I have always been quite angry about those who sit back and do nothing about injustice to others, and frustrated by those not fighting against injustice being metered out to themselves.
I am also one of those who has no time for the attitude that to protest and demonstrate changes nothing, and that to complain is a fruitless exercise.
I have no time for people who whinge and whine and moan but do ef all about their situation, refuse to take advice and to fight back, but seek out sympathy from anyone within earshot, at home, in bus queues, in the pub, on the train, and most of all hidden away in the staff toilets at work.
The reality is that such people simply allow the bullies, the sloppy management culture, the unprincipled, the brain dead and down right lazy to get away with creating a country where the motto is "Why do it properly when you can fuck it up!"
We should check out the Latin for that and then have it emblazoned across our national flag!
But far worse than the whingeing whining and moaning whilst not fighting back against the bullies, the laziness and sloppiness of management of workplaces and services in this country; the new way of dealing with injustice in this great nation of ours has simply become the replacement of apathy with acquiescence as the British way of life!
No more exemplified is this phenomena than when it comes to political issues.
Everywhere you go you can hear the absolute silence from the voice of the people talking about the government's attack on the elderly, the poor, the unemployed, the disabled, teenagers, the sick and the working class.
I have discovered in fact, that no one actually lives in the real world of UK 2011, but instead resides in the safe world of dumbed down TV, celebrity mags, fashion, cosmetic surgery, TV soaps and idle negative gossip.
They actually reside inside a bubble of a planet called 'Fucks Biz', otherwise known as 'the land of make believe'!
Now this would be funny if it were not for the fact that some 60 million people will, at some point, be transported from Fucks Biz back into reality and suddenly be stunned into realising that their acquiescence has brought them mass unemployment, a low wage economy, food banks, privatised health care run by American and other foreign companies, no employment rights, no health & safety protection at work and subsequent higher death and injury rates, minimal education, no retirement and worst of all; a lifetime of total and abject misery unless you are rich and well connected.
Tell me now, is it worth living on the planet of make believe?
Monday, 19 September 2011
Sometimes I talk Crap
Sad to have to admit this, but I got it all wrong in my blog entitled 'Hello Cruel World Pt 2' !
In it I suggested that there would be riots in the streets once the great British people realised just what Cameron and his ConDem(ned) government have done to this country, turning it as they will into the United Kingdom of America by copying the worst of American domestic policies.
Since writing that, the NHS Bill to privatise the NHS has gone through parliament and into the Lords with hardly a whimper from the public. The media has of course remained almost silent on the issue, and what was once called a sacred cow that no government would touch; is slowly going to its death without a tear being shed by the public.
So, on that basis, I do believe that even suggesting there would be demonstrations, let alone riots, was rather ridiculous of me, and that acquiescence is now the new British way of dealing with life rather than mere apathy!
To those reading this, I do promise to do better and more informed than I have been until now!
In it I suggested that there would be riots in the streets once the great British people realised just what Cameron and his ConDem(ned) government have done to this country, turning it as they will into the United Kingdom of America by copying the worst of American domestic policies.
Since writing that, the NHS Bill to privatise the NHS has gone through parliament and into the Lords with hardly a whimper from the public. The media has of course remained almost silent on the issue, and what was once called a sacred cow that no government would touch; is slowly going to its death without a tear being shed by the public.
So, on that basis, I do believe that even suggesting there would be demonstrations, let alone riots, was rather ridiculous of me, and that acquiescence is now the new British way of dealing with life rather than mere apathy!
To those reading this, I do promise to do better and more informed than I have been until now!
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
You Get The Government You Deserve
It has suddenly dawned on me, after all these years of fighting for the rights of working people, and believing that the great British public are basically fair minded, caring, tolerant, and generous; that I have been fooling myself!
Last night, after spending 6 hours watching the Death of the NHS played out in the House Of Commons at the hands of MPs, most of whom never attended the debate, but dragged themselves from the bars to vote along party lines; I woke up to the reality of the UK in 2011.
