The banker loving, baby-eating Tory party thread (regenerated)

[sharkyvilla]

The left think the Beeb is right wing, the right think the Beeb is left wing, surely that means it's pretty much bang in the middle where it should be.

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

The Beeb reflects, by and large, the pro-business centrism of the English middle-class. It pretends to be a facilitator that acts independently and gives voices to many opinions, but generally the voices you hear are from the dominant class. There have been numerous studies of this but I'm too lazy to link any now. But yes, for many it isn't right or left enough, just as the 'silent majority' are neither right or left enough. That no one really questions (or even notices) the ideology it actually perpetuates only shows the strength of that ideology.

[MakemineVanilla]

12 hours ago, CarewsEyebrowDesigner said:

The Beeb reflects, by and large, the pro-business centrism of the English middle-class. It pretends to be a facilitator that acts independently and gives voices to many opinions, but generally the voices you hear are from the dominant class. There have been numerous studies of this but I'm too lazy to link any now. But yes, for many it isn't right or left enough, just as the 'silent majority' are neither right or left enough. That no one really questions (or even notices) the ideology it actually perpetuates only shows the strength of that ideology.

In short, it was originally owned by a consortium of commercial interests but once it demonstrated its usefulness during the 1926 general strike, it quickly became the major part of the state ideological apparatus. 

There is no reason to believe that its role has changed much.

[Xann]

The BBC is not to be relied on for an unbiased viewpoint. There's unfortunates in key positions and its master is cruel.

What else was going to happen? The PM is from PR

It's conformed to survive, alienating droves of its audience in the process.

 

It is hurt, the Beeb, but I can't see it being entirely sold off, like they'd love to with the NHS.

Getting shot of it entirely hands a bit too much power to lovelies like Murdoch, Harmsworth and others deliberately less visible.

 

Auntie will deffo need a post Tory enema though.

[HanoiVillan]

On 5/14/2016 at 14:10, MakemineVanilla said:

Or, just maybe, I don't actually think the present government is particularly right wing compared with New Labour.

But I am aware that when it comes to some lefties anything other than the abolition of property rights, the dictatorship of the proletariat and a five-year plan, is considered right-wing.

We'll never agree terms so it is a futile circular argument.

 

Eh?

[MakemineVanilla]

On 5/14/2016 at 19:02, sharkyvilla said:

The left think the Beeb is right wing, the right think the Beeb is left wing, surely that means it's pretty much bang in the middle where it should be.

It is not impossible for it to be both right wing and left wing.

It could be quite happy to see people go to jail for failing to buy a TV licence but present itself as caring and benign (Auntie).

It could condemn tax avoidance but encourage its best paid employees to use tax-avoidance vehicles. 

It could present itself as caring about the zero hours contracts and low pay but contract its services out to companies which keep their costs down by the same means.

It could propagandise about carbon and climate change while leaving its own lights on all day and night, and send their reporters miles to stand outside a building, where something is happening.

It could run stories about public officials' expenses while their own staff are spending millions of tax-payer's money (the licence is a tax) on taxis and schmoozing. 

It could use poor British tax-payers' money to promote the British state's interests around the globe, for audiences who get to watch for free.

It could piously talk of the horrors of war and then exploit the suffering to maximise its ratings.

It could claim to be neutral in the case of a referendum but then overwhelmingly present only the arguments which supports the government's preferred outcome.

I would say it is quite possible for the BBC to be both right wing and left wing.

And as Machiavelli wrote, it is only necessary for a Prince to appear virtuous; they don't actually have to be. 

 

Edited May 16, 2016 by MakemineVanilla

[chrisp65]

wasn't really sure where to put this, but this is prolly as good a place as any

I was particularly enthused by the queen's speech this year. We are to live within our means and reach out to the poorest in society by tackling social problems, deprivation and debt, whilst measuring people's life chances. We are to spread prosperity. Corruption and tax evasion to be tackled. We will tackle poverty. The lowest income families will have help with savings. Public services will help the hardest to reach in society. Mental health provision and support will be improved.

The devil is potentially in the detail as always, and I guess it could be derailed if the wrong result comes from the EU referendum. But not a bad set of goals.

[tonyh29]

well there's a surprise ...

 

Junior doctors plotted to drag out the dispute over weekend pay and tie the Department of Health "in knots" for up to 18 months, leaked messages reveal.

 

The WhatsApp messages lay bare the tactics employed by medics during the protracted dispute with the Government, which led to hundreds of thousands of cancelled operations and appointments and put patients' health at risk.

