Britannia Radio

For a long time - as readers may have noticed - 

I have found the Telegraph the best and most speedy source of hard facts.  

But since  the paper had a makeover recently it has declined enormously.  

There  is less news in the paper and more features many of the latter being 
the views on random subjects of an assortment of second-rate 
celebrities, plus a daily full page devoted to puzzles.  

Oh yes,  there's more colour - they say - but not where it matters!  

The  previously wonderful Business News has lost its focus on national 
economics to detailed examination of individual companies.

 The best  commentator in the business, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard,  has 
disappeared altogether. 

 Now he may reappear after an extended holiday 

even now, but somehow I doubt it. 

 [If anyone spots him elsewhere,  please tell!]

But worst of all no less than four times in the last 3 weeks I have 
spotted whole stories which have first appeared in the Times and then 
with the minimum of rewriting turning up later in the Telegraph.

That's what I call dumbing down and sharp practice.  It's a tragedy.
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THE TIMES   12.9.08
MEPs find recipe for a proud and happy European citizen

David Charter in Brussels

The Ode to Joy, a snappy motto and a waving flag: this is the recipe 
for a proud and happy European citizen, MEPs have decided.

The European Parliament is to promote greater use of EU symbols in 
order to help people to identify with the union, even though the 
flag, motto and anthem have been criticised as the trappings of 
statehood. Scrapping references to the symbols was cited by Angela 
Merkel, the German Chancellor, and others as a key difference between 
the EU Constitution - rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005 - 
and its successor, the Lisbon Treaty.

Their disappearance from the treaty has also been cited as a key 
reason by some governments - including Britain - as to why 
referendums were not necessary on the new document. Writing in 
September last year Jim Murphy, the Europe Minister, declared: "Some 
may discount the significance of the removal of the EU flag and 
anthem and title of Foreign Minister [ in the Lisbon treaty] but 
these are another clear sign that the UK's vision of a Europe of 
sovereign states has won out."

David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, told the House of Commons last 
July that "it is good that the symbols, flags and anthems, which 
distracted attention from the discussion of the European 
constitutional treaty, are done away with so that we can focus on 
what will make the EU useful to this country - jobs, climate and 
energy, the issues that matter to ordinary people."

The symbols have their drawbacks. MEPs want the Ode to Joy - the 
finale of Beethoven's 9th Symphony - to be played at many more 
official occasions. While it is undeniably "exultant and sublime 
music"   [It's a terrible dirge and whoo said so?  Beethoven -cs] by 
a composer "who is one of the best symbols of European genius", [I 
have a personal aversion to Beethoven which stems from two things:- 
(a) his overwheening presence stifled the whole romantic movement 
across the world, nearly suffocating it at birth; and (b)with one 
exception he couldn't write for the human voice -cs]  it was also 
used to celebrate Hitler's birthday and became the anthem of Ian 
Smith's Rhodesia.

And the motto - to be published on all material from the European 
Parliament - is "United in Diversity", which might not catch on.

MEPs are undaunted. "Symbols are vital elements of any communication 
process," they [WHO precisely?  It has all the hallmarks of the 
president of the parliament, an authoritarian right-wing (some say 
neo nazi) German - one Hans Gert Poettering,  -cs]  said yesterday. 
"Indeed, symbols may be a decisive element for the public's emotional 
attachment to these organisations.
" [They] convey an emotional image of the underlying values of the 
organisations they represent, they play a part in making abstract 
ideas intelligible, they facilitate communication and participation 
and they help to bring the organisations that they symbolise closer 
to the citizens, thereby contributing to their legitimacy."

Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, said: "We were 
told that the symbols would disappear - of course, we knew they would 
not - and now they are trying to ram them down our throats."

Richard Corbett, a Labour MEP, defended the decision promote the EU 
symbols. "They are alleged by eurosceptics to be the trappings of 
statehood, but if that is true then the International Olympic 
Committee has the trappings of statehood because it has a flag and an 
anthem."
====

AND NOW CHECK THIS AGAINST IT!

TELEGRAPH   12.9.08
EU flag and anthem revived by MEPs
MEPs have decided to revive symbols of the European Union like the 
flag and the anthem in an attempt to foster greater pride in the 
institution.
  By Stephen Adams

The flag, a politically correct motto and Beethoven's Ode to Joy will 
all be used more by the European Parliament as it tries to help 
citizens identify more easily with the EU.

But Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party and an MEP 
himself, has accused his parliamentary colleagues of "trying to ram 
them down our throats".

MEPs said: "Symbols are vital elements of any communication process."
The politicians stated they "convey an emotional image of the 
underlying values of the organisations they represent."

With this in mind, they have decided to make more use of the flag and 
the motto "United in Diversity." It is to be printed on all material 
emanating from the European Parliament.

More controversially, the finale from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Ode 
to Joy, is also to be played more at official occasions.

It has unfortunate associations, having been used previously to 
celebrate Adolf Hitler's birthday and as the anthem of a socially 
divided Rhodesia under Ian Smith.

Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany had said that eliminating the use 
of symbols was a key difference between the EU constitution, which 
was rejected in French and Dutch referenda in 2005, and the Lisbon 
Treaty which followed.

David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, has also welcomed their 
reduced importance, telling the House of Commons last July: "It is 
good that the symbols, flags and anthems, which distracted attention 
from the discussion of the European constitutional treaty, are done 
away with so that we can focus on what will make the EU useful to 
this country - jobs, climate and energy, the issues that matter to 
ordinary people."

Mr Farage told The Times:* "We were told that the symbols would 
disappear .. now they are trying to ram them down our throats."
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*This is the sole acknowledgment of the source of the story!