Interesting little video from Wyre Davies: As the conflict in Syria drags on, pro-government fighters near the country’s borders are turning for increasing support to their allies in neighbouring territories. Shia towns well inside Lebanon are being deliberately targeted by anti-Assad groups because of their allegiance to the regime, and many fear the country is being drawn into the fight.     Two issues are raised here: The … Continue reading →

‘As the political classes impose austerity across the developed world, the facts of inequality and human need and the determination to do something about them are gradually becoming weaponized. Precarity is opportunity. Fuck social mobility. Fuck security. Fuck money. Fuck rising above your class rather than with it. Fuck marriage, mortgage, monogamy, and every other small, ugly ambition we were bullied into pursuing. We are the new young left: precarious, … Continue reading →

    Dave Allen:  God’s Own Comedian   In the 60’s and 70’s the BBC were more daring.   Dave Allen told jokes about religion.   ‘The sketches were silly but he undermined the authority of the priests’.   He received bomb threats.   He had the Pope doing a striptease.   At a time when the Church ruled Ireland.   Dave Allen thought politicians were dangerous.   He thought … Continue reading →

    Some of you have already noticed the title of the BBC’s piece.  EDL bomb plot I thought it was a Muslim bomb plot but there you go, don’t believe what you read in the papers.   Couple of other things of interest: ‘The EDL rally finished early because of a lack of speakers’ Highlighted in this report and mentioned in another report as well….‘However, the men arrived after … Continue reading →

   　   Ilan Ziv has made a film, Exile: A Myth Unearthed, which purports to rewrite Jewish history and is of a highly political and controversial nature. The film has been shelved by the BBC. Ziv is not happy.   Film-maker queries BBC reasons for shelving Jewish history documentary  Ilan Ziv laments ‘sad saga of incompetence and political naiveté’ after BBC drops Jerusalem: an Archaeological Mystery Story “The BBC have … Continue reading →

This wonderful video from Sunny Lohmann of House Of Sunny titled “American Journalist” applies equally to the BBC version of the species. (H/t Jim Treacher):

New week, new open thread, and hopefully some new weather….

          The world doesn’t seem able to decide if being an Old Etonian is a good or a bad thing. The BBC laughs along when Miliband taunts Cameron and Co as ‘posh boys’…Cameron and Clegg being described by the BBC as Headboy and Deputy Headboy….no doubt they would take a similar jokey approach if Miliband were to call a black PM and Chancellor ‘blackboys’ and suggest … Continue reading →

    The BBC will be rejoicing…Lithuania wants to join the Euro. No wonder some sceptics will say, as they get 25% of their national budget handed to them on a plate by the EU.  But there is always a little rain cloud on the horizon that will take some explaining for the BBC. The BBC likes to tell us that the economy is failing due to austerity…sometimes they take the subtle approach … Continue reading →

  Guardianista Roy Greenslade in the Evening Standard says: Don’t blame the internet for false rumours about Boston – it’s the enemy of falsehoods How far down the digital road do we have to travel before journalists — plus assorted politicians, police officers and lawyers — stop blaming the internet for false reporting? It’s not about the tools. It’s all about the people, the human beings, who use, and misuse, those … Continue reading →