Saturday 19 October 2019

October Open Thread



"Oh, Lord Hall, I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn’t it?" 

Indeed, though I could do with fewer blustery showers at the moment. 

Thank you for your continued support and comments. 

98 comments:

  1. In case anyone hasn't seen this, Douglas Murray in conversation with Candice Owens:
    https://www.prageru.com/video/the-candace-owens-show-douglas-murray/

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    1. Candace is excellent. A media natural, if she were anti-Trump she would be all over the BBC and Jon Sopel would be singing her praises. I will take a look. Thanks!

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  2. ADLER WATCH:

    Katya loves Costa!!!

    "Antonio Costa did it again! He may not have won an outright majority in Portugal but centre-left parties elsewhere in Europe (France, Germany, Austria ..) would love some if what he’s having"

    Can anyone imagine a Katya Tweet beginning:

    "Viktor Orban's done it again!" (He's achieved three landslide victories in a row - probably an unrivalled achievement in Europe...while GDP growth has been huge and Hungary has stopped mass immigration.)

    You see, this is the difference between Katya and me. I've no problem if the Portugese want to elect Antonio Costa as their leader but she has a problem with Hungarians want to elect Viktor Orban as their leader.

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    1. And this is why I call Katya Adler the Chief Press Officer for the EU in the UK:

      https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1179725592083738624.html

      Nine tweets and not even the merest suggestion that the EU rather than having a set of adamantine principles might have a set of clever negotiating positions. Of course unpatriotic Remainers in the UK (and all BBC presenters are Remainers - even John Humphrys and Andrew Neil were!) back those negotiating positions because they prefer the EU to the UK.

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  3. Others may find then interesting:

    Nigel Farage in conversation with Rod Liddle.

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

    I'm just starting on it...but thought I would pass it on as it sounds v. interesting.

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    1. then = this

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    2. Can certainly recommend it!

      Absolutely fascinating discussion between two of our best commentators/players on the political scene.

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

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  4. At least Katya has yet to wear a Costa beanie... or has she (views her own)?

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  5. The love affair continues...

    Nick says: "Agree with Rory or disagree with him he made politics a whole lot more interesting."

    https://twitter.com/bbcnickrobinson/status/1180031299475648512

    Nope, Nick. I disagree with Rory and I don't think he made politics the slightest bit more interesting. He just made me think "Why is this nonentity with vapid opinions been touted by the likes of Nick Robinson and his BBC mates as the best thing since sliced bread? Er - obs 'cos he's a REMAINIAC and has absolutely no intention of getting us out of the EU in any meaningful sense."

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  6. Oh well, the EU mask has finally slipped. They have at last made clear we are not allowed to leave the EU.

    I hope that during an election campaign, if we are allowed an election by Lady Hale and the Remainerites, all this will become clear - that the EU will only give us a "deal" on the basis of us remaining in the EU through the Customs Union.
    So No Deal it must be.

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    1. As this news broke, the BBC were ready lining up Benn, IFS spokesman, BBC Europe correspondent and others to pour scorn on Boris Johnson. In the BBC world, Boris is to blame. It's only the likes of Benn and Bercow who can save the day. Benn was speaking confidently about another extension - no-one asked what use that would be.

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    2. Government has played it well though. We are constantly being told to forget the war and then a German Chancellor makes a territorial demand on the UK. That's going to cut through.

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  7. I never watch the BBc, but am convinced I saw a male presenting or reporting on one of their sports shows recently! I was probably mistaken. I also recently saw a UFO and Elvis in an allotment.

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    1. Must be purgatory for some of these male sports presenters. Heard Rob Bonnet this morning being forced to drone on for ages about women in cricket.

      I don't believe there's a "boom" in women's cricket. There's just the usual stuff the degenderisers get up to , like playing safer, dumbed down versions of the game, giving schools and clubs money to play the game and the media echoing the dodgy claims of interested parties. I'd say the number of heterosexual women who play cricket is probably in the tens or hundreds around the country.

      And yet Radio 4 gives over acres of broadcasting time to publicising what are very minority pursuits.

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  8. H/T to Dover Sentry "on the other channel". Rees-Mogg asking liar Guy Verhofstadt the questions the BBC, ITV and Sky never ask him...watch Guy wriggle uncomfortably.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=180&v=I4w7W-rduZ8

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  9. Probably best never to admire anyone except those few deserving persons long dead of proven worth and wisdom...

    Seems Jordan Peterson has checked into rehab to deal with his addiction to psychoactive medication...

    https://nypost.com/2019/09/20/jordan-peterson-enters-rehab-after-wifes-cancer-diagnosis/

    Also wasn't too impressed watching Dominic Cummings' speech about how brilliant he is at campaigning! That was a bit worrying. But I'll take that back if we exit on 31 Oct!

    And Bojo seemed to have dropped his filly standards when he went consorting with the flakey pole dancer woman.

    Gove disappointed me long ago with the back stabbing.