After living through 18 years of Tory hell, the great British people have once again descended into the pit, and elected a Tory led right wing, self centred, and fascist evil government that makes Thatcher look positively socialist.
If you subscribe to the view that people get the government they deserve, then you must also accept that the government of the day reflects the society in which it is born.
Whilst it is true that the majority of MPs, irrespective of their party, no longer really put the needs of their voters before party dogma, if indeed they ever did, the fact is that knowing this, the public have voted for them none the less.
Which begs the question; on what basis have they done so?
Knowledge of the individual party’s policies, or that of the candidate perhaps? Because they agree with the policies of the party they voted into government?
Given that the majority of the electorate are politically uneducated when comparing them to their European counterpart, with most not being able to tell you who the prime minister or chancellor is, not to mention the health secretary; it clearly isn’t on the basis of what they consider is best policy for the country.
It is far more basic than that – simply what is best for me, the one, the voter, and perhaps also for my family.
Do the British voters actually care about the wider society, the elderly, the unemployed, the disabled, the young, the sick, the homeless, and the otherwise disenfranchised?
Well, after yesterday and with the inevitable passing of the Health Care Services Bill, which will destroy the NHS, I doubt the answer to that question is yes.
It is said you get the government you deserve and so my question is why if we live in a caring society, did people vote for a party known for its total contempt for the poor, the working class and the otherwise disadvantaged?
The only answer possible is that we no longer live in a country filled with people who are compassionate, caring, generous and fair minded. In other words in any way altruistic.
No, the society we have now is made up of people prepared to vote for and support a government that attacks the poor, the elderly, the disabled, the unemployed, the sick, the poor and the homeless. In short a government that in other times would have been called fascist!
Worse still one led by a party that they had previously voted to govern for 18 years from 1979 to 1997 and with full knowledge of that government’s political aims and aspirations.
If I am wrong, then were is the anger on the streets, the demonstrations, the letter campaigns signed in the millions? Given the technology we now have it could not be easier to vent our feelings and anger against unjust policies. Where are the opinion polls showing a massive lead by other parties over the Tory and Lib Dem parties?
Despite that there are without doubt a large minority of people opposed to the Governments policies, sadly mostly made up of those badly affected by such policies, and backed up by those who still hold onto what used to be the British way of defending the weak, under privileged and otherwise disenfranchised.
But sadly that is drowned out by a silence of the British people which is deafening!
With a news media reporting absolutely zilch about yesterday’s events heralding the destruction of the NHS and the dawning of an American health care system, there is little in the way of complaint as people are happy watching trivia on their TVs filling their heads with celebrity big bollocks, the shite factor, and celebrity gossip about who is shagging whom!
No, I have finally woken up and realise that the country I remember growing up in as a child of the fifties disappeared long ago, to be replaced by a country that is sinking deeper into the hell of neoliberal policies and control.
It will endure nothing short of vile evil policies regarding health care, education, employment and the gradual withdrawal of all social benefits and any form of welfare. Employment rights will vanish along with health and safety protection at work, with subsequent death rates reaching those of the USA; whilst the ability to turn to legal recompense is removed from working people.
A world of schools controlled and built by organisations and business on a for profit basis, hospitals where the rich get treatment and the poor left to wait and people denied operations. On the back of that will come massive joblessness, higher crime rates, disenchanted youth with lots of time and a sense of outrage turning to crime and riot. Soup kitchens and clothing banks will be found in every town and village.
A culture of blaming the sick and disabled and unemployed for their own lack of health and wealth, will grow even more prevalent than it is now.
Many of the big businesses that will run the private NHS, and the for-profit schools and universities will be Tory party sponsors creating a situation were over a quarter of the population will not have access to education and health care at all – a mirror of the USA that this government want us to become.
All this will go unchallenged by a political elite made up of all parties consisting of MPs who have never seen individual hardship, and have no empathy for those worse off in society. We already have such a ruling class who have this week started on the road of totally shafting every man women and child who is not from a wealthy and privileged background.
