BBC Bias 119


I am delighted that “London Calling”, the documentary on BBC bias during the referendum campaign, has now been released on YouTube. I very much enjoyed my own little contribution to it. May I just take time here to note again what a contemptible little lickspittle Gavin Esler of the BBC really is?

There is a fundraiser for DVDs and flyers to get this over to the wider public in Scotland. You can find it here.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am just the good-looking one in the film, I am not one of the producers. We are however still doing the very effective communal screenings and discussions, and I have dates in January for Perth and Berwickshire already booked. It is not that the documentary tells you much that you did not already know, it is the film’s relentless building up of the evidence and the indignation that is ultimately very moving.

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119 thoughts on “BBC Bias

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  • Anon1

    Again, waste of time. Nobody cares.

    You have to expect that you will be up against established interests and overcome them, like the people of the UK did in our glorious Brexit. We had every lie and deceit imaginable thrown at us but in the end we were just too hungry for our independence.

    There is either no appetite for Scottish independence or the people are too weak to vote for it.

      • Anon1

        If anyone wants to shed a tear for Scotch nationalism then don’t be ashamed to do so. The film is a “moving” one. You are supposed to feel sorry for them.

        Let’s all have a cry for the little melts on September 19th, every year, and remember that on that day nothing very remarkable happened.

        • AnonScot

          Would you kindly refrain from referring to the Scots as Scotch, it’s offensive and ignorant.

    • scottieDog

      No you didn’t have all the media and establishment against you. That simply isn’t true.

    • Kempe

      Preaching to the converted again. I can’t imagine many if any No voters turning up to these screenings* and having their minds changed so what is the point?

      *According to Craig they’re all too stupid and shouldn’t have been allowed to vote in the first place.

  • Anon1

    “There is a fundraiser for DVDs and flyers to get this over to the wider public in Scotland.”

    You almost feel sorry for them it’s so pathetic.

    • michael norton

      Thank you BBC you never disappoint

      Paris attacks: “State of Emergency” TO PROTECT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

      Paris attacks were a year ago now.

      “The state of emergency imposed in France after the Paris attacks must be extended to protect elections next year”,
      brand new PM Bernard Cazeneuve has said.

      Nothing to do with Hapless Hollande Mr.4%
      and his Socialist party going down the drain, then?

  • Resident Dissident

    Given that Craig is on the record as saying that RT is only slightly biased towards Putin I find it somewhat difficult to take his views on BBC bias seriously.

    • eldudeabides

      RT offers more insight, and truth, than UK or American media.

      Indeed, RT reminds me of what UK media used to be like decades ago. Interesting and insightful.

      It’s a sad state of affairs when we now have to turn to Russia, to learn what is going on.

      • Nick

        Or watch al jazeera english to find out how the middle east views uk matters. Too me the bbc has become the embodiment of drop the dead donkey

        Except instead of having a childs teddy bear at every disaster there are lots of shoes?!

        • eldudeabides

          Agreed Nick.

          I often watch Al Jazeera. It offers a fascinating perspective, as you say, on how our actions across history, are viewed by people in the middle east.

          Essential viewing.

          These days the BBC is unwatchable – pure undiluted propaganda.

          PS – yes, lots of shoes!

  • Brianfujisan

    I watched It again on Thursday night.. If i was already convinced the media stole the Referendum, I was Doubly Certain after the second viewing. And doubly Angry..Thanks for you’re Contributions Craig

    P.s Being at Scotland’s Biggest Ceilidh party.. With the Vatersay Boys.. Whom live on Europe’s Most remote Islands.. The Outer Hebrides, Vatersay to be exact..Picked the Spirits up after watching London Calling again 🙂

    I could put one of my wee videos up as O.T later on the page.

  • michael norton

    French President François Hollande denounced on Wednesday “systematic obstruction” by Russia at the UN Security Council after the failure of a resolution calling for a seven-day ceasefire in the Syrian city of Aleppo.

