Political bias in the media

I often listen to Talk Radio (“The home of common sense”) and am very aware that it tends to lean to the right, or maybe better put, tends to lean towards more traditional values held by older people (?). Yay, me!

The other day I decided to try LBC for a change. I’ve listened before and realised that most of the presenters lean left/liberal. It was the anniversary of the “Storming the Capitol” in Washington and they played all of Kamala and most of Joe’s speeches in full. It almost made me feel sick. Kamala banging on as to how the incident would go down in history up there with Pearl Harbour and 9-11! How Senators had felt their lives in danger (note no weapons had been carried into the Capitol that day, except by security and police). Biden waffling on as he always does. All in all a blatant political points-scoring episode openly attacking Trump and denying any ballot rigging, etc. etc.

I’m not saying that the invasion of the Capitol was right.

Now, I’m not saying that the invasion of the Capitol was right. Far from it. But it seemed to be a mixture of possibly a staged event, organised by a small faction of right-wingers but most certainly carrying along, in the heat of the moment, several hundred passionate Trump supporters who had “seen the election stolen from them.” If you listen to the ‘right‘ media you’ll find that Trump did not instigate this and tried to calm things down, but passions were running high.

The crowd were not carrying firearms as an organised insurrection would have required. Only one person was shot and that by a security guard. The other people who died included one heart attack. Once the crowd was inside they seemed to do little more than wander about aimlessly wondering what to actually do apart from throwing papers around, putting feet up on a desk or daring to stand at a podium with a bull horn, looking rather ridiculous. My mind goes again to the Colston Four being let off because they “had a point” whereas these guys get to do jail time. Sorry gaol time.

Oh how I’m glad to live in the U.K.

But for LBC, if that wasn’t enough, when we came back to the presenters in the studio all we got was more leftist/liberal biased commentary. No critique. No challenging. No balance. No-one phoning in to comment from a different perspective.

that’s me done with LBC

So I guess that’s me done with LBC (Liberal Biased Commentary). Back to Talk Radio with James Whale, Jeremy Kyle et al. Some humour. Lot’s of debate. Callers with varying viewpoints. Banter. Strong opinions. But above all FREE SPEECH!

Rumours of Piers Morgan coming on as a presenter. That’ll be fun.

7th January 20227th January 2022

Colston 4 not guilty!

As a child, from the age of about 8 I over indulged in chocolate and became overweight. The end result was name calling, being the last to be chosen in team sports and low self-esteem. When I was in, I think, my second year at Grammar school (still overweight) we went on a school trip to the Rhineland, to a lovely little place called Boppard, near Koblenz. As was the habit then, prefects came along to “look after” the younger boys. One of them decided it would be a laugh to come into the room I was sharing with two others and throw a cake at us. My instant reaction was to pick it up and throw it back, missing him sadly but making a bit of a mess down the stairwell. For that I got the cane.

I have long since forgiven the teacher concerned. He had the reputation of the school in mind, possibly even the image of the English abroad (O K probably not). It was simply the way back then. BUT!

All my life I have had a sense of fairness, of right and wrong, of putting things right.

It left me with an indelible sense of justice and injustice.

I knew that I had not really done anything that bad. I was the “victim” of an attack. Foolhardy maybe for retaliating, but it was in the heat of the moment. I should have been exonerated, not punished. Indeed I had always been “a good boy”, brought up not to swear, to fight, to steal (not even scrumping I recall). The sort of boy who was called to the headmaster’s office not to be punished but to explain “what really happened”, because I could be trusted.

All my life I have therefore had a sense of fairness, of right and wrong, of the need to put things right.

There are ways of doing things in a decent society, and ways of not doing things.

And so to Bristol.

It does somewhat beggar belief that an act that was filmed by many witnesses and confessed to in court can effectively be deemed not to have happened!

Now I am not arguing for one minute that the removal of the statue of Colston wasn’t long overdue, as was the renaming of buildings he funded. Bristol Council should have dealt with this decades ago. I can also almost excuse the people who tore it down as being carried along in the heat of the moment (Hmmm, half an hour or more I would hazard – time to check one’s conscience?). However to find them not guilty is a travesty of justice.

We have all done things, perhaps as children, that with hindsight we know were wrong. Should we have been punished? No, probably not. But should we be told that we did nothing wrong? Absolutely NO. In this case by so doing we not only turn these four into some kind of justice freedom fighters but open a very dangerous door to vandals everywhere.

What the judge appears to be saying is that if you believe in something passionately enough, or you just get a bit carried away, then you are justified in doing whatever you choose. It really doesn’t take a law degree to see the flaws in that argument!

