Open Thread …. What’s The Big Idea Then!

 

 

You’ve had to put up with a solid diet of my take on BBC bias for two weeks but David should be back in the saddle very shortly.

I shall say thanks for not abusing me too much and pointing me in the direction of some good stories.

You may wonder if the blog has any effect on the BBC…of course that’s hard to tell…but it is read by some surprising people and has had a few posts resurface in the main stream newspapers.  Without it there definitely would be no effect.

However now that David is returning from his two weeks holiday, hopefully away from most of the BBC output, he may be in a good mood…while it lasts you might like to pitch some ideas to him that could  further the reach and influence of this blog and increase its effect on the BBC or influence people who ‘have influence’.

I have seen a couple of ideas already that people have put up in the open threads so if you have some big ideas that would shake the BBC out of  its complacency now’s your chance to put them up in lights.

Bear in mind this is a volunteer run blog with limited resources….and it has to retain its essential purpose….nothing to stop you suggesting it grows or ‘commercialises’ but that is totally down to David.

It’s all yours…..

 

 

 

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118 Responses to Open Thread …. What’s The Big Idea Then!

  1. Ontablets says:

    Keep up the good work, you are doing great work 🙂 i have no fresh ideas, but if i do i welllet you know 🙂

       10 likes

    • Ontablets says:

      Oh and see you Thursday evening for QT and Brillo 🙂

         1 likes

    • Alan says:

      Thanks for that, at least one happy ‘customer’…I know you tweet the blog frequently but this is the first time I’ve seen you comment…hopefully not the last.
      Enjoy the QT!

         5 likes

      • Reed says:

        Add another one to the ‘happy customer’ list. I’ve enjoyed the slightly different flavour offered by our ‘guest host’. I’m sure it’s not an easy task to continually come up with fresh ideas for different posts, even when the BBC provide plenty of opportunities. I guess the value of a community blog such as this is that there is often plenty of inspiration from the commenters.

        Many thanks for the ongoing efforts to keep this blog buzzing, it’s always appreciated if not often expressed.

           16 likes

  2. The Highland Rebel says:

    Well spotted by a poster on the Blog page.

    http://uk.tv.yahoo.com/presenter-admits-benefit-fraud-102944843.html

    Don’t bother waiting around to hear about it on the b-bbc news any time soon.

       11 likes

  3. As I See It says:

    BBC News 24 and goofy Ben Brown displays a couple of true pinko Beeboid sentiments in his treatment of the PFI chickens coming home to roost at a south London heath authority.
    Our Ben must have been too long living on the public penny because he just can’t get his head around the concept that part of the public sector going bankrupt.
    ‘That’s bizzare!’ Says our Ben.
    (Seems the BBC missed that whole Euro crisis thing).
    In an interview with a campaigner who wants to keep his local A&E open (a pefectly laudable objective by the way) our Ben has to go and spoil things with a de riguer BBC qusetion.
    ‘….And what about local people, is there a lot of anger?’
    Oh dear. More of that BBC ‘anger’ at the Tory Cutz.
    Please, please can the BBC accept that no amount of righteous ‘anger’ is ever going to balance the books.

       18 likes

    • LondonCalling says:

      Not one journalist has questioned the role of the PCTs who hold the budget for the population of Bromley, Sidcup and Woowlich served by SLHT, who won’t or can’t pay for the care provided for the local population. Eyeballs swivel, non-comprendo, you mean the staff get paid and are not angels? Happens to be my local hospital, and there is a huge story of bureaucratic incompetence underneath by the commisioners of local hospital care, and it has little or nothing to do with PFI, the official idealogical scapegoat. BBC, none of the news, all of the time.

         14 likes

  4. The Highland Rebel says:

    Good article from Honest Reporting –

    http://honestreporting.com/the-bbc-in-its-own-words-we-made-a-mistake/

    Did anybody watch Channel 4 news tonight?
    We had an article about those nasty Israeli soldiers detaining poor Palestinian children for throwing stones.

    There seems to be an awful lot of these ‘children’ with beards and if you look carefully at some of these clips you can see their Kalashkonov’s hidden in the background.

    We had riots in this country not so long ago instigated by these type of ‘children’ but the difference is that the Palestinian ones are responsible for a great number of murders against innocent people, women and children and even babies.

    What is also galling is that these so called stone throwing incidents are stage managed by Pallywood and the setting up of these clips by directors, producers etc. for the consumption of the western media can be found on You Tube. Including the ones the b-bbc and Channel 4 try to pass on to us as facts.

       19 likes

    • Ian Hills says:

      We still get stone-throwing “children” in the UK. Republicans often attack the emergency services this way, especially when they come out in response to a bomb scare. Not that the beeb gives much coverage to these incidents as they hate loyalists as much as they hate Jews.

         13 likes

  5. Tommy Atkins says:

    Whose this daft bint on BBC3 at the moment, bangin’ on about soup kitchens in Athens. “Its all bin caused by the Banks and Politicians”. No mention of the Euro at all.

    So far she hasn’t said its all Thatcher’s fault, but that can’t be too far away.

       24 likes

    • Ian Hills says:

      Not paying taxes is also a cause of Greek misery, but that’s a sore point at the corporation of self-employed tax fiddlers.

         14 likes

  6. Tommy Atkins says:

    “Coming here soon Greece bust and Broken” is the name of the prog. A one hour tour of left-wing protesters protesting the Tory cuts – i mean -the cuts imposed by the banks and the politicians in Athens.

    No mention of the cheap Euro party imposed and then taken away by a distant European elite.
    Its a bleedin’ disgrace.

       15 likes

    • Reed says:

      I caught some of the late repeat, and it wasn’t long before I realised the problem. As soon as I heard the voice of the presenter I realised…it was her from Luton – Stacey Dooley – the one who thinks that those reacting against muslim extremists that want Sharia in her town just need to learn to compromise and have more understanding. She appears to be the BBC’s current yoof presenter of choice – superficial and not very bright, but with the right kind of ‘attitude’ for da kidz.