    Jacob Rees-Mogg voted for May's horrifically bad Withdrawal Agreement on its last outing in the Commons.

    I'm only thankful I never rated David Miliband - who gets £750,000 for heading up an international humanitarian organisation (which, come to think of it, never seems to do much except provide a platform for David Miliband).

    Yes, make not idols of men, or women for that matter.

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  10. People on "the other channel" are saying BBC are suppressing the news today that Bercow has been holding talks with the President of the EU Parliament on how to stop a no deal Brexit, or more accurately I would surmise how to stop Brexit. I've checked and can't find anything either...

    It would be typical of the BBC to underplay such an important news item or even censor it entirely. Wouldn't be the first time.

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    1. The words of the President of the EU Parliament are a matter of public record - they are there in black and white. I would put these talks high on the list of newsworthy events of critical significance to the BBC audience.

      If we were concerned about Bercow bending the rules in parliament to accommodate the Benn Act, we should be alarmed when he goes behind the back of Boris Johnson. He should resign forthwith if he wishes to retain a shred of dignity.

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  11. I hope that if Speaker Bercow is, with BBC encouragement, put forward as a caretaker PM for a Remainer government, that Boris will address the nation pointing out Bercow's early involvement in the racist and imperialist quasi-fascist anti-immigrant Monday Club and read out some of the views he expressed back then.

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    1. MEP Belinda de Lucy had her say in the EU Parliament questioning the President's right to engage in talks with Bercow:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdBjOtPlp-A

      I don't suppose BBC News will report on this.

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    2. The BBC Newspapers review:

      ... 'The UK will only be allowed a Brexit extension if the time is used for a new referendum or a general election, according to the Daily Telegraph. The paper says David Sassoli, president of the European Parliament, stated as much during a debate in Brussels on Wednesday.' ...

      Hmmm. Tricky!

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    3. The traitors know their treachery will be found out in a General Election which is why they are now conspiring to introduced a "rigged rerun" so called Second Referendum offering people a choice between Remain and May's Abject Surrender Deal.

      Boris must simply say he and the Conservative Party will never accept a rigged rerun. They should ask for a mass boycott of any rigged rerun. When the election comes they should campaign to implement the 2016 Referendum in full within 12 months having first undone any legislation whatsoever that flows from the rigged rerun.

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  12. :::::NEWSNIGHT WATCH:::::

    The BBC is a principled organisation that stands against neo-colonial wars in far flung parts of the world with people whose cultures diverge from our own...except when it's President Trump who doesn't want to engage in such wars...then failing to undertake such wars is a sign obviously of imbecilic and immoral leadership. :)

    Who shall we consult for a view of this from an American perspective? Well of course a special appointee of President Obama... who else for heaven's sake?

    Oh good - David Miliband now on...International Rescue to the rescue...Worth every pount of the £750,000.

    Wasn't Dave "Bent Banana" Miliband all for war in the Middle East?

    DM talking about the terrible conflict in Syria...did I imagine it or wasn't David Miliband 100% all for the so-called "Arab Spring" (AKA "Muslim Brotherhood Revolt"? The West, the USA, the EU and the UK all fomented the civil war in Syria. That was an incredibly irresponsible thing to do when anyone could see what seething hatreds would be unleashed in that country.

    David Miliband talking about an age of impunity when "national borders are no longer sacrosanct"!!! This from a guy who supported Merkel in her border-defying Million Migrant Madness.

    Emily then shoehorns in a question about the Harry Dunn case...any excuse to get a bit of Trump-bashing in.

    Watatwat that Miliband is...close run thing with his bro as to whom is the greater twat.


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  13. ::::NEWSNIGHT WATCH PT 2::::

    Emily goes for broke:

    "Which one (who) was the Prime Minister lying to?"

    Or if you prefer "When did you last beat your wife?"

    Is Emily thick or mendacious? I'm now going with thick...she probably believes this crap she comes out with unlike the political sharks.

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  14. ::::NEWSNIGHT WATCH PT 3::::

    Emily pushing the second referendum.

    BTW I find "confirmatory vote" as used by Margot James and Emily Maitlis - both Remainers - as offensive as mad Labourites find "Surrender Act". Does that mean I can report them to the Police?

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  15. ::::NEWSNIGHT WATCH PT 4::::

    Tom Brake - I always think of Hammer Horror Films when he comes on, for some reason...

    Emily getting in her "balancing" questions...nothing challenging like "Why did Jo Swinson support an in-out Referendum back?"

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  16. Have we mentioned the EU president (who knows which one I think there’s 5?) and Bercow? It’s not showing as a headline on my BBC app. Imagine if it was Farage talking to Putin!

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    1. Yep - I referred to the apparent lack of BBC reporting on this. Of course it might be tucked away under "Brussels Local News" somewhere on the BBC website...

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  17. There is apparently a hashtag #Investigate Bercow.

