Cuckoo in the nest
On the day of the march and rally for independence in Edinburgh last month, the BBC’s coverage was token to the point of openly contemptuous. As 20,000 people marched through the nation’s capital to hear the First Minister, Deputy First Minister and others speak in public, the state broadcaster grudgingly provided a few seconds of footage of the march on Reporting Scotland, and then bizarrely gave equal airtime to the “Better Together” campaign director Blair McDougall and a suspiciously staged-looking leafleting of four or five people by the No camp.
It struck us as weird at the time, and the episode of Reporting Scotland in question curiously never found its way onto the iPlayer, unlike every other one.
And then tonight it happened again.
For some reason, the BBC’s coverage of the SNP conference in Perth was newsbombed by Blair McDougall once more, who got almost two minutes to rubbish the Nats onscreen with next to nothing in the way of challenge from the presenter.
This wasn’t a Yes Scotland event, and Blair McDougall holds no elected political position anywhere in the country that we’re aware of, so he has no mandate whatsoever to comment on the SNP’s gathering. We weren’t alone in finding it strange, and it jarred to the extent that we decided to see if we could find a comparable event in any other sort of conference coverage.
But there was nothing from the Yes campaign on the BBC report of when David Cameron spoke to the Scottish Tory Conference about the Union in June this year.
There doesn’t seem to have been a counterpoint from the SNP when Johann Lamont spent most of her keynote speech attacking Alex Salmond in September.
Just like there hadn’t been when Willie Rennie did the same last year.
There was no right to reply to Nick Clegg’s 2013 Scottish conference address.
And when Ed Miliband “launched a vigorous attack” on independence at Labour’s Scottish conference in April, the opinion of Blair Jenkins was notable by its absence.
Now, we only spent 15 minutes or so Googling. Perhaps the BBC website is in fact positively stuffed with stories about leaders’ speeches at Unionist party conferences that are littered with lengthy clips of Nicola Sturgeon or Patrick Harvie or Dennis Canavan pouring scorn on what they said.
If you find any, you’ll let us know, won’t you?
Nope, I’ve looked, and there’s no point to Blair Mcdougall anywhere. He’s a mouth without a point anywhere, and the BBC really need to watch out for him getting in front of a camera.
Last time anything that irrelevant got in front of a camera they put it in an oven… because it was a stuffed chicken.
Perhaps our new found friend Mr Batemans revelation regards SLabs hotline to Boothman explains this. Is it not the case he said Lamonts speechwriter phones up Boothman making demands as to how to cover these things. It seems to me that this type of thing demonstrates exactly what goes on at Pacific Quay. Master and servant says Bateman.
I suspect you’d get a response from the BBC along the lines of the BBC spokesperson in John Pilger’s documentary at 1:08:20. Reminds me of when I was in Lebanon during the Israeli war in 2006. I watched local channels and also CNN and BBC. BBC seemed to have a 50:50 approach to coverage, spending 50% of their on air time talking to people in Israel. Which, seems pretty fair unless you know from the ground that 99.99% of the action and the deaths are taking place in Lebanon.
link to youtube.com
I was in the hall listening to Alex Salmond’s speech today and although I saw the usual suspects of Alan (Mad Boy) Cochrane, Glen (Back from London) Cambelly and Torcuil (Labour fan boy) Crichton up in the press gallery I didn’t see Blair MacDougall.
Why interview someone who wasn’t even there?
Silly question, the BBC is the British State Broadcaster. Move along.
I’ll swear here cos the time merits it but he’s a dopy looking feckin cnut. I doubt very much onybody wid listen te the fud and believe him.
With even MORI – which is demonstrably more biased towards the pro-union side / parties due to methodology – finding the SNP Government satisfaction on ~6/10 vs dissatisfied on ~3/10, I kinda so want it to be all about the SNP.
link to bbc.co.uk
Blair McDougall, Chief Executive of Better Together: “We’re all proud to be Scottish, we all believe in Scotland, we just don’t believe in Alex Salmond
Blair, this seems to be something of a failed line of attack…
So much for james naughties balanced coverage of the independence debate.
