Saturday 24 October 2015

"Rich Nations of Europe 2: Wretched of the Earth 3"



Talking about talking about From Our Own Correspondent...

Jon Don's award-friendly piece from the Philippines was preceded by the latest FOOC pieces by BBC Central Europe correspondent Nick Thorpe - another blog favourite (and now a regular on FOOC). His fine writing - and even finer BBC bias (advocating the refugee {migrant} cause) - has been outlined here quite a few times recently.  

His piece today focused on the plight of refugees (migrants) passing through Slovenia, and Nick Thorpe has to be given his due here. Of all the recent reporting pushing a wholly sympathetic view of the refugees (migrants) this was the most compelling because it was so well-written and so intelligently put. Even I was drawn in. 

Unlike Fergal Keane's pieces, it avoided obvious mawkishness whilst achieving the same effects as obvious mawkishness - making you feel for the refugees (migrants) and all people with missing families (mothers, children, fathers and grandparents). 

Of course, it wasn't impartial. It was on the side of the refugees (migrants) facing the cold of the approaching European winter and a turn in the European mood against them. 

As a sampler, please just try this quote from the piece:
This whole refugee crisis sometimes seems to me like a football match. Rich Nations of Europe 2: Wretched of the Earth 3.
Now that's hardly an unloaded way of putting it, is it? 

None of the report was unloaded really.

4 comments:

  1. Designer jeans, slogan T shirts, smart phones, fast inflatables...hardly the "wretched of the Earth".

    ReplyDelete
  2. Off topic:

    Did you hear Anita Anand refer to Heidi Allen's speech as "bombastic"? Either she doesn't know what it means or that was surely a very partial opinion.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it surprised me so much at the time that I wrote it down: "Yes, there was a very bombastic maiden speech there - you referred to it".

      So that's Heidi Allen offended - and that's before she got to Alex Deane of Conservative Home/The Telegraph and 'Dateline London' and asked, "Did you see there was an article written by somebody called Alex Deane this morning...?"

      "Somebody called Alex Deane"!

      Delete
    2. He doesn't look the sort to let such a slight pass over him unnoticed.

      Delete

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