      No wonder the programme was so uninformative, then. I can’t decide whether this kind of thing is an attempt by the BBC to inculcate young minds, or if it’s just part of a pattern of patronising them with hip-and-trendy, street-wise but entirely lightweight documentaries that fail to ‘inform and educate’ their audience about important subjects.

         5 likes

  7. johnyork says:

    Alan,
    Don’t forget to replace all the booze at David’s house.
    He may well return all sort of “well travelled” but like most of us when we come back home to the BBC’s bias in full swing, we tend to reach for the bottle.

    You have done a very good job Alan and I for one would like to say thanks !

       16 likes

  8. George R says:

    Discrimimation against British students.

    Will BBC-NUJ report how British universities discriminate against British students, and for foreign students?

    Or is this the new political normalcy which BBC-NUJ approves?

    “How foreign students with lower grades jump the university queue”

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/9357875/How-foreign-students-with-lower-grades-jump-the-university-queue.html

       7 likes

    • George R says:

      Pro-discrimination for foreign students.

      BBC-NUJ, arriving late on this story, largely acts as press agent for British universities which give preferential treatment to more profitable foreign students who have lower entry qualifications than British students.

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-18609132

         3 likes

  9. NotaSheep says:

    Tonight’s Newsnight interview with Conservative Treasury minister Chloe Smith was car crash TV, she floundered very badly. However the last question that Paxman posed was along the lines of ‘Do you think that your incomptent?’. Has Paxman ever asked that question of the myriad of Labour incompetents in far more senior positions than Chloe Smith? FOI inquiry?

       16 likes

    • Reed says:

      Saw it – she seemed out of her depth, but that last question was pointless posturing. She should have countered with “Do you think you’re a pompous, supercilious ass”.

         17 likes

    • The Highland Rebel says:

      Tam Paxman?

         5 likes

    • Doyle says:

      Do you think you are competent? I think it was a fair question to ask based on her previous reponses. She didn’t seem to know what she was talking about and saying she floundered was being kind to her. A wretched performance. Listen, I hate the Tories and it’s always good to see them come a cropper but here’s the thing – I hate Labour too and I’d like Paxman to stick it to those fuckers once in a while. Labour get such an easy ride on Newsnight it’s untrue. Paxman is actually the best one, Esler, Walk and Maitliss might as well be their mates (and they probably are).

         2 likes

      • Dr Cox says:

        Ms Smith did not wish to answer the questions; Mr Paxman failed to secure answers. In my book that makes Mr Paxman incompetent.

           0 likes

  10. jonsuk says:

    Newsnight…..the Queen should shake his cock

       2 likes

  11. Millie Tant says:

    Well done for keeping the blog going with copious postings of interest and substance.

       7 likes

  12. Backwoodsman says:

    Great work in DV’s abscence, Alan.
    Ref ideas, I think you are reaching more peeps , based on the number of site hits DV mentioned recently.
    What really interests me , is how we get more recognition in the msm, so the average punter starts to learn that there is a b-bbc. Could a tame techie prepare an e-mail template that gets fired off automatically to ALL the bbc’s competitors on a daily basis, where our site admin would just have to insert a cut and paste intro to the site story and a link.
    That way, other media outlets can ‘fire off our shoulder’ and report ‘bbc faces online outrage over left wing bias , blah, blah’, without being seen to initiate the attack themselves.

       6 likes

  13. Keith Newman says:

    Many thanks Alan, I’ve enjoyed and appreciated all your posts. You have worked very hard and there are many more silent ones who will be thinking the same.

    Once again, many thanks.
    Keith.

       9 likes

  14. Backwoodsman says:

    Final thought ! The e-mail should, of course, go out to all tory MP’s and party officials and all ukippers ditto.

       5 likes

  15. Jeff Waters says:

    Very unbalanced take on the fuel tax increase suspension by Newsnight IMHO. No mention at all of how it could help the haulage industry, for example.

    Jeff

       7 likes

  16. Guest Who says:

    ‘some big ideas that would shake the BBC out of its complacency’
    I am clearly an advocate and use this site already, and it has been mooted by others too, but I see value in a separate/complementing ‘BBC Complaints Log’ blog or thread. They can get quiet long and/or complex, and not ideally suited to the format here. Or to the interest or attention span of all.
    As with any blog, the balance of free speech vs. moderation will present issues, especially as those with odd agendas ‘participate’ with malicious intent either through misguided personal motivations or more sinister coordinated distraction attempts.
    I have some suggestions borne of experience (good & bad) but it makes sense to use a forum such as this as a basis, given the brand awareness that already exists, and the skill base I think can be called upon, from technical through legal, etc.
    If one sticks to facts and avoids areas of distraction, the publication of exchanges (especially those back from BBC CECUTT- I advocate certain ‘rules’ to avoid contention) can prove devastating to their divide and rule ambitions.
    And the utter tripe they try and trot out, especially when clearly mindless cookie cutter, is all the more damaging to their claims when it becomes clear that they are not interested in listening and are only devoted to attrition using rigged rules of their own creation in making any legitimate criticism go away.
    The truth, in print, is a very effective way of holding the powerful to account. Especially a power such as the BBC, unaccustomed to having questions being asked OF it.
    Like judo, the secret is to use the vast monopolistic power they deploy and simply redirect it back.
    They are vastly resourced and staffed, but that is a weakness when dealing with individuals, because an individual truth can be a hole that soon gets wonderfully further excavated in subsequent exchanges using their own system(s), as left and right hands in the BBC hierarchy fail to coordinate, and often end up contradictory management edicts.
    I now have them on stealth edits, knee jerk inaccuracy, cover-ups and outright lies. All backed by URLs and page grabs. That’s just one person; I am sure others have the same, or more.
    These get listed, archived and collated… they have a big, and growing problem.
    Their usual reaction to such things is usually to stop pretending to play any kind of customer service game and throw toys out the pram by closing for comments or even banning.
    When the timelines and exchanges that lead to these attempts are made public (showing that risible ‘you mustn’t tell anyone what we write’ disclaimer for the naked attempt at suppression that it is), the relevance of complaints can be judged by the public that is forced to pay for the BBC service, and the quaint BBC complaints system that regulates itself. There will be silly ones, poorly thought-through ones and, possibly, maliciously-contrived ones. In a free society, that… is inevitable.
    What will be interesting, and potentially powerful, are the responses that are sent back, especially as they work up the BBC-mandated ‘system’.
    From the daftness of presuming a ‘belief’ in ‘getting things about right’ counters substantive points, often (perhaps intentionally) ignored, to darker fare, such as committing staff and funding to seeking out critiques from other blogs and forums in some bizarre rationale as justification for attempted bannings.

       6 likes

    • Framer says:

      Repetition ultimately gets through e.g. the fact that the 25% cuts the BBC are imposing with redundancies etc are next to nothing to do with the unchanging licence fee but the fact that £1b of licence fee money has just had to be diverted into the BBC Pension Fund.
      No BBC staffer could ever major on that for obvious reasons so B-BBC has to go, and on and on about it until it begins to become known and noticed.

         5 likes

    • wallygreeninker says:

      I should have butted in at he time but I was a little concerned at the way discussion of this issue somehow became mixed up with talk about too many of the comments on this blog being OT and weakening the core message of the site. It all sounded a little bit like divisive mischief making to me.

         0 likes

  17. As I See It says:

    Damned if they do, damned if they don’t…..

    BBC 5 Live Breakfast, and Rachel Burdon reckons the Coalition U-turn on petrol duty is:
    ‘a politically losing point’
    Not quite sure what that means, bearing in mind that the public are almost universaly relieved. But I can see that the BBC is having a dig at a Government policy. A reflex reaction to whatever they do.
    You would almost think the Beeb were the official opposition!

       15 likes

    • Bannerman says:

      Radio 2 12pm Phelps poses the question as to why the fuel increase is bad for us and invites 3 (yes 3!!) academics to pontificate as to how bad this is 1) Eco loon 2)Nutty Proffessor and 3) Lefty Nutjob…ahhh balance.

         5 likes

  18. George R says:

    BBC-NUJ avoids reference to INDIA, re- RBS fiasco.

    Earlier this week, BBC-NUJ’s Peston had a chat with (British state-owned) RBS’s boss, Hesler.
    They chatted about a ‘glitch’.

    The following is censored by them, apparently to avoid British people being annoyed by the transfer of thousands of bank jobs to incompetent employees in India.

    ‘Daily Mail’:-

    “Was RBS brought to its knees by ONE junior IT technician? ‘Inexperienced operative’ in India blamed for meltdown that froze millions of bank accounts.
    Worker recruited after 20,000 UK staff were made redundant .
    Deleted information had to be painstakingly restored .
    Fallout could take weeks to sort, finance watchdogs warn.”

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2165202/Did-ONE-high-tech-worker-bring-RBS-knees-Junior-technician-blamed-meltdown-froze-millions-accounts.html#ixzz1yylEEsf6

       7 likes

  19. AngusPangus says:

    Well, another day, another luvvy that you’ve never heard of turns up her toes.

    Why is it that, whenever a luvvy-you’ve-never-heard-of shuffles off this mortal coil, it “just so happens” that there’s a PC, right-on, lefty angle.

    Today, we have someone called Nora Ephron given the full-on headline treatment by R4 and BBC News website:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-18604498

    But hark! Where’s the PC angle? Scanning through the main article, nary a mention of anything from the BBC-approved checklist of correct thinking. Could this possibly be a straight-down-the-middle, non-loaded report?? Maybe the BBC is not agenda-driven after all??!!

    Oh, hang on.

    In the side piece by “David Willis, BBC News, Los Angeles” we learn this:

    “Nora Ephron was … a trailblazer … Drawn to stories about strong women, she was to prove her own strength by leveraging her growing power and influence in the film industry for a place in the director’s chair – no mean achievement, particularly in the early 1990’s, when Hollywood’s directorial ranks were even more dominated by men than they are today …. she also paved the way for a new generation of female film-makers … And in a speech to Wellesley College … she gave some idea of what she had been up against, saying that when she left college “we (women) weren’t meant to have careers that mattered, or opinions, or lives; we were meant to marry them”.”

    Normal service is resumed. One up for the sistas.

       5 likes

    • Richard D says:

      Noted this item this morning on ‘Today’. It was one of two consecutive items of news connected with California (Ephron grew up there, then, of course, there was Hollywood).

      The first of the items, however, concerned the city of Stockton, Ca. (a city with a population roughly the same size as Newcastle, Coventry, Nottingham, Leicester, and even the whole of Shropshire). The city has gone bust, bankrupt – you know, sort of like someone found the note in the drawer that says “There’s no money left, hee-hee”.

      Now that item got the equivalent of a 2-line footnote while the newsreader desperately got it out of the way so that a ‘luvvie’ departure could get the equivalent of a royal send-off. Shows the way the BBC priorities line up these days.

      Now if there had been any way to tie the bankruptcy to the current UK government, as opposed to the Democrats who apparently run Stockton, and California, under Obama’s leadership……

         4 likes

  20. George R says:

    BBC-NUJ’s EDUCATION online newspage – CENSORED.

    No mention of the following, of course:-

    “Foreign students jump the queue: Overseas candidates offered uni places with lower grades than UK teenagers”

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2165245/Foreign-students-jump-queue-Overseas-candidates-offered-uni-places-lower-grades-UK-teenagers.html#ixzz1yz1bsRZO

       2 likes

  21. Fred Bloggs says:

    Found this http://order-order.com/2012/06/27/dave-v-bryant-round-two-at-noon/ as it refers to this. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18584837.