Time for complaints to the BBC who are now as partisan as the daily wail
Urgent health warning to Blair McDougall – for the love of God man, go and get a good night’s sleep. Running on empty. Warning light flashing.
Clown shoes
I’ve got the STV and the BBC’s 6pm broadcast from rally day. I’ll have to get them uploaded at some point.
“I’ve got the STV and the BBC’s 6pm broadcast from rally day. I’ll have to get them uploaded at some point.”
Please do send those over via the Wings contact page.
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Tuned into BBC Parliament channel to watch Nicola`s speech and what do you know, technical difficulties. Can hear Nicola speaking but they have some other woman on screen on a 3 second loop.
The BBC are a national disgrace, a complete joke of an organization. Total scum!
It`s appalling how they treat Scottish viewers.
I can`t wait to get shot of the BBC and other corrupt British institutions.
The UK as it stands is rotten to the core.
According to a guy at work, the BT leafleting was staged at the bottom of the Canongate, half a mile from the actual march. There doesn’t seem to be any real doubt that the BBC went along with a completely fake operation.
Doug, say hello tomorrow if you see me. Wings sweatshirt.
@Murray McCallum: Urgent health warning to Blair McDougall – for the love of God man, go and get a good night’s sleep. Running on empty. Warning light flashing.
I was thinking the same thing, he looks terrible and it’s not me being lookist the man looks ill. Project Fear has eaten his soul methinks.
Maybe this is what Prof Curtiss meant earlier when he spoke about ”air cover”.
Yes is all based on the power of it’s argument and it’s people- organising themselves, all grass roots, on the streets. The No campaign has nothing like the same vigour and relies entirely on the mainstream media framing the debate as it does.
Troops/people on the ground attacked from above. With a complacent Ian Davidson fixing his bayonet…
@Murray McCallum-
You’re right mister – the man looks very not-well.
And it’s not that kind of bevvy-related heaviness. It’s as if his body’s rebelling against what his brain’s making him do. He’s starting to look like a CGI version of whatever he would look like if he just had an ordinary, half-decent life.
Radio 4, six o’clock news, reported on Alex’s speech quite well. Then said, oh well so what, opinion polls only have the Yes vote at 25%.
WHEN was it a low as that for God’s sake?
Forgetting about the BBC for a moment as we know what they’re about already. Blair McDougall looks seriously unwell.
Blair,
If your reading this, independence debate aside. As one man to another. If you haven’t already, please get yourself off to a doctor. Your not in good shape fella.
We have a great health service (best in the UK), they’ll sort you out.
Good god – his eyes are …. DEAD. He looks like an animated corpse. I’m gonna have nightmares.
Jeez, and I got dinged for the PoR phrase? Zombie Blair now!
I do hope he does not get a lot of space in tomorrow’s Sunday Herald.
link to t.co
Sleep deprivation, has all kinds of effects on the ability to function and can even hinder a persons ability to string two or more useless words together, quite clearly the case here. What a dork.
Don’t what anyone expects it’s the BRITISH broadcasting company , makes no difference we pay for it as well as everyone else on these sceptered isles , the whole British establishment and then some are agin us hey ho
Maybe there’s some kind of supernatural, mirror-in-the-attic or ‘Justified Sinner’-type stuff going on here – by the time we get to next Sept, AS will look like Brad Pitt and McDougall will be an elderly walrus.
Someone tell Blair it’s a bit early for the Halloween costume.
Ooh, there’s an idea. I’m going to go trick or treating as Project Fear…
I see comments are still allowed on Salmond’s speech – up around the 2,300 mark now. Passed comment about Blair being on but not sure it will last I see a fair cull has been taking place in the last wee while.
The protection of the state spooks will be coordinating the no campaign and pressing buttons as required. As for Blair his eyes are very dark and his mouth looks kinda broon! He’s either been eating or talking a lot of shit. Bet his knees are aw skint tae. There I draw the line he better go and get checked Oot before he gets clocked oot by his pals. Ill begotten gains and all that!
Why is there a picture of Mason Boyne with this article?
I’ve enjoyed reading Derek Bateman’s blog.
But his notion that there is no organised, institutionalised Unionism at the heart of BBC Scotland is frankly laughable.
It truly is an insult to the intelligence of the people of Scotland to see this self proclaimed socialist speak on behalf of the people of Scotland. Who he represents is not who he thinks he does but never mind, he got out some “old tunes” of his own – it’s all about Alex Salmond and the SNP, Labour built the Welfare state when the SNP were campaigning for independence (ignoring the fact that without any power the SNP COULD NOT build any kind of welfare state of course) and same old same old on message nonsense we hear time and time again.
I hope very much that you all send this lot packing and we never have to hear from or more importantly see that man ever again from the 19th of September 2014
I distinctly remember the Labour Conference had Torquil Fanboy to give balance. You cynical cybernat, you!
Lodged a complaint. Fat lot of good it’ll do.
When all else fails, send in the unionist zombie.
@Training Day – totally agree. I’ve made the point in posts to his blog but no answer as yet.
I understand his loyalty to old colleagues (I have the same in certain newspapers I won’t mention) but he and I both now newsrooms are positively feudal. You do what you’re told – or else.
Speaking of the BBC – I see Salmond is on Andrew Marr’s show tomorrow morning. Looking forward to him being treated with the dignity and respect his office deserves. As always.
Further proof which is not needed of Pacific Quay behaving in the same way that their cousins in Harare have done for years. The BBC are in the pockets of the Unionist establishment in the same way their counterparts have performed a similar function on behalf of Mugabe for 30+ years.
A shameless proof which will go unnoticed by the rest of the media but a correction which the YES campaign should make a great deal of noise about when Unionist events take place.
This cancerous manipulation only further discredit the BBC in the eyes of the Yes supporting Scots. Boothman and must know his game is up. He knows that the clean-out of the Augean stables at Pacific Quay begins after a YES vote.
A reformed and invigorated national broadcaster offering genuine balance with the resources and talent to offer rigorous, fair news analysis will have no place for Kerr, Campbell or that human incarnation of the Sunday Post himself Toodleoothenoo.
Boothman will have to make do with a retiral package but he will get his exercise handing out Labour party election leaflets for his local CLP.
Rev you need a like button, beastie had me in stitches on the very first post.
@Doug Daniel-
Aye!
Now’s the time of year, for Project Fear.
Here’s how it looks unmasked – more than a bit tired, with nothing to say for itself:
It really is, as commented several times already, quite a pathetic show by NO and I’m sure they realise the games a bogey, so why do the decent Scots not get behind the people to ensure a straightforward YES.
How many times has this plea been uttered? What calumny can be left unsaid by these self-serving twerps. I rate a few potentially capable statesmen in the labour side, who should be speaking well for their independent country in the making, but now it seems they are thrilled to UNITE and God only knows what they are about in Grangemouth – and I say this as a person who sees the need and potential good of unions.
Roll on the black and white publishing day of 26th November and let the deil tak the hindmost!
Aw Rev. you have spoiled my night. There was me still wiping the tears of laughter from my eyes after reading “The Wee Ginger Dug” blog (see comments in “High stakes!”) and I noticed that you had a new post up. Clicked the link and I get hit with a photo of Blair McDougall. ;-(
Just a photo of him can suck the joy out of your life!
The referendum is about a future Scottish constitution and not party politics.The British establishment would like the brain dead to accept that it is everyone else in the universe vs the SNP and really nothing at all to do with the idea that independence might be good for us.
Dearie me this guys appearance is sure deteriorating fast, if those eyes get any darker, the BBC will be introducing him as the Sith Lord in a few months…
i cant look at him without thinking bout resident evil…and the early ones at that!
By the way, those wondering about R4’s ‘poll’ showing 25 per cent support for self-determination.. Watch out for a ‘poll’ published on 26 November which shows an all time low, probably in the teens. The BBC may even have the chutzpah to commission it themselves.
@Training Day
“I’ve enjoyed reading Derek Bateman’s blog.
