Peace or death

I was away all day and only caught up late evening when I had BBC news on the car's radio (getting home a rush email alert only allowed me the vast news that some Royal had apologised for something my national broadcaster found REALLY exciting)

I am really unsure why the BBC engages in such po-faced disconnection with reality in the face of it being so glaringly out of step with other sources of news. How silly to they think they become in simple comparison? Some Daily Mail pictures shared on a post shocked me, but mainly because, thanks to the BBC, I initially had no idea what had really happened.

I did anyway find it a tad ironic that a 'peace march' had ended in 'some violence', but mitigated it seems by 'legitimate frustrations' on the part of the marchers that their route had been constricted. Yes, I can see how an impediment to progress might get you in the mood to try and cripple a policeman. I guess proportionality works in mysterious ways.

Just imagine if they'd had rockets lobbed into their midst indiscriminately for several years? I bet they'd really try and understand the launcher's motivations and ask others to have a word (well, some more words on top of the previous words).

This really has gone into the realms of institutionally-supported propaganda, but amazingly it's here against the very state representative, Gordon's (where is he... again?) government, they seem incapable of faulting no matter what most of the time.

FYIW, by way of some kudos where deserved, I just watched as I type a segment* on News 24 called 'Reporters', with Zena Badawi (excuse spelling. She's the lady who won't be asked back on the Andrew Marr show).

A full report on Hamas tunnels, with balaclava clad types making todays' batch of rockets for transport across to Gaza.

I presume that when a laser guided bomb finds such chaps, they will become 'Palestinians' for the purpose of the BBC 'news' 'reporting' 'system'.

Perpetrating the lie that these nihilists are not the ones who caused and are delighting in keeping this war going is what is killing more kids daily.

Shame on all who see value in suppressing this fact at any opportunity. If it is naivete it is frustrating; if it is deliberate, it is downright sinister and worrying for the future.

From the same post (credit):

Quiz time. Spot the odd ones out.

Telegraph: Gaza protesters clash with police in London

Sun: Gaza protests end in violence

CNN: London protest against Gaza conflict grows unruly

Times: Protestors clash with riot police at anti-war rally

BBC:UK protesters call for Gaza peace

Guardian: Tens of thousands join London Gaza protest

updated to...

Violence erupts at embassy protest

*Not exactly damning in tone on reviewing, but one of few instances where it's pretty clear what the heck has been, is and will be going on... and on... that surely to most rational minds go towards the core of this conflict.

Context almost totally lacking in any other report I am subjected to.

I would just love to hear the various Hamas morale officer cheerleaders explain how they see value in supporting these non-uniform-clad combatants in their mission.

It merely gives them more and more valuable ammunition than mere ordnance to place around those they claim to be 'defending'.

BBC - Reporting from Gaza

BBC* - Strike at Gaza school 'kills 40'

BBBC - Another view

Out of 496 comments to the James Stephenson piece I refer to above, fully 226 have been removed, at time of writing .Is this some kind of a record?

As many blogs can often find, moderation is a tricky path, and I can honestly appreciate it's one anyone, and especially the BBC faces.

Mind you, there is a certain irony in such preventing of access to/transmission of dodgy material (unpleasant, untrue, etc) to protect one's interests and those you hold dear.

In the case of the BBC I guess it's mainly to avoid them getting done for broadcasting misinformation and hate material, etc. Fair enough.

Now, on the other hand, their reactions to the IDF not letting their crack squad of objective event interpreters in to Gaza have been....?

Must be another of those amazing numbers of standards that makes them so unique.

Telegraph - Gaza: stopping the killing, starting the justice - It's a view. One I can't fully endorse as it seems based on an idealistic view of current reality. But the nature of the comments it has attracted makes it unfruitful to pitch in.

BBBC - The blog, and poster, are clearly from a 'side', and don't pretend otherwise, but I thought this deconstruction of a supposedly 'objective' MSM 'reporters' views of facts he himself has gleaned was quite interesting.

I have been pretty critical of some in the MSM, and the BBC in particular, for the extent and competence of their 'reporting' and 'interviewing' in this conflict. This (actual footage linked in very tortuous ways via two blogs) , by the not exactly high-profile Stephen Sackur of the not-exactly well known 'Hard Talk' (but all better than nothing, and begging questions of why 'tough interviewing' is not an option in most other programmes), uses no more than logic and the interviewee's own words speak for themselves.

