Monday 27 May 2019

The Latest Bank Holiday Weekend Open Thread


Theresa May may have stepped out onto Downing Street the other day and sobbed at the thought of the previous (magnificently-filled) open thread being replaced by a vigorous new open thread...


...but, chin up Theresa. Being replaced isn't all bad. Onwards and upwards. Fresh Welsh mountains to walk up, etc.

And, thus: Thank you as ever for your support and thoughtful comments.

30 comments:

  1. I had given my life to that ...er...previous...gulp...threa..d...and I-I-I- now find a ne..ew...er.. threa...d has been started...I'm sorry I can't go on...wah-wah!...it's not fair...it wasn't me... it was Julie who said we should run through the wheatfield!!! wah-wah...!!!!!! (Pause. Sobbing subsides.)

    Sorry. Let me compose myself. I meant to say...it now falls on me to pass the baton on to a new generation who will make of this thread what they will, however knowing in their hearts that the posts I laid down in the previous thread are the true template for all time and that nothing they can possibly say will undo my sage thoughts on that previous thread.

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  2. I know most people aren't following US politics too much but it is incredible that the BBC News website is NOT reporting anything on Trump's decision to declassify EVERYTHING on the Russian probe...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsaYPVDDo0g

    How can the BBC not report on this!?!

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    1. It's because Australian and UK secret services are just about to be implicated in the attempt to remove a US presidential candidate.
      Search for Mark Steyn's interviews with George Popadopoulos - very revealing.

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    2. Yes I saw that Mark Steyn interview with GP - was very illuminating about what was going on.

      But isn't it incredible the complete lack of interest shown in all this by the UK Media?

      When you think about this story had got it all: spies, CIA, MI5, billionaires, Trump, Russia, honey traps, the lot...The sort of stuff that would have a proper journalist salivating and actually writing stories. But nope...we don't have proper journalists anymore.

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    3. "But isn't it incredible the complete lack of interest shown in all this by the UK Media?"

      ....not really, no.

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    4. It's hard to find now ('hidden in Hawaii'? 'buried in Brooklyn'?), but there is a BBC website piece about it dated the 24 May:

      Trump orders new powers for Attorney General's surveillance probe

      Newssniffer shows the previous versions of it. The latest one adds an 'analysis' by Anthony Zurcher, but is mostly some editor correcting the grammatical mistakes of another BBC reporter!

      intelligence gathering becomes intelligence-gathering

      Earlier this month Mr Barr assigned  becomes Earlier this month, Mr Barr assigned

      the head of intelligence agencies becomes the heads of intelligence agencies

      The report concluded that Russia had interfered in the 2016 presidential election "in sweeping and systematic fashion" but did not find there had been a criminal conspiracy between them and the Trump campaign becomes The report concluded that Russia had interfered in the 2016 presidential election "in sweeping and systematic fashion" but did not find there had been a criminal conspiracy between Moscow and the Trump campaign.

      a previously-released summary becomes a previously released summary

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    5. Well I looked yesterday evening and it wasn't there! You can't see it on the US-Canada page...It's a long article but they must have disappeared it after 5 seconds and they didn't put it on the home page for news.

      When is a report not a report?

      Something fishy about this.

      Of course the article itself is opaque and biased. It's very strange to say the Mueller report "did not find there had been a criminal conpsiracy between Moscow and the Trump campaign." Why the negative verb? They are just trying to keep the embers of doubt burning.

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    6. I think we really are in 'Buried in Berkshire' territory here, yet again. Wonder if Zurch appreciated having his pearls of wisdom hidden away?

      (I tried for a similar 'Buried' phrase for US states but, alas, none begin with the letter B. 'Buried in Brooklyn' doesn't really do it for me).

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    7. It's now visible on the UK-Canada page. But well below "Alabama sued over extreme abortion ban" and a race-hustling story about a school visit to a Museum (from "Rozina Sini" - yet another US-based BBC reporter it would seem).

      BTW the US-Canada no longer has the longer book promotions, sorry articles, from the likes of Sopel, Zurcher, Kay and Grant. So they have even less work to do. In fact they must go for weeks on end without doing anything at all, just letting the keen cub reporters write up the race hustle, abortion stories. They aren't wanted on BBC News to do reports about the investigations into the Democrat conspiracy in the CIA, FBI and DoJ.

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  3. The BBC News website pictures always give the game away. In the lead story this morning, 'Race to be new prime minister begins', show flattering photos of Jeremy Hunt and Esther McVey, but an unflattering one of BJ scowling set against a black background. There's a neutral photo of Rory Stewart for 'balance'.

    Guido's runners and riders shows EV and RS with precious little support. He makes it a two horse race between BJ and Dominic Raab. Maybe the game is to lend support to DB - but let's not rush our fences.

    Picture editors must be given strict instructions as to what nuances (bias to you and me) should be applied to any given story.

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    1. And so it begins. They have been doing their best to damage Boris already today with quotes from Robert Buckland ( who is he?) clearly talking about Boris negatively and disparagingly whilst not mentioning his name. They quoted Rory Stewart saying he couldn’t serve under Boris if he pursued a no deal Brexit. And Amber Rudd too. Everything BBC wise seems focused on Boris and nothing positive is being reported.

      On BBC News last night they made a point with graphic to say that the PM is elected by 120,000 Conservative members, who are mostly male, middle class and with an average age of 57.