But his notion that there is no organised, institutionalised Unionism at the heart of BBC Scotland is frankly laughable.”
My thoughts exactly!
I suppose on the BBC thing Derek is probably well placed to know who is biting their tongue and being over-ruled by people like Sinclair’s direct feed in at the top. There may be a lot more like Derek who are not happy about the way things are.
For those abroad, here is Mr Salmond’s speech to the SNP Conference at Perth;
I just watched the actual clip of Blair there, and most of the time it sounds like he’s describing his OWN campaign. It’s utterly bizarre. The man has simply lost all grip on reality.
I’ve got to say, watching Salmond’s speech today, I felt more sure than ever that we are going to win this referendum.
A wee ginger dug gets his teeth into Gordon Brewer.
link to weegingerdug.wordpress.com
Like Colin Duffy at 10.49pm – I too switched to BBC Parliament this evening to catch Nicola Sturgeon’s conference speech. Sound OK but against a flickering random video loop of some unknown woman repeating every couple of seconds made the whole thing highly suspicious. Yet again Miss Sturgeon being faded out by a ‘technical fault’. The BBC managed to show us the moon-landing but apparently Perth Concert Hall was a step too far for BBC mankind.
Now Clarinda, the cables from PQ probably got tangled up at the Cairney braes, if they do leave PQ its straight to Edinburgh Zoo and back!
The biased content aside, the technical side is not great either, with radio silence, unable to ‘bring you that report’ and Newsnicht actually being cancelled a week ago or so.
link to bbc.co.uk
I managed to sneak in to the bbc website article as well.
Doug Daniel says:
watching Salmond’s speech today, I felt more sure than ever that we are going to win this referendum
Absolutely. It was both statesmanlike and motivating, and left me feeling (as I’ve commented elsewhere) that YES, there is still a lot to do; and YES, it can be done; and YES will be the result!!
Its like
you see a button and it says
DO NOT PUSH THIS BUTTON
what do you do?
you push it
and that’s 1.50 seconds of my life taken away from me by BM
I’m not at all happy at that man getting air time.
Thomas Jefferson writing to his nephew, August 19, 1785
“He who permits himself to tell a lie once, finds it much easier to do it a second and third time, till at length it becomes habitual; he tells lies without attending to it, and truths without the world’s believing him. This falsehood of tongue leads to that of the heart, and in time depraves all its good dispositions.”
Appears he had Blair McDougall, and his ilk, sized up a few hundred years ago.
Blimey state of BM. I saw guys with better pallor when I was in the stroke ward. Some, crueller than me, would say he physically represents the bloated, decaying, insane and corrupt body of a movement in terminal decline. as regards the BBC, the responsibility for their editorial decision. Boothman knows who’s responsible. Another cretinous mgmt clone in search of his next job by sacrificing everyone else’s whilst at the same being a weak willed wee knob. Over promoted and under skilled.
BM looks like someone on a severe Columbian diet.
This is just further confirmation of what we have all known for a long time now,they don’t even pretend to be impartial, they are allowed to further their pro union agenda unhindered, and will continue to do so until after the votes are counted. It’s great that you expose this glaring bias rev , but unless someone in a position of authority , at Scottish government level who cannot be ignored steps in and calls them to account, I fear those of us who even mention what they are up to will continue to be seen as cranks and conspiracy theorists.
To much Medellin coffee perhaps?
You can just imagine Sinclair seeing the thronged masses of SNP folk in Perth, then picking up the phone to Boothman…
“Right, here’s what I want you to do…”
Was the BM interview on BBC Scotland or just the BBC News Channel, formerly News 24? The clip in the article is the BBC News Channel, which is why I’m asking.
Took all of 1 min for Marr to mention Braveheart. Lets hope Salmond takes the liitle Union Jock to task, least of all over his insulting speech at Edinburgh festival.
More braveheart comments and now Salmond is a ”rabble rouser”. Guess were the rabble.
And the blonde woman sitting to Marr’s right, instead of saying that Salmond is a good orator said , “He’s always been a good rabble rouser”.