    As usual the bBC does not tell the truth. Bryant told Parliament using parliamentary privilege about contact with Murdoch. There were two major problems. Bryant was using unpublished privileged information that he should not have disclosed. Plus, and this is the main point, the information was incorrect. These ‘minor’ points seemed to have slipped from the bBC corporate memory.

       8 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      ‘As usual the bBC does not tell the truth…. points seemed to have slipped from the bBC corporate memory.’
      If as you say, this is classic BBC, and forms the basis of everything from pre-production selections, through rigged edits to semantic blow-off attempts up through CECUTT.
      And it is not good enough.
      And certainly not excusable by their vague ‘we can’t be expected to cover everything’ claims, when what they have omitted goes to the core of the story being fully explained and properly understood vs. merely being another propaganda piece in their apparent perceived capacity as opposition to anything coalition… NOT THEIR REMIT!!!
      A complaint seem well in order.
      I may well do it myself but am already on the norty step for volume… though The Trust is now struggling to argue my counter that this seems a darned odd measure for any attempted banning, because if I’m right (and so far they are struggling to show otherwise save huffs and puffs on ‘belief’ and ‘comfort’ in their rectitude) that rather goes more to just how much the BBC is stuffing up. And this should be a greater concern than throwing vast resources at denials, exemptions and cover ups.
      Interesting how, in the side panel, the BBC is quite comfortable with bandying about the word lies’… when it suits.
      I’d say the BBC’s failure to provide full context places the value of any ‘reporting’, on partisan issues especially, in sharp contrast.
      No, it is not ‘lying’, but for a professional, credible news medium laying claim to impartiality, such omissions are too often, too blatant and too one-sided to ignore practices deliberately carried out in service of not telling the truth.
      That they are addicted to piggy-backing the often wild claims of such as Bryant, Prescott or Penny shows what a busted flush they all are.
      I’d invite the cherry-vulturehood to justify this approach on any basis… factually.

         3 likes

  22. Deborah says:

    thanks Alan for interesting posts while David had a well deserved break

       9 likes

  23. Beeboidal says:

    The Howard League for Penal Reform has announced that it is to conduct a two year study into sex in prisons. Somehow this is a major news story, at least it is for 5Live, who have been banging on about it all morning. A BBC website article ends by asking two questions. I helpfully provide the correct answers.

    Q. What do you think that the study will achieve?
    A. It will help smug leftwingers feel good about themselves.

    Q. Should the UK ban on conjugal visits for prisoners be removed?
    A. Of course not. If you want sex, don’t commit offences which might send you to prison.

    Fortunately, a number of callers to 5Live successfully answered the second question. Grade A* to you all.

       11 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      ‘who have been banging on’
      Kudos:)

         2 likes

    • Roland Deschain says:

      I was under the impression that sex life carried on in prison. Just not the sort that most inmates might appreciate.

         5 likes

    • Framer says:

      If Strasbourg says you can vote in prison conjugal ‘rights’ will not be far behind.

         6 likes

  24. zemplar says:

    Just seen George Monbiot on The Daily Politics calling for private schools to be outlawed. What a moron.

       11 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Also rather prone to DDAIDDAIS disease I believe.
      Interestingly, coming to the end of the first year at a fee-paying independent, my two’s results are coming in. After a decade of B’s & C’s at the local state secondary, they are now getting A’s & A*’s & even X’s. Real ones.
      They are also off today with the CCF on a 2-day camp to get extra-ECA awards and, well, have a ball flying gliders and driving tanks.
      So, Mr. Monbiot, while you may see merit in the notion of dragging our kids’ futures down into the miserable, rotten stew you and your merry band seem to feel needs to be brewed, frankly you can go stick that notion where the sun don’t shine (which I suspect it does not, ever, which must mess up the renewables aspect of his petty little world a bit of a downer, too).

         12 likes

      • Reed says:

        They still have CCF in 2012! 😯
        I’m surprised someone hasn’t tried to outlaw it – too masculine and militarist or some other delicate, precious, inclusive garbage.
        Hope they enjoy their adventures.

           6 likes

        • Guest Who says:

          Enjoy? Two days not at school shooting, hiking, swimming, flying & eating badly cooked sausages in the company of like-minded others keen on doing stuff and helping each other excel….vs. what Mr. Monbiot & the BBC feel 15 yo’s really want to do (whatever the heck that actually is, with dragging each other under a major component once they get around to deciding. I can testify that neither of them has listened to a BBC radio show or watched a BBC programme – bar the odd nature doco – in years, hence spared the ‘information’ and ‘education’ our most trusted national treasure gets uniquely funded to ram down their throats).
          So I think they’ll cope:) And as a parent I am vicariously loving every moment they enjoy, as they do so. Tx for the good wishes.
          So yes, there will doubtless be a banwagon to put an end to all this rolling in soon too.

             8 likes

  25. Guest Who says:

    As BBC Newsnight runs around the city with our Chloe’s head on a spike, crowing (an easy scalp, but theirs to take and flaunt – hope the Conservative high command is proud of its record serving up Forlorn Hope cannon fodder to protect the high command), from the school of what the BBC is less keen to trumpet….
    Charles Shoebridge ‏@ShoebridgeC

    At link, bottom of page, see how BBC has removed reference to UN saying #Syria #HoulaMassacre may have been by rebels..
    http://www.newssniffer.co.uk/articles/529675/diff/2/3
    Must be nice to have absolute, unaccountable control of the edit, and the broadcast system that transmits it.
    Unless of course you have an interest in the full facts and whole truth.
    Then it rather sucks. Especially at having to fund it, no matter how ‘uniquely’.

