What do you make of the BBC’s director general concession that the licence fee could be scrapped and replaced with funding via council or income taxes – or even a levy on electricity bills?

Mark Thompson’s comments have been taken as an admission-that the growing use of new technology to watch programmes will make the licence fee obsolete. Rubbish. It’s not new technology that invalidates the license tax- it is the very concept of forcing us to fund a biased and insidious State broadcaster. And as for the notion of transferring this cost to an income tax or council tax – NO WAY. Thoughts? … Continue reading

To Beeb or not to Beeb

Iain Dale, Oliver Kamm and Nick Ferrari all belatedly decided to stop appearing on the Iranian-backed Press T.V.They no longer wish to lend whatever credibility their participation bestows upon this alleged propaganda machine. What prompted these ‘principled’ resignations? For Iain Dale it was because “I have been appalled at the way their website has portrayed what’s happened in the Iranian elections” and for Nick Ferrari it was “in protest at … Continue reading

THOSE PESKY "MILITANTS"

I see that the BBC is suggesting that “at least 10 militants have died after missiles were fired by a suspected US drone aircraft at a Taliban target in Pakistan, intelligence officials say. “ Finally, a strike that doesn’t involve a “wedding party.” Go USA. Of course the thing that gets me is the use of politically correct language at play here. Those killed weren’t “militants” – they were Islamic … Continue reading

OPEN THREAD

Ok – so another Thursday night no liveblog. My colleague and co-host Geoff is improved a little and the serious perils reduced a little. He is aware of all your good wishes and I wanted to thank you for your understanding re my slight reduction on posts here as I am now keeping three blogs going! That said, still as incensed with Al Beeb as ever. Glad Sue picked up … Continue reading

Out of Proportion

Amnesty International, the so-called Independent Human Rights organisation, has released a report about war crimes committed during the Cast Lead episode. To help, the BBC web page shows injured babies.Israel’s crimes, many, varied and wide-ranging, (as well as wanton, deliberate and unjustified,) largely amount to not being accurate enough with their retaliatory responses. So when Hamas sends rockets from densely populated areas, Israel must restrain itself until it is absolutely … Continue reading

FORCED STATISTICS

I happened to catch this interview on Today with Foreign Office minister Chris Bryant on the topic of government trying to prevent forced marriages. He was quick to make it clear that this was not directed towards Islam since Islam did not approve of such brutality. Then Sarah Montague pointed out that 70% of all (known) forced marriage cases involve people of Pakistani origin – a detail which Bryant shrugged … Continue reading

KING ARTHUR "NOT ENGLISH"

I read that the BBC is to film a historical documentary likely to rob England of King Arthur, one of the nation’s most treasured legends. Film-makers are due to arrive in Croatia next month (july) to begin filming the programme with British historian John Matthews, who believes Arthur was really Roman general Lucius Artorius Castus Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

THE DRUGS DON’T WORK ANYMORE….

Did you catch Mark Easton’s glowing report on Portugal’s policy of not prosecuting anyone caught in possession of hard drugs? Here is the content of it. What struck me was the subtle but all too evident admiration Easton exhibits for a government that has given up on the war on illegal narcotics. As Easton concludes….. Some question aspects of the system but what Portugal’s controversial experiment has demonstrated is that, … Continue reading