A little bit more on the BBC promoting an exhibition of photographs by the German propagandist photographer with the chilling rictus grin and the “who, me?” shrug. I first heard it advertised on Radio 4’s night-time World Service programme on the arts, “The Strand.” I mentioned it in my previous post, and several commenters mentioned it again on yesterday’s Open Thread. See what Robin Shepherd has written, watch the video, and weep. In the month of January, there were 268 arbitrary arrests and detentionsof peaceful opponents of the Castro Regime in Cuba. Obama's Director of National Intelligence James Clapper today told the House Intelligence Committee that the Muslim Brotherhood is "largely secular". I don't think even the Brotherhood's cheerleaders at the BBC have gone so far as to say anything that stupid. It's causing waves in the American media and blogosphere, and yet the BBC's account of proceedings fails to mention it. UPDATE FEB 11. The administration has "clarified" Clapper's remarks. Nothing from the BBC. Former BBC newsreader Michael Buerk, quoted in the Telegraph: The Holy Grail of the warmists is to find proof that the Antarctic ice is going to melt. Most of the world’s ice covers the continent, and yet temperatures remain stubbornly locked at levels that suggest that any change will take millennia rather than the decades that are the currency of alarmists. The latest round in the gut-busting efforts by the warmists to concoct evidence that supports their views is chronicled here in Ryan O’Donnell’s forensic taking apart of the Eric Steig’s contention that the Antarctic penninsula is warming at unprecedented levels; this illustrates that global warming supporters will go to any absurd lengths to twist the evidence about temperatures in this part of the world. The BBC has also entered the fray as part of its renewed front of climate zealotry that I think has been opened up over the past couple of weeks.Richard Black is in overdrive, Roger Harrabin is sharpening his pencil in Oslowith Fiona Fox. The website is currently crammed full of alarmist nonsense, with multiple new entries daily. There’s so much that it is impossible to keep track. But this entry stands out as utter garbage. The theory we are introduced to in this travesty of reporting is that the Antarctic was ultra-warm in the past because of the “extreme greenhouse effect” and a swing is happening again. Our guide to this la-la land is Mr Howard Falcoln-Lang, who pontificates triumphantly: Old films are very popular. We love nostalgia, the costumes, the funny accents, lots of smoking, and we can observe with the benefit of hindsight, people going about their business in the 20s and 30s. We know, as they do not, of the tribulations to come. We particularly relish seeing everyone pooh-poohing the threat of Nazism, and we empathise with the frustration felt by a lone voice expressing alarm. We understand the complacency and innocence that made people miss the obvious signals, if only they would spot them, of the gathering storm. Even when war became a reality, obstinacy and blindness persisted. We know all that now. Last night on BBC World service “The Strand” I heard Egyptian novelist and political and cultural commentator Adhaf Soueif talking from Tahrir Square. She’s one of Egypt’s liberal female writers, and was breathlessly enthusing about the uprising; the diversity, the creativity, the unity and the spirit of the people in Tahrir Square. All marvellous, until her final words - “we must stop pandering to the interests of America and lsrael.” In the same programme there was an interview with German photographer Kai Weidenhofer who has an exhibition in London. Images of the human cost of war. (Gaza) He cited the Goldstone report to justify using such voyeuristic subject matter. The bout of insomnia wore off and I woke up to the dulcet tones of William Hague complaining about Israel’s belligerence. According to Hague, Israel must reinstate the settlement freeze and abracadabra there will be Peace in Our Time. Actually, I saw the same interview on the telly, and he did mention that the Palestinians should also make a concession or two, but that was omitted for the purposes of Today. Then there was a shameful interview with Sir Sherard Cowper Coles, who echoed Hague’s sentiments, and said in no uncertain terms that all the region’s problems are Israel’s fault. James Naughtie disgraced himself by confusing PaliLeaks with WikiLeaks, and then repeating the Guardian’s and Polly Toynbee’s face-value interpretation of them: ‘Israel was offered everything, turned it all down, offered nothing in return. Swaggered.’ Does he actually think it was WikiLeaks, and not Qatari Al-Jazeera’s malicious “release” of selected spin, designed to undermine the PA, Abbas, Israel and the entire peace process? Where was Israel’s point of view? Oh I forgot. We don’t need that. Because we’re well into the olden days. The days when, despite some lone voices expressing alarm, everyone’s happily missing the signs if only they would spot them, of the gathering storm.