    A statement jointly issued with Canada, Germany and Italy also hit out at the regime in Damascus and its “foreign backers, especially Russia,” accusing them of blocking emergency help.

    “The urgent need now is for an immediate ceasefire to allow the United Nations to get humanitarian assistance to people in eastern Aleppo,” the statement said.
    http://www.france24.com/en/20161207-france-uk-usa-germany-canada-italy-call-aleppo-ceasefire-syria-russia

    To be fair to our BBC it is not just them, it is almost all the media, we are in Post Truth times.

    If France, U.S.A. Germany, Italy are calling for a cease fire in Syria,
    why is OBOMBA sending U.S.A. troops and munitions into Syria?

    Hollande (Mr. 4%) is on his way out, OBOMBA ( I start wars & support Clinton) is on his way out,
    Renzi ( more power to Renzi referendum – losser), Angela ( please bring me all your poor) is on the way out.

    These people are all doing stage left, yet they still want the power to determine how their global vision is implemented.
    They are delusional losers.

  • Habbabkuk

    Craig waxes indignant about alleged BBC bias in the Scotch referendum.

    But he does not wax indignant about alleged BBC bias in the EU referendum.

    Despite the fact that he is displeased with the outcome of both of these referendums.

    Of course, you can always say that referendums should not happen and are worthless.

    In which case you shouldn’t get very exercised about alleged BBC bias.

    *********************************

    More generally, on the EU referendum : most of the regular commenters have indicated clearly whether they are in favour of or against BREXIT.

    But a couple of the most prominent – who usually have something to say about just about everything – have remained very silent on the issue.

    I wonder why that should be?

    • Republicofscotland

      “But he does not wax indignant about alleged BBC bias in the EU referendum.”

      ———

      Habb.

      Good to see that you agree the BBC is biased.

    • Bayard

      “But he does not wax indignant about alleged BBC bias in the EU referendum.”

      Well, that is not what this post is about and, given that it’s only the losers who jump up and down and cry “we wuz robbed”, no-one really gives a toss about BBC bias in the EU referendum. Compare and contrast the never-ending complaints about “Leaver’s lies”.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Prediction: some of the already converted will watch this YouTube video. A few of the undecided may watch this video. Backsliding ex-Yes voters will probably not watch this video, and No voters will watch this video only in order to pick holes in it.

    Someone in the independence movement needs to recognise that their peak has passed, and that it was just not high enough in the first place. They can safely assume that the union media are biased against them – no need to keep banging on about it to a public which en masse doesn’t give much of a fuck. Trouble is, after the referendum they got a huge component of what they wanted – the practical opportunity for a populist movement (even now unacknowledged by any one as such) to demonstrate that major changes could be made – and the not-too-complicated average voter has seen that nothing much has changed.

    Stop whingeing. Get planning. You need a coherent economic policy in the first place.

    Or there’s this.

    Just don’t vote – explained:

    http://fubarandgrill.org/node/1172

    Came to this via an individual and fresh viewpoint (despite my loathing of rap, which the lady does) -here –

    http://acidrayn.com/2015/11/15/statism-represents-the-ultimate-cult-religion-of-slavery-and-murder/

    Point to ponder –

    http://acidrayn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/2016-12-09-Belief-that-the-Government-Cares-About-Humanity-is-as-Laughable-as-Belief-in-Santa-Claus-450×450.jpg

  • bevin

    “Of course, you can always say that referendums should not happen and are worthless.
    In which case you shouldn’t get very exercised about alleged BBC bias.”

    This is a very curious doctrine: biass doesn’t matter if those against whom it is being employed have been disenfrachised. So propaganda in South Africa, designed to show that blacks are inferior, was OK because they didn’t vote anyway. This helps one understand Habbakukk’s instant apologies for Israeli state massacres.

    • Loony

      You appear to be suffering from a logical breakdown, and perhaps guilty of improper Marxist thought.

      I understood that the whole idea of cultural Marxism was to maintain strong and growing bias against a range of dead people (who are by definition disenfranchised on account of their being dead). Dead people such as slave owners, and colonizers and the list goers on.