    Anyone on Twitter: suggest you bring up again his racist anti-immigration past in the "Monday Club" as a young politician. Some mumbled apologies as a private individual are not enough. Surely he needs to apologise for his racist past now as Speaker, formally to the House, accepting fully he was previously racist and inciting hatred against migrants. Once he's done that before the House, the House can decide whether to accept the apology...

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  18. Just heard Norman smith on R4 News noting that the Saturday sitting of parliament will coincide with “another MASSIVE people’s vote March”.

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    1. Yes. Norman Smith: "Mr. Johnson's Brexit strategy appears to be facing a moment of reckoning, the drama of which is likely to be heightened by the fact that next Saturday's session of Parliament will coincide with another massive People's Vote demonstration on the streets of London".

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    2. Our Norm didn't sound best pleased on having to report that Varadkar and Johnson saw a pathway to a deal...definitely not what the doctor ordered. Norm pronounced crabbily that a pathway is not a landing strip...true, true, undeniably true Norm but you're the one mixing the metaphors. Try this aphorism on for size: giving someone both barrels, as opposed to just the one, is not an exercise in impartiality.

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  19. Presumably the BBC political editors and BBC enviro Editors can meet at the interface. Maybe Pret or Macdonalds?

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    1. It's certain that XR and People's Vote will not protest on the same day - there won't be enough lib-lefts to go around.

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  20. I am outraged that an anti-democratic pro-pauperisation death cult* should be offered a seat at the Question Time table when perfectly reasonable commentators and actors on the public scene like Tommy Robinson, Anne Marie Waters, Robin Tilbrook among others never get an invite.

    * Extinction Rebellion Nutjob Alliance.

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  21. Are the BBC embarrassed by the love-in between Varadkar and Johnson? Clearly not in the script. So might explain why 13 minutes was spent on the Turkish incursion into Syria as the first item.


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    1. If you listened to Today this morning for the interview with James Clapper and report from Orla Guerlin, you'd think it was President Trump who had attacked the Kurds in Syria. I heard no criticism of Erdogan.

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    2. Erdogan...the Muslim Brotherhood guy who wants to restore the Caliphate - just like his IS pals. Erdogan, the guy who made clear it is Turkey that governs the migrant tap to the EU, not the EU.

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  22. Can't remember the BBC being much interested in gymnastics on their main news programmes in the past unless there was a British star involved...but American Simone Biles gets the full Serena Williams treatment for some reason I can't quite fathom. :)

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  23. ::::NEWSNIGHT WATCH::::

    A slightly chastened Egregious Emma hosting tonight...not so snidey as normal. I think the Varadkar-Johnson love-in has unnerved the BBC Hive...they probably need to read tomorrow's Guardian to see what to think.

    On to another bit of shit-stirring by Deborah Cohen.
    Is it just me or do you get the impression as well that Deborah Cohen couldn't manage a GP surgery, let alone a General Hospital and yet she gets to pose as someone with specialist knowledge of how hospitals work.

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    1. https://drnmblog.wordpress.com/2018/11/30/bbc-panorama-and-bmj-journalist-deborah-cohens-false-claims-to-be-a-registered-medical-doctor/

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    2. Wow! That's an eye opener!! I think 99% of the public if they saw her website would conclude she was a medically qualified doctor registered with the GMC - or as the public would say "a proper doctor". If she's so concerned about the public needing to know she is "medically qualified" (because of potential conflicts of interest) - her absurd justification for prominently referring to her Dr status and medical qualification - why doesn't she call herself Dr. Deborah Cohen on Newsnight?

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  24. Gutfeld on American MSM's repetition obsession...

    This will all be v. familiar to us through the BBC.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAWJa0VMyl4

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  25. Although I favour a clean break Brexit, should Boris achieve a deal with the EU that still allows us to reach FTAs with other countries as we see fit, I will rather enjoy watching the faces of the BBC and other MSM pundits, the Soubrys and Grieves of this world and the Labour Marxist clique.

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  26. ::::NEWSNIGHT WATCH::::

    Mark Urban - so much less eye-rolling, virtue signalling and hectoring than with the leading ladies.

    Obviously a lot of discomfort around in the MSM about Boris making progress in negotiations with the EU. :)

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  27. Heard a rant from Jon Sopel this morning - either on Today or earlier on World Service - in which he seemed to be reaching near hysteria - Trump Derangement Syndrome seems well named. It was worse even than Norman Smith in one of his bouncing up and down performances in Downing Street. I couldn't see any Sopel bouncing but he definitely sounded like a man who could not contain himself. Perhaps he did achieve 'lift off' unseen by the listener or the editor yanked him out of there before he went berserk.

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    1. Tut-tut. Only right wing populists can have "rants" according to the BBC.

      Leftists and liberals like Jon (ex chair of his university Labour Club) are always "impassioned", "gutsy", "fiery", or "brave" - or possibly all four in the same quote.

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  28. BBC doing what it does best, or at least likes to do ...trying to prove a Conservative Party spokeperson was lying.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-politics-49988057?ocid=socialflow_twitter&ns_campaign=bbcnews&ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter

    Isn't it amazing that they would spend so much time over this - a throwaway remark on QT...