Will all that wake up the previous altruistic, caring, tolerant and fair minded English character, and see them demand the election of a decent and caring government?
I think not.
Sadly, with the abolition of the National Health Service about to become law, we have seen the destruction of a society based on the principles of a civilised, principled and altruistic nation.
God help the youth of today, the sick, the disabled, the elderly, the unemployed, the homeless and single parents; for their destination is in the hands of a country becoming ever more cold and callous and governed by a far right neo-con fascist political elite!
Last night, after spending 6 hours watching the Death of the NHS played out in the House Of Commons at the hands of MPs, most of whom never attended the debate, but dragged themselves from the bars to vote along party lines; I woke up to the reality of the UK in 2011.
After living through 18 years of Tory hell, the great British people have once again descended into the pit, and elected a Tory led right wing, self centred, and fascist evil government that makes Thatcher look positively socialist.
If you subscribe to the view that people get the government they deserve, then you must also accept that the government of the day reflects the society in which it is born.
Whilst it is true that the majority of MPs, irrespective of their party, no longer really put the needs of their voters before party dogma, if indeed they ever did, the fact is that knowing this, the public have voted for them none the less.
Which begs the question; on what basis have they done so?
Knowledge of the individual party’s policies, or that of the candidate perhaps? Because they agree with the policies of the party they voted into government?
Given that the majority of the electorate are politically uneducated when comparing them to their European counterpart, with most not being able to tell you who the prime minister or chancellor is, not to mention the health secretary; it clearly isn’t on the basis of what they consider is best policy for the country.
It is far more basic than that – simply what is best for me, the one, the voter, and perhaps also for my family.
Do the British voters actually care about the wider society, the elderly, the unemployed, the disabled, the young, the sick, the homeless, and the otherwise disenfranchised?
Well, after yesterday and with the inevitable passing of the Health Care Services Bill, which will destroy the NHS, I doubt the answer to that question is yes.
It is said you get the government you deserve and so my question is why if we live in a caring society, did people vote for a party known for its total contempt for the poor, the working class and the otherwise disadvantaged?
The only answer possible is that we no longer live in a country filled with people who are compassionate, caring, generous and fair minded. In other words in any way altruistic.
No, the society we have now is made up of people prepared to vote for and support a government that attacks the poor, the elderly, the disabled, the unemployed, the sick, the poor and the homeless. In short a government that in other times would have been called fascist!
Worse still one led by a party that they had previously voted to govern for 18 years from 1979 to 1997 and with full knowledge of that government’s political aims and aspirations.
If I am wrong, then were is the anger on the streets, the demonstrations, the letter campaigns signed in the millions? Given the technology we now have it could not be easier to vent our feelings and anger against unjust policies. Where are the opinion polls showing a massive lead by other parties over the Tory and Lib Dem parties?
Despite that there are without doubt a large minority of people opposed to the Governments policies, sadly mostly made up of those badly affected by such policies, and backed up by those who still hold onto what used to be the British way of defending the weak, under privileged and otherwise disenfranchised.
But sadly that is drowned out by a silence of the British people which is deafening!
With a news media reporting absolutely zilch about yesterday’s events heralding the destruction of the NHS and the dawning of an American health care system, there is little in the way of complaint as people are happy watching trivia on their TVs filling their heads with celebrity big bollocks, the shite factor, and celebrity gossip about who is shagging whom!
No, I have finally woken up and realise that the country I remember growing up in as a child of the fifties disappeared long ago, to be replaced by a country that is sinking deeper into the hell of neoliberal policies and control.
It will endure nothing short of vile evil policies regarding health care, education, employment and the gradual withdrawal of all social benefits and any form of welfare. Employment rights will vanish along with health and safety protection at work, with subsequent death rates reaching those of the USA; whilst the ability to turn to legal recompense is removed from working people.
