“She is an enemy of apartheid……We have much to thank her for.”
Guido has linked to the letter Mrs Thatcher sent to P.W Botha setting out her vision for ending Apartheid.
My rebuttal of the case for sanctions rested on two main premises: that sanctions do not work, indeed are likely to be counter-productive and damaging to those they are intended to
help: and that it was inappropriate to take punitive action against South Africa at the very moment when you are taking steps to get rid of apartheid and to make major changes in the system of government in South Africa.
I received a good deal of abuse in response, being accused of preferring British jobs to African lives, of being concerned with pennies rather than principles, of lack of concern for human
rights and much more in the same vein. I in turn reminded them of some of the less satisfactory features of their own societies and pointed to the inconsistency of trading with the Soviet Union, with its appalling human rights record, and putting trade sanctions on South Africa. In short, as your message acknowledced, the debate was a highly unpleasant and bitter one; and there is no doubt that the issue of sanctions will not go away, despite my success in preventing the Commonwealth from adopting them at this meeting.
I continue to believe, as I have said to you before, that the release of Nelson Mandela would have more impact than almost any single action you could undertake.
Strange that, with all its massive coverage of Nelson Mandela, the BBC doesn’t see fit, or find room, to similarly link to this letter preferring instead to smear Mrs Thatcher with the imported comments of the ignorant and prejudiced comedians and charlatans that the BBC gives so much airtime and prominence to.
After Mandela’s release from prison in 1990, he re-entered the world’s stage and one of his favourite destinations was Britain. The fact that the British government under Margaret Thatcher had strongly resisted imposing sanctions on the apartheid government did not cool his attitude to the country at large.
If Thatcher’s stance was so important, and it was, why is there a blackout imposed by the BBC on the full details?
Is it because the truth isn’t anything like that which the BBC is broadcasting?
We’ve had the imported, ‘deniable’ slurs from the useful idiots but it isn’t just them…..many a BBC presenter has put their two penneth in as well…here’s a particularly good example of their small minded ignorance…..
Via ‘Is the BBC biased’s’ Craig who reveals the thoughts of Hugh Sykes:
The world owns Nelson now, as will become clear when all those world leaders arrive.
Including a representative, possibly Prince Charles, of a nation where a former government conspired with Apartheid by dismissing Nelson Mandela as a terrorist.
Not often you see anything quite so wrong and prejudiced as that from a reporter…unless you watch the BBC’s coverage of the Middle East..or Climate Change..or Europe…or Tory policies….or immigration…..
Charles Moore in the Telegraph lays out his case:
Mandela: Nelson by name, defender of British values by nature
Nelson Mandela regarded the British Parliament as ‘the most democratic institution in the world’
In this long story, one sees not so much the overthrow of British imperialism as a fulfilment of its better aspects. In the life and character of Nelson Mandela, good British values found expression, while bad colonial disputes found reconciliation. It is not at all incongruous that his statue now stands in Parliament Square, near that of Jan Smuts. As soon as Mandela became president, in 1994, his country rejoined the Commonwealth.
In 1985, Mandela was offered his freedom, but on the unacceptable terms that the ANC stayed banned. He refused. Mrs Thatcher kept up the pressure, in public, in private and sometimes in secret. Indeed, the release of Mandela was the strongest and most specific of all her demands. His release, she believed, would allow talks to start, without preconditions.
In 1989, Botha was replaced by F W de Klerk. A year later, he ordered Mandela’s release. Because Mrs Thatcher, almost alone of world leaders, had maintained close contacts with the government, her voice had proved the most persuasive.
Once out of jail, Mandela wanted to meet her. This was against the advice of the ANC, but his view was that she was “a very powerful lady… one I would rather have as an ally than an enemy”.
Remember when the BBC worried that sanctions were wrong because they amounted to collective punishment and were happy to provide a platform for those who thought sanctions were never a good idea?
Ah, good times…..good times…..
What do I have to do to qualify for my free Nelson Mandela ?
Any bets when the first BBC Nelson Mandela free day will be? I’m sure they can keep it going until mid January …
We could have a sweepstake ! With fabbo prizes an’ all. 🙂
NB: I, for one, will NOT turn my nose up at Alan’s unwanted Christmas presents being recycled as prizes.
Oh, and I pick December 29th. There’s bound to be some sort of festive Mandela tie-in (“There’s not much Christmas cheer in South Africa this year” etc etc) but by the 29th they’ll likely have run out of things to make tenuous connections to NM with. And I will then claim my prize and be a most humble and gracious winner.
Why the fuss over losing Nellie?
Aren`t there three of them?
free nelson mandela with 6 tokens from BBC radio times
Are we allowed to knit one?…or are we in gollygosh territory?
If only Partridge still had his north,norfolk,radio.com eh?He`d give us a steer on this raging issue!
AHA!
