Author Archives: David Vance

HANG THE BANKERS?

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The BBC narrative is clear. Bankers were solely responsible for the global financial crisis. Go a little deeper and the narrative refines itself even more alarmingly; Capitalism was solely responsible for the global financial crisis. If only the State could control things. Next, seize on every opportunity to nail this in the public psyche. Take this current onslaught against RBS Chairman Stephen Hester. His crime has been to abide by his contract – a contract put in place under the gaze of a Labour Government. Now, the BBC allows Labour spokesman Chuka Umunna to rage against the sheer iniquity of what HIS party facilitated in the first place! Mike Cunningham, one of my fellow writers over on A Tangled Web, tackles the issue here.

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GATES OPEN, HORSE BOLTED

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Anyone catch Bill Gates on the BBC this morning? Quite an interesting interview here. I note that he was asked to choose “between Mitt Romney and Obama”  – not that the BBC have an agenda in play when it comes to who will contest the White House, perish the thought! He was also used to help convey the idea that British Overseas Aid is unreservedly “a good thing” and that capitalism had lost track in recent years. He gave quite a good defence of capitalism – understandably. It’s interesting to see that even a high profile figure like Bill Gates is actually used by the BBC to advance its own narrative on so many issues.

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HOW DO I BEGIN…?.

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David Preiser has already covered this story but I wanted to put in this little post-script. I think you need to listen to the soundtrack below whilst contemplating Mark Mardell on Today this morning, eulogising Obama’s State of the Union address last evening. The love he evidently feels for President Haughty moved me-  as I am sure it will move you. However I am worried that if things don’t go as the scrupulously impartial Mark hopes, this may yet prove unrequited.

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THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON

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I always like it when light is cast into darkness. Biased BBC’s Alan picks up on this interesting detail not mentioned by the BBC;

“Enver Solomon fromthe ‘Children’s Society’ has been all over the BBC today. It might be nice to know that the Children’s Society’ full name is the ‘Churchof England Children’s Society’ and that it is essentially controlled by thevery same Bishops who are opposing the government’s welfare policy.

‘Church of England Children’s Society(A company limited by guarantee). Also known as The Children’s Society.PresidentsThe Most Reverend and Right Hon the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Dr RowanWilliamsThe Most Reverend and Right Hon the Lord Archbishop of York Dr John SentamuVice-PresidentsBishops of the Church of EnglandTrustee BoardChairThe Rt Rev’d Tim Thornton, Bishop of Truro (appointed September 2010)’

Whilst the charity does a vast amount of good for children across Britain itscurrent theme that families must have £30,000 net income in benefits is clearlyat odds not only with reality but its own actions. The charity has 728 employees…..do they all get, regardless of whether theyare full time or part time, at least £30,000 net income? If not are their children now living in poverty as Enver Solomon tells us theyshould be below that income level?

It’s interesting that the Charity is not above making its own cost savings tosuit the economic climate….

‘Efficiencies within the charity have helped to create a stable financialfoundation.’

It would seem that whilst it seeks to protect children pensioners are not solucky:

Pension Fund
The Children’s Society operates a defined benefit
scheme that closed to new staff in 2003.
New staff enter a defined contribution scheme.

To maintain this focus, expenditure across our other areas of charitable activity was reduced by £0.2m from last year’s level.

The charity also paid out over £1 million to cover redundancies….sopresumably the children of those ex employees aren’t quite that important.

The total staff pay costs are £27 million…presumably the many charity shopworkers do not get any where near £30,000…..(37,000 x 728 = 27million)…..so somebody must be getting some very high wages at the top of thecharity.
http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/Accounts/Ends24/0000221124_ac_20110331_e_c.pdf

It would be nice firstly if the BBC would give us the full information aboutwhat are clearly charity pressure groups lobbying for their own favouredpolicies…and second that such charities put their money where their mouthsare….when the pay their lowliest staff member £30,000 net per annum I mightlisten.

Sort of connected is the BBC’s insistence on telling us of the ‘respected’or ‘leading’ think tank IPPR…..no ‘warning’ that it is a left wing,essentially Labour affiliated, pressure group…..and Nicky Campbell’scontinued categorising of government cuts as ‘Tory cuts’.

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WHEN IGNORANCE IS BLISS

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Biased BBC contributor Alan notes;

“The BBC is clearly a very busy organisation struggling under the burden of having to make savings on its budget. Perhaps this is why it misses so much of the world’s news.

