“If we don’t believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don’t believe in it at all.” -Noam Chomsky
Chomsky also said this:
The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum – even encourage the more critical and dissident views. That gives people the sense that there’s free thinking going on, while all the time the presuppositions of the system are being reinforced by the limits put on the range of the debate.
Was there ever more proof of that statement than this headline in the Independent from Yasmin Alibhai Brown (via Is the BBC biased):
Nick Robinson is wrong. On immigration, the BBC has a duty to moderate our national conversation
When doors are opened to neo-jingoists, broadcasters must ensure fairness
What exactly does she mean by that….that the BBC should regulate our debate, define what can and can’t be said, define what is ‘acceptable’ not just the language but the ideas as well?
What the BBC does have is a duty to have the debate in the first place…something which it steadfastly refused to do for decades…and even now as it bows to pressure, it applies the measures Chomsky so accurately spelt out above, thus in effect closing down the supposed debate whilst giving the appearance of having one.
Alibhai Brown goes on:
Mr Robinson is presenting a programme on BBC2 this week showing the scale of public concern about immigration. Instead of being an objective conduit, he has, in a jingoistic, right-wing newspaper, slammed the BBC for censoring anti-immigrant opinions – a big lie.
As an immigrant I feel slandered by the caustic populism now flaunted by respectable intellectuals and politicians.
Well she can’t actually have read what Robinson wrote nor heard what he has been saying in interviews on the radio….if she had she might realise he is plugging the case for immigration….based on the economics.
Unsure why she should feel ‘slandered’ by a debate about immigration….after all in her position as a semi practising Muslim she has employed very extreme rhetoric to denounce Muslims who do want to fully practise what are the fundamentals of their, and her, religion…..not just once, or twice but again and again.
This particular quote from her is all the sweeter considering she is trying to shut down all debate on immigration:
Our national broadcasters are not noble exemplars of Voltaire’s dictum: “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I‘ll defend to the death your right to say it.” They are motivated by mischief. As Labour MP John Spellar said when condemning the interview: “It makes good radio.”
Followed by this:
And finally, we need reliable facts on how Wahhabism – Dark-Age Islam, funded by Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States – has infiltrated Britain, especially in educational and religious institutions. Imagine China trying to disseminate Maoism in the UK, in a veiled, but planned and systemic way. There would, quite rightly, be an uproar. But because of oil dependency, Saudi Arabia et al are free to do just that and are protected by our cowardly state.
Unless there is a serious, concerted effort to tackle these three evils, there will for sure be more savagery. Politicians and the media still don’t get it and don’t want to.
And this:
White liberals from left to right need to grow up.
Perhaps a certain ‘brown’ liberal Muslim ought to grow up as well.
And not forgetting this:
I could never have imagined, nine years on, that the Taliban
would be claiming to have ‘won the war’ in Afghanistan. Or, much worse, that our
politicians and Muslim ‘leaders’ here would allow their twisted ideology to
spread across Britain. Make no mistake, Taliban devotees are in our schools,
playgrounds, homes, mosques, political parties, public service, private firms
and universities. And if we are to have any hope of combating them, we need to
stop this attitude of appeasement and understand why so many Muslims are
attracted to the most punishing forms of belief, suppressing women and children.
Liberals tolerate the intolerable because they don’t have
to live with the consequences. Yet the problem is in part caused by liberal
Values.
To me, [their] hands-off approach makes no sense. Why are we fighting the Taliban in
Afghanistan and indulging Taliban values here? Even if it offends liberal
principles, the powerful must find a way of stopping Islamicists from
promulgating their distorted creed. If they don’t, the future is bleak for
Muslims and the country.
Some immigrants, along with their practises, are obviously ‘good immigrants’, some are obviously ‘bad immigrants’ in Alibhai Brown’s world.
Hope they don’t feel ‘slandered’.
A classic example of the so-called right wing bias of the BBC…. someone on the Left calling the BBC right wing because it apparently doesn’t agree with their world view….even though it actually does….and in the so-called debate ensures that that view predominates…..two classic examples arising today on Nicky Campbell’s show and later a repeat performance on Sheila Fogarty’s….the BBC’s mantra, repeated ad nauseum….‘studies show immigrants bring positive benefits to the economy.’
But it is interesting that Alibhai Brown thinks we shouldn’t even have the debate.
The BBC ‘s dangerous fallacy on ‘Arab Spring’, Islam and Al Qaeda.
“How the Arab Spring Unleashed Al Qaeda”
By Daniel Greenfield.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/dgreenfield/how-the-arab-spring-unleashed-al-qaeda/
The fact is Nick Robinson has been told by his masters at the BBC to be challenging and questioning prior to the programme being shown. Then the programme will conclude that low and behold Immigration is good for Britain and anyone who says different is a racist bigot. It must be so because Nick Robinson says so and its just been shown he doesn’t tow the BBC part line.
Isn’t it typical that those who are always calling for the debates to be censored, for immigrant rights and amnesties and unlimited immigration etc., are usually all immigrants, or second-generation immigrants themselves or soiled middle-class white kids? One more reason to politely slam the door shut.
Sorry, I meant ‘spoiled’…. but then, again… perhaps…
You were right first time Alex, they are ‘soiled’. It is a natural state when one’s head is firmly stuck in one’s arse.
Under the following Beeboid false dichotomy:-
“Should UK accept lower growth to cut immigration?”
By Brian Wheeler, Wheeler does not define terms, does not talk numbers, and does not talk quality of, or standard of living.
Beeboid Wheller attempt to politically smear Farage and UKIP with this unique Beeboid political definition of ‘xenophobia’:-
“Some will see this as xenophobia – a measure of how uncomfortable UKIP are with modern, ethnically diverse Britain.”
Of course “some will see” essentially includes BBC-NUJ, ‘Guardian’, ‘Independent’, and much of political left which are campaigning for the total colonisation of British people, and criticising anyone opposed to their plan as
‘racist’ or ‘xenophobic’.
Note implication of Beeboid definition above:-
mass immigration = ‘modern’ = good.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25636409
Clearly a new tactic, also rehearsed on 6 O’clock news.
Immigrants good for economy ( no debate science settled , we say so , so its a fact.) So you can be a racist bigot but it will cost you money.
If any one thinks that the BBC has listened to their fears over mass immigration and is about to give them a fair hearing, watch tonight’s 6pm news when it becomes available on I-player and think again
Yes VERY good spot – portraying immigration and ‘ethnic diversity’ as ‘modern’ implying the corollary that preventing immigration is Luddite, old fashioned, backward, is a growing BBC tactic.
People need their attention drawn to this, as it is subliminal, sly and if they are not aware its deliberate they are vulnerable to evil Globalist influence.
So, according to Alibhai-Brown, my views shouldn’t be heard because I’m a ‘neo-jingoist’ for wanting to protect and preserve the culture of my country, a country which has led the world for hundreds of years in its development of civilised society, democracy and the rule of law.
Well there’s a name for her sort – fascist, with totalitarian a close second and racist coming up hard on the rails.
Completely correct johnnythefish. It is they who are the facists not us!
This is the first paragraph from Alibhai Brown’s little rant;
“I want the BBC’s political editor Nick Robinson to look me in the eye and tell me that it was a big mistake to let my people – the Ugandan Asians – into this country. A big mistake because the majority of Brits resented us coming, believed the “influx” would put intolerable pressure on jobs, housing, the NHS and education, and corrupt the national identity. Local authorities paid for full-page adverts in Ugandan newspapers asking Asians to keep out of their areas. Most of the media was maniacally opposed, just as they were when Jews arrived before the Second World War and in the centuries previously.”
It wasn’t like that at all. I was staying briefly with my parents in Dorset at the time, in between working in the Middle East for HMG.
A number of camps had been set up to accommodate the influx of Asian Ugandans, one of them not far from Weymouth and Dorchester. The uproar and resentment came about when adverts started to appear in the local employment exchanges for cleaners and cooks to work in the Dorset camp. Word soon got out from those who went to work as cleaners, that the Alibhai Browns who had descended on Dorset were rude and arrogant and who treated the local indigenous staff as servants. Apparently many had come from opulent life styles with servants who waited on them hand and foot and cleaning for themselves was beneath them. That was for the local serfs were there for.
For me and many others, I didn’t really understand that people whose lineage were most definitely rooted in the Indian sub continent, should travel 4000 miles to the UK as opposed to the 3000 miles to India.
Alibhai Brown is never tired of spouting off about the economic benefits that many of them brought over, and I’m sure that many did, some through ruthless exploitation. Who had greater need of them? The UK or India, a country that still allows a caste system to flourish, a country in receipt of foreign aid whilst building its own space and nuclear programme, a country rife with starvation and where leprosy is still commonplace whilst all the time expanding its military.
Less exposure of Alibhai Brown on the BBC can only be a good thing.
Good comment. Nice place, Weymouth. Lived there for a couple of years and used to drink in the Boot Inn!!
My uncle used to be the captain of the paddle steamer that used to chug out of there. He was also sent to pick up survivors when HMS Hood blew up.
Er, plenty of room then, only three poor souls were picked up, God be with them.
She’s rewriting history. My recollection is that the Ugandan Asians were seen, rightly, as victims of that thug Idi Amin. I lived in Leicester soon after where I think many had settled and there had been no real problems – life was much better than in Uganda, or in India.
“.. my people – the Ugandan Asians ..”
So, does Alibhai Brown consider herself British or not? Or are ‘her people’ only others who like her consider themselves pure bred ‘Ugandan Asians’?
I thoroughly dislike Ms Alibhi-Brown, have for years. I just wish she’d keep her bigotted immigrant mouth shut. How this stupid woman has been able to insinuate herself into our public life is a great mystery to me.
And please, never forget her horrible, in-human tirade against Americans after 9/11 on QT. A more beastly and witch-like person i have yet to encounter, she is a disgusting and ungrateful harridan that bit the hand that feeds her.
Didn’t this great country give shelter to her and her parents when Field Marshal Doctor Idi Amin VC conqueror of the British Empire and last King of Scotland kicked them and the rest of the Ugandan-Asian community out of the country? Wasn’t her niece sent to Rikers Island for grand larceny? Never a dull moment in the Alibhi-Brown household. She describes herself as “leftie liberal, anti-racist, feminist, Muslim, part-Pakistani, and … a very responsible person” Shouldn’t that be irresponsible person?
These bitter people are simply insecure and blame their lack of belonging to anywhere on those who are proud of the country in which they were born and its heritage. In effect, they use patriots as a pretext for their own hybrid existence.
sorry that last sentence should read ‘… their own insecurities and hybrid existence.’
Could do with an ‘Edit’ button.
I will read some reviews of tonight’s panorama; “the truth about immigration” before watching it and risking my blood pressure.
The last time the BBC promised to tell “the truth” about immigration it was nothing more than the usual BBC propaganda.”Breaking into Britain” was presented by Evan Davis in 2011. Utterly one-sided with three carefully selected examples to show how lovely immigrants are. From these three immigrants we were supposed to draw conclusions that would reveal the truth. Davis is not stupid, he knows that three selected examples doesn’t represent the truth about anything.
Some viewers were fooled, most weren’t as can be seen by the comments.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/panorama/2011/06/breaking_into_britain_-_join_i.html
“Nick Robinson is right, the BBC did get it badly wrong over immigration”
By Ross Clark.
http://www.express.co.uk/comment/expresscomment/452432/Nick-Robinson-is-right-the-BBC-did-get-it-badly-wrong-over-immigration
here is the solutiion to this immigration nightmare in england because it is not scotland,wales or n ireland where these immgrrants are heading it is always england,ok according to nick robinson no relation to tommy its the middle class liberals and lefties who are more at ease with mass immigration because of course it does not affect them living in there nice all english leafy surburbs,so here is the thing,its the english working classes that have had to bear the brunt of mass immigration into are towns and citys since new labour opened the floodgates when they got elected in 1997,now its the turn of the middle and upper classes many who are politicians and work in the media to share in the burden of mass immigration and have these immigrants move in to there nice leafy middle and upper class areas,i am sure they will have no objection to that since there always so much in favour of mass immigration,diversity and multi culturism,its called sharing the burden and like they say we are all in this together,thats my proposal to solve the immigration problem in england,that is the way forward.
So in anutshell the BBC is saying: please allow greater competition for school resources, hospitals, housing etc. , via immigration, so that BBC staff can have cheap haircuts.
I’m just fed up of paying taxes to a government (lab/con/lib whatever) that obviously hates me yet screws me for everything it can get.
Only for them to piss the money up the wall on inviting illiterate goat-herds from Somalia or some other rubble-strewn country to live here on the dole, housing benefit, working tax credits and child benefit for 10 kids.
And you wait 2 weeks to see a doctor, the council tax is like larceny, no public sector body works properly anymore ..and er, rant over.
ps and the BBC thinks it’s all lovely while they take yet another 145 quid from us.
It always makes me laugh how people can think they’re ‘liberal’ while also demanding that a sector of society that they confidently assure us is a “loud and vocal minority” should be oppressed. Their hypocrisy is incredible.
People who are centre or centre-right can see clearly that the BBC is left-wing and can actually provide evidence and examples to back this up. People who are left-wing think the BBC is right-wing because it isn’t left-wing enough for their prejudiced tastes, and can’t back this up with anything apart from what the BBC DOESN’T tell us. That’s the big difference. I’m centre-left on a lot of issues and even I can tell that the BBC isn’t giving us a fair crack of the whip, mostly because I have a functioning human brain and an understanding of subtext, whereas the far-left in society know only hate and conjecture.