The bbc when speaking about important things is a complete disgrace. They vilify Margaret, they laud Mandela, they deify Obama, they promote marxism, they denigrate Christianity, they abominate Israel, they live islam, they hate Englishness. In fact they hate everything that made their abysmal enterprise possible. I have nothing but contempt for the bbc and everyone who works for it. I have contempt for all the MPs who think it should be left standing and I have contempt for all the socialists that infest our nation who think that there is nothing wrong with lying and deceiving us, the people, in order to perpetuate their perverted views of what should be.
They love mutliculturalism yet champion a small but ever growing group within our population who wish to be nothing but monocultural, oh the irony …
In practice, multiculturism is a collection of monocultures. It’s not a melting pot, and was never meant to be. Not that the BBC would ever want to admit it.
Beautifully put, David. I’ll copy that one and put in my list of list of quotes.
I heard Pienaar allowing Kinnock to take a free hit at Thatcher on Five Live this morning. No right of reply, no alternative view, no challenge from Pienaar.
Kinnnock satisfied himself that anyone offering such a view were Thatcher’s friends, Thatcher who he described as an actress.
It’s a pity and an irony that Kinnock continues to lack the quality of humility that made Mandela so remarkable in his later life. Perhaps Kinnock should read Robin Renwick’s no holds barred book, ‘A journey with Margaret Thatcher…’
But I suspect that won’t want to, he’ll not let the truth get in the way of a lifetime of troughing and bigotry. Nor will the BBC.
Mr Kinnock is just a parasite. As is his family (excuse the grammatical inexactitudes).
Neil and Glenys Kinnock, EU posts a half million £ a year – parasites, Neil put in charge of tackling EU fraud sacks his chief auditor for finding it – why would anyone offer them half a minute of airtime – ahh – the tele-tax funded BBC., all explained. Instead of crucifying parasite Kinnock, they give him a free pass. Now why would that be?
Excellent post Alan
If Thatcher’s stance was so important, and it was, why is there a blackout imposed by the BBC on the full details?
Is it because the truth isn’t anything like that which the BBC is broadcasting?
The BBC sees Left as
LEFT = Lies Evading Factual Truths
I think this is interesting as there are at least three of these points of reference circulating currently which I have seen and possibly more. Two of them Alan has referred to. The third was written by one the then diplomatic corps (possibly the Ambassador himself) in the Telegraph at the time of Thatchers death and they all say much the same thing.
It is not as if they are hard to find, difficult to research or anything like that. Others have found them, so it is unclear why the BBC have not. I think it is much more likely that they have but chose not to publicise because it doesn’t fit into their narrative.
Whichever way you look at it, it represents rank research and journalism.
“Others have found them, so it is unclear why the BBC have not.”
—
You’ve gone on to answer it, but there’s none so blind as those genetically programmed to know when not to see.
It certainly has put BBC ‘has learned’ investigative ‘journalism’ in focus for years.
Thank you. An excellent example of why the BBC cannot be trusted to report on current events or on the past. They manipulate everything , from news, documentaries, drama and even children’s programmes ,to suit their liberal left narrative. They do this country great harm every day.
Of course, when it comes to complaints from British people about Beeboids’ Mandela wallow, the Guardian branch of the ‘M’ mourning centre, emphasises Beeboid political reflex defence of the Mandela Broadcasting Corporation.
“BBC boss defends Nelson Mandela coverage after 850 complaints”
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/dec/09/bbc-news-nelson-mandela-complaints-coverage?
Just as a question, but as the BBC defends the price of milk in the canteen to the death under #foiexclusions, how is such information provided and confirmed?
Not, by chance, by the BBC?
In other news…
‘Separately, Harding defended his decision to create a handful of new senior management posts in BBC News… …it is important it is well managed. It can’t be a free-form jazz band.”
Good management comes from good managers, James. Not hiring scores more of the kind the BBC likes and whose skills have got you where you are still.
FYI.
Dixie-head.
Reading the comments even the hard -core Guardianisters thought the BBC coverage was over the top
‘James Harding apologised to anyone who thought the corporation did not do enough about the weather on its BBC1 10pm bulletin on Thursday night but said Mandela was a man of “singular significance” and the “most significant statesman of the last 100 years”. ….100 YEARS?? That would be more significant, presumably, than Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, FDR, Margaret Thatcher, Gorbachev? Yet this BBC fool is not even postulating or speculating on Mandela’s significance, he is flatly asserting it. Did the fight of the free world against Hitler and then against the totalitarian USSR not quite hit enough trendy bbc buttons? Outrageous.
In BBC logic if only 850 viewer complain, by default the other 59 ,000,000 are in the majority, therefore the Mandela grief fest was justified.
In the week of Thatcher’s funeral, HIGNFY was full of ‘jokes’, snide remarks, insults and “the witch is dead” comments. I look forward to a similar treatment of Mandela in this week’s edition.
I’ve just seen this. They wouldn’t be allowed to make jokes about him even if they were remotely inclined to do so. Making jokes about Mandela in now illegal:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2520662/Neil-Phillips-quizzed-8-HOURS-police-Nelson-Mandela-Twitter-jokes.html
(Hypocritical) Liberal Democrat Councillor Tim Jones was so incensed by the one-liners, aired at a time when Mandela was critically ill, that he made an official complaint.