    Forsyth was making really a polemical point - that there was no need for the Irish border to become an issue. It has been in the interests of the EU and the Republic to make it so.

    But since, the article travels back in time to address how this issue was referenced in the 2016 campaign, I find it remarkable that it doesn't mention that the then Teashock (why do we have to call the Irish PM by his Gaelic name, we don't indulge Italian, French and Indian prime ministers in such a way? - and I can't be bothered to look the spelling up) went touring the UK in OUR referendum campaigning on behalf of REMAIN. Yes, it's called foreign interference in our democracy but the BBC don't care about that.

    Another thing I found remarkable was that this BBC, as proof of what went on in Question Time, links not to I Player or another BBC article, but Remainiac anti-Brexit website inews - the Independent online presence!

    It's almost as if someone at inews got on the phone to their mate at BBC Northern Ireland and asked them to do a story on this...

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  29. What if they can't stop us? What if the 17.4 million got augmented by several million sick of the denial of democracy and the underhand tactics of Remainers?

    What if Boris gets us out of the EU by the skin of our teeth? Not on a perfect clear cut exit but on a deal which is a definitely still Brexit...Imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth among the lib-left MSM community (ie 99% of reporters, news gatherers and presenters)!

    What if this is the BBC's worst nightmare?

    What if, as a result of our smooth exit from the EU udner Boris as PM, millions wake up to how they have been lied to by Ian Hislop, Emily Maitlis, Emma Barnet, Nick Robinson, Kevin McGuire, Rachel Sylvester, Benedict Cumberbatch, all the Labour Party ...I could go on!

    What if? Eh? Then we might see a real populist revolt. People might begin to realise that the BBC is a font of lies and distortion. We might be able to halt the BBC's partisan propaganda. We might be able to change the mood of our society from one geared to welfare dependency, claims of mental ill health, suppression of free opinion and general pessimism to one that promotes resilience, self-realisation, free speech and a can-do attitude to life.

    We might be able to look forward to a much brighter future for all our citizens. :)

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  30. I don't think its much of a 'what if' with regards to their worst nightmare MB.
    I'd like to see a reworking of Mr Kipling's poem - any offers?

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    1. If you can choose the news when all about you

      Are losing their free speech and blaming it on you...

      If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

      But make sure you suppress their doubting too;

      If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

      Or being found out for your dealing in lies,

      Always hating while pretending you hate hate

      And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

      Then you'll be presenting for the BBC my friend.

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    2. Wonderful. Thank you MB.

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  31. It's a Sunday so I am still thinking about that edition of Countryfile where their did their item "Danger, far right extremists in the British countryside"
    where they went to the website of a tiny Britophilic organisation and said look these guys have had 2 or 3 meetings at countryside monuments here's their videos"

    WTF it would be extremely racist and prejudiced to say 'here is a black mans walking group, some black men have been rapists, so such black groups should be banned from the countryside'
    Yes. occasionally some nutter decides to attack some one cos of their skin colour and that is not right, but it seems to me to be extremely prejudiced to say someone is a danger just cos they are Britophile.
    Furthermore segment presented no evidence that that organiser was going around beating people up or anything.

    Then yesterday I look at the Channel4 Twitter account
    and there it is proudly declaring that it has hired @galdemzine an organisation which is only comprised exclusively of "women and non-binary people of colour"
    "to curate a Black British History collection on #All4. New short films on the theme of 'Black Britain' "

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    1. Sounds very racist to exclude 90% of the country on the grounds of skin colour and gender.

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  32. Rod on the Brendan Show
    https://www.spiked-online.com/podcast-episode/you-cant-talk-about-brexit-without-using-the-word-betrayal/

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  33. Never give a populist an even break...that's BBC Rule No. 1 at the moment.

    Evan Davis on the Evan Davis Show sounded pretty cross that the Law and Justice Party had done so well in Poland...second term with the highest ever % vote since the communists. He interviewed Insanely Remainiac Anti-Trump Clintonist Anne Appelbaum (don't think he introduced her as such though...probably)...don't be downcast Evan, she seemed to say, they didn't do as well as some expected...and anyway they cheated by pursuing popular welfare policies - that's not fair is it?...and they would have done better were it not for their policy of taming interventionist judges (hmmm...interventionist judges - now where have we come across them before?), which kind of proves they weren't popular even though won by a landslide.

    BBC: quality news and views.

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    1. I noticed how she (the wife of a former Polish foreign sectretary from the opposition Civic Platform party - unmentioned by Evan) didn't even try to pretend to be fair and impartial when describing Law and Justice's success in the Polish elections but went all "devil's advocate" when it came to describing the imprisoning of Catalan seperatist politicians - so "devil's advocate" that she basically couldn't stop putting just one side of the argument (the anti-Catalan, pro-Spanish side). She should join the BBC forthwith!