A world of schools controlled and built by organisations and business on a for profit basis, hospitals where the rich get treatment and the poor left to wait and people denied operations. On the back of that will come massive joblessness, higher crime rates, disenchanted youth with lots of time and a sense of outrage turning to crime and riot. Soup kitchens and clothing banks will be found in every town and village.
A culture of blaming the sick and disabled and unemployed for their own lack of health and wealth, will grow even more prevalent than it is now.
Many of the big businesses that will run the private NHS, and the for-profit schools and universities will be Tory party sponsors creating a situation were over a quarter of the population will not have access to education and health care at all – a mirror of the USA that this government want us to become.
All this will go unchallenged by a political elite made up of all parties consisting of MPs who have never seen individual hardship, and have no empathy for those worse off in society. We already have such a ruling class who have this week started on the road of totally shafting every man women and child who is not from a wealthy and privileged background.
Will all that wake up the previous altruistic, caring, tolerant and fair minded English character, and see them demand the election of a decent and caring government?
I think not.
Sadly, with the abolition of the National Health Service about to become law, we have seen the destruction of a society based on the principles of a civilised, principled and altruistic nation.
God help the youth of today, the sick, the disabled, the elderly, the unemployed, the homeless and single parents; for their destination is in the hands of a country becoming ever more cold and callous and governed by a far right neo-con fascist political elite!
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
Sexualisation Of Children Is Synonymous With The Abdication Of Parental Responsibility
Reading the superb blog on the sexualisation of children and parental responsibility, by Shaista Gohir (http://shaistagohir.com/) has prompted me to repeat part of my blog of 20th August entitled Insane Country Part 2.
In it I questioned how parents in Britain today are abdicating their responsibility, and contributing toward the problems we seem to have with our children, and teenagers, offering the following argument:
"How many families sit as a group and eat together, discuss issues together? Too many parents leave their kids for hours in their bedrooms with their computers, mobile phones and know little of what they get up to. Many kids are literally bringing themselves up, and there is a well developed sub-culture that is dominated by media and pop imagery that, to be frank I do not feel is at all healthy. Kids, as a result have become addicted to FB, BBM, Twitter and SMS as confirmed in an OFCOM report this week.
As for parents, we have a society happy to slag off working mothers, sack pregnant women, attack maternity rights and payments. Add that to a low wage economy, and you have parents having to work all hours to make ends meet.
Sadly because of the technology, family bonding has been replaced with TVs and computers which have now become a prerequisite for every child, whilst parents don’t do anything to understand the technology they supply their kids with, simply leaving them with uncontrolled access to the internet and social network sites which exposes them to a range of potentially harmful things such as porn. This is a damn awful lack of parental responsibility.
What sort of society ends up with over 50% of kids between the age of 10 and 14 viewing porn on the internet?
Appalling!
Even the huge number of safety software out there to prevent access to such sites and offer protection when kids are on FB etc is not being used."
I stand by these words, and as any of my friends will tell you, I have been spouting out this opinion to anyone prepared to listen, in my local most Fridays!
But what really gets me is the state of a society that is quite blind, and happy being so, to the music industry and so-called beauty industry's acceptance and promoting of attitudes to which only the porn industry previously subscribed.
Popular culture is now nothing more than the pimping of the female gender, irrespective of age, for the sexual gratification of all. Women are being marketed as being nothing more than the some total of their bodies, and available as sexual objects.
Take a look at any of the pop music channels transmitting pop videos, most of which are actually soft porn. Worse still, do so remembering that this is all mainly aimed at an audience with an age group of 10 to 25 years of age.
As for the so-called 'beauty industry' not much else can be said of that either.
Now we have the age of hairless female bodies and the need for women to at least trim their pubic hair if not wax it away altogether. (Don’t use that, men are also doing it argument as an excuse!) Now women are being told that not to do so is unhygienic and a sign of bad grooming.
