Author Archives: David Vance

A Good Year for the Roses?

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Yes, I know I have talked about this before but it irritates me the way in which BBC Northern Ireland continually files stories about the Republic of Ireland under home news. It’s not. Take this tripe about the great news that unmarried mothers are being allowed to take part in the annual Rose of Tralee competition for the first time held in County Kerry. All very wonderful I am sure for these putative child bearing roses and cause for liberal celebration, but damn all to do with Northern Ireland. I wish that the all-Irelanders in the local BBC would take a hike with their incessant propagandising. To think that OUR British license taxation is being used to fund republican fantasies dressed up as news and spewed out through the State broadcaster. The problem in Northern Ireland is that seem unclear which State they work for.

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WHICH SIDE TO BELIEVE.

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I was interested in this BBC article covering what it claims to be “Rival claims over Basra Battle” The content of the story strikes me as being hypercritical of the claims made by the democratically elected Maliki government and its progress in Basra, whilst simultaneously accepting the words of Shi’ite tyrant Moqtada Sadr and his Mehdi terrorist army. The “fierce” resistance of these thugs is singled out for praise with further tributes to them “fighting to a standstill” the lawful Iraqi military. Can’t the BBC ever do a report from Iraq which actually praises the progress being made, no matter how imperfect? I think the answer is NO because in the BBC narrative, understood by all reporters, this was an “illegal” invasion by the Great Satan after precious Iraqi oil. The rest is all detail. Through this perverse prism, there can be no real progress – it’s all a quagmire. The BBC admiration for the likes of Al Sadr is sickening. Can you imagine what these latter day BBC types would have filed had they been around in WW2 – I’m betting we would have been reading about the fierce courage of the Nazis and the heroic resistance of the Japanese.

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THOSE MURDEROUS MEN AND THEIR FLYING MACHINES.

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Along with other eagle-eyed Biased BBC readers, I noted the BBC lead story at the moment which is entitled “Men planned explosions”. Mmm.. all sounds a bit vague, doesn’t it? I wonder why? Here’s a clue – the prosecutor said the men planned to inflict heavy casualties, “all in the name of Islam”.

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TEA WITH THE TALIBAN?

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Wonder if you managed to wade through Frank Gardner’s latest paean to the wonders of Arab diplomacy here? Yes, US and UK armed forces risk life and limb in the dangerous parts of Afghanistan fighting the Taliban but like all good leftists Frank believes that “winning hearts and minds” is the name of the game and this is where troops from the United Arab Emirates score, delivering humanitarian aid to their fellow Muslims and, on occasion, even fighting their way out of Taliban ambushes. Frank manages to get us some Afghan comment..

“People are not afraid that Emiratis will harm their religion, or disrespect the mosque or burn the mosque, things of this nature,” Governor Patan says. “People are very friendly with them. Everybody will drag them in for lunch or for dinner.” These are hearts-and-minds operations at their most effective – drinking tea with Afghans, discussing what help can be provided, Frank gushes.

The problem is that drinking tea is not going to do anything to stop the Taliban, much as the BBC might wish otherwise. This is a war. I also reject the implied slur concerning the behaviour of US/UK troops in the quote he provides. This is subtle character assassination of our own military and how they behave. Now I applaued all efforts made to combat Islamic extremism and in that regard the efforts of the UAE soldiers are to be welcomed but the likes of Frank Gardner is VERY selective who he lavishes praise upon – and the US and UK armed forces do not fall into this elite camp. Maybe if we sent in a battalion of aromatherapists and stress councillors Frank might take notice of the gallantry of OUR soldiers?

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THE SUN HAS GOT HIS HAT ON.

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Have to love the BBC’s latest advocacy on behalf of the global warming alarmists Here’s the catchy entirely non-biased and accurate headline summary ” The idea that the Earth’s climate is determined by cosmic rays and the Sun’s activity is discredited by UK scientists.” Really? I don’t think so! What would have been honest and accurate would have been for the BBC to report that a small group of Lancaster University scientists have released research which leads them to believe that solar rays do not have a significant impact of Earth’s climate. The headline implies something definitive, so echoing the Al Gore “The debate is over” mantra. The BBC seems oddly reluctant to report other research which concludes that solar activity IS a primary driver of climate change but then again that does not fit in with the narrative which the BBC seeks to impose upon the general public. The way I see it there is much to debate on this hop topic which is why this kind of one-sided reporting is so repellent.

