Free Speech - All animals are equal but some are more equal than others

[harryg]

In the UK we have a possibly significant existential crisis regarding free speech.

I don’t watch TV, so much of this info is second-hand.

There’s a chap who presents a football show for the BBC. I think it’s fair to say that this chap is pretty well-liked, he scored football goals for England and bizarrely has never been photographed snorting cocaine from a prostitute's bottom.

On his private twitter feed he apparently said smth that the UK govt doesn’t like. It neither matters what he said or if I, or indeed anyone else, agrees with it.

Certain govt ministers have applied pressure on the BBC to silence this chap. Grounds being that the BBC must be impartial. As it happens this chap is not an employee of the BBC, but a freelance, so it's a bit complex. And he didn't say it 'on the BBC', but privately.

The BBC, being a pathetic spineless coward, immediately acceded, by telling the chap that he could not present the programme on Saturday. This programme is part of UK culture, has been running since before I was born. Not particularly my interest, but I dare say bpcw would have a comment on it.

[The BBC, of course, could not give into government pressure].

What interests me, and this is pretty unusual in today’s climate, that a lot of this chap’s peers & colleagues immediately said “If he’s not doing it then I’m not doing it”. Apparently this led to a massive cock-up in the scheduling of sports for the BBC, both on TV & radio.

So much so that the PM of the UK, I repeat, the UK Prime Minister, actually made a statement and said it was nothing to do with him. Which, as any regular viewer of Yes Minister will know, means that it was everything do with him.

I feel that this is a pivotal societal moment and the outcome will be of great interest.





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9tzoGFszog

[SOL]

I feel that this is a pivotal societal moment, and the outcome will be of great interest.

My dear interlocutor. I have to commend you for your astute observation of the current situation. I concur that we stand at a pivotal moment where the actions of the few(wannabe Top Cats) could trigger a spark that ignites a fire.

When the masses are pushed too hard into a corner, they often find themselves with no room to backtrack. The resulting frustration and desperation can unleash a primal instinct that turns a timid mouse into a raging beast. The words civil war or mini civil war come to mind.

[scott]

The resulting frustration and desperation can unleash a primal instinct that turns a timid mouse into a raging beast. The words civil war or mini civil war come to mind.

In Russia, the words civil disobedience come to mind. Very nimble mice here, persistently hard to corner; they find a way.

[harryg]

"BBC apologises publicly and 'privately' to Gary Lineker"


Rapid U-turn.

A small victory, but this skirmish is probably a harbinger of things to come.

[SOL]

The resulting frustration and desperation can unleash a primal instinct that turns a timid mouse into a raging beast. The words civil war or mini civil war come to mind.

In Russia, the words civil disobedience come to mind. Very nimble mice here, persistently hard to corner; they find a way.

Those mischievous Ruskies always stirring up trouble. We might need to send them a crate of vodka and hope they settle down!

[SOL]

"BBC apologises publicly and 'privately' to Gary Lineker"


Rapid U-turn.

A small victory, but this skirmish is probably a harbinger of things to come.

A tiny ripple can escalate into a monstrous wave, wreaking havoc and engulfing everything in its wake. You know what they say - don't kick a hornet's nest!

[scott]

Those mischievous Ruskies always stirring up trouble. We might need to send them a crate of vodka and hope they settle down!

It would only inspire them methinks! More than sanctions!

[Cinnamon]

https://pro.manwardpress.com/p/LAUNCH52 ... c7a&h=true

He claims you only need a small amount of money to start. One guy turned 6.6K to 1.8 million in 19 days or so, according to this very nice gentleman (that's me being sarcastic)

[Budge]

"BBC apologises publicly and 'privately' to Gary Lineker"


Rapid U-turn.

A small victory, but this skirmish is probably a harbinger of things to come.

I think it a testament to the high regard that many hold Gary. On screen he comes across as a real genuine bloke that so many can relate to. In your first post you didn't want to get into the detail of his post, but I think that and his political views bear upon what we've seen. He criticised the Tories in extremely vitriolic terms for their "callous" views and practices towards immigrants. From this you'll gather that he's not some soft of centre or shrinking violet of the right. He leans well to the left. However, he both talks the talk and walks the walk having opened his own home to immigrants.

There is a very large section of the indigenous UK population that hold views diametrically opposed to Gary's, many being working class football fans, but they pulled together because it was Gary, they thought him badly treated by the government toadies of the Beeb and he was "putting the boot in" on the hated PTB. An object lesson in how the stresses and strains can build and then something often inconsequential releases the pressure.

Unfortunately, the current world is filled with myriads of these pressure cookers.

[bpcw]

"BBC apologises publicly and 'privately' to Gary Lineker"


Rapid U-turn.

A small victory, but this skirmish is probably a harbinger of things to come.

Only just seen the post.

I didn't really engage much with this apart from being put out that I couldn't get the footie scores on the BBC one Saturday afternoon.

Gary Lineker is a nice bloke but he's also very typical lefty BBC woke BS, he's probably had 52 covid vaccines. That's why it was all a bit surprising what happened. It was a difficult one because although we need to have freedom of speech, he also has a responsibility with the use of language, he compared government policy to Nazi's and refused to apologise or clarify what he meant at the time from what I gather, so was never going to go down well. The BBC were put in a difficult situation, the poor souls!

What I really care about is that my football scores and punditry are back on for Saturday afternoons!

[SOL]

"BBC apologises publicly and 'privately' to Gary Lineker"


Rapid U-turn.

A small victory, but this skirmish is probably a harbinger of things to come.

Only just seen the post.

I didn't really engage much with this apart from being put out that I couldn't get the footie scores on the BBC one Saturday afternoon.

Gary Lineker is a nice bloke but he's also very typical lefty BBC woke BS, he's probably had 52 covid vaccines. That's why it was all a bit surprising what happened. It was a difficult one because although we need to have freedom of speech, he also has a responsibility with the use of language, he compared government policy to Nazi's and refused to apologise or clarify what he meant at the time from what I gather, so was never going to go down well. The BBC were put in a difficult situation, the poor souls!

What I really care about is that my football scores and punditry are back on for Saturday afternoons!

By the way, is "footie" an informal term for "footy"? On a separate note, I have always wondered why soccer is sometimes referred to as "the beautiful game"?

[harryg]

It was a difficult one because although we need to have freedom of speech, he also has a responsibility with the use of language, he compared government policy to Nazi's and refused to apologise or clarify what he meant at the time from what I gather

Point of order Mr Chairman He didn't compare govt policy with the Nazis, he said that the language used by the govt is similar to that of 1930s Germany.

If anyone should have clarified, it was the govt!

By the way, is "footie" an informal term for "footy"?

Oui. Not to be confused with FTSE.

On a separate note, I have always wondered why soccer is sometimes referred to as "the beautiful game"?

Beats me. I suppose it has a better ring to it than The Unbelievably Tedious Game.

[Budge]

It was a difficult one because although we need to have freedom of speech, he also has a responsibility with the use of language, he compared government policy to Nazi's and refused to apologise or clarify what he meant at the time from what I gather

Point of order Mr Chairman He didn't compare govt policy with the Nazis, he said that the language used by the govt is similar to that of 1930s Germany.

If anyone should have clarified, it was the govt!

By the way, is "footie" an informal term for "footy"?

Oui. Not to be confused with FTSE.

On a separate note, I have always wondered why soccer is sometimes referred to as "the beautiful game"?

Beats me. I suppose it has a better ring to it than The Unbelievably Tedious Game.

Description of English games:
Football: Gentlemans' game played by thugs.
Rugby: Thugs' game played by gentlemen.

[harryg]

Beats me. I suppose it has a better ring to it than The Unbelievably Tedious Game.

Description of English games:
Football: Gentlemans' game played by thugs.
Rugby: Thugs' game played by gentlemen.

That is spot on Mr Budge.

[bpcw]

It was a difficult one because although we need to have freedom of speech, he also has a responsibility with the use of language, he compared government policy to Nazi's and refused to apologise or clarify what he meant at the time from what I gather

Point of order Mr Chairman He didn't compare govt policy with the Nazis, he said that the language used by the govt is similar to that of 1930s Germany.

If anyone should have clarified, it was the govt!

By the way, is "footie" an informal term for "footy"?

Oui. Not to be confused with FTSE.

On a separate note, I have always wondered why soccer is sometimes referred to as "the beautiful game"?

Beats me. I suppose it has a better ring to it than The Unbelievably Tedious Game.

As I said I didn't follow it too closely but I know that a Labour MP was asked about it and she said that she wouldn't have chose the words he used, also the Nazi's came to power in the 1930s so it's not a massive leap of the imagination!

Footie, footy, my spelling isn't the best but short for football which is the proper name for the game since about a thousand years ago, way before a nation was called America when they used the word for a game where you wear more armour than a bomb disposal expert!

And Harry, have you ever watched cricket, enough said , what's your sport, slug racing!