"Why Tango in Paris, when you can Foxtrot in Kowloon?"
  • Walter's Blog.
  • Home
  • Introduction
  • About Walter
    • 1980 Joining Up - Grafton Street >
      • Arrival and First Impressions
      • First Week
      • Training
      • Passing Out
    • Yaumati Cowboy >
      • Getting on the Streets
      • Tempo of the City
      • Jumpers, pill poppers and the indoor BBQ
      • Into a Minefield.
    • Why Tango in Paris, when you can Foxtrot in Kowloon? >
      • Baptism By Fire
      • Kai Tak with Mrs Thatcher.
      • Home; The Boy Returns
  • 1984 - 1986
    • PTU Instructor & Getting Hitched
    • Having a go: SDU
    • Starting a Chernobyl family
    • EOD - Don't touch anything
    • Semen Stains and the rules
  • 1987 to 1992 - Should I Stay or Go?
    • Blue Lights, Sirens & Grenades
    • Drugs, Broken Kids & A Plane Crash
    • 600 Happy Meals Please!
    • Hong Kong's Best Insurance
    • Riding the Iron Horse
  • Crime in Hong Kong
    • Falling Crime Rates - Why?
    • Triads
  • History of Hong Kong Policing
    • History 1841 to 1941
    • History 1945 to 1967
    • Anatomy of the 50 cent Riot - 1966
    • The Fall of a Commissioner.
    • History 1967 to 1980
    • Three Wise Men from the West
    • The Blue Berets.
    • The African Korps and other tribes.
    • Getting About - Transport.
    • A Pub in every station
    • Bullshit Bingo & Meetings
    • Godber - The one who nearly got away.
    • Uncle Ho
  • Top 20 Films
    • 2001 - A Space Odyssey.
    • The Godfather.
    • Blade Runner
    • Kes
    • Star Wars
    • Aliens
    • Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    • The Life of Brian
    • Dr Strangelove.
    • Infernal Affairs
    • Bridge on the River Kwai.
    • This Is Spinal Tap.
    • Chung King Express
    • An Officer and a Gentleman
    • PTU
    • Contact
    • Saving Private Ryan
    • Family Guy Star Wars
    • Zulu
    • Hard Day's Night
  • The Long Read
    • How The Walls Come Down
    • War in Ukraine - the narrative and other stuff.
    • The Hidden Leader
    • The Big Game
  • Walter's Blog.
  • Home
  • Introduction
  • About Walter
    • 1980 Joining Up - Grafton Street >
      • Arrival and First Impressions
      • First Week
      • Training
      • Passing Out
    • Yaumati Cowboy >
      • Getting on the Streets
      • Tempo of the City
      • Jumpers, pill poppers and the indoor BBQ
      • Into a Minefield.
    • Why Tango in Paris, when you can Foxtrot in Kowloon? >
      • Baptism By Fire
      • Kai Tak with Mrs Thatcher.
      • Home; The Boy Returns
  • 1984 - 1986
    • PTU Instructor & Getting Hitched
    • Having a go: SDU
    • Starting a Chernobyl family
    • EOD - Don't touch anything
    • Semen Stains and the rules
  • 1987 to 1992 - Should I Stay or Go?
    • Blue Lights, Sirens & Grenades
    • Drugs, Broken Kids & A Plane Crash
    • 600 Happy Meals Please!
    • Hong Kong's Best Insurance
    • Riding the Iron Horse
  • Crime in Hong Kong
    • Falling Crime Rates - Why?
    • Triads
  • History of Hong Kong Policing
    • History 1841 to 1941
    • History 1945 to 1967
    • Anatomy of the 50 cent Riot - 1966
    • The Fall of a Commissioner.
    • History 1967 to 1980
    • Three Wise Men from the West
    • The Blue Berets.
    • The African Korps and other tribes.
    • Getting About - Transport.
    • A Pub in every station
    • Bullshit Bingo & Meetings
    • Godber - The one who nearly got away.
    • Uncle Ho
  • Top 20 Films
    • 2001 - A Space Odyssey.
    • The Godfather.
    • Blade Runner
    • Kes
    • Star Wars
    • Aliens
    • Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    • The Life of Brