437 Responses to START THE WEEK OPEN THREAD…

←Older Comments
  1. The Duck says:
    December 6, 2016 at 10:52 pm

    Newsnight are currently airing an investigation into a shipwreck which killed 500 migrants due, apparently, to criminal behaviour. Evan Davies solemnly says that there has been no investigation into this incident until now. The BBC, in conjunction with Reuters, has decided to investigate this incident more closely and we’re told that this is a story that will make us angry. (Thanks Evan for telling me what to think as per usual).

    I have a suggestion……

    Why not try investigating incidents like Rotherham, or other towns up and down the country, where vulnerable children have been abused? Why not investigate why it’s still happening and why no one is doing a damn thing about it!? And I bet the number of suicides as result of this abuse will be a lot higher than 500 over the next decades. Now that’s an investigation that would make me angry.

    Of course it will never happen as the victims in those cases have the wrong colour skin.

    Dear BBC (and Reuters), I don’t give a stuff about your investigation.

       25 likes

    • Dover Sentry says:
      December 6, 2016 at 11:03 pm

      And I agree. As said many times over, who are the BBC aiming at with these programmes? Who or what is their target audience?

         14 likes

      • The Duck says:
        December 6, 2016 at 11:13 pm

        “who are the BBC aiming at with these programmes? Who or what is their target audience?”

        Anyone gullible enough to swallow their propaganda I presume. Just another exercise in portraying all migrants as victims and anyone who questions immigration is evil and racist.

           19 likes

        • Number 7 says:
          December 6, 2016 at 11:29 pm

          The telling point is that the boat departed from Alexandria ( Egypt? – my O Level Geography is a bit rusty ).

          All the “grieving relatives” were Egyptian.

          Read between the lines WRT BBC reporting.

          As an aside where did the term “sh*tehouse kite” originate?

          Kites are quite common in a certain part of the world, and it’s not the Chilterns or W Wales.

             9 likes

          • The Duck says:
            December 7, 2016 at 12:19 am

            @Number 7….What’s the significance of Egypt in this? Sorry if that turns out to be a stupid question but I’m big enough to admit it when I don’t know the answer.

               4 likes

            • Number 7 says:
              December 7, 2016 at 12:37 am

              @The Duck

              You did not watch it (try iPlayer). As reported by the “sainted” BBC, the overloaded trawler left from Alexandria. I think that is in Egypt as opposed Libya, I could be wrong on that!

              The report – BBC!! – was pointing the finger at Egypt.

                 2 likes

              • The Duck says:
                December 7, 2016 at 12:52 am

                I switched it off after 2mins, seems like I should’ve of stuck with it for once (blood pressure withstanding of course), I’ll have a look at it shortly. I’m pretty sure you’re right about Alexandria being in Egypt.

                *Edit*
                Just googled it to make sure, yep it is in Egypt.

                   3 likes

              • Number 7 says:
                December 7, 2016 at 12:52 am

                PS. Male Mallard.

                Most of Europe is now having problems with “refugees” demanding access to free housing and the “accepted” right to sexually abuse any female/child that comes to their attention.

                @ taffman – another troll for you.

                Have fun.

                🙂

                   6 likes

      • nogginator says:
        December 7, 2016 at 12:00 am

        NGOs are smuggling immigrants into Europe on an industrial scale
        “For two months, using marinetraffic.com, we have been monitoring the movements of ships owned by a couple of NGOs, and, using data from data.unhcr.org. We have kept track of the daily arrivals of African immigrants in Italy. It turned out we were witness of a huge scam and an illegal human traffic operation. NGOs, smugglers, the mafia in cahoots with the European Union have shipped thousands of illegals into Europe under the pretext of rescuing people, assisted by the Italian coast guard which coordinated their activities.
        Human traffickers contact the Italian coast guard in advance to receive support and to pick up their dubious cargo. NGO ships are directed to the “rescue spot” even as those to be rescued are still in Libya. The 15 ships that we observed are owned or leased by NGOs have regularly been seen to leave their Italian ports, head south, stop short of reaching the Libyan coast, pick up their human cargo, and take course back 260 miles to Italy even though the port of Zarzis in Tunis is just 60 mile away from the rescue spot.

        The organizations in question are: MOAS, Jugend Rettet, Stichting Bootvluchting, Médecins Sans Frontières, Save the Children, Proactiva Open Arms, Sea-Watch.org, Sea-Eye and Life Boat.