Spectator - Sir Jeremy Greenstock Says Hamas Is Only About ‘Resistance’ - between the piece and many of the comments in reply, it is erring on 'well, D'Oh' to say it, but one really needs to stick very closely to verifiable facts before attempting anything like an assessment of the arguments laid out. That said, this 'Sir' seems to have an interesting interpretation of the situation and its origins that I find hard to substantiate. Not this troubled the interviewer from the sound of things. Cosy.

Telegraph - Ehud Olmert snaps his fingers and George Bush comes running - it is but one small blog post amongst a plethora dealing with this sorry tale, but I include it if only because of the disconcerting way my opinions see-sawed between the original and a thread reply later on. I need to review both in the cold hard light of a later day, but am not encouraged that, again, facts can so easily be lost on a sea of stormy opinion.

Addendum - 19/01

Everything is relative I guess, but now access has been granted I was surprised, mildly if still pleasantly, by the BBC lunchtime news reports.

Yes, the IDF was copping it for a lot of damage and kiddy casualties that were hard to put in any sensible context and hence were just an emotive backdrop, but at least there was an interview with a bloke (hope he isn't 'dealt with') who seemed to be equally miffed with Hamas, and this time the edit suite mixed this with a bozo in a balaclava who I think even Ms. Booth might have felt was not as on message for the next 'we are all now Palestine' ra-ra rally as was helpful (especially after that Times poll of public opinion here, which did rather suggest that when 'they' say 'we', it might not actually include most of the population... as well as their governments).

Too much to hope that it's starting to dawn on some that Hamas was/is and seems unlikely to change from being pretty much the cause of all this.

At the very least we may get more towards why a building was blown up, rather than being left with the notion the Israelis just don't like buildings.

The IDF lady was pretty scary, mind, and left me in no doubt that if this 'cease-fire' is not honoured, then there's more of the same.

Hence I'd be keen to hear the local population's views on any efforts that might be taken to destabilise things by those amongst them whose motivations so far seem hardly designed towards defence, peace or, indeed, the ceasing of firing.

And, indeed, the prevention of arms smuggling was raised as a fair reason to kick off again, without much comment as to that being pretty much the reason for the last one.

For sure, hold the IDF to a higher standard and even to account for any excesses. So long as the 'turning other cheek'/'tie one arm behind your back' requirements do not get into silly territory.

But if it's really the kids who the MSM really cares about, I'd suggest that also applying the considerable heft of their resources to putting Hamas on notice that they no longer get free passes to play martyr whenever and whenever they feel like might just help stay their itchy trigger and video camera fingers when next passing by a school.

*Addendum - 03/02

theglobeandmail.com - Account of Israeli attack doesn't hold up to scrutiny - I wonder if this will be covered here at all?

*Addendum - 07/02

Telegraph - Palestinians are ill served by their allies

Especially many in the media. And there were several other occasions when what was 'reported' (if one can use this term for what some bloke phoned in that suited the media owner's agenda) seemed not to quite be reflected in fact. Especially certain broadcasters* who seem to think ex-staffers working with UN-prefixed entities telling current staffers with axes to grind is the route to objective news gathering.

And so one's trust in the MSM reporting becomes zero.

Beyond all the political issues swirling around, my personal view is that through such journalistic and editorial 'enhancing the narrative' and 'interpreting of events' in the name of ratings and agenda, the children of any conflict are ill served by the media who so casually used their images to aid stories, supposedly with their best interests at heart.

Especially when it all happens again, and it will, and my default from the outset will be to doubt anything that is broadcast and printed if I have reason to suspect where the sympathies of the journalist or their employers lie.

One just has to hope that such as the IDF will try to keep the conduct of its soldiers to a higher standard than those who choose to call them to account, even in a smoke-filled firefight in a dark alley against a foe less constrained by military convention and enjoying often uncritical coverage of their ongoing 'activities'.

*I am sure equal prominence will be given to this story.. not: UN suspends aid to Gaza after accusing Hamas of theft

BBC - UN halts Gaza aid over 'thefts' - In the interests of 'balance', this from the website. All over the broadcast news?

Fox - U.N. Increasingly Critical of Hamas, Softening on Israel

Gaurdian - Hamas murder campaign in Gaza exposed - interesting folk some support