There are ways of doing things in a decent society, and ways of not doing things. This was mob rule.

What would I have done you ask? I’d have found them guilty as charged, but then have seriously considered what was an appropriate punishment given the context and the numbers of other people cheering them on! I might even have used the opportunity to draw attention to the greater evils that were being protested. But to overlook criminal damage, no. That would be like justifying setting fire to car lots in Cleveland or looting in Portland. No. Simply no.

We keep coming back to the issue of how we deal with history and how we view ourselves as a result. Are we controlled by our past or liberated from it? Am I particularly bad just because I was born white? Am I forever a victim because I was born black? And for “black” you can substitute Jewish, Moslem, Hispanic, Irish, working class, etc. etc.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/01/05/blm-activists-dumped-edward-colston-statue-bristol-harbour-cleared/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/01/06/colston-four-case-could-reviewed-avoid-setting-dangerous-legal/

Meanwhile over the pond a very different approach . . . . . .

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/qanon-shaman-sentenced-trump-capitol-riot_n_618d4779e4b04e5bdfccfadc

9th December 20213rd June 2025

Totalitarianism made easy

How easily it seems we have begun the slide towards totalitarianism. Oh of course it is packaged as being for our good, or at least the greater good.

The latest example is “Saint Jacinda’s war on fags“

“It is a curious irony that the West’s leading progressive icon is probably the most authoritarian leader in the free world today.”

I quote, “It is a curious irony that the West’s leading progressive icon is probably the most authoritarian leader in the free world today. Since sweeping to power in 2017, the New Zealand prime minister has been repeatedly lauded by the London intelligentsia as the ideal model of a liberal, centrist premier. This is despite the blessed Jacinda‘s stock response to every public policy crisis being to restrict or ban the offending phenomena in question. After Christchurch it was guns; for Covid it was lockdowns, with bans on the unvaccinated. Now Ardern has stumbled onto the solution to smoking: why not simply ban cigarettes?”

I was watching a Smithsonian Channel episode on Adolf Hitler the other day. Wow, I mean what an incredible man. Adored by the ordinary people, he almost single-handedly turned the defeat of the First World War and the economic crisis of the 20’s into a glorious victory for the German people. Fantastic new motor vehicles, a futuristic motorway system, railway expansion and new aircraft. An economic revival like no other in history some might argue. The restoration of national pride to a defeated people. What a great man? Er, wait, hold it just there!

All that glistens is not gold!

Hopefully I had you going there for a moment. But I trust my point is made. All that glistens is not necessarily gold. Leadership is a very tricky thing. On the face of it the governments of the world have all acted in the best interests of their people to protect them from a horror of global proportions. But at what cost?

How many freedoms are we prepared to forego in the name of the greater good? How much economic pain? How many deaths from undiagnosed and untreated illnesses?

Politicians have had centuries to perfect the technique of making black look, well if not exactly white, then at least light grey! We are often told that we are given “informed choices“. That was certainly said of the vaccines. But in reality the information amounted to no more than “trust me, I’m a scientist“. I honestly still have no idea what these “vaccines” are, how they work, why we keep having to have more. Trust is a lovely dangerous thing.

In the 1930’s the German people saw the good stuff that was going on, were kept in the dark as to more unpleasant agendas and were reluctant to go against the shiney new culture than was bringing such great results. Socialism is good, right? And what is wrong with a bit of National pride? Don’t rock the boat and we can create a brave new world.

Trust is a lovely dangerous thing

4th December 20213rd June 2025

The way we were

Thanks again to COVID the other day I watched “The Way We Were” starring Barbara Streisand & Robert Redford*. Expecting a 1970’s love story I was surprised to be watching a political commentary on the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s very well crafted into a hard to watch ‘love story’ from a 1970’s mindset.

It could have been made today as an observation on our “cancel culture”. Leftist idealogues calling anyone who differed with them “fascists”. The promulgation of communism amongst the young as the solution to the world’s problems (despite the evidence). Protests. People, even film producers, losing their jobs over their political beliefs. Government inquiries. It’s all there. All set against a backdrop of a real war against real fascism and a cold war against communism.

If you’ve never seen the film there’s a good description here.

Set in the period from the mid-1930s to the 1950s, a love story involving two markedly different people. Katie is an idealistic, uptight, Stalin-loving political activist. Hubbell is an easy-going, athletic, all American-type, and a talented writer. We see their different personalities affect their relationship and how they (almost) manage despite the differences… italics mine

I also found the film depressing in it’s possibly unconcious portrayal of a promiscous world in which real love and loyalty do not exist and marriage is non-existent. A child is born to a single mum whose “partner” leaves her. In that regard, thank you Hollywood. Great job, not! But as a political/social commentary well worth a watch.