Are we the rabble?
Watching Andrew panel Marr reviewing the newspapers they started talking about Alex Salmond’s speech at conference. They lasted about thirty seconds before Braveheart got a mention.
why all the concern over mcdougals health? if you spent your life pretending you work for a living by advising corrupt politicians how to lie better and most likely never got your nice soft girly hands dirty, eat until you are overweight and never exercise, then you too would look unhealthy. this guy is lying to you in an attempt to keep his lazy lifestyle at the expense of us and our kids. If he goes tomorow (for whatever reason)the only reason i would be disapointed is because he is a good advert for a yes vote.
Dougthedug, correction to the above. No Wings sweatshirt, it needs a wash. Bright flowery pullover with Wings bag. Say hi if you see me.
This has to stop…!
Has Blair been partying with Purcell
Sillars was always the real rabble rouser of course. Salmond is cerebral and restrained in comparison. And it was a fantastic speech.
mr salmond in good form, more bullish than normal. at last
The BBC needs massive sums of cash to feed its propaganda machine and all the hangers on, as well as the ‘celebrities’ fees.
I view it as my duty not to give it cash, I stopped watching live TV years ago, (and really don’t miss it), and you do not need a licence to watch catch up tv or DVD’s.
This upsets their goons at Capita, but eventually they give up.
Don’t fund the enemy with your money!
Marr pushing AS on will he debate with A Darling?
What are they trying to achieve with this. Why should the First Minister of Scotland debate the future of Scotland with an opposition back bencher? Marr must know this.
Was he one of the extras in Jackson’s “Thriller” video?
Re: “Braveheart. How come we don’t hear mention of “Zulu” or “The Iron Lady” when Unionists are on?
Think Marr was well pissed aff at the end of the interview. Salmond had to correct him too many times and Marr wasn’t pleased. Lol
Mr Salmond said he would debate with anyone. However Mr Cameron first!
it’s in the speech.
So has Mr McDougall got the Dorian Grey wish back to front and there is a portrait in his loft wherein he looks like a young Tony Curtis?
@ Bunter – Like you watched Andrew Marr and our FM. Marr just got his hackles up right from word go when FM skewered him. However what angered me was the last Q about debating whether FM would debate with Darling. I am sure Marr’s parting shot was ‘Well, I will take that as a no then’, when the FM had not said anything of the kind, in fact he repeated his challenge to DC and anyone else.
Re BBC black arts. Watched Linda Fabiani being interviewed on Saturday by Norman Smith ( Labour’s man at BBC London). Smith’s questions were clear with little background noise, but when switched to LB her answers could hardly be heard as the background noise magically increased.
Another technical hitch, move along now.
Any uchoob posts of Alex on Marr’s?
On Blair MacDougall – Do Scotland need TV & media Emancipation ?
As said in the report – what was his involvement with SNP conference ? Paul Sinclair on batphone to Daddy & Boothman ?
Can someone point me to an organised campaign to replace the BBC as quick as possible even before Independence. We need media emancipation and we need it now – who is really representing impartially in Scotland ?
On BM – There seems to be something of Gomez about him from the Adams family; (To far off for Halloween for costumes bud).
Salmond on top form won all the (fact based) verbal tennis rallies. Marr deeply pissed off.
Yes indeed clever 30 second coverage of AS weight then onto ‘Braveheart’, chuckle, chuckle. Thats the scottish gits sorted.
We have but the web to base our decisons on.
License fee – seriously what are we doing wasting our money ?
If you continue to pay your propaganda tax to the BBC, then you have no grounds to complain about the disinformation they broadcast. This is low-level warfare we are witnessing and I just wish more people would wake and stop subsidising the concerted attack Scotland and Scots are under from the MSM and BBC in particular.
So it’s your habit to watch Newsnight? I think our nation’s independence is worth slightly more than the personal indulgence of the Pavlovian training we have all undergone watching the state broadcaster.
Now is the time for self-sacrifice.
Just watched Andrew Marr.