They also show that despite the junior doctors' insistence they were only worried about patients' safety, they were actually almost wholly concerned with cuts to weekend pay.

[blandy]

33 minutes ago, tonyh29 said:

They also show that despite the junior doctors' insistence they were only worried about patients' safety, they were actually almost wholly concerned with cuts to weekend pay

They absolutely don't do that at all (based on the content of that article at least).

[tonyh29]

50 minutes ago, blandy said:

They absolutely don't do that at all (based on the content of that article at least).

strange conclusion to reach when that very same article  then went on to say   "It (Saturday pay) is the only real red line. It's the thing 99% of juniors told us they were upset about in August."

[villakram]

On 5/20/2016 at 05:01, chrisp65 said:

wasn't really sure where to put this, but this is prolly as good a place as any

I was particularly enthused by the queen's speech this year. We are to live within our means and reach out to the poorest in society by tackling social problems, deprivation and debt, whilst measuring people's life chances. We are to spread prosperity. Corruption and tax evasion to be tackled. We will tackle poverty. The lowest income families will have help with savings. Public services will help the hardest to reach in society. Mental health provision and support will be improved.

The devil is potentially in the detail as always, and I guess it could be derailed if the wrong result comes from the EU referendum. But not a bad set of goals.

How stupid do this lot look?

[romavillan]

54 minutes ago, villakram said:

How stupid do this lot look?

Looks like they turned up 300 years late to me, possibly more.

Where the **** do that lot get off telling people that we need to tackle poverty? SELL SOME OF THE GOLD AND USE THE MONEY TO KEEP PEOPLE AWAY FROM FOOD BANKS.

[blandy]

1 hour ago, tonyh29 said:

strange conclusion to reach when that very same article  then went on to say   "It (Saturday pay) is the only real red line. It's the thing 99% of juniors told us they were upset about in August."

No it's really not. Here's why: -

The article claims, on the basis of one What's app message that "They [the messages, plural] also show that despite the junior doctors' insistence they were only worried about patients' safety, they were actually almost wholly concerned with cuts to weekend pay"

Now, to me a red line means  "I will not under any circs accept anything beyond this..." it does not mean " I am almost wholly concerned with only this thing [weekend pay]".

It's like, if we're talking about the Villa and  I say, in one e mail, that "I have a red line that I will not pay more than 400 pounds for a season ticket". That is not e mails "show that fans are almost wholly concerned with season ticket prices, and are not really bothered about rubbish players, crap managers, wantaway owners... and all the rest".

So 99% of fans might be upset about prices, but it doesn't mean it's the only thing fans care about.

It's the epitome of a badly written/biased (take your pick) article in that the assertions made are not supported by what little "evidence" is included in the report.

[blandy]

2 hours ago, villakram said:

How stupid do this lot look?

from http://www.independent.co.uk/#gallery

[chrisp65]

Why are they still doing this learning to stand up thing?

I suspect they are actually being coached in how to stand up, by the Aston Villa standing up nonchalantly Coach.

 

previously...

 

[MakemineVanilla]

13 hours ago, chrisp65 said:

 

Why are they still doing this learning to stand up thing?

 

 

With his turned in toes, he looks a bit Elvis Costello without the glasses.

"I can't stand up for falling down!" perhaps?

Edited June 4, 2016 by MakemineVanilla

[chrisp65]

With his new EU debate song, 'Watching the defectives', heeeeeeeeeere's George....

[Risso]

14 hours ago, chrisp65 said:

 

 

previously...

 

 

Jesus, as my old nan used to say "close your legs love, there's a draught!"

[wazzap24]

2 minutes ago, Risso said:

Jesus, as my old nan used to say "close your legs love, there's a draught!"

That's no draught, it's a feckin wind tunnel. 

[Nicho]

On 5/20/2016 at 10:01, chrisp65 said:

wasn't really sure where to put this, but this is prolly as good a place as any

I was particularly enthused by the queen's speech this year. We are to live within our means and reach out to the poorest in society by tackling social problems, deprivation and debt, whilst measuring people's life chances. We are to spread prosperity. Corruption and tax evasion to be tackled. We will tackle poverty. The lowest income families will have help with savings. Public services will help the hardest to reach in society. Mental health provision and support will be improved.

The devil is potentially in the detail as always, and I guess it could be derailed if the wrong result comes from the EU referendum. But not a bad set of goals.

 

The Conservative party is not geared to achieve any of the above. And what the hell is the Queen going to do about it really.