*P.S. Is it me or did Redford go to the same drama school as Pinoccio?

For a fuller commentary on the USA go here

4th December 20214th December 2021

COVID and me

So, I have COVID.

First reaction has to be that the vaccines have worked. That is to say I’m not dead yet and no signs of dying. This is just a bad bout of cold. Slightly tickly throat, runny nose, a dull ache around my eyes, muscle ache, slight giddiness, and lethargy. O K , maybe flu, not a cold! No particular problems breathing.

So to Vax or not to Vax. Well, that’s a notty one. It would seem from the above that they work, at least to an extent. I’ve still caught COVID, but it doesn’t seem to be killing me. BUT. What if they now tell us that we have to get injected every 3 months to maintain immunity? What if the variants keep defying science? What if the vaccinations end up killing us?

What if the vaccinations end up killing us?

Yep, you read right. But no I’m not going down the conspiracy theories route. I have to believe that this is too big to be some planned “Big Pharma”, “Illuminate”, Bill Gates inspired world domination masterplan. Where’s Bond when you need him (or her)?

As I understand it the vaccinations are not the traditional form of a mild version of the real thing, they are “harmless” artificial viruses that should trigger our natural immune system into identifying and fighting COVID-like viruses. But will such interference over time reduce our natural immune system’s ability to fight disease? Have we, in our “follow the science” optimism or arrogance played God and interferred with nature, getting ourselves into an ever increasing dependency on medical intervention?

Someone has suggested that we have effectively introduced AIDS to everyone! That sounds overly dramatic, but if we have introduced a man-made substance into our bodies, there’s no going back, no retrieval system and we’ve done it to millions. Rather like chemo-therapy, is the treatment worse than the disease?!

Well, anyway, there’s 7 billion of us. Worse case Bill Gates gets his population reduction! The planet becomes more sustainable. People can stop gluing their hands to motorways …………………………

Oh, just remembered, GOD! Oh yes Him. I seem to recall there is some kind of master plan, an end times, a winding up (or down) of all things. A return. A Kingdom to come.

COVID passports nothing. I’d better check that my Kingdom Passport is up to date!

12th October 2021

The Vaccine

Oh my what a divisive thing COVID has turned out to be!

Society seems to have divided right down the middle over this one. Either you are a good upright mask wearing trusting person who has done the right thing and had the vaccine or you are, for whatever reason, highly suspicious of what is going on globally and see the vaccine as extremely dangerous if not fatal.

Here Avi explains his take on what is going on through reference to the Tower of Babel. An intersting listen.

I’m a vaccinated skeptic

Where do I stand? Well. I’m a vaccinated skeptic! The more I read. The more I hear of what is going on. The more I wonder whether the conspiracy theorists are right and we are being poisoned, manipulated and ultimately controlled. The loss of freedoms of speech, especially now for Christians and the rise in “protected people groups” such as LGBTQI+ and Moslems (notably not Christians) is deeply worrying.

26th April 202126th April 2021

The Right to Protest

(April 26th 2021) On a slightly more positive note than many of my posts this past weekend saw a demonstration of hundreds of thousands of people (some say a million) in London, against the lockdowns and restrictions. This went without much police supervision or interference. There was very little violence.

Sadly towards the end there were scuffles in Hyde Park and bottles were thrown at Police who were intentionally not wearing riot gear. However, and I am increasingly emphasising this, the trouble makers were few and it seems just out for the fight with the Police. At any demo these days there are the such a wide spectrum of positions represented and always an element who just want to kick off against the establishment, almost irrespective of the core issue of the demonstration.

One does wonder what the Police hoped to achieve by wading into sucha large crowd with so few officers and it turned nasty quite quickly.

Sadly the Police are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. I fear that we are heading towards more and more heavy handed policing to repress potential riots – and one can’t blame them.

The demo does seem to have been mainly peaceful but such a mix of people and purpose, perhaps more an excuse for a party than anything else!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7Jg6koGE-g

13th April 202110th December 2021

The tragedy of armed police in America

This post changed as I wrote it as you’ll see if you stick with it.

Headline today “Police officer who killed black man in Minnesota traffic stop went to use Taser but fired her pistol ‘by accident‘” WHAT?

How, we ask ourselves? Yet another tragic death of someone who seems to have been guilty of relatively minor criminal offences. Shot dead because the officer made a terrible mistake in the heat of the moment. Distracted? Scared? Who knows, but tragic none the less, and the timing couldn’t be worse as another police officer comes close to sentencing over the death of George Floyd.