       5 likes

    • Deborah says:

      thanks Guest Who – helping me have the information that the BBC will try to deny me (well in this instance let me have if I was quick).

         5 likes

  26. Guest Who says:

    Kindly pointed at this:
    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/shock-at-the-bbc-as-reporters-are-told-to-start-making-money-7879748.html
    Comments a treat, too.
    Bet the BBC wishes they could close those of others at will, as with their own.

       2 likes

  27. maturecheese says:

    “The young man’s life changed forever when his bomb aimer Jim was killed by a shell that struck their Lancaster as they returned from a raid on Cologne.

    With diesel oil leaking everywhere, he tried to help his friend.”

    This is part of the article from here
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18501658.

    Now correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve never heard of a Diesel powered Lancaster Bomber. As far as I am aware they were powered by Rolls Royce Merlins.

    Is this another example of a serious subject being belittled by stupid Journalists?

       11 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Maybe it was an early effort in bio-fuels when Branson was just a nipper? More seriously for such a subject, where the bomb-aimer would be located I’d hazard hydraulic or some other such fluid?
      So to answer your rhetorical question, probably, par for a very poor course.

         3 likes

    • Mat says:

      diesel ??? what a bloody moron ! nope soz what a typical BBC staffer !

         5 likes

    • DJ says:

      Now stealthily edited to ‘fuel’…. but still carrying a notorious libel:

      “It was their military commanders’ policy of large-scale area bombing near the end of the war that drew criticism, stalling progress on a memorial for decades and overshadowing their sacrifices.”

      See, the war was won anyway, and so it was all unnecessary brutality. Except….. it was 1942 when area bombing was accepted as a strategy, through sheer inability to do anything more precise.

      Or, to put it another way, the war was won, except that Rommel was rampaging into Egypt, the Russians were being ground down in Stalingrad and the Japanese were sweeping through Asia.

      I mean, seriously, you’d think Beeboids would at least remember this name:

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butt_Report

         4 likes

    • wallygreeninker says:

      Just heard Robin Lustig on radio 4 doing a 9.30 trailer for the News at Ten in which they “will also be discussing whether it is right for us to honour the men of Bomber Command, whose actions were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of German civilians during the Second World War.” – he may have said ‘honour the memory of the men….’ but otherwise those were virtually his exact words.

         4 likes

      • johnyork says:

        Wait until the BBC’s “Horrible Histories” gets a hold of this one.

        Nice German women and children suffering from the evil British terror bombers.

        The RAF,
        who had nothing better to do that year, amused themselves by dropping at random from a great height explosives onto the Dresden railway station spoiling the committed loonies celebration as they waved good-bye to their Jewish friends going on a very nice holiday to Poland.
        Now if we’d come up with the V1 or V2 first, our pilots wouldn’t have even to have left the Pub would they ?

        Can’t wait for the BBC to re-write history once again.

           8 likes

      • wallygreeninker says:

        The World Tonight Discussion between Lustig, historian, Anthony Beevor and philosopher, Anthony Grayling can be heard at : (25.20 to 32.20)

        http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01k2b16/The_World_Tonight_27_06_2012/

        What struck me was the way Lustig makes statements that are practically outrageous in a ‘some might say…’, ‘it could be argued….’some might consider..’ format e.g. ‘a monument to what some may consider a war crime.’
        Beevor rightly pulls up Lustig and Grayling for bandying about the phrase ‘we were only obeying orders.’

           1 likes

        • Guest Who says:

          ‘Lustig makes statements that are practically outrageous’
          He has his own little backwater (some might say paddleless creek) where he churns out these views as ‘analysis’ ponderings. Some take him seriously; most do not.
          http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/worldtonight/
          Well, of those who live here and have to pay for him. What the impact of his malign world views is on those elsewhere who may not know any better, heaven knows.

             1 likes

  28. George R says:

    “How much do journalism students know about who runs the BBC?”

    http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourbeeb/lis-howell/how-much-do-journalism-students-know-about-who-runs-bbc

       1 likes

  29. George R says:

    BBC-Democrat censors certain Islamic activities in USA .

    E.g.

    “Texas jihadist: ‘Maybe they deserved 9/11 and maybe it should happen again and again because these people actually deserve it.'”

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/2012/06/texas-jihadist-maybe-they-deserved-911-and-maybe-it-should-happen-again-and-again-because-these-peop.html

    E.g.

    “‘Allahu Akbar’: Shock Video Shows Muslims Allegedly ‘Stoning’ Christian Protesters in…Michigan”

    http://www.theblaze.com/stories/allahu-akbar-shock-video-shows-muslims-allegedly-stoning-christian-protesters-in-michigan/

       6 likes

  30. Fred Sage says:

    I saw the Paxman interview with Cholie Smith and the whole grilling he gave her was the impossible question: as to when she had heard about the change in petrol price policy.(Whatever answer given – he would have pounced.) He brought up all the old reversals including the pasties etc. Ed Milliband had no such grilling about apologising for the open door immigration policy of the Labour Governments for 13 years.

       11 likes

    • Millie Tant says:

      Yes, exactly. It was just a staged performance whose centrepiece was a question with no real point or substance other than to embarrass the government (Get the Tories!) and make Paxman look as if he is doing something useful and important. He is an old fraud and a soft labourite luvvy behind all the macho posturing and sneering.

         2 likes

  31. Richard D says:

    Maybe it’s just me, but I thought the Queen’s visit today to Northern Ireland was prompted by the Jubilee celebrations. Someone obviously forgot to tell the BBC who thought it was a Martin McGuiness event; the fawning descriptions of Mr McGuiness following the Queen as she toured the exhibition she had gone to see, his associations with (London)Derry – none of the BBC team seem to have heard the proper name of that city – his ‘courage’ in shaking the Queen’s hand, and nary a mention of the terrorist murderer that he was.