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General BBC-related comment thread!

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Please use this thread for comments about the BBC’s current programming and activities. This post will remain at or near the top of the blog – scroll down for new topic-specific posts. N.B. This is not an invitation for general off-topic comments, rants or chit-chat. Thoughtful comments are encouraged. Comments may also be moderated. Any suggestions for stories that you might like covered would be appreciated! It’s your space, use it wisely!

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BREAKING THE MONOPOLY?

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I see that Conservative leader David Cameron has caused a bit of a furore by threatening to make the BBC hand £250million of its (OUR) money to other broadcasters. The Tories plan to force the Corporation to give away part of its licence fee funds to create new competition in public service broadcasting. The move will break the BBC’s “monopoly” over programmes and guarantee more quality output in areas such as children’s television, the Tories claim. It’s an interesting idea coupled with a plan to scrap the governing BBC Trust and replace it with a more independent “public service broadcasting commission”. Naturally the BBC have reacted angrily to the Cameron suggestions..“Once you take away part of the licence fee you break the trust between the BBC and the licence-fee payer,” said a senior BBC executive. What trust? Wonder what you all make of Cameron’s suggestions?

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HOW TO YOU SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE THE BBC?

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I’ve been away for the past few days so hence the lack of posts but I come back and remarkably enough find myself in agreenment with Kevin Spacey who has criticised the BBC for airing talent shows such as Any Dream Will Do and I’d Do Anything.

“I felt that was essentially a 13-week promotion for a musical – where’s our 13-week programme?” Spacey said. The Hollywood star is artistic director at the Old Vic theatre in London. “I have spoken to your chairman but he has yet to get back to me,” Spacey said. The BBC replied that its shows were not “unduly promotional”.

But that’s not quite true, is it? The cosy arrangement between the State Broadcaster and Lloyd-Webber (and now Cameron Mackintosh) is promotion incarnate. The musical moguls get massive free publicity for their productions and the BBC gets to produce more cheap TV. There is something unseemingly about it all, and whilst it is not evidence of political bias, it is evidence of the BBC prostituting itself to churn out Saturday evening dross.

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Just because you’re paranoid….

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It’s bad enough that Britain has already ruled any possibility of boycotting some or all of the Chinese Olympics even as China brutally crushes all those who dissent against its thugocracy in Tibet. But now we see that the BBC is sending its biggest ever squad to China to cover the Games. I guess the attraction of being in a Communist regime for weeks on end care of the British tax-payer is too good a chance to miss! An amazing 437 BBC staff will be China bound but the only reason we know this is because the folders with addresses, passport numbers, pictures, and hotel details of this battalion have vanished from Television Centre in west London. What amuses me is the BBC “fear” that the files may have been stolen, possibly for identity theft or an attempt to embarrass the BBC over the number of staff going to the Games. How paranoid are they? Guilty feelings?

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NEVER SPEAK ILL OF ISLAM.

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I’m sure you will be aware that Dutch politician Geert Wilders has posted a film critical of the Koran on the internet. The opening scenes show a copy of the Koran, followed by footage of the attacks on the US on 11 September 2001. The 17-minute film was posted on video-sharing website LiveLeak. (It’s been posted over on my own blog as it all helps the general debate on the Religion of Peace AND Love.)

Now then, the BBC reports this but the BBC report itself is laced with all kinds of subtle poison. For example, if you read it you will note that the State Broadcaster cannot apparently find anyone to interview who is in FAVOUR of this film on the nature of Islam. Furthermore it immediately characterises Geert Wilders as “right-wing” however no other political comment is prefaced with such a description. Is anyone who opposes the advance of Islam a right-winger?

Now I don’t hold the BBC responsible for the cowardly Dutch PM Jan Peter Balkenende who disowns this questioning of Islam, but I do hold the BBC responsible for ensuring that the topic is covered by providing a range of views. However anyone who raises questions about the Koran and those who use it to justify their terrorist pathologies seems to be persona non gratia in Beebland.

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