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  34. ::::NEWSNIGHT WATCH::::

    I am absolutely outraged at Emily Maitlis's comment that Turkey sending 3 million plus migrants to Europe would be a "punishment". How so? We all know (from the BBC) that all migration is a blessing, adding hugely to our economic productivity but more, much more, that mass immigration from Muslim countries is even better, hugely improving the diversity and general well being of European countries.

    I trust that Ofcom will sanction her.

    So, on to a balanced discussion. Katy Balls, writer for the Guardian, and Jonathan Freedland, writer for the Guardian.

    Big push for the second referendum.

    So why is she calling it a "punishment"?

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    1. "Punishment" is listening to her constantly interrupting. She never shut up. It's 'The Emily Maitlis Show'.

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  35. Prince William on Pakistan:

    "We share unique bonds and so it will always be in our best interests for Pakistan to succeed."

    My observations:

    1. Princes William and Harry by becoming "pontificators" have made it impossible for us to know when they are expressing their opinions and when they are reading a government-approved script.
    Prince William intervened early on in the EU Referendum debate with a speech that was widely regarded as a pro EU membership speech. Given what we know Cameron did with the Queen re the Scottish Independence Referendum, we might imagine Cameron encouraging William to make those comments.

    2. Really, Will? Is it really in our interests to see a country that describes itself in its official title as an "Islamic Republic" and therefore one dedicated by definition to the creation of a global Caliphate achieve great success? Will it help the people in Pakistan who are so horrifically abused, discriminated against and exploted - the minority Hindus and Sikhs, the minority Christians, women and gays? Will it help them if the Islamic Republic becomes even more powerful? Will it help World Peace if the Islamic Republic builds up its military and nuclear arsenal? Remember Pakistan, after stealing nuclear weaponry secrets from the West, exported its nuclear technology all around the world to places like Iran, Libya and North Korea.

    [Accidentally posted in the Nick Robinson thread - meant to post it here!]

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    1. Following in Daddy's footsteps as earnest pontificators.
      I expect it was given to William by the Foreign Office to read out.
      Harry seems to have gone off the rails and taken to reading out earnest claptrap written by his wife - wilful pontificators both.

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  36. I think this is an important post from StewGreen over on "the other channel"...

    QUOTE:

    “The Commonwealth has broken up”
    Well that is what Kofi_Smiles of Radio Humberside just said on his live trailer at 6:53pm
    Tonight his show is about “Black History that often gets lost”
    “The majority of African countries, specifically West African countries are no longer in the Commonwealth
    .. A lot of people think that because the Commonwealth has broken up there isn’t a relationship behind the scenes, but there is a lot going on
    .. it really captures people’s attention when you tell’em this stuff.. so from 8pm …. “

    Absolute tosh The Commonwealth is basically the same as always
    Out of 53 African countries most were never in the C/W
    19 are today
    Apart from Zim, the last change was in 1995 when Mozambique joined
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07p7whl UNQUOTE

    This might not appear earth-shattering but if accurate this would seem to show the BBC moving from bias, distortion and gross manipulation into territory that can only be called "outright lies". But of course these outright lies are being presented as fact. It doesn't matter whether the presenter is acting out of malice or ignorance, the point is that the BBC should have systems in place to prevent such horrendous inaccuracies, but of course the narrative here is something the BBC would like...

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  37. Also on the other channel...

    Peter Sausages nails it:

    "Have you noticed how they are now using the phrase Boris Johnson's Government, bet if old Wurzel was in power it would be The Government."

    That's a very perceptive comment! No doubt - they'd probably even call it "Her Majesty's Government" if Corbyn got in, just to cow the whole populace!

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  38. Not BBC, Channel 4, but could be quite easily.

    There was discussion on Channel 4 News with the double Booker Prize winners...

    Quite a long discussion and I don't think they once discussed plot, characters, motivation, narrative style or anything else directly related to literature.

    It was all about race, politics, hate crime and "our divided society" - in short "virtue signalling".

    We've gone back in time to the Victorian era when books used to be commended for their moral rectitude and didactic "improving" effect. Books now have to confirm the truth of PC ideology and persuade readers to adopted PC attitudes to gender, race, religion, politics, borders and so on. Writers of little imagination or skill are more than happy to oblige the New Puritans, as a shortcut to a successful career, churning out dull books.

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    1. And it's the same with art. Will Gomphertz, the BBC Arts Editor, rarely speaks about technique or content - just about subject (which is usually an attack upon ...attitudes to gender, race, religion, politics, borders and so on.... your list MB), PC ideology and funding - don't forget the funding: Will is always keen to let us know about its source because in his mind this is crucially important - usually derived from some 'worthy' set-up - ie a PC compliant source or other.

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    2. Yes, Arthur, you might put funding under "process" - that's another thing they are concerned about. The discussion I referred to on Channel 4 also referenced process - whether double or multiple prizes were a good idea and the way to go. Again, nothing to do with literature but everything to do with PC ideology ("all must have prizes").