       9 likes

  32. Jeff Waters says:

    ‘The UK has a ban on conjugal visits for prisoners – although more than half of European countries allow them.’
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18603360

    Why ‘although’? Is the fact that something is allowed in most European countries a valid argument for saying that it should be allowed to happen here?!?

    Jeff

       4 likes

    • Jeff Waters says:

      PS The article also tells us that:

      ‘Canada has one of the most liberal systems and it allows private relationship visits for up to three days at a time for qualifying inmates.

      Canada’s prisons service says the scheme was established to “develop and maintain family and community ties in preparation for their return to the community”. Other countries take a similar view that private family time while in jail improves the chances of an offender resettling after release. ‘

      Political neutrality my ar$e!

      Jeff

         3 likes

  33. wallygreeninker says:

    .Numerous outlets have reported on a truly horrible sexual assault by a male crowd on a female British journalist, Natasha Smith, in Tahrir Square

    http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/357077/20120627/british-journalist-natasha-smith-suffers-vicious-sexual.htm

    https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&gl=uk&tbm=nws&q=%22natasha+smith%22+%22tahrir+square%22&oq=%22natasha+smith%22+%22tahrir+square%22&aq=f&aqi=d2&aql=&gs_l=news-cc.12..43j43i400.4517.4517.0.5822.1.1.0.0.0.0.87.87.1.1.0…0.0.NgvVfHk6-J0

    Besides he BBC reporting on the attack, and the indifference, if not downright hostility, of the Egyptian medics from whom she sought treatment, you would expect a little bit of background about the Egyptians having previous on this, like this (from the International Business Times):

    “Smith is not the first western journalists to be assaulted in Egypt.
    CBS News’ Lara Logan was attacked during the 2011 revolution, saying “men in the crowd had raped me with their hands.”
    Egyptian journalist Mona Eltahawy was also assaulted by Egyptian security forces in November.
    Sexual harassment cases were further highlighted after Samira Ibrahim a 25-year-old Egyptian, was detained. by Egyptian soldiers, who subjected her and other female protesters to forced “virginity tests”. The young woman refused to suffer in silence and sued the military.”

    In fact. at the moment there is no mention at all of this incident on the website of our most influential news source.
    —————————————————————————————-
    I wondered if perhaps he BBC was a little slow off he mark with some stories because it was busy checking and re-checking its facts – but I’ve re-checked their website and it seems fairly clear that he Beeb has no interest at all in reporting he case of Zareen Ahmadzai, an ex-Taliban fighter who sneaked into this country and proceeded to win a case against deportation back to Afghanstan because his life would be in danger.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2164691/A-Wolverhampton-wanderer-wed-better-without.html#ixzz1ytEojpUL

       5 likes

    • wallygreeninker says:

      At 22.00, if you search for ‘Natasha Smith’ on the BBC news website, one entry occurs under ‘Elsewhere on the web’ with the ‘International Business Times’ link I gave, and flagged as ‘New 3 hours ago.’ (Smith posted her account of the ordeal in her online log, yesterday, 26th)

      http://natashajsmith.wordpress.com/2012/06/26/please-god-please-make-it-stop/

         3 likes

      • wallygreeninker says:

        The story of a female British journalist being stripped naked by a Muslim Brotherhood mob in Tahrir Square seems to have joined that second incident in which British war graves were vandalised in Benghazi (reported by he telegraph but not the Beeb 17/6/12)

        http://blogs.ft.com/the-world/2012/06/smart-reads-june-28-2012/

        and the success of an ex-Taliban fighter (and illegal immigrant) in avoiding extradition from this country, as story which the BBC considers of no interest to the British public. Searching for Natasha Smith on their website now produces an ‘elsewhere on the web’ link to a Telegraph journalist’s blog which then provides a link to his story among half a dozen other items.
        Didn’t the Beeb used to have an MI5 officer on their premises keeping an eye on things? It seems that now, all stories have to be passed by a Muslim Brotherhood rep before they can be broadcast.

           1 likes

    • Dave s says:

      Liberal consternation. Celebrating democracy is not supposed to produce anything like this dreadful assault. The narrative will have to be “adjusted” or better still ignored.

         3 likes

  34. DB says:

    Spare a thought for lefty Newsnight economics editor Paul Mason – poor guy was appearing on lefty Newsnight so he couldn’t attend the lefty love-in for his fellow lefty Newsnight hack Greg Palast.

       7 likes

    • John Anderson says:

      another great catch DB !

         4 likes

    • Millie Tant says:

      In a car home to the sea. Eh? I know his voice sounds as if it is coming from the bottom of a well but it never occurred to me that he might actually be a creature of the deep!

         1 likes

  35. Merlin says:

    How about an ‘essays’ or ‘articles’ page where noble and respectable right-of-centre intellectuals (such as seen on this site) can show off their critical enquiry skills by producing in-depth papers on the perils of Left-wing thought and bias? A port-folio of political perspectives if you like 🙂

       3 likes

  36. Louis Robinson says:

    “Do you think you’re incompetent?” asks the smug Jeremy Paxman.
    Remember he had made his point. Poor Clohe Brown (30) laid down her dignity for her cowardly leader – Paxman had already skewered her…we got it, Jeremy, we got it. Stop hectoring. Stop bullying. Stop showing off to your staff.
    “Do you think you’re incompetent?” was a personal, cruel question and shows what a cowardly bully he is. He wouldn’t have said that to any man. Let’s see him try that on Barrack Obama.
    Next time you’re invited on Newsnight, Ms Brown, talk to me first. I’ll give you an idea or two…
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2165381/Newsnight-Jeremy-Paxman-sacrifices-junior-minister-Chloe-Smith-coward-Osbornes-Budget-U-turn.html

       5 likes

  37. Cadwallader says:

    As has been said before and will be said again.