        The real intention of the people behind the NGOs is not clear. Their motive can be money, we would not be surprised if it turned out to be so. They may also be politically driven; the activities of the Malta-based organisation, MOAS, by trafficking people to Italy is the best guarantee that migrants will not show up on the Maltese shore.”
        https://gefira.org/en/2016/11/16/ngos-armada-for-the-coast-of-libya/
        https://gefira.org/en/2016/11/15/caught-in-the-act-ngos-deal-in-migrant-smuggling/

           15 likes

    • ID says:
      December 7, 2016 at 3:05 am

      While NewsShite was investigating migrants and criminality, the “German BBC” was investigating the criminality caused by migrants with its “Mega Fact Check”.
      I thought they would be blantant and cheeky and go for the maximum credible lie – that migrants are decent chaps no more criminal than your average native German and that the citizenry was deluded about all the Lebanese/Albanian clan violence, burglaries by Eastern Europeans, shoplifting and sexual molestation by persons of North African “appearance”, pickpocketing and other Roma scams and Muslim nogo areas they claimed they were being exposed to. There were no real attempts to deny the reality of the mindboggling increases in criminality, such as five fold increases in shop lifting near reception centres. Apparently, this is just a consequence of most migrants being young men, who like German young men, commit more crimes. They are also lonely and far from home, cooped up in crowded reception centre. So that’s all right then. No need to be anxious and silly.,Of course there are no Muslim nogo areas in Germany, as was shown by a troop of police armoured and armed to the teeth with machine guns confidently running into a non nogo area. Completely hilarious. The Bürgerwehr movement is gaining popularity and so had to be mentioned as dangerous vigilantes. Arson attacks on migrant reception centres increasing. Admissions on this scale after the mindless paeans for the Willkommenskultur must mean the situation is fraught. No wonder Ma Merkel is now talking tough about burka bans.

         8 likes

    • quisquose says:
      December 7, 2016 at 8:01 am

      This got some mention on local news yesterday, but nowhere else on the BBC:

      http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/crime/how-social-workers-failed-yorkshire-schoolgirl-abused-by-gang-of-12-1-8276568

      I guess it’s because they don’t coach football.

         6 likes

  2. christoff says:
    December 6, 2016 at 11:04 pm

    Oliver Letwin : impressive.

    Evan Davis : scruffy bastard. Wear a tie !

       11 likes

    • Number 7 says:
      December 6, 2016 at 11:42 pm

      Have you visited Holland Park recently? He makes the place look normal (as long as he keeps his “Albert” covered).

         5 likes

      • Number 7 says:
        December 6, 2016 at 11:51 pm

        PS. Letwin had him on toast – hence the silly giggling when Letwin skewered him.

        In terms of public decency, I would like to point out that the above description referred to the verbal exchange. Davies would have a big smile on his face otherwise!

        😀

           9 likes

  3. taffman says:
    December 7, 2016 at 12:10 am

    I hope that the Tory voters that put this woman into office will remember this ‘treason’.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38212278
    Are there any Tory supporters on this site ?

       7 likes

  4. taffman says:
    December 7, 2016 at 12:13 am

    Do these highly paid guys look after the interest of Great Britain or the Undemocratic EU ?
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37874388

       6 likes

  5. Guest Who says:
    December 7, 2016 at 1:45 am

    I wonder if Jenny was wearing an Angela beanie as she whooped it up with the rest of adoring crowd?

       6 likes

    • Kaiser says:
      December 7, 2016 at 11:59 am

      and check out the comments of Giselle

      Giselle ‏@giselle97 22h
      @jennyhillBBC Well said Chancellor Angela Merkel –
      I’m ashamed & angry Brit, born in Scotland, a European & World citizen – stuck in England

      no need to be stuck love, fook off back to scotland or germany or any other part of the world

         5 likes

  6. quisquose says:
    December 7, 2016 at 7:55 am

    Anybody else think it was just a coincidence that every BBC news channel switched off their “we must do something about Aleppo” chanting, and switched on their “we must do something about Yemen” chanting, at precisely the same time?

    Anybody else think it was just a coincidence that it came as Teresa May was talking in Bahrain and coming in for criticism for deals with Saudi Arabia?

       11 likes

  7. Dave666 says:
    December 7, 2016 at 8:11 am

    BBc North West 08:00. They are back on about Dianne Ngoza from Zambia who was due to be deported before the do gooders stepped in. “She has worked here for the last 14 years” the drone informs us. But hold on that isn’t exactly the truth is it? Apparently she’s been doing voluntary work for an unspecified period of time.

    Meanwhile last night we were treated to a story of a single parent from Malawi who had a premature baby. No information as to why she is here how long she has been here However we are informed if the treatment had been under the Malawi health system the outcome could have been different.

       8 likes

  8. AsISeeIt says:
    December 7, 2016 at 8:16 am

    “I think you’ve answered your own question”

    BBC tv news this morning, a typical morning, where item after item tells us not enough is being done about an issue and the only solution is more Government funding.