Unhappy Snaps
Twisted BBC Priorities: Cuba Edition
>> THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2011
At least 268 arbitrary haltings of pacific opponents happened during the past month of January, revealed a report disclosed in Havana by the Cuban Commission of Human rights and Reconciliación Nacional (CCDHRN). All the prisoners were released after some hours or of several days, but four of them were committed in prisons of high security, delaying their judicial hearing; another four have faced the same situation from December of 2010. (translation mine)
But wait - there's more: The report emphasizes that the CDHRN was able to document in January at least 62 incidents that constituted abuses of human rights on the part of repressive agents of the government. The document also emphasizes that “the political repression was particularly intense in the city of Santa Clara where at least 61 arrests happened, from only the 26 to the 28 of January, some of them with plenty of violence on the part of the police agents”.
The BBC simply isn't interested. So what do they see fit to report? Cuba welcomes new internet cable link with Venezuela Cuba has welcomed the arrival of an undersea fibre-optic cable linking it to Venezuela as a blow to the US economic embargo. The cable will transform communications in Cuba, which has among the slowest internet speeds in the world.
Apparently it's all funded by the BBC's darling, Hugo Chavez. Celebrate! Human rights? Who cares about a few cracked skulls and detentions when a few well-connected (sorry) Cuban elites will be able to make cheaper international phone calls? Don't be such a bore, eh? Awesome priorities, BBC.MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD "LARGELY SECULAR"
MICHAEL BUERK ON TELEVISION
"If you’ve been hired because you are young and pretty, because you are mincingly camp, because you’ve ticked a particular ethnic box and then you are no longer young and pretty or the fashions have moved on and you suddenly don’t have a job - get over it. It's showbusiness… The problem is that at the other extreme of the argument. The idea of putting people on television - which is a non-job, that is terribly well paid, where you don’t have to think too much, or work too hard - and giving people those jobs purely on the ground that we need another six Asians, or we need another six lesbians, or we need another six pensioners, is to my mind almost worse."
He makes the comments in a programme about ageism in television presented by former BBC Countryfile presenter Miriam O'Reilly for ITV Tonight which, as the name suggests, is on ITV tonight. As Guest Who puts it in the open thread, it's time for offence-taking luvvies to "flounce up your engines" again. Which bit do you think the twitterati will get most angry about? The references to well paid non-jobs? The phrase "mincingly camp"? The bit about lesbians, or Asians, or pensioners? Should be fun. [Gets popcorn]TODAY'S SERMON...
However, the geological record provides irrefutable evidence that dramatic climate fluctuations have occurred throughout our planet's history. Indeed, over the past 50 years, the Antarctic Peninsula has warmed by an alarming 2.8C, faster than any other part of the world. So, if this warming were to continue unabated, could an emerald Antarctica be reborn?
Of course, Antarctica has been warm in the past, and may be so again. And indeed, it supported lush life forms, as Mr Falcon-Lang testifies, so what's the problem? But to suggest that such warming may happen imminently and catastrophically - as is clearly the intention here - is tommyrot. It ignores that Mr O’Donnell has provided in the past few days utterly convincing evidence that the warming statistics for the Antarctic peninsula has been rigged. Mr Falcon-Lang ignores too, that all the evidence points tothat the Antarctic ice mass is pretty much constant, rather than receding. This is a BBC man preaching an alarmist sermon and nothing else counts.OPEN THREAD...
>> WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 09, 2011
The fragrant (flagrant?) Ms Fiona Fox has had her say about Peter Sissons; time for a new thread to express your views about matters of BBC bias. Have fun!Stormy Weather
Friday, 11 February 2011
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