    Make a FACEBOOK page for BiasBBC!
    The sites webtraffic would go upward guaranteed thanks to the FB “like” system whereby if a friend “likes” (clicks the like button) a page, all of his/her friends will see this on their wall as thus:

    ‘Cadwallader likes BiasBBC’.

    A portion of his friends will think:
    “BIAS BBC? I for one am intrigued what what” and click the link taking him to the BiasBBC FB page to read all of the new updates from this website. A portion of these friends will then “like” the FB page also spreading it to their friends and so on…

    It is really easy to do and is free and WILL bring in more readers and spread the knowledge of the bias. Do it ASAP!

    Thank you for reading.

       7 likes

  38. pounce_uk says:

    The bBC, how it reinvents Nazis Germany as a victim and the UK as the bad guys.
    Bomber Command fliers in their own words
    A memorial to the 55,573 airmen of Bomber Command who died taking the fight to Nazi Germany during World War II is to be unveiled by the Queen. It is an act of remembrance that, for some, will be controversial.
    So another bBC horrible histories article on how the British didn’t play cricket during World War 2 against the Nazis. So how do the bBC go about reinventing the Jew hating Nazis as only victims:
    The young volunteers of Bomber Command – most barely out of school – destroyed German cities with several “thousand-bomber raids”, killing between 300,000 and 600,000 civilians..
    Barely out of school bBC, according to the very same article the average age of an aircrew was..22. And during this time children left school at 14. And that figure of between 300,000 and 600,000. Err that was the total figure of civilians killed by the allied bombing campaign in Europe. So that included the Americans and Russians. And in order to send that message home the bbC find some bloke who flew during the world to say this:
    “At the time, as I thought, I was helping my country and citizens,” says Dennis “Lofty” Wiltshire, 93, from Thornbury in South Gloucestershire.
    Of course he is the same person who had diesel (as picked up earlier) all over him (Lancaster Bombers were powered by petrol powered merlin engines)
    The bBC then report:
    In 1939, the Luftwaffe had carried out massive air raids against Polish cities – notably Warsaw, Wielun and Frampol – destroying hospitals and schools and targeting the Jewish Quarter.
    Ah so according to the bbC, the Nazis didn’t want war with the Poles, they only targeted the Jews and we all know that the Jews should be killed. So unlike Bomber Command the Nazis didn’t do anything wrong. Which is why the bBC reports this:
    And a year later, German bombers hit the centre of Rotterdam to try to force a Dutch surrender.
    Try to?, err read up how they did just that and how in just one bombing raid on Rotterdam alone 817 people were murdered and 80,000 people were made homeless. (And that was only half the aircraft used, the other half were called back in flight due to the Dutch surrender)
    The children of today are been taught by the bBC that the Allies were the bads guys during WW2, that the Nazis only targeted the jews and thus did nothing wrong

    The bBC, the traitors in our Midst.

       10 likes

  39. Fred Bloggs says:

    INGSOC in action by omission, here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18612279 is the story about Barclays. Gives the dates 2006-2009 in which the deceit took place, any mention of who put in ‘light touch regulation’. Well no prizes for guessing, not a hint or a word. Brown whose hubris and consequences for our economy must be treasonous in it’s effects of destroying the country no stigma what so ever.

       3 likes

    • Fred Bloggs says:

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18622264 latest edit 12:55 Not surprisingly no mention of Brown or that Balls has failed to turn up in parliament. It is Parliamentary protocol that ministers match rank, but Balls has sent an underling. No mention of this by the bBC. (Balls is the chief architect of ‘light touch regulation)

         0 likes

  40. George R says:

    More BBC-NUJ censorship on: RBS, NatWest jobs for INDIA.

    BBC-NUJ appears to have lost its concentration on the above banks, and moved over to report latest Barclays Bank scandal.

    BBC-NUJ has NOT referred online to the dire consequences to British people in terms of huge job losses, technical incompetence, and deterioration in customer services brought about by moving British bank ‘services’ to INDIA.

    BBC-NUJ censors this:

    “The real scandal at RBS is how it sacked thousands of British workers – and sent their jobs abroad.”

    By Alex Brummer.

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2165765/The-real-scandal-RBS-sacked-thousands-British-workers–sent-jobs-abroad.html#ixzz1z4HvjfvA

    BBC-NUJ’s narrow focus:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18607169

       2 likes

  41. noggin says:

    i ve been following this, the story is the usual, (beyond reform), jihadist
    however, the political circus surrounding it is fascinating.
    and now verging on unbelievable, with a frankly absurd “child soldier” narrative.

    biased bbc? … well the disturbing and overt media protectionism ought to ring a bell, i don t think this press conference is talking about the same man.

    omar kadr …

    bbc – similarities?

       3 likes

  42. George R says:

    EGYPT.

    INBBC’s Muslim Brotherhood Cairo Bureau censors this:-

    ‘”The Koran Is Our Constitution’: Egyptian President Promises to Ignore Egyptian Constitution For The Sake of Sharia In Chilling Speech.”

    (video clips.)

    http://www.theblaze.com/stories/the-koran-is-our-constitution-egyptian-president-promises-to-ignore-egyptian-constitution-for-the-sake-of-sharia-in-chilling-speech/

       4 likes

  43. Fred Bloggs says:

    Just found this obscure article. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18617168 written today. Why it was put in I leave you to guess. There was a similar equivalent story some years ago that could have balanced the article. That of the trade union man Jack Jones being paid by the Russians for subversive activities against the UK.

       0 likes

  44. Guest Who says:

    http://order-order.com/2012/06/28/lord-sugar-reveals-gordon-brown-shouting-matches/

    Rather like the notion that there will soon be BBC Erratum, with Nick Robinson as the Erratum Editor, and Newswatch on Saturday morning at dawn will when they actually manage to, for once, transmit news they have ‘got about right’, as 10mins of substantiated fact or accuracy out of 10,000 per week.