We also have the sickening acceptance by society that women pumping silicone into their breasts and other body parts is a sign of beauty and improvement of the female body! We even have school children expressing disatisfaction with their pubescent bodies, and being co-erced into wanting 'boob jobs'!
Now all this has been promoted by the porn industry, and now by mainstream beauty industry as one further way of enslaving women into the belief that their natural bodies are not good enough, and need to be 'modified' according to the latest fascist ( fashion) industry's dictates.
Given that such ‘hairless regime’ is being promoted on mainstream TV, in music videos, and in the high street (Mine even has a salon advertising 'intimate waxing available for men and women'); one could forgive some poor unsuspecting male coming across a woman not conforming to such ‘body waxing’ pressures, as having some form of disease on finding she has not shaved or waxed away her pubic hair!
Add further, the legal mutilation of the female body via cosmetic surgery, along with the current fad for tattoos amongst teenage girls; and you have complete control of women’s ‘body image’ to mould anyway you please!
I might point out that I say female body, and not woman's body simply because the industry is even promoting this evil crap to teenage girls.
Quite frankly, parents allowing this and their kids as young as 15 to have breast implants, and botox, and other such modifications are simply unfit parents placing their children in danger, both physically and morally!
The excuse given of course is that, 'What is wrong in being ones best?' Well nothing actually! The difference here is that women are being told that they are not making the best of themselves unless they modify their bodies and looks a certain way as determined by men and the mysoginystic fascist (fashion) industry.
Now I hear many people shouting that I am talking bollocks, have a chip on my shoulder, and have a weird way of seeing reality. They also ask, "What the hell has this to do with kids?"
Precisely is my reply, what has it to do with kids?
So why on earth is it all being pushed to kids via pop culture in the form of magazines, videos and in the high street with the sale of padded bras, thongs, and sexually sloganised t-shirts. And I haven’t even mentioned computer and video games yet!
Until parents, politicians and business leaders in this country wake up, take some responsibility, and develop the ability to see all of this 'in the round' as the deluge of the senses it is; driving UK society down the one way road of 'hedonism' and 'moral bankruptcy', absolutely nothing will change!
Given we have in the UK, the greatest number of teenage pregnancies in the whole of Europe, some of the worlds biggest paedophiles rings, sexual grooming and trafficking of school girls, and an appallingly high rate of sexual abuse and domestic violence along with a disgraceful rate of conviction; our society is indeed morally bankrupt and not a pleasant place to bring up our children.
So tell me now that pop and celebrity culture, fashion, the media and our demand for instant gratification which encompasses all we see, all we do, and all we aspire to be; has nothing to do with, in part, creating this environment within the UK!
In it I questioned how parents in Britain today are abdicating their responsibility, and contributing toward the problems we seem to have with our children, and teenagers, offering the following argument:
"How many families sit as a group and eat together, discuss issues together? Too many parents leave their kids for hours in their bedrooms with their computers, mobile phones and know little of what they get up to. Many kids are literally bringing themselves up, and there is a well developed sub-culture that is dominated by media and pop imagery that, to be frank I do not feel is at all healthy. Kids, as a result have become addicted to FB, BBM, Twitter and SMS as confirmed in an OFCOM report this week.
As for parents, we have a society happy to slag off working mothers, sack pregnant women, attack maternity rights and payments. Add that to a low wage economy, and you have parents having to work all hours to make ends meet.
Sadly because of the technology, family bonding has been replaced with TVs and computers which have now become a prerequisite for every child, whilst parents don’t do anything to understand the technology they supply their kids with, simply leaving them with uncontrolled access to the internet and social network sites which exposes them to a range of potentially harmful things such as porn. This is a damn awful lack of parental responsibility.
What sort of society ends up with over 50% of kids between the age of 10 and 14 viewing porn on the internet?
Appalling!
Even the huge number of safety software out there to prevent access to such sites and offer protection when kids are on FB etc is not being used."
I stand by these words, and as any of my friends will tell you, I have been spouting out this opinion to anyone prepared to listen, in my local most Fridays!