  • John Goss

    You’ll be pleased to know that Gavin Esler is now doing film reviews too. Once you get your feet under the table at the incredibly biased BBC they throw money and opportunity at you whatever your morals. Look at Jimmy Savile’s career there.

    • John Goss

      This is Film Review.

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01rk5j5

      But you don’t want that! Let me help you. If you get an opportunity to see ‘A United Kingdom’ go and see it. It is a very good film, informative as well as moving. You get to see how the government and foreign office behave before and after a general election (one which Churchill won). No surprises in that respect. But the BBC in those days was a lot more tolerant of African leaders being able to express their views freely. If you have a soul you might cry (even with joy). Take a hankie.

  • michael norton

    BBC ministry of Truth

    this time the BBC are mentioning tens of thousands walking out of “moderate” held Eastern Aleppo into Syrian Government held Syria.
    They are no longer claiming 1/4 million are trapped in Eastern Aleppo while the Syrians /Russians barrel bomb them with gas,
    that “story” is no longer believed by anyone
    Earlier Russian defence ministry spokesman Gen Igor Konashenkov said Syrian troops had suspended their offensive to allow the evacuation of civilians.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-38275553
    “People are moving in a constant stream through humanitarian corridors into the government-controlled districts,” he told reporters.

    He said 30,000 people had left on Friday and 20,000 so far on Saturday.

  • Anon1

    “Scotland will be Independent soon.”

    LOL. Great parody account. Hitting the Scotch Nats right where it hurts.

  • michael norton

    It’s a good job there is no bias on here.

    What language will be used in an Independent Scotland?
    What currency will be used in an Independent Scotland?
    Will there be machine gun emplacements to stop people escaping to freedom?
    Will the SNP shoot people who try to escape?

    • Why be Ordinary

      1. A language is a dialect with an Army. If Lëtzebuergesch is a language, then so is Scots
      2. No reason that they can’t use the pound – the remaining UK could make it difficult if they wanted to, but Ireland effectively did this until they joined the EU.
      3. In which direction?
      4. Where from?

      • michael norton

        A Scotland is a socialist paradise, it is “quite” likely there will be raised tax.
        This will cause an exodus of businesses to England.

        The machine guns will be in the hands of the SNP to stop their own people escaping Scotland.

        • Why be Ordinary

          Lots of countries have higher tax rates than the UK. None currently uses machine guns to keep people in. Many are nicer places to live in because of better public investment

          • michael norton

            Fast food giant McDonald’s says it plans to move its non-US tax base from Luxembourg to The United Kingdom
            due to the increased scrutiny the company faces from The European Empire over its tax arrangements.

            The company is creating a new international holding company based in London which will be responsible for most of the royalties received from licensing McDonald’s intellectual property rights outside the US.

            The choice of the United Kingdom comes as an apparent vote of confidence for Britain after it voted to quit the EU.
            Russia Today

            so already companies are fleeing the high tax areas of the E.U. for The United Kingdom

      • Habbabkuk

        Why Be Ordinary

        “1. A language is a dialect with an Army. If Lëtzebuergesch is a language, then so is Scots”
        ____________________

        With the slight difference – as you know (and I know why you know) – that whereas all native Luxemburgers can speak Lëtzebuergesch, most native Scotchmen cannot speak Gaelic.

      • Loony

        “A language is a dialect with an Army” – Maybe, but is also something more,

        Consider Catalan:. There is no Catalan army and yet 73% of Catalunyans speak Catalan.

        The Basque people have both an army (ETA) and a language (Euskadi). 37% of Basques speak Euskadi.

        Both Catalan and Euskadi were banned under the Franco regime.

  • Loony

    So the premise of this film is that the BBC is biased. Why not make a film that asserts that the Pope is Catholic?

    This is the only London Calling that counts for anything

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfK-WX2pa8c

    “London Calling to the imitation zone, forget it brother you can go it alone” – Meaning not understood in Scotland, but clearly understood and acted upon by British, US and Italian electorates – and soon to be understood and acted upon by Europeans of many nations.