He commented under one tasteless joke: ‘Attacking a 94-year-old man who is probably dying. Does the far right have an ounce of human decency?’
I don’t think I need say any more.
Don’t hold your breath.
“Mandela was a giant – but how absurd for the BBC to compare him to Christ”
By DOMINIC LAWSON.
[Opening excerpt]:-
“Sooner or later, it had to come. Over the weekend, the BBC presenter Evan Davis suggested that the late Nelson Mandela should be ranked alongside Jesus Christ in the pantheon of virtue.”
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2520408/DOMINIC-LAWSON-He-giant–absurd-BBC-compare-Mandela-Christ.html#ixzz2myb8QGVr
–
If that is true dear BBC he should have been nailed up years ago,or as monty python said its too good for them….
“Unionist Allister hits out at BBC ‘uncritical Nelson Mandela coverage'”
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/unionist-allister-hits-out-at-bbc-uncritical-nelson-mandela-coverage-29821257.html
Oh FFS
Live coverage as S African parliament honours Mandela
Live coverage of a special session of the South African parliament in Cape Town, held to honour the memory of the former president Nelson Mandela.
Why is albeeba doing this mandela worship?
Once again, because it CAN.
Another example of them laughing like drains at the mere plebs in the street.
They delight in shitting over the people whose tax keeps the bastards in champagne.
What’s more they will continue to do it.
They are totally isolated from reality, live within a lefty bubble, and are so sure of their rightness ( sorry leftness of course) they ain’t gonna change anytime soon.
I agree .
I believe they doing this in direct response to the criticism they received for their coverage of Margret Thatcher’s death.
Demonstrating their contempt for the consensus, their autonomy from lower orders. Pure hubris, we can only hope that the goddess hears them
Beeboid Dimbleby gets anchor role at funeral.
“3 Things You Didn’t (Want To) Know About Nelson Mandela”
By LEE JENKIN.
http://thebackbencher.co.uk/3-things-you-didnt-want-to-know-about-nelson-mandela/
they could not help it could they at bbc 1,i switched to bbc 1 early tonight to watch panorama which is not a bad programme,as i was early i caught a bit of eastenders.what the hell was going on there in the middle of that soap they had 2 actors crying over the death of nelson mandela,i thought these episodes was recorded 6 weeks in advance,how did they slip into the plot a tribute to nelson mandela,do i smell a rat here and some leftie bbc producer added that extra segment to eastenders as a politacal point to all those those angry at the over kill coverage of mandelas death by the bbc,i wonder, i just wonder.
Free Nelson Mandela – Biased BBC longchamp jeremy scott 2013 vente http://www.couponmom.com/couponmom/index.php?module=content&brand=longchamp-pas-cher&pid=1385632800
Yesterday I turned onto BBC Parliament as a Labour MP was delivering a tribute to Nelson Mandela. The Labour MPs were a treat to behold. Their faces relaxed with benign smiles, their heads slightly tilted to one side and their eyes raised to the ceiling. Then as a Tory stood up to speak, their backs straightened, the smiles disappeared and their stoney faces stared at the opponent. What right had he to be speaking? Nelson was THEIR Madiba, nothing to do with the Tories. But then as the Tory sat down and another Labour MP stood up to continue the eulogy, the shoulders relaxed, the smiles resumed and the glassy eyes returned heavenward again.
I think you are too kind to Mandela.
This is a man sent to prison as a terrorist while in his absence on Robben Island his wife ran a reign of terror using disgusting and cruel “necklaces” to cower others into submission. The ghastly Winnie was also involved in the demise of young Stompie Moketsi. I’ve not seen anything on the BBC over the last few days that has made any mention of this in its excessive and totally biased coverage.
Something you probably won’t be seeing in the BBC’s world-class coverage of the St. Nelson extravaganza:
Okay, BBC Twitterati, let’s hear from you about the coolest President ever.
Mrs Obama doesnt look very happy her fella is snuggled up to an attractive blue eyed 6ft blonde woman. No BJ for Obama tonight
She’s acting like the only adult in the room. I wonder if the BBC journalists impressed by this will enjoy people taking selfies at the memorial service for one of their own loved ones.
very true indeed.
luckily for Camermoron though, the obamessiah was there otherwise Al Beeb would have launched a week long attack against him for his disrespectful conduct
Mandela might be Jesus to beeboids, but Obama is God
He will be ok for the BJ…Gordon’s there.
How did Kinnock junior entrap that fruity Danish?
Wait, my apologies, it just showed up:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25322260
No condemnation at all for such crass behavior. Imagine the BBC condemnation if Cameron had done this on his own.
Quite right David Preiser. Imagine if Cameron did that with a punter. Can you imagine the Beeb’s commentators shock and horror? But its okay he’s safe he’s with Obama and the Balkanising Britain Corp’ loves B.O.
I wouldnt compare Nelson Mandela to Jesus, Mohammed maybe, but not Jesus