    Every call for what is often euphemistically but inaccurately termed ‘investment’ in the public sector is met with a sympathetic and often an approving response from BBC presenters and interviewers. Rarely do we hear difficult questions as to what spending areas might be reduced or what additional taxes levied in order to satisfy this seemingly never ending procession of public sector begging bowl bearers.

    This morning cramed into just a few minutes of BBC airtime I hear requests for public cash from dementia researchers, NHS A&E departments, Yemen Civil War refugees and a group promoting people with disabilities wanting employment. All, no doubt, cases worthy of consideration. But the overload of examples is overwhelming. The lack of any pushback or searching questioning from the BBC is numbing.

    The quote at the top of this piece “You’ve answered your own question” came from one grateful campaigner given a platform to ask for cash this morning in response to a BBC interviewer who had just criticised the tight-fisted Government so effectively that the arguments of the campaigner became almost redundant – the BBC had taken a stance so favourable to his requests that he needn’t even respond to the so-called question. The redundancy of this man as spokesman being ironic since he was the campaigner for the employment of the disabled.

    If you take the BBC at face value it really seems that again and again the Government is proved to be incompetant, short-sighted and mean spirited – after all ‘investment’ pays back future dividends, right?

    Just one example this morning of a BBC news report delivered in a way approving of public spending plans – BBC London tells me the Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan has some ‘green initiative’. The BBC seemed to like that a lot.

       8 likes

  9. EnglandExpects says:
    December 7, 2016 at 8:44 am

    Having trashed tbe Government with every headline this morning, BBC Today decides to highlight a ridiculous suggestion by the leader of a very small party in Scotland. One Kesia Dugdale wants a federal UK so that Scotland can stay in the EU. Presumably they also expect England to continue subsidising them despite their new freedom to follow their own foreign policy .
    Just how many federal states in the world work in this way? Will California be able to defy Trump and stay in the North American trade deal? Will Bavaria be able to unilaterally drop out of Shengen, immigrant quotas or the euro ?
    Why do the BBC want to bombard us with negative so- called news , other than to create a misleading sense of misery?

       9 likes

    • Up2snuff says:
      December 7, 2016 at 1:18 pm

      Poor old Keziah was not a good advert for Labour in Scotland this morning. I was wincing all the way through her piece and she doesn’t need votes from south of the border.

      I think she did not pause for breath for several minutes during that piece.

      Another car crash interview? No, probably not. Train wreck. With a car involved. Occupants of both all safe but the Labour Party in Scotland was left rather mangled.

         1 likes

  10. EnglandExpects says:
    December 7, 2016 at 9:02 am

    The Joseph Rowntree Trust has form in producing unduly negative reports about poverty . Listen to It and you’d think that Britain was a third world country. The BBC faithfully broadcasts every JRT epistle of doom, often leading with its dire findings.
    Having bored us with Labours silly federal UK plan we have to listen to a long interview with a scouse single mother with two kids who can’t survive on £1600 a month. Her mobile phone is a necessity . She goes to food banks and has detailed knowledge of the Trussel Trust’s research reports . She blames ‘government cuts’ for her job problems . She castigates Universal Credit. Amazingly well coached , she might as well be in a labour party political broadcast .
    The father of the children is as usual never mentioned. Nor the wisdom of having children if you have poor job prospects .
    Incidentally poverty is now defined as earning £20,000 pa.

       12 likes

    • GCooper says:
      December 7, 2016 at 9:05 am

      I’d go a little further and say the JRT is a far-Left group. Naturally, the BBC laps up its outpourings as if they were ambrosia – and I don’t mean creamed rice.

         5 likes

      • Wild Bill says:
        December 7, 2016 at 9:27 am

        These people claiming ‘poverty’ and who use food banks,my first question would be, “do you smoke cigarettes?”, then, “how can you afford them?”,becaus e you can guarantee a large percentage of these people do smoke.
        People are said to be living in poverty if their income and resources
        are so inadequate as to preclude them from having a
        standard of living
        considered acceptable in the society in which they live.
        Because of
        their poverty they may experience multiple disadvantage through
        unemployment, low income, poor
        housing, inadequate health care and barriers to
        lifelong learning, culture, sport and recreation. They are
        often excluded and
        marginalised from participating in activities
        (economic, social and cultural) that
        are the norm for other people and
        their access to fundamental rights may be
        restricted.” JRT

        In other words if you can’t go on holidays as people who work and manage their money properly do your rights are restricted.

           6 likes

    • Emmanuel Goldstein says:
      December 7, 2016 at 9:20 am

      Poverty is three times the uk state pension.
      The second class one I paid into for fifty years.
      I don’t know how I manage if I get a third of what is supposed to be in poverty and those people can’t manage.

         8 likes

      • GCooper says:
        December 7, 2016 at 9:28 am

        At a guess it’s probably because you don’t pay Sky over £50 a month, have the latest iPhone sucking down data all day long, eat out at every opportunity, have at least two expensive foreign holidays a year, wear designer clothes and lease an expensive car.