  • Anon1

    My 15:48 comment looks a bit odd standing alone like that.

    For the record, it was a reply to a comment that did not abide by the CM.org community standards and has since been deleted.

    [ Mod: Caught in spam filter. Timestamp updated. ]

  • Anon1

    All my best comments have been deleted. Really quite dreadful moderation on a site that claims to support free speech.

    “scottieDog” is obviously Craig as well.

  • Anon1

    My 15:48 comment was a reply to a comment that did not abide by CM[dot]org community standards and has since been deleted.

    • Squonk

      Presumably a mod deleted the parent comment because it used your handle “Anon1” only capitalised differently and wasn’t posted by you? That would be my guess and no I didn’t delete it.

  • Republicofscotland

    It was a stark reminder, of just how revolting, and violent unionists can be. Watching the video and seeing those unionist fascists, give the Hitler/Nazi salute, then assaulting those who did not agree with their neanderthal politics, brought home to me, that Scotland could well do without those who are loyal too the queen and union.

  • michael norton

    After Donald Trump’s election victory, however, Frau Sturgeon wrote to him, congratulating him on his win.

    In the letter she said the two nations shared values of “equality, tolerance, diversity and human rights for all regardless of race, faith, gender or sexual orientation” and on that basis she wished him success in the years ahead.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-38270341

    You have to ask is this woman real or a robot?

  • Dave

    Without reading about the bias I know the BBC is biased in favour of front bench opinion because at the end of the day irrespective of the Charter its the State Broadcaster and to get a different bias requires replacing one front bench establishment with another. But the bias against independence also boosted the independence campaign by not pointing out that independence was not on offer. Pointing out that independence in EU was not actual independence would have gone against the official line and exposed the lie that UK is/was independent in EU.

  • bevin

    Loony, if you have time could you possibly explain what ‘cultural marxism’ is?
    I know that if there is one word calculated to make a fascist ‘reach for his pistol’ more quickly than ‘culture’ it is ‘marxism’. And I have noted recently the increasingly common use of the term. But what does it mean?
    I know marxism enough to understand why Marx didn’t know what the term meant and it has become a lot more complicated since his day, so I’m surprised that anyone still employs the word.
    Does it have anything to do with Frankfurt or Adorno? If so what? Is Walter Benjamin involved here? Or, God forbid, Lukacs?

    • Shatnersrug

      I’ve been scratching my head about that one for years – ever since right wingers made it up in fact. I wonder if they might be getting confused by Gramsci’s cultural hegemony? Where Gramsci suggests that for the working classes to truly succeed they would need to create there own hegemonic culture of music and art in order to bring down capitalist propaganda.

      Of course had he survived more than his years – enough to see the rise of folk pop and jazz and that culminating in the hegemonic success of an Etonian educated “folk” band Mumford and sons.
      I think he’d have probably drawn a line through the whole thing and said forget it. As per usual another lefty underestimated the ability of capital to absorb anything.

      True the capitalist would sell you the rope with which to hang him but it never hangs the ideology.

      As for cultural Marxism – I think they mean identity politics combined with political correctness (another term they invented) which dun’arf get an express readers back up.

      • Herbie

        Their main complaint is the death of communities, extended families, nuclear families.

        And the ushering in or some kind of atomised androgny.

        The better to control.

        Bit like 1984.

        Bertrand Russell and the Huxleys discuss these issues, favourably.

      • Herbie

        The methodology of Cultural Marxism is very similar to the Trotskyist approach.

        Exploiting division.

        Small demands leading to larger and larger demands.

        Unending demands until the social infrastructure collapses no longer able to cope.

        It was claimed that this would produce a new type of human being.

        The thing to notice though is that despite claims of an overall reformulation in society, all that really happens is that social infrastructure collapses but elite wealth remains intact.

        A fraud really.

        Kind of what we’re seeing at the moment in the western world.

    • Loony

      Bevin – not me mate, but then you know that anyway don’t you.