First we had the newspaper review. Unusually they actually mentioned an article about Scotland, being the First Minsters speech, this lasted about 30-40 seconds which included some dumb blond saying that Alex Salmond was such a ‘rabble rouser’. The article review then morphed into mentioning the film ‘Braveheart’ Well they are stupid (the BBC) what did we expect?
Then Andrew Marr interviewing Alex Salmond complete with 3 second delay, obviously had to bounce the signal off 2 satellites from Scotland to London. Marr tried (and failed) to be smart with trying to get over that independence would mean the end of Great Britain. Marr’s hoped and tried to get away with that little piece but was corrected by Alex Salmond. Suddenly the interview wasn’t what Marr had hoped for and was continually corrected. Alex Salmond was in top form and literally fried Marr’s, bar the niceties (sorry couldn’t resist). At the end of the interview it was clear that Marr was rattled enough to loose track as to which camera he was supposed to be talking to.
“and literally fried Marr’s, bar the niceties (sorry couldn’t resist)”
Next time, try harder to resist.
A Darling is a guest on Murnaghan Sky News after 10am regarding reply to Salmond speech. No one else on show to rebutt the shit that Darling is going spew out.
He will no doubt stutter out the usual apocalyptic, Project Fear, end of the world nonsense.
I sometimes wondered if Tony Blair had a decaying portrait hidden in his attic. It seems that portrait has escaped and is going by the name Blair McDougall.
Reading Damian McBride’s book on his time as the Blair McDougal of Gordon Broon’s sejour at 11 an 10 Downing Street.
DM was consuming so much alcohol, outdrinking all the Press Corp, planting stories and finding out what was going to be their lines in the next few days.
I think that could explain a large part of BM’s appearance but only a part. I think there is an inner corruption somehow eating away at him. The possibility of exotic white potions should not be discounted, after all George Osborne was into that, among other things.
“Rev – from the latest posting on NNS ( Brothers spreading the word !)”
I like the bit where they call me “Mr Stuart”. I feel like a presenter on the Basil Brush Show.
Rev – from the latest posting on NNS ( Brothers spreading the word !)
“Another to openly criticise the apparent favouritism shown to the No campaign was influential online site Wings over Scotland. In an article published yesterday the site’s editor Stuart Campbell wrote:
“For some reason, the BBC’s coverage of the SNP conference in Perth was newsbombed by Blair McDougall once more, who got almost two minutes to rubbish the Nats onscreen with next to nothing in the way of challenge from the presenter.”
link to newsnetscotland.com
As Prof J Curtiss says its a harder struggle if the MSM dont give coverage I to was playing catch up That loop of a select committee with voiceover of Nicola is Beeb at its best ITS about time the message came from the top Alex Salmond that the people are feedup with these purile attempts to stiffle debate I have stoped paying the bbc licence fee because of this bias & would suggest everyone does the same but e mail bbc /letter your reason same with papers lets start to orginise a bit better SAOR ALBA
Perhaps next time a march or something happens you should set up a “project fear” stall and tell passes by the doomsday prophecies that have appeared in the media.
Or better yet have people in towns with the end is nigh style sandwich boards.
Marr: [The No campaign asked me to ask you this: Will you promise to debate with Darling?]
Salmond: [I’ll debate with anyone after Cameron.]
Marr: “That sounds a bit like a no”.
@ronnie anderson
Ronnie, I’m having trouble getting the sense of your post because of the lack of punctuation. Can you repost as I sense you’ve got a lot of good things to say.
Thanks.
Time for a Wings over Scotland Poll ?
There were some really good questions to be asked as I recall.
Darling on Sky News now..spouting utter pish as per
I just watched this interview in London in 1996. Andrew Marr interviewing Noam Chomsky. In relation to the current situation of MSM coverage of the Referendum, there is a whole lot of interesting moments. Enjoy.
gordoz
According to various comments in the past couple of days we are going to get a few. Yougov and Panelbase have been asking. If they are private polls they won’t see the light of day.
…..and on an other subject, you know the NO campaign are struggling when they have to resort to ‘Braveheart’ comments. I am sure Wallace when he was being hackedand quartered to death really did mean to say instead of ‘Freedom’, ‘I’m Better together.’