        Not hard to see how they define ‘poverty’ these days, is it?

           7 likes

        • Cranmer says:
          December 7, 2016 at 9:44 am

          In the nineteenth century, Seebohm Rowntree defined the level of income required to prevent absolute poverty, ie, to maintain a bare minimum of food, clothing and shelter. He excluded things like stamps, beer, newspapers etc from his calculations. It was a noble aim and one firmly based in Victorian ideas of thrift and self help.

          Statistics on ‘poverty’ in the UK today including from the organisation that bears Rowntree’s name are meaningless because they refer to relative poverty, ie, the number below the mean national income. So if Bill Gates moved to the UK the number of people in poverty would actually go up. Yet we very rarely hear this concept referred to.

          It seems to me most of these organisations set up to ‘tackle poverty’ have become self-serving. I don’t doubt many people struggle, but the ultimate aim of all these organisations should be to teach self reliance, not reliance on handouts and state charity.

             10 likes

        • Andrew Caplan says:
          December 7, 2016 at 9:50 am

          I see very few bangers on the roads these days. Used to be quite common.

          Not surprising that young people can’t afford to get on the housing ladder. A smart car is a “right”, and if there’s no money left after paying the finance and the huge insurance bill, as well as buying all the other “essentials” you mention, that’s the Government’s fault.

          Not the whole story, admittedly, but certainly part of it.

             9 likes

          • Nasty barsteward says:
            December 7, 2016 at 2:55 pm

            Whilst I agree with much of your comment, let’s not forget that having an old banger is not actually that easy thanks to legislation. Unless the car is deemed vintage, older cars do not pass the MOT requirements often without huge amounts of money being spent. Couple that with older vehicles built-in obsolescence and a lot of people don’t have much choice but to get a newer one. I have 2 cars over 10 years old and in the last year have spent some £5k keeping them going and legal. The thing that gets me about priorities isn’t the cars, but more as other posters have mentioned, the latest phone, Sky TV, large screen TVs etc.

               2 likes

        • Thatcherrevolutionary says:
          December 7, 2016 at 10:39 am

          As a Landlord of over 25 years, I have seen that a young tenant’s priorities used to be rent/electric bill/council tax/gas bill/food, then what was left was for luxuries.
          Now the priorities are mobile phone/holidays/car/socialising/etc and the rent, electric, gas, etc are all at the end of the queue.
          I only rent to over 35’s now.

             8 likes

    • Up2snuff says:
      December 7, 2016 at 1:19 pm

      I was left wondering how that contributor could go to a food bank. Do they not have strict need requirements which that contributor obviously did not meet?

      (Software whoopsie – this was my reply to Wild Bill or EnglandExpects, above.)

         1 likes

  11. GCooper says:
    December 7, 2016 at 9:22 am

    Nation was certainly speaking cliche unto nation this morning on Today, when they ‘interviewed’ some dullard called Wilson who apparently heads the NHS in Sussex and Surrey. Not one penetrating or even remotely difficult question was asked of this no doubt enormously remunerated functionary, who proudly told us he had worked in the NHS for thirty something years. Yes, given the state of it, that’s quite believable.

    If the BBC is to be treated as a source of ‘fake news’ (just to turn its own stupidity back on it) on any subject at all, then its coverage of the NHS certainly qualifies it.

    The NHS (much like the BBC itself, come to think of it) is a perfect example of state-owned failure on an industrial scale and hauling in some overpaid ‘executive’ for an early morning session of pat-a-cake is just the product of two socialist organisations propping one another up, like two drunks hugging one another outside the Pig and Whistle on a Friday evening.

    That wasn’t journalism. It was mutual grooming.

       10 likes

  12. JimS says:
    December 7, 2016 at 9:38 am

    Since the crash of 2008-9 “The proportion of people in work moved to its highest level on record, nominal wages are up 17%, real GDP is up 15% and the UK has consistently been one of the strongest economies in the G7. All major income groups have seen their income and wealth rise”.

    Who said that? Apparently the Governor of the Bank of England at the Roscoe Lecture.

    Now find that here: “Carney warns about popular disillusion with capitalism”

    Mr Carney, giving the Roscoe Lecture at Liverpool John Moores University, spoke of the need for wealth distribution and putting individuals back in control.

    The lecture is only the second major public speech Mr Carney has given since the June Brexit referendum.

    Since that vote, the governor has had to defend himself against criticism that he had made explicitly pro-Remain comments, and also against suggestions that the prime minister had been unhappy with the Bank’s monetary policy because savers had lost out.

    If it doesn’t fit the agenda it doesn’t get reported. Thanks BBC.

       6 likes

←Older Comments