      Why broadcast that - as an interesting fact or to create division and rancour amongst the electorate?

      They know exactly what they are doing and why.

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    2. Yeah, Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader by mad Marxists, deranged anti-semites, naive fools and gross hypocrites. They don't tell you that do they? :)

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  4. What Emily thinks:

    "EMILY MAITLIS

    Back to Black by Kehinde Andrews has made me reassess my view of reparations for slavery. I used to think the idea of compensation seemed bizarre, undeliverable and risked reinforcing victimhood. It has become a live issue in the US among democrats in the 2020 presidential race, and through Kehinde I’ve started thinking about it more dispassionately and with greater openness and curiosity. I actually felt the shift happening. "

    And here is the wise Kehinde, subsidised in academia by our taxes, being all objective and academic...

    https://twitter.com/kehinde_andrews?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

    He thinks all the Conservative Party candidates are racist.

    He's inspired by Malcolm X...such a great role model. Malcolm X let us remember celebrated the deaths of 120 white people in a plane crash as a great blessing from Allah. See this Wikipedia page for details:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_France_Flight_007

    The BBC also consider Malcolm X a good role model and never mention this horrendous "celebration".

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    1. Our Em virtue-signalling in the Guardian!

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    2. 'Thinking more dispassionately and with greater openness and curiosity.'

      Well now, there's an idea. Why don't you try it on Newsnight?

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    3. Emily has shown her love for the US and in particular The Democrats numerous times on her many jaunts across the pond. I really struggle to understand most BBC journalists love affair with the US and the equal loathing and distaste for the UK. Surely it’s not the politics? Or are they still in love with the American Dream?

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    4. Yes, Arne I've remarked on the love-hate relationship many times. Like many a smug lefty, they hate the place but can't get enough of it. Emily always looks deliriously happy when there. The N American postings are so coveted that the BBC has had to create numerous fake jobs there in order to sate the desires of the BBC staff. I suppose once they get there, it's party time - they probably get automatic invites to the left-PC-Democrat-tech billionaire circuit.

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  5. News from last night's far right Fox News with Tucker Carlson - unfortunately for the BBC etc, more like an InfoWars from 10 years ago. Who's the liberal ?

    From 16'06"
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ojLYSPQRAA

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    1. Unfortunately youtu.be says this video has been "removed by the user". Anyone know which day's show this link refers to??

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    2. Try this :

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfmgOqSzkDI

      Carlson interviews Col. Douglas Macgregor.

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  6. Chris Mason says on the main news tonight that there has been a row over Brexit involving the Leadership candidates.

    Meanwhile, the website report says there has been a clash between candidates over no deal.

    That all seems a bit of overly dramatic reporting by the BBC.

    By inciting and provoking candidates this early on we might conclude that they are deliberately trying to stir things up to create genuine conflict and disquiet about no-deal.

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    1. I'm not sure - I think there is a full scale war taking place...indicative itself of just how desperate the Remainers are to stop Brexit - they don't care if they tear apart the Conservative Party in the process.

      Judging from the press previews, the UK MSM has launched its offensive against Boris working on several fronts.

      There is the "no deal will be a catastrophe" front, led by Hancock and Stewart with Slimy Stewart reporting a private conversation to suggest Boris is a liar. Meanwhile, treacherous backstabbers Gove and Leadsom are working in tandem to knock out Boris.

      The idea is to surround and bombard him non stop in the hope he cracks before he can break out into the Membership election.

      Meanwhile traps are being laid for him in the event of his election. First one is that he will have been "elected by a tiny minority of white, aged Brexit extremists". In other words the MSM will work hard to delegitimise his Premiership from the get-go. Second, I would expect the Blair conspirators to be looking for a Gina Miller style legal intervention to prevent no deal exit.

      It's all desperate stuff and the future of the nation hangs on it.

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  7. This is the Conservatives' last chance. If they take down Boris on his way to the Premiership, the Party will die. In fact there would be a very strong chance I would think that Boris would leave the Conservatives and join the Brexit Party, taking with him maybe 50 MPs and precipitating a General Election.

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    1. The still don’t get it. Dominic Grieve was on this morning saying parliament will stop a no deal Brexit. He is the go to man for the BBC, along with Heseltine and Clarke. All thee of them are ‘has beens’ but are all too happy bask in the BBC limelight and trot out the BBC narrative on cue. One call from the producer and the come running. When offered a titbit of national exposure they perform like clapping seals.

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    2. Yep Heseltine was on BH this morning, even though he's well into his dotage and often gets confused. Paddy O'Connell was happily reading off the illegally paid for Greenpeace activist anti-Brexit posters with their selective out-of-context quotes from leading Brexiters. Paddy sounded like he was enjoying himself. I've never heard him once reference the lies, misleading statements and nonsense that came from Remainers. Not once.

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  8. Mark Mardell plugging the "purist" line again. Steve Baker is supposeldy the "purist" candidate.

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    1. Yes, I spotted that too (as you'll see).

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  9. Pure as the driven snow... driven over an opencast coal mine into a toxic waste lagoon.

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  10. "OK Huwie luv, let's just run through it one more time...it's funereal expression and sneery lip for the Brexit Party results but hopeful light in the eyes plus pleasurable lip-quiver for the Greens' results. OK luv...try and remember...it's important. And whenever you say "Farage" imagine you've just stepped into a dog turd on the pavement - that should help. "

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