Darling cant even manage an interview with a compliant BBC “journalist” without falling apart.
Imagine what a head to head with AS would be like. It might be a tactic of Better Together to gain some sympathy votes. “Look what that bad Alex Salmond did to that poor we defenceless man”
This has to stop now!
Rabble Rouser translated = “Crap he delivered a good speech and most commentators are saying it was a good speech Oh Bum! the skinny fat bastard that he is!”
TMITJ says:
Imagine what a head to head with AS would be like.
OK, I’ve tried. And failed. Wouldn’t matter who they put up, AS would wipe the floor with them. And the longer they leave it, the worse it will be for them. He’s just taken the campaign up a gear with that conference speech, and it’ll go up a gear again next month when the White Paper hits the streets.
On the Newsnight ‘discussion. about the conference, Carrell, the Scottish Sun political editor and Brewer all looked ‘old’ and worn. The only one who showed any animation was the former adviser to the SG.
The whole studio looked left behind and dismal.
In the Times on Saturday there were three anti-Independence slanted articles, as would be expected, and a tow page spread interview with Douglas Alexander.
The heartening thing in these is that they are still working to the old agenda, talking as if Labour etc still are still the main players.
But it becomes clear how desperate Labour is when Alexander was talking about the Scottish Convention, and how the LibDems and Tories were keen to get together on Scotland’s ‘future’. When Labour allies itself with the Tories they are in desperate trouble.
There was the rhetoric about reforming the Health Service and Education. We can be clear about what that means.
The biggest problem among the catalogue of Labour failure is if they were going to do something they could have done long ago, and any normal thinking human being can work that out.
Only the coming Independence is creating their scrabble for a pretence of having a plan.
I hear BBC Radio Scotland is commissioning a new unionist-based panel comedy show called ‘Just a McMinute’. Unionist panellists have to talk for a full minute on Scottish independence without mentioning the words braveheart, dictator or north korea. Panellists are allowed to hesitate, deviate and repeat that Scotland is too poor, too wee and too stupid ad infinitum.
Wasn’t it interesting how Marr introduced Chomsky, as something of an anarchistic outsider, not as one of the most highly regarded academics and intellectual minds of the 20th century.
Unfortunately for Marr, his frame does not fit on this occasion and his introduction itself goes some way to making Chomsky’s point.
@ Marcia – Wiping marmite and toast crumbs off the screen – A chopped up Wallace shouting ‘I am better together’.
Andrew Morton I have issue with the Nazi polis in speilin I am waitin fur a brain operation ( hopefully soon 6 months house bound ) so dont expect any oppoligies for mis spelt or other wise Addition to my last post The One Show did a piece on Cruise Ships docking at Greenock ( Americans of scots connection ) at the end Giles Brandith said the best of british ( what has british got to do with people visiting Greenock / Glasgow or the Clyde bbc promoting britishness at every turn DONT pay the bbc to tell us lies The next RALLY we should have is rite on the doorstep of bbc Scotland handing in there protests ? ie letters of cancellation of debit / or other payments SOAR ALBA ( I ll let you know if my operation is succsessfull then you can critizise all you want
Archie
I bit of humour helps at times.
Aye rity Mr Stuart you would still wipe the flair wi thaim talkin oot yer back end & brush them up at the same time Multitaskin or whit
HE HE HE keeps me gon
Good for you, Ronnie. Great posts, and all the best for your operation.
Thanks Morag whenever that maybe ah would wish fur a labotimy the noo if ah thought it would help ha ha
“Why should they offer space to somebody who would undermine their power” is what Chomsky said at the end of The Big Idea Interview, that is the problem with the MSM and the BBC and many in Bitter Together – we threaten their existence and their pockets. Watching the Big Idea with Andrew Marr I thought the sound was terrible – if you are slightly hard of hearing – I really struggled, there is a hiss all through it and Chomsky is softly spoken – still worth watching.