In Norway last week the head of intelligence tells us that:

 Reuters , Tuesday 17 Jan 2012
‘Radical Islam remains the most serious threat faced by Norway despite the attacks by an islamophobe terrorist who killed 77 people last summer, the chief of the security police said on Tuesday.’ “The number of violent right-wing extremists is still low,” she said.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/31939/World/International/Norway-says-Islamists-still-main-threat,-not-the-f.aspx

Wonder why the BBC doesn’t want that known?

Or in Germany what are their security services up to?

‘More than one-third of the far-left Left Party’s parliamentarians are under observation by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, SPIEGEL has learned. Germany’s opposition far-left Left Party is under more intense surveillance from domestic intelligence than previously thought. Information from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) reveals that 27 Left Party parliamentarians are being observed — more than one-third of the party’s 76-strong parliamentary group.’
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,810773,00.html

 The Left a threat to democracy? Not enough to make the BBC report it.

How about in the US where the sainted Obama has this to say about abortion:

‘President Barack Obama says the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade is the chance to recognize the “fundamental constitutional right” to abortion and to “continue our efforts to ensure that our daughters have the same rights, freedoms, and opportunities as our sons to fulfill their dreams.” ‘

Charming that abortion is merely a lifestyle choice for Obama like choosing a new car or a good university.

The BBC tells us nothing about anti-semitism in Sweden or Holland or indeed Britain…because it is driven by Islamists and the Left.

But anti-Semitism in Germany? That’s bad sort of anti-Semitism….as it’s done by skin headed fascists not lovable Muslims: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16678772 They mention ‘extreme islamists’ once but the main thrust is it’s all the fault of the Nazis…..’It is necessary for politicians and the education system in Germany to deal with the National Socialist past’

Just astonishing that there is no mention of Maggie Thatcher in the story…surely they missed a chance there…must be able to tie her and the nasty Tory Party into that story somehow?

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THE WAR ON WEALTH

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It seems to me that the BBC cannot get through any current news programme without informing us how evil “big business” really is and how the bankers, in particular, broke Britain. They know that repetition of this meme rams it into the heads of those listening and this is one of the things that is most dangerous about the Corporation. With Comrade Vince Cable doing his best to slay the capitalism “red in tooth and claw”, the BBC brought on Nicola Horlick who agreed that “something” must be done about “excessive pay” for “executives. I suspect that the BBC probably support the ravings of George Monbiot over at The Guardian and his demand for a “maximum wage” as well as a “minimum wage”. At no point is anyone allowed to turn around and say that it is NO BUSINESS of Government to tell private businesshow much it should pay those who work for it. And if Nicola Horlick thinks that excess pay is such an issue why not bring up the massive £800,000 that Mark Thompson earns, care of those of us forced to pay for the BBC?

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SALAMI SLICING THE COALITION?

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Been a busy day, which started with me debating the Bishop of Hulme, Stephen Lowe, on the BBC this morning here. Go to 30 minutes in here and listen for half an hour, if you dare! Meanwhile, back on the Today programme, Justin Webb was on the attack against the very well spoken (if a tad dripping wet) Andrew Lansley. Yesterday it was IDS who got the treatment and today it was Lansley – same tired BBC meme, namely that reform of any part of the Public Sector is just, well, impossible. I though the hectoring and interruption by Webb did him no favours and I liked the way the parroting of Stephen Dorrell’s comments by Webb were nicely countered by Lansley. Don’t get me wrong – there is nothing wrong with a Government Minister being robustly challenged on the BBC – that is fine by me – BUT during the long hard Labour years, there was a stunning silence from the BBC when Brown and co went about building up a bloated and inefficient NHS. Now, they go on the attack when the Coalition try to do something about it! The pro-Statism meme is always in play and it just surfaces in al kinds of places!

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THOMPSON ON LEVESON

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Perhaps you may wish to comment on this from BBC DG Mark Thompson to the Leveson Inquiry this morning?

“The BBC is not a business and it might well be that someone running a media business might take a different view from the view that I took as director general of the BBC.

“The BBC is a public service broadcaster. It is committed to be the most trusted, trustworthy source of news in the world and we want to maintain the highest possible standards in all matters, including matters relating to privacy.”

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