      For well you know that Cultural Marxism is simultaneously everything and nothing – and thus any attempt at explanation can, and will be,ridiculed or demonized as a manifestation of ignorance and prejudice.

      Let us look at one simple (and very complicated) example.

      Look out, look out for old New York is coming and old New York talks – why New York talks so much that it now recognizes 31 genders, By a stroke of sheer genius no-one knows what these genders are without first looking them up. I bet even the most ardent believers have yet to memorize all 31 genders and that they have no expectation that the general population will take this seriously.

      However anyone who makes a gender mistake leaves themselves open to virulent attack for being reactionary, prejudiced and guilty of hate speech. Meanwhile the capitalist class – the alleged mortal enemy – make ready alliance with the gender warriors by instituting a fine based system for gender transgressors. As I write any mistake in addressing someone by their “correct” gender pronoun leaves you open to a fine of $250,000.

      • bevin

        Thank you all, gentlemen and the myriad alternatives to that Nietzchean ideal.
        We are none the wiser I trust-all of would not want that (not that it matters).
        For further enlightenment please see Slavov Zizek at the Guardian’s website, looking distinctly ‘peeky’, as he has every right to do in light of the banalities attributed to him in the cut line.

        • Loony

          Hey bevin – why not tell the people the truth. The whole idea of cultural Marxism is that people are none the wiser.

          Maybe you should remember the old axiom that today;s revolutionary is tomorrow’s reactionary. Or did you make sure to check that comments on this blog fall outside of the jurisdiction of New York prior to addressing your co-contributors as “gentlemen”? Or maybe your are just an irredeemable member of the patriarchy.

        • Herbie

          It’s the Nietzschean ideal for elites.

          For everyone else it’s undifferentiated androgynous workerdom.

          • Loony

            Seriously Shatnersrug,

            You know how to deal in throw away ad-hominems.

            Maybe that is because you are incapable of identifying any factual error or mistaken interpretation regarding the strange and scarcely believable cult of cultural Marxism.

            Take a walk down Broadway some day and see just how many lawsuits I can hit you with for your gender phobic attitudes. Your actual opinions on gender are unlikely to afford you any valid defense.

      • Hmmm

        Somewhat disingenuous Loony. No mistake will cost you. Enforcing your gender bias may well do. 31 seems somewhat light to me, anyway.

  • Tom

    They have also been pro-Brexit – not challenging the Leave campaign’s lies, and now constantly peddling the government’s ‘good news’ agenda.

    • Anon1

      Round up of opposition leaders, troops deployed throughout the the country and electricity shut down.

  • Loony

    It seems like only yesterday since I observed that an independent Scotland utilizing the Euro would likely lead to an upsurge in Scots people living as primitive backwoodsman.

    Oh how foolish I was. There was, after all, no need to await independence and the Euro. The phenomena has landed and voluntary homelessness has arrived in Scotland

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/amazon-workers-sleep-tents-dunfermline-fife-scotland-a7467657.html

    Oh how proud it must make you all to be living in such a socially progressive land overseen by the munificence of the SNP.

    No doubt Amazon is owned by some racist Englishman from Ramsgate. Oh no wait it is (largely) owned by Jeff Bezos who coincidentally owns the Washington Post – a newspaper currently obsessed by fake news, although not the fake news that it publishes.

    • morag

      Why do you sneer when you speak of the possibility of Independence?

      Why do think we would go backwards to such a degree? We have a balanced economy, live in a peaceful part of Europe, with our own education, Health service, judicial system and languages recognised by European Union.

      I’m curious.

      • Loony

        There is nothing wrong with independence. However breaking up the UK in order for Scotland to maintain its status as an EU colony is the opposite of independence.

        The EU is all about the permanent impoverishment of the fringes with the transfer of all wealth to the center which coalesces around Germany. Scottish Nationalists who misunderstand this simple fact merely play the role of useful idiots to the powerful and simultaneously mislead the average citizen as to the true nature of the danger posed by the EU.

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