He talks about the need for ordinary people to communicate, discuss and get their ideas across to each other. I don’t think we will win independence through MSM, but by getting people to talk and listen to each other on the street.
@ Alba4Eva
Thanks for posting this really enjoyed, it’s useful to be able to look at the MSM indy stuff in a structured way.
Also Chomsky explains about COINTELPRO, there is a book about it here with a useful activist section…
link to archive.org
@ronnie anderson
Ronnie,
No offence intended. I wish you well in your operation. Keep posting!
Ronnie,
Get well very soon.
Sigh. Chomsky was going to write the foreword for my Lockerbie book but he didn’t have time. Can’t complain really because Terry Waite did it, couldn’t ask for better, but Chomsky is such an international figure.
Aye Rev; saw the Mr Stuart thing in the article – made me smile too (Boom, Boom !)
On the Marr show the FM stated that ,”once we’ve disposed of the PM I’m happy to debate with all and sundry.”
Quisling Marr “that sounds lika a No!”
So we’ve got all the britnazi trolls spamming every comment thread with the Slmond cowardice line based on a ("Quizmaster" - Ed)’s lies. How very balanced and impartial.
And Marr claims to be a Scot but takes money to do down his own country. He’s a Quizzle. No ifs, buts or maybes. Quizzling quizzle of a ("Tractor" - Ed).
Peter – he’s not even that good. Traitors and ("Quizmaster" - Ed)s usually have a political aim Marr is just a creepy wee toad who would say anything for the BBC’s dirty money that we give them to deny us democracy! Marr is more to be pitied than disliked!
Its patently obvious that the BBC is allowing the unionist parties to comment on SNP, or Yes, actions but disallowing the SNP, or Yes, camps to comment on unionist actions.
On the day of the independence march in Edinburgh, the BBC World Service Web site failed to mention the 25,000 or so people marching through the Scottish capital for independence.
I appreciate that the world is a busy place and the BBC World Service must allocate space on its website to things that actually matter to it.
Funny though, that on the very same day, it allocated space to a story of “dozens” of people queuing up to visit Battersea Power Station in London before it closes for a revamp!
25,000 Scots marching. No story. Dozens of Londoners standing in a line. World news!
We are winning this argument!
Ok, Herr McDougall looks like an extra from a Hammer movie. But could anyone here pick Blair Je kins out of a line up. Has anyone ever seen him?
I spoke to him about three and a half hours ago, if that counts.
(I said “great speech” and he replied “thanks”.)
I saw him on 20th September as well, at a meeting in Galashiels. He definitely exists.
Jeez, I get a PARCEL OF ROGUES warning, and nobody’s getting Q-WORD warnings?
Justice is dead, I tell you.
“Jeez, I get a PARCEL OF ROGUES warning, and nobody’s getting Q-WORD warnings?”
I’ve been out! It’s Sunday!
“Captain Phillips” is a good film. Don’t say “Quisling”, folks.
Brazil have discovered vast amount of oil resivior they have great natural resourses but like us hiv nae pots tae piss in Hiv we any spare pots tae gie them c mon scots show yer generosity tae ithers in need Collection point via a Mr Cameroon 10 Doon St Greater London sos Charity name PISS POTS ARE US
Mass non-payment of licence fee campaign required!!!!
Already ignoring the 0300 telephone calls and forwarding licence fee related mail to Boothman c/o BBC Scotland for his attention.
Even a mass cancellation of Direct Debits may make someone sit up and take note.
Agreed. We should all be doing this.
@Vronsky
But could anyone here pick Blair Jenkins out of a line up. Has anyone ever seen him?
Yes, he was speaking at the independence rally last month.
Oh yes, that too. And at Galashiels the evening before, as I said. And I was close enough to exchange a few words with him late this afternoon, after his rousing speech to the SNP conference.
Rabkae keep it gon it hurts when yer pocket gets hurt news papers are the easy meat a couple of runs of news print that naebody buys & they get the message bbc have to account to the Taxpayer when they lose respect their baws drap
The BBC are looking for a Web Developer in Glasgow. Anyone fancy trying to take them down from the inside?