       3 likes

  45. maturecheese says:

    Incompetence strikes yet again it seems. Participants on QT include Terry Smith and Tullet Prebon. . Terry Smith is the CEO of Tullet Prebon. Where are the BBC getting their below average but generously remunerated staff from?

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01kbz8c

       1 likes

    • maturecheese says:

      Although in their favour it does say that Terry Smith is the CEO of Tullet Prebon but then goes on to list the company as a participant on the panel.

         0 likes

  46. +james says:

    The BBC have not covered this speech from the moderate and mostly secular President of Egypt Mohammad Morsi.

       3 likes

    • Dave s says:

      That speech is extraordinary. Egypt looks like heading full speed back to the 7th century. It all goes to reinforce my long held view that the West must completely isolate itself from the ME- trade, tourism, travel, finance , and with minimal diplomatic contact only.. The major problem is oil. And a reluctance by the Western business world to realise that the ME markets will have to be abandoned.
      Find the solution to that and we can leave the ME states to their past. They can create whatever sharia states they wish but interaction with Europe is barred to them for the foreseeable future. A Western Iron Curtain if you like on the frontiers of Greece, Spain and Italy.

         5 likes

      • noggin says:

        yep! his opponents, would do well to remember hamas in gaza, and them throwing their opponents (from fatah) off of buildings.

        i posted this earlier

        bbc – much “outstanding” and “remarkable” “impartial” journalism” …. impartial”?????
        on egypt

        Radio 5Live, talks at length to a rep from the LSE,(london school of extremists) this morning, over Egypt … (shakes head) lots of talk of democracy and transition ???

        you want a real laugh? … check out
        BBC Egypt election results – Your Views
        “Once in government Dr Mursi can begin the process of reconciliation” ??? … must be talking about El BBCs “moderate” islamists?

        as an update, Radio 5Live trumpet
        the MB/Mursi state, “our struggle for democracy goes on ” what? … could go wrong? is he being ironic? (re – your vid)
        oh and just before el bbc puts out the bunting, for its “carnival atmosphere” just a little rain on the parade

        “The Muslim B’Hood takeover in Egypt shows Arab Spring is radical Islamic nightmare,”
        Congressman Allen West, June 24
        link
        http://www.facebook.com/notes/congressman-allen-west/the-muslim-bhood-takeover-in-egypt-shows-arab-spring-is-radical-islamic-nightmar/376111592441874

           2 likes

  47. Zemplar says:

    All morning, the BBC have been reminding us how many German civilians were killed by Bomber Command. This is the form:

    “55,000 men of Bomber Command were killed – but they killed 600,000 German civilians”.

    See what they did there? Pure BBC…

       5 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      After being treated to ‘the handshake’ PR, where the MSM moral equivalence seemed to be ‘sure, Liz lost a close family member to a sneak terrorist murder, but don’t forget that Martin lost (said sneak, murdering, terrorist) comrades too’, maybe the BBC can do a retroactive again on 9/11… ‘Of course a few thousand innocents were indeed vapourised, but spare a moment to think on the families of the noble warriors flying those planes, who also.. lost their lives’.

         1 likes

      • Zemplar says:

        Well, we’ve already had ‘The Crusades’ series telling us, before the opening credits even rolled, that the first crusade was an appalling, unprovoked crime against innocent Muslims who, up until that time, had simply been minding their own business down Arabia way. Apparently, that’s the only reason why they hate us now. So it’s all our fault.

        What you describe is only a matter of time…

           2 likes

    • Dave s says:

      If the Nazi regime had had the capacity it would have devasted all our cities. This is pure moral equivallence. The V2 rocket , had it been in action in 1940 would have been used to terror bomb us into surrender.
      I don’t want to hear any more of this rubbish from the BBC.

         2 likes

    • DJ says:

      Equally, where did this figure of 600,000 come from?

      Britain had around 67,000 civilian casaulties during the whole war. True, the offensive against Germany was on a bigger scale (eventually) but ten times as large? Really?

         0 likes

      • As I See It says:

        I would be interested to know the origin of this figure (which the BBC has adopted and used widely).

        ‘The West German government estimated….For Germany within the 1937 borders 465,000 killed by strategic bombing’

        [That would be all allied bombing – not just British]

        ‘A 1990 study by the German historian de:Olaf Groehler estimated 360,000–370,000 civilians were killed by Allied strategic bombing within the 1937 German boundaries’.

        And to add a little perspective….

        ‘The West German government put the number of Germans killed by the Nazi political, racial and religious persecution at 300,000’ [Germans].

        Yes, it was a big terrible war. Not the fault of Britain, however.

           2 likes

  48. Guest Who says:

    Another day, another market rate senior talent mouthing off…
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2012/06/new_audience_figures_for_bbc_g.html
    Comments going well again, I see.

       1 likes

  49. DJ says:

    Crivens! Looks like it’s now Universal Richard Murphy. The BBC’s favourite retired tax accountant was on Jeremy Whine to talk about Bob Diamond’s role at Barclays.

    Well, yeeeeessss, you *could* say they both involve money, but other than that, what exactly was it that convinced Al-Beeb that the authoritarian leftist whack job was qualified to talk about running a multi-national bank?

       1 likes

    • Earls Court says:

      Strange that Richard Murphy always goes on about tax havens. But never talks about the Guardians tax avoidance schemes in these places. Or about his lefty comrades such as Polly Toynbee ‘I only got where I did in life though my rich family’ tax avoidance schemes.

         1 likes

  50. As I See It says:

    BBC News 24 and the weather report scores 10 out of 10 for hyperbole:

    A storm we hear ‘has ravaged the Midlands’

    So BBC, I suppose that puts those overblown East Asian tsunamis into perspective then?
    Anyone might think the BBC wanted us to feel we are living in The Last Days.

       0 likes