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    3. Will Gomphertz rarely speaks about content or technique because he doesn't know anything about content or technique. The brutal truth is, he doesn't really know very much about art.

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  39. The judges broke the rules in order to give the prize to joint winners, specifically the rule that had been introduced to prohibit splitting the prize after it had been previously split. And look who is the head of the trustees they consulted before doing it - if it isn't achingly right-on Helena Kennedy. You couldn't make it up. Although they did!

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    1. Well, as we know from the EU and the Supreme Court, rules are only there to support policy and can be set aside whenever they conflict with policy. We're probably about to be reminded about that. :)

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    2. Afua Hirsch is one one the judges along with a bunch of cosmopolitain liberals
      Say no more

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    3. Afua Hirsch is an extremist who wants to tear down Nelson Column and presumably remove virtually every statue in London since they would nearly all be unacceptable on her definition of acceptability. Cromwell massacred Irish people, Churchill burned down Afghan villages, Gladstone was an imperialist,
      Florence Nightingale discriminated against black nurses, Vaughan Williams would have been exposed by MeToo, HG Wells believed primitive peoples needed to be wiped out and Charles Dickens argued for severe punishment for Jamaican freedom fighters... to name a few.

      I suppose we could always put up a statue of Afua Hirsh. She might accept that.

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  40. What are the BBC up to with the Harry Dunn story?

    Whist the death is tragic the BBC have reported way beyond it’s news value. They sent a reporter with the parents on the plane To US and reported widely today that they were ambushed by Pres. Trump.

    Was that the plan all along? Exploit the grieving family knowing there was a good chance to pin the blame on POTUS and create more damage.

    Surely the BBC would never be that cynical to further a key narrative of theirs.

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    1. This little ploy will backfire too.
      The lawyer is starting to remind me of Michael Avenatti (another victim of his own money grabbing ego).
      The parents have been guided down the wrong path and will, in my opinion, very soon run out of goodwill because of the lawyer.

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  41. "The US is facing intense criticism for withdrawing its forces from Syria, which some say..."

    I have no clear view on Trump / Syria but look at the construction of this sentence:

    "X is facing intense criticism for Y which some say..."

    I've read opening paragraphs like this on BBC 100's of times now.

    Why can't they stick to the facts!!?

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    1. If I was the PC BBC sub I'd amend that to read "intense criticism for its controversial decision to withdraw etc" The C word as in "controversial" always adds a little something.

      Delete
    2. Jon Sopel and Jeremy Bowen are laying the blame squarely on Trump for the Turkish invasion of N. Syria. Trump - rightly in my view - saying this battle is nothing to do with the US and he wants US troops of harms way.

      The BBC are always too ready in urging the US to police major conflicts and risk spilling blood of US soldiers. It is none of our business and definitely none of the BBCs business.

      I’ve had enough of their opinions in war zones.

      Of course they would never suggest the UK get involved or the proposed EU army. But US troops are always fair game especially if bogey man Putin is lurking nearby.

      Delete
  42. Latest Moon Of Alabama article on Syria :

    https://www.moonofalabama.org/2019/10/the-win-win-win-win-plan-for-syrias-northeast-succeeds.html#more

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  43. Don't like to intrude on personal grief but I am still awaiting Katya Adler to tweet an apology for all the times she told us that the EU would not countenance reopening negotiations or agreeing on something other than May's Abject Surrender deal.

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

    She now seems to be desperately hoping the EU Parliament will put a spanner in the works, which is a bit like exoecting a zombie to break into a sprint and run a new 100 m world record.

    The EU Parliament will do what it is told by Merkel and Macron.

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    1. I was just drafting a post about Katya, also risking intruding on private grief.

      Delete
  44. Such pleasures to be had today. On to Nick Robinson:

    https://twitter.com/bbcnickrobinson/status/1184786447934603265

    "At first sight this looks like a Win Win for @borisjohnson."

    Lol! Must have cost him something to type those words. :)

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  45. Chris Morris has excelled again in his latest parallel universe reality check about the Boris deal. It’s another Boris takedown where in Chris’s world, silly Boris has conceded and capitulated.

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    1. Morris is pathetic and completely underestimates the importance of the legal framework. If countries like Estonia and Ukraine had not been formally legally independent republics, they would have found it much more difficult to extricate themselves from the USSR. I think it is v. important that Northern Ireland will be part of the UK's customs territory and that the UK will not be part of a customs union.

      The deal is not perfect by any means - it seems to allow for some residual ECJ role, but that is less important if it is clear we are separating from the EU customs union.

      As I understand it, N Ireland will (so long as the Assembly in Stormont agrees) be a de facto member of the EU Customs union, but not a de jure one. So, those checks in the Irish Sea cannot be described as customs checks.

