Blair - does he have a point?

Melvil
Melvil Posts: 2,219
edited June 2007 in Campaign
See:

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/tonyblai ... 76,00.html

Is the media really a 'feral beast', twisting and sensationalising all that it reports on? He seems to have a special hatred for the independent, a newspaper that reported in 2006 that Rupert Murdoch's newscorp had offered him a senior position for when he steps down as PM. Does he have a point or is it just hypocrisy and sour grapes on his part?


******************************************************************************
See Baby Elephants and more at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/47331519@N00/

Comments

  • Regulator
    Regulator Posts: 417
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Melvil</i>

    See:

    http://politics.guardian.co.uk/tonyblai ... 76,00.html

    Is the media really a 'feral beast', twisting and sensationalising all that it reports on? He seems to have a special hatred for the independent, a newspaper that reported in 2006 that Rupert Murdoch's newscorp had offered him a senior position for when he steps down as PM. Does he have a point or is it just hypocrisy and sour grapes on his part?


    ******************************************************************************
    See Baby Elephants and more at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/47331519@N00/
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">





    Tony Blair made the classic mistake of thinking that he could 'spin' the media. The media which, despite all its faults, is relatively free of political control bit back - and now Blair is whinging. After all, he has castrated Parliament and the media has had to be the only check on his campaign of rampant corruption and his brutal assault on civil liberties.

    All I have to say to him is "Tough Sh*t!"

    ___________________________
    Bugger elephants - capabari are cuter!
    ___________________________
    Bugger elephants - capabari are cuter!
  • speshcp
    speshcp Posts: 3,746
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Regulator</i>

    Tony Blair made the classic mistake of thinking that he could 'spin' the media. The media which, despite all its faults, is relatively free of political control bit back - and now Blair is whinging. After all, he has castrated Parliament and the media has had to be the only check on his campaign of rampant corruption and his brutal assault on civil liberties.

    All I have to say to him is "Tough Sh*t!"<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">Couldn't have put it better myself. [^]

    <hr noshade size="1"><font size="1">"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." (Albert Einstein)
    </font id="size1">
    "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." (Albert Einstein)
  • NervexProf
    NervexProf Posts: 4,202
    Poor Tony! - even the leftist media chappies have abandoned him: http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/articl ... e_id=11383

    Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom
    Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom
  • billsters
    billsters Posts: 134
    I think the argument is worthy of some thought, regardless of who is making it.

    Look at the way US politics are showbiz, and it is heading that way here. Politics should actually be quite dull if things are going well.
  • kmahony
    kmahony Posts: 380
    I spent the whole of last year's TdF describing Landis as "the Feral one", but no-one believed it was a real word.


    If it wasn't for hangovers, I'd ride everyday.
  • babyjebus
    babyjebus Posts: 93
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I spent the whole of last year's TdF describing Landis as "the Feral one", but no-one believed it was a real word.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Hasn't anyone seen Mad Max 2- The Road Warrior? The Feral Kid was downright, er, feral.
  • Unkraut
    Unkraut Posts: 1,103
    I think he does have a point, but considering his history of 'spinning' he is not in much of a position to make it. In particular, I thought he was right to criticise conflating news with opinion. The two need to be kept separate, all the more so today when instant opinion and comment is required which might be of a better quality if the journalist had more time to think about the issues. To take immigration as an example, we need objective facts on how many people are entering the country and from where, and then the opinion as to whether this is too much, issues of integration etc.

    Really objective reporting would be the same regardless of the political stance of the paper concerned, but the differences you see in the way news gets to the reader shows how much politics can influence what ought to be the giving of straight facts, as much as this is humanly possible. I've seen twisted reporting here of an issue in the company I work for, where a impression was giving by the leftish press in this instance which simply didn't correlate to what actually went on - and I was there at the event concerned!

    As an aside, my better half picked up a copy of the <i>Mail</i> not long ago, and couldn't believe how much it had gone downhill since we left the Land of Hope and Glory some 10 years ago.
  • papercorn2000
    papercorn2000 Posts: 4,517
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by babyjebus</i>

    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I spent the whole of last year's TdF describing Landis as "the Feral one", but no-one believed it was a real word.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Hasn't anyone seen Mad Max 2- The Road Warrior? The Feral Kid was downright, er, feral.
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    SO who, in a post-apocalype world, taught the Feral Kid to speak?
    In MM2 he can't manage more than a few grunts but by the end he's the narrator! How did that happen then?

    God told me to skin you alive.
    http://www.ekroadclub.co.uk/
    God told me to skin you alive.
    http://www.ekroadclub.co.uk/
  • Gary Askwith
    Gary Askwith Posts: 1,835
    The media is a bloodsucking narcissistic pestilence-ridden whore spewing forth cultural nhilism and emotional incontinence to a sponge brained trivia-obsessed half educated existentially doomed joe public



    Economic Growth; as dead as a Yangtze River dolphin....

    Economic Growth; as dead as a Yangtze River dolphin....
  • ankev1
    ankev1 Posts: 3,686
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Gary Askwith</i>

    The media is a bloodsucking narcissistic pestilence-ridden whore spewing forth cultural nhilism and emotional incontinence to a sponge brained trivia-obsessed half educated existentially doomed joe public



    Economic Growth; as dead as a Yangtze River dolphin....
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Agreed. Er ... except perhaps when we find a paper which echoes our own views?[;)]

    Blair lives by the media anyway. Don't forget that his reluctance to pick up his US congressional medal can only be explained by how he fears it would play in the UK media. The UK media is a national disgrace but it can probably be attacked with legitimacy only by someone who has got a bit of integrity.
  • Bugcp
    Bugcp Posts: 149
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Gary Askwith</i>

    The media is a bloodsucking narcissistic pestilence-ridden whore spewing forth cultural nhilism and emotional incontinence to a sponge brained trivia-obsessed half educated existentially doomed joe public
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Don't be shy. Tell us what you <i>really</i> think... [:o)]

    --
    <font size="1"><i>Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.</i></font id="size1">
    --
    <font><i>Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.</i></font>
  • Cab
    Cab Posts: 770
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Unkraut</i>

    I think he does have a point, but considering his history of 'spinning' he is not in much of a position to make it. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    That sentence encapsulates the whole thing very well.

    He who lives by spin, shall die by spin.



    <i>Free baby elephants for every citizen</i>
    Vote Arch for Prime Minister
  • Melvil
    Melvil Posts: 2,219
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Cab</i>

    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Unkraut</i>

    I think he does have a point, but considering his history of 'spinning' he is not in much of a position to make it. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    That sentence encapsulates the whole thing very well.

    He who lives by spin, shall die by spin.



    <i>Free baby elephants for every citizen</i>
    Vote Arch for Prime Minister
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Does that not mean that everyone shall get very dizzy? [xx(]

    ******************************************************************************
    See Baby Elephants and more at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/47331519@N00/
  • Cunobelin
    Cunobelin Posts: 11,792
    Interesting point on Newsnight......


    The press once accepted the press releases and even the "spin" but after they were led into supporting a war by a PM who not only lied to the press, but knowingly lied to and misled the House of Commons, is it surprising that he is no longer trusted or believed.

    The cynicism and disbelief is a natural and responsible reaction to the lies and falsehoods.

    <b><i>He that buys land buys many stones.
    He that buys flesh buys many bones.
    He that buys eggs buys many shells,
    But he that buys good beer buys nothing else.</b></i>
    (Unattributed Trad.)
    <b><i>He that buys land buys many stones.
    He that buys flesh buys many bones.
    He that buys eggs buys many shells,
    But he that buys good beer buys nothing else.</b></i>
    (Unattributed Trad.)
  • Blair? a point??

    You're winding us up. The wan<i></i>ker is absolutely pointless.
  • Flying_Monkey
    Flying_Monkey Posts: 8,708
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by NervexProf</i>

    Poor Tony! - even the leftist media chappies have abandoned him: http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/articl ... e_id=11383
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Surely, you don't really think that Blair ever had anything in common with the SWP?

    Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety

    Now I guess I'll have to tell 'em
    That I got no cerebellum
  • <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Gary Askwith</i>

    The media is a bloodsucking narcissistic pestilence-ridden whore spewing forth cultural nhilism and emotional incontinence to a sponge brained trivia-obsessed half educated existentially doomed joe public



    Economic Growth; as dead as a Yangtze River dolphin....
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Does this mean that you are about to be exposed in the News of the World? Can we look forward to "Lecturer in five in a bed sex'n drugs orgy" this weekend? [:p]
  • Simon L2
    Simon L2 Posts: 2,908
    he had no criticism for the Murdoch or Rothermere press, on which he relies for his epitaph, but laid into the Independent. I'm not an Indy reader, but you have to admire the way they stuck at the Iraq thing, and, yes, they are responsible in some degree for the contempt that has gone Blair's way. So I'm afraid to say, Tone, you are full of sh!t and it is to be hoped that some little tyke from Bethnal Green or Handsworth catches up with you on a dark night.