I think I’ve said something similar elsewhere, but I continue to be astounded that anyone ignores the instructions of armed police officers, knowing that they just might shoot! Put your hands on the dashboard! Simple. Get out of the vehicle! Simple. Get down on the ground! Simple.

So why not do as you are asked rather than escalating the situation and risking being shot? Why?

I post this link from a few days ago by way of illustration. Even a serving soldier cannot follow a simple order! Why?

But changing tack a little, here’s something that I had not appreciated. Policing in America has changed radically since the begining of the “war on terror”. It is frankly shocking.

Here you can see how in less than 20 years the American Police Force has changed into an Army! Do watch.

17th March 202112th October 2021

Sarah Everard

Hosea 8:7 “They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.”

I approach this very tentatively as it is a very sensitive area.

I have to say that we live in a very confused society. Perhaps the word is conflicted. Over the past few decades there have been radical changes in attitudes towards sex. What 50 years ago would have been classed as pornography is now mainstream on T.V. and film. I would cite “Naked Attrcation” on Channel 4 which has the strapline “The daring dating series that starts where some good dates might end – naked”, as a prime example. What is acceptable in terms of relationships, particularly the normalisation of casual sex has resulted I would suggest in our present predicament where women are not respected as they were.

The “sexual revolution” has backfired. The freedoms that people so desired has led to quite the opposite. Marriage has been devalued. The family has been devalued. The apparent promise of the 60’s expression “If it feels good do it!” has proved sadly hollow.

Having “Street Pastored” I am only too aware that, COVID notwithstanding, Friday and Saturday nights for many younger people is nothing more than a chance to get drunk and get laid.

It’s time to re-evaluate.

Emma Wood describes this situation in no uncertain terms, “Young men have grown up in a culture that tells them that sex is a recreational activity with no deeper significance. Unsurprisingly, then, young men have come to internalise the idea that initiating unwanted sex is on par with initiating an unwanted water fight. It is just a bit of fun, and nothing that any reasonable person should get too upset about.”

The significance of sex — can it be recovered through consent alone?

Emma Wood Posted Tue 16 Mar 2021, 5:02pm Updated Tue 16 Mar 2021, 5:22pm

Social media then filled with images of women shouting abuse at female Police officers.

Tragically the events that then followed around the vigil only uderlined another aspect of our loss of respect. The Police had asked that the vigil should not occur. It then seems that women with an agenda, other than quietly and appropriately lighting a candle in memory of Emma, took this occasion to make their point. Social media then filled with images of women shouting abuse at female Police officers. Does anyone else see the irony in that?

Respect should mean respect.

Social Media was quick to spread the unfortunate images.

And the response of the Metropolitan Police in the person of Cressida Dick

(I note in October that the piece does not want to play on the BBC website but does on the Guardian)

I also note in October 2021 that there have been calls for her resignation over misogyny in the Police force. An interesting accusation bearing in mind that she has risen to high office as a woman! So would the anti-misogynists prefer a man in post????

8th March 202112th June 2021

Vaccination

For the record I’ve had both my jabs (June 2021). I didn’t do so lightly and I did have reservations. On balance it seemed the right thing to do, and I did pray about it, but I do understand people who do not want to be vaccinated for personal and probably spiritual reasons.

1984 has been a long time coming but it is knocking at the door

I am not hugely into conspiracy theories and I sincerely hope that this vaccine is not what some say it is. But I do have real concerns around the rumoured source material used in its development. All I can say in my defence is that I am very grateful that, in a rather bizarre sense, the alledged baby concerned did not die in vain but will have saved thousands if not millions of lives.

You get shown a list of “ingredients” before being given the jab. I guess that’s for legal reasons. Problem is that in the list of a dozen or so components all I recognised was salt and water! What the rest of it is, I have no idea! So, completely on trust, I’ve let a whole bunch of chemicals into my body.

I at least suspect and trust that there aren’t any nanobots or microchips swimming around and I haven’t been checking the mirror to see if the “666” has appeared on my forehead. BUT that does lead me to my serious concerns.

We are being asked more and more to trust the experts, to be good boys and girls, to wear our masks, to get vaccinated, to carry the card, etc. 1984 has been a long time coming but it is knocking at the door.

where is the line in the sand?

Moreover, I know enough of my Bible to know that it only gets worse from here on in. The serious question every believer faces is where is the line in the sand. Is it too late already because of Bar Codes? Should we be using debit cards? What about the soon to be offered micro-chip implant.

I have “friends” on Facebook that will lauugh at this next question, but what will the “mark of the beast” be? Are we on a slippery slope towards making a decision from which there is no return? It concerns me that many long-term believers are “moving on” from what they used to believe, re-interpreting scripture and being “progressive”.

Think of this as a heads up.