But what really gets me is the state of a society that is quite blind, and happy being so, to the music industry and so-called beauty industry's acceptance and promoting of attitudes to which only the porn industry previously subscribed.
Popular culture is now nothing more than the pimping of the female gender, irrespective of age, for the sexual gratification of all. Women are being marketed as being nothing more than the some total of their bodies, and available as sexual objects.
Take a look at any of the pop music channels transmitting pop videos, most of which are actually soft porn. Worse still, do so remembering that this is all mainly aimed at an audience with an age group of 10 to 25 years of age.
As for the so-called 'beauty industry' not much else can be said of that either.
Now we have the age of hairless female bodies and the need for women to at least trim their pubic hair if not wax it away altogether. (Don’t use that, men are also doing it argument as an excuse!) Now women are being told that not to do so is unhygienic and a sign of bad grooming.
We also have the sickening acceptance by society that women pumping silicone into their breasts and other body parts is a sign of beauty and improvement of the female body! We even have school children expressing disatisfaction with their pubescent bodies, and being co-erced into wanting 'boob jobs'!
Now all this has been promoted by the porn industry, and now by mainstream beauty industry as one further way of enslaving women into the belief that their natural bodies are not good enough, and need to be 'modified' according to the latest fascist ( fashion) industry's dictates.
Given that such ‘hairless regime’ is being promoted on mainstream TV, in music videos, and in the high street (Mine even has a salon advertising 'intimate waxing available for men and women'); one could forgive some poor unsuspecting male coming across a woman not conforming to such ‘body waxing’ pressures, as having some form of disease on finding she has not shaved or waxed away her pubic hair!
Add further, the legal mutilation of the female body via cosmetic surgery, along with the current fad for tattoos amongst teenage girls; and you have complete control of women’s ‘body image’ to mould anyway you please!
I might point out that I say female body, and not woman's body simply because the industry is even promoting this evil crap to teenage girls.
Quite frankly, parents allowing this and their kids as young as 15 to have breast implants, and botox, and other such modifications are simply unfit parents placing their children in danger, both physically and morally!
The excuse given of course is that, 'What is wrong in being ones best?' Well nothing actually! The difference here is that women are being told that they are not making the best of themselves unless they modify their bodies and looks a certain way as determined by men and the mysoginystic fascist (fashion) industry.
Now I hear many people shouting that I am talking bollocks, have a chip on my shoulder, and have a weird way of seeing reality. They also ask, "What the hell has this to do with kids?"
Precisely is my reply, what has it to do with kids?
So why on earth is it all being pushed to kids via pop culture in the form of magazines, videos and in the high street with the sale of padded bras, thongs, and sexually sloganised t-shirts. And I haven’t even mentioned computer and video games yet!
Until parents, politicians and business leaders in this country wake up, take some responsibility, and develop the ability to see all of this 'in the round' as the deluge of the senses it is; driving UK society down the one way road of 'hedonism' and 'moral bankruptcy', absolutely nothing will change!
Given we have in the UK, the greatest number of teenage pregnancies in the whole of Europe, some of the worlds biggest paedophiles rings, sexual grooming and trafficking of school girls, and an appallingly high rate of sexual abuse and domestic violence along with a disgraceful rate of conviction; our society is indeed morally bankrupt and not a pleasant place to bring up our children.
So tell me now that pop and celebrity culture, fashion, the media and our demand for instant gratification which encompasses all we see, all we do, and all we aspire to be; has nothing to do with, in part, creating this environment within the UK!
Monday, 5 September 2011
UK Media Complicit In NHS Privatisation
So despite this reality hitting me in the face and realising I am ranting to empty space, I decided to make my views known about the appalling lack of responsibility to tell the truth to the British people via the old fashioned and now outdated method of news coverage, being perpetrated by the news media outlets on British TV.
Complaining to the BBC News on 30th August via their website I wrote:
Using coverage of Libya to minimise reporting of domestic issues
I am appalled that the BBC is showing complete and total bias
toward government policy by using blanket coverage of the Libyan
conflict as an excuse not to cover domestic issues.
A perfect example today is the non-reporting of the pressure Group 38 Degrees
independent legal advice on the ramifications for the NHS
If the Government gets it's way and the Health Care Bill due for its 3rd
reading on 6th & 7th September is passed as it currently stands
and sent to the Lords, in essence the whole concept of the NHS will
vanish overnight, with the Health Sec abdicating any responsibility
for providing health care, as the Bill removes this responsibility of
the government.
This is MASSIVE and the BBC News channels, both
on-line and on TV has totally ignored it!
This is major disservice to licence payers and once again shows the BBC unwilling to report
anything which does not hold the government in good light.
Further, when you do cover gov policy issues, your reporters always quote
the government line and when interviewing opponents, again the
reporter pushes the government line.
I wonder why?
My complaint was given a reference number of CAS-964673-WXZZMR and a response was received on 2nd September:
Dear christopher
Reference CAS-964673-WXZZMR
Thanks for contacting us regarding BBC News.
I understand that you're unhappy as you feel that there has been too much coverage of Libya and not enough of domestic issues. I note that you feel that this is pro-Government bias.
Choosing the stories to include in our bulletins; the order in which they appear and the length of time devoted to them is a subjective matter and one which we know not every viewer will feel we get right every time.
Factors such as whether it is news that has just come in and needs immediate coverage, how unusual the story is and how much national interest there is in the subject matter will all play a part in deciding the level of coverage and where it falls within a bulletin.
BBC journalists are well aware of our commitment to impartial reporting. They are expected to put their own political views to one side when carrying out their work for the BBC. They seek to provide the information which will enable viewers and listeners to make up their own minds; to show the political reality and provide the forum for debate, giving full opportunity for all viewpoints to be heard. Senior editorial staff, the Executive Committee and the BBC Trust keep a close watch on programmes to ensure that standards of impartiality are maintained.
It is not always possible or practical to reflect all the different opinions on a subject within individual programmes. Editors are charged to ensure that over a reasonable period they reflect the range of significant views, opinions and trends in their subject area. The BBC does not seek to denigrate any view, nor to promote any view. It seeks rather to identify all significant views, and to test them rigorously and fairly on behalf of the audience. Among other evidence, audience research indicates widespread confidence in the impartiality of the BBC's reporting.
Nevertheless, we’re guided by the feedback we receive and I can assure you I've registered your complaint on our audience log. This is a daily report of audience feedback that's made available to all BBC staff, including members of the BBC Executive Board, channel controllers and other senior managers.
The audience logs are seen as important documents that can help shape decisions about future programming and content.
Thanks for taking the time to contact us.
Kind RegardsGareth Brennan
BBC Complaints
I did not expect any real and serious attempt at responding to my complaint or even acknowledging its validity. A bland 'standard -ignore the issues in any complaint' was clearly adopted.
This is an indictment of the BBC News' ability to actually provide independent news reporting of major issues, and made worse by the BBC's own words in their response to my complaint:
" Factors such as whether it is news that has just come in and needs immediate coverage, how unusual the story is and how much national interest there is in the subject matter will all play a part in deciding the level of coverage and where it falls within a bulletin."
I would have thought that the discovery that legal advice condemned the Health Care Bill as creating a total mess of the NHS at best, and total abdication of responsibility by the Government and handing it over lock stock and barrel to private health care companies in Europe and the USA, at worst, is in fact an issue falling into the BBC's category of 'needs immediate coverage'
Then again, who am I but a poor grumpy old git and editor of a health & safety website and ex-editor of a trade union magazine with over 38,000 circulation. So I wouldn't know anything about news reporting, would I?
Irrespective of that fact, I am one of 60 million people in this country who will be affected by the outcome of the Health Care Bill - that fact alone makes the issue one which should be covered in full by the country's main news agency which we all, as licence payers, bankroll!
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