      I think you have to look at the bigger picture. Farage might be correct in his purism that this is not a clean break Brexit but then if this deal is rejected by Parliament we might get a clean break...But if Boris had not reached the agreement, we would have had Bercow as PM, an extension, a second referendum (rigged rerun) written into law and the strong possibility we would Remain in the UK. Millions of Conservatives would takes their votes to TBP, where they would be wasted, and we could see a Corbyn or McDonnell government.

      This way we do legally separate from the EU; we do have the possibility of returning to this at some future date; we do have the possibility at least of a wider populist advance (Nicky Morgan talking about possibly converting the TV licence into a BBC subscription is an example).

      Delete
  46. Politics is the art of the possible - what Farage wants is not possible at present in my view.

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  47. Thought I'd check out the Remainiac twitter accounts...

    You know how Remainers are always going on about the necessity of responsible language in politics and how we should tone everything down(yeah...right - lead by example, please)? Of course you are...we all remember the touching scenes of Labour MPs' hate-filled faces hurling abuse at our beloved Prime Minister. Well, bearing that in mind, here's how leading Guardian writer Marina Hyde, darling of the Remainiacs, references Boris's deal: it's "a**l r**e", as in the Deliverance movie.

    https://twitter.com/MarinaHyde/status/1184872964925394945

    I think the Remainiacs are straying into homophobic territory here, when they go on about what's going to happen to us post-Brexit, which for them would be probably just as frightening as it would be for city slickers straying into the Appalachian woods where bad things happen...

    I'm hoping some Guardian reader will do the responsible thing and report her for a hate crime to the relevant police service. :)

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  48. This is interesting :
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSH-x6DhfW0

    Rebel Media asks a few questions of Greta in Canada. Present at the session and quite obviously involved with Greta's small team is Rob Liddell - BBC producer / director, pictured here :

    https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/factual/stargazing-moon-landing-special-bbc2/5141269.article

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  49. BBC Politics Live was still presenting a united anti Brexit panel with Houghton and Sunderland South MP Bridget Phillipson passionately explaining to us how her constituents 'didn't understand what they were voting for' and 'many Leave voters have changed their minds'. Jo Coburn made no effort to question these patronising claims.

    My guess is that with Momentum threatening to have Labour MPs who might vote with the Boris Agreement deselected, a hint from Boris that if they vote his way he would delay a GE giving these snowflakes a little extra time to enjoy their tenure in the HoC, might sway them. The rationale would be that this is Corbyn's last stand. He is sure to go in one way or another. His dreams of heading a caretaker government are pie in the sky.

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    1. Fear not, WATO and Mark Mardell are doing their bit...they found an "expert" to declare that voting against Brexit in the Commons will not affect negatively the chances of Labour MPs in Leave constituencies getting re-elected. I'm not sure he said it would boost their vote, but he might well have done. The message was clear to all Labour MPs sitting on the fence...you won't have a soft landing.

      Delete
    2. In amongst the Guido comments, one reader suggests that Labour MPs voting in favour of Boris's Agreement will not have the whip removed. Momentum will probably have the say over selection in a GE. There's little for centre Labour MPs to lose if they won't be reselected anyway.

      Delete
  50. Re the deal, the BBC are stating as objective fact that "there will be customs checks on the Irish Sea, between Northern Ireland and Great Britain" - no qualification.

    This is a matter of interpretation. The deal states clearly that Northern Ireland will be part of the UK Customs Territory. Nowhere does it say that Northern Ireland will be part of the EU Customs Union (as say Turkey is).

    To call them "customs checks" with no qualification is a partisan move. Call them "administrative checks, which critics describe as amounting to customs checks", if you like.

    The BBC is clearly trying to encourage opposition to the agreement.

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  51. Ben Chu on Newsnight with a big Fake News item: referencing Treasury forecasts re Brexit as fact. No mention of the very real fact that the Treasury forecast an immediate recession in the event of a Brexit vote that never materialised - instead, we got richer as an economy.

    Of course there are no official forecasts for the current deal so Chu reached for the forecasts of the "non-partisan" UK in a Changing Europe.

    How they've managed to undertake a complex analysis of the economic effects of the deal when (a) it was only published a couple of days ago and (b) we've no idea what if any Free Trade Agreement with the EU will emerge at the end of it, Chu didn't enlighten us.

    A senior fellow of this "non-partisan" agency is Jonathan Portes - one of the geniuses who predicted that the impact of immigration from Poland and Romania would be small. He is now a tireless and relentless advocate for mass immigration, which according to him brings unalloyed joy and prosperity to those countries that experience it.

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    1. Yes, that was a shocker. I've been transcribing it for posterity tonight...with an introduction of my own.

      Delete
  52. The BBC still totally at the wrong end of the stick concerning Syria. They just can't step away from the anti Trump propaganda.
    He may not be a hero but he's most definitely anti-war, and that will get him re-elected.
    The BBC and Guardian baying for retaliation with other people's children makes me sick, especially as all so-called progressive media has been turning a blind eye to shenanigans for 6 years.

    Here's the latest article from Moon Of Alabama :

    https://www.moonofalabama.org/2019/10/media-and-pundits-misread-the-everyone-wins-plan-for-syria.html#more

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  53. Where are the BBC 'fact checkers' when Labour politicians tell outright lies and slander their opponents?

    Jess Phillips was on College Green this morning telling the world that Boris was a liar, 'he had lied to the Queen'. That is something that a lot of politicians tell the BBC, yet it just isn't true and the BBC must know it.

    Boris DID NOT ask the Queen to prorogue parliament. The Privy Council in the form of Jacob Rees Mogg did, Boris wasn't there. Rees Mogg has told us that these formal conversation with HM are kept private but he has revealed how it is done in general, the Privy Council proposes an action and the Queen gives her agreement. There is no debate, no lies to be told to 'swing her round'.

    The BBC as a responsible broadcaster should kill these falsehoods stone dead.

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    1. Where do you stop with these falsehoods? Labour have often lied during election campaigns that the "Tories" intend to destroy the NHS. Lib Dems are now lying, saying that they will respect the result of the Second Referendum even if it backs Brexit, when we know they have said they will Revoke Article 50 if they get the chance. The SNP are lying that they will not have to accept the Euro and Schengen if they reapply for EU membership after independence. The Greens are lying about the effects of zero carbon emissions by 2025. Corbyn has lied that he was trying to aid the peace process in Northern Ireland by consorting with IRA personnel: he had no contacts with Loyalist paramilitaries. He (and McDonnell) lie about their attitude to a United Ireland, Israel, the EU, their economic plans, the Brighton bombings, terrorism and just about everything.

      But poor old BBC Reality Check can only find time for Boris, Mogg, Farage and a few others.

      Delete
    2. PS Jess Phillips is one of the most dangerous politicians in the country. She wants the Electoral Commission to vet all political candidates for elected office, to ensure their views are politically correct. That would turn us into the GDR overnight.

      Delete
  54. :::Brexitcrossed:::

    So what will Lady Hale be wearing on her next outing? a boa constrictor or an EU Flag?

    Many women look lovely in their sleep...Diane Abbott in the House of Commons, listening to Keith Starmer, not so much.

    Spotted on TV...Blair puppet Jonathan Powell once again threatening the nation with violence unless we revoke Article 50. He really is a piece of work.

    Listened to Mike Graham on Talk Radio. Clearly he is a biased Leaver and conducts his interviews on that basis. But what struck me was that he was actually sounding to me like a perfect mirror image of the Newsnight crew who uniformly, whether they know it or not, conduct their interviews from a point of Remainer bias. There are very few media people genuinely in the middle in terms of the way they undertake their work. In fact I am struggling to think of one...Andrew Neil asks tough questions of both sides. But he clearly injects a lot of Euroscepticism into his framing of the debate (though, equally, I wouldn't be surprised if he told me he voted Remain, because he was part of the original globalist movement - how could he not be as a former editor of The Economist).

    Three letters Boris...on balance I think a good move. It's the old "mad man" theory of politics. He has to convince the EU that he is going f*** them over if they make the UK stay. So I think the three letters strategy is a good one. Let's hope there is a special French Letter as well to Macron telling him he will never be able to pursue his "grand projet" of turning the EU into a banker-friendly de-borderised superstate and thus building a monument to himself, unless he lets the UK go.

    Not BBC but Sky News but could be BBC: yet again trying to frame the Brexit debate as left behind North (Leavers) v prosperous, go-ahead South (Remain). This is totally Fake News. The South Region, the richest region in the country, voted to LEAVE in 2016! The Eastern Region, probably the next most prosperous region in the country also voted to Leave.

    In fact all the regions in England and Wales voted to Leave apart from London. You could frame that as a remarkable degree of agreement, if you weren't trying to push the Remain memes about poor ignorant North v rich sophisticated South.

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    1. Actually I think the real divide in the UK is between people who can distinguish bullshit from reality and people who can't (the latter group was well represented in London today).

      Northerners tend to be more blunt in their outlook on life and less susceptible to BS compared to soft southerners. So I do accept that you will find more vociferous opposition to the EU project up north, but the South region as I said was firmly pro-Leave.

      Normally strong BS-detection would be found further north in Scotland as well of course, but a large number of Scots don't like England either and that was a special factor in the EU Referendum...no different from booing the England team in football.

      Northern Ireland has always been different - and complicated. The DUP have never really been Unionists - like their forebears, they have always been Stormontists. The Unionists wanted to have their fiefdom in Northern Ireland and cared about little else. Well this is Big Boy politics now and so they have to decide. Do they want Boris as PM or Jeremy Corbyn as PM?

      If someone had to be thrown under a bus, a Boris bus, then it had to be the DUP.

      Delete
  55. There's nothing more sickening than Radio 4 no-borders globalists faking some sort of simple local patriotism about an over-commercialised sports event...especially for a country (England) that is essentially "verboten" on the BBC.

    https://twitter.com/bbcnickrobinson/status/1185472096979378176

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