about.

         2 likes

      • Guest Who says:
        May 14, 2012 at 8:18 am

        And so it begins…
        Kevin Bakhurst‏ @kevinbakhurst

        Presume that’s why Boris hired an ex BBC man as his Comms Director. #Boris #BBC
        One can see how this market rate talent warrants the big bucks.
        Beyond the prefix ‘ex’, is it possible that the best way to fight a nest of vipers is to work with one who knows them well?
        I feel Boris is right in concern but wrong in approach (at least this first salvo), but after a poor start if this is the calibre of counter from the kindergarden level brains at the top of the BBC he may just get away with it.
        And I say that with regret.
        Swapping one bunch of tribal bubble-heads for another I still have to pay for… not real keen.

           2 likes

        • Craig says:
          May 14, 2012 at 9:13 am

          Yes, the twitterati are going wild over this, accusing Boris of wanting to impose a Tory who would turn the BBC into the Tory Broadcasting Corporation.

          The BBC’s Twitter brigade are on the march, following Kevin Bakhurst’s lead.

          John McManus@JohnMcMcM1
          (Reporter for BBC World Service radio)
          @anyapalmer No mention by Boris of how BBC found he was trying to get cable car sponsorship from Murdoch while #Hacking story coming out

          Jem Stone @JemStone
          (Head of social media & syndication for BBC Radio/Music)
          Standard via @peterdominiczak reporting that Boris’s new Director of Environment is Matthew Pencharz who worked for the BBC for 5 years…

          James Jones @rjamesjones
          (Director for BBC/Channel 4. including ‘Panorama’)
          Boris shows an almost unbelievable naivety and ignorance of the nature of news in his attack on the bbc.
          @archiebland yeah the idea that a Tory DG would transform the BBC news agenda is scary and absurd.
          I guess Boris’ column is a political stunt and shouldn’t be taken seriously,but his attack on the bbc for the Murdoch coverage is ludicrous.

          Shelagh Fogarty ‏ @ShelaghFogarty
          @kevinbakhurst Boris’ comments make me want to scream my leanings out loud, y’know, left, right, and centre!! #Boris #BBC

          Ian Hunter ‏ @ianhunter20
          (Managing editor, BBC Online)
          Boris Johnson wants the BBC to have a Tory DG to go with its Tory Chairman http://tgr.ph/KlalR0

             2 likes

          • Guest Who says:
            May 14, 2012 at 9:33 am

            ‘ the twitterati are going wild over this’
            As they are, also, this…
            http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/asa-his-grace-responds.html
            Now my interest is more niche, following my experiences with BBC Complaints, and I have reserved most of my eyebrow cranks in empathy for here…
            ‘You asked him to keep the correspondence confidential, and he has done so … Some elements of your correspondence may therefore have been spread abroad (if not around the globe), which is regrettable but unavoidable.
            Which seems familiar somehow, from another ‘we’ll throw our full weight about but don’t you dare mention it to anyone else’ entity we pay for to find ways to make us pay…
            ‘This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential and may contain personal views which are not the views of the BBC unless specifically stated.
            If you have received it in error, please delete it from your system.
            Do not use, copy or disclose the information in any way nor act in reliance on it and notify the sender immediately.
            Please note that the BBC monitors e-mails sent or received.
            Further communication will signify your consent to this.
            Plus, of course, the inevitable ‘while we can take our own sweet (if necessary and if found in the spotlight, infinite) time on this, but you need to dance to our tune right away’ demands.
            I don’t agree with all or indeed much from this poster, but when the state starts bullsh*t like this across the board, backed by its braindead twitterkapos trying to shut up or out any counterviews across the board, enough is enough.

               2 likes

            • Millie Tant says:
              May 14, 2012 at 10:55 am

              Ooh, that’s a brilliant riposte to the pinheads of the ASA. Definitely one to savour and remember. Utterly delicious.

              Interesting to discover that other blogs have carried the same ads without complaint. Maybe such complainants are targeting only what they identify as religious institutions and opinion; meanwhile any other institution, blog or person can carry on expounding exactly the same views or material untroubled by these keepers of the public space. Or possibly, as Cranmer suggests., to do with his views about Israel.

                 2 likes

  14. Reed says:
    May 14, 2012 at 2:19 am

    Today’s ‘Socialist hypocrite’ award goes to….
    ——————————
    France’s new Socialist president owns three holiday homes in the Riviera resort of Cannes, it emerged today.

    Francois Hollande, 57, who “dislikes the rich” and wants to revolutionise his country with high taxes and an onslaught against bankers, is in fact hugely wealthy himself.
    ——————————
    http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/world/socialist-hollande-owns-three-homes-on-the-riviera-7737519.html

    Sounds like he’d get along well with Polly. Wealthy socialists are OK – because they’re nice leftists…it’s those nasty rich capitalists that need crushing.
    Cue the BBC – who will no doubt be keen to focus on the ‘out of touch rich dude’ narrative, as they have with Cameron and Romney.

       2 likes

    • Guest Who says:
      May 14, 2012 at 7:47 am

      Maybe he and Al Gore can do a mansion swap for the summer hols, to save… er.. something?
      I am sure the matter of getting there & back will still be another multiple standard mode of transport too.
      Paul Mason & Richard Black could fly with them and do a piece or two on all they are seeking to achieve, with that unique perspective only glasses tinted with a deep shade of rose can bring.

         2 likes

    • Dysgwr_Cymraeg says:
      May 14, 2012 at 9:11 am

      You’ll be lucky! Breakfast show this morning bigging up the dreadful state of the Footsie, which of course is the fault of all that Greek uncertainty. Any mention of a socialist anti-austerity French President?…..no way….utter silence. It’s all Greek to me mate.

         1 likes

  15. will says:
    May 14, 2012 at 9:02 am

    Depressingly familiar BBC position taking on the 8:10 – 8:30 “Today” slot. First we have Humphys “interviewing” two Greeks. One from the SYRIZA is allowed to put his position forward, but then the unfortunate woman, who thinks that the Greeks need to discuss how they will reform their economy to become competitive within the Eurozone, is shouted down by Humphrys after every few words. Apart from the obvious bias being shown by Humphrys it is surely rank bad manners to treat a foreigner being good enough to address us in English in such a way.

    We then go on to “paranoid” Yank who is warning about the civilisation ending consequenses of a electromagnetic pulse resulting from a nuclear warhead exploding above the atmosphere, he claims that the generators could protect against this threat at reasonable cost. Justin is keen to poo-poo this crazy man. The BBC accepts totally that we should bear whatever cost necessary to possibly offset possible climate change, but when a terrorist group just need to purchase a warhead from N Korea etc then the threat must be dismissed as fanciful.

       1 likes

  16. deegee says:
    May 14, 2012 at 10:25 am

    Not specifically about the BBC but everything Leslie Stein says can be evidenced in the BBC worldview.
    How Anti-Zionism Seduced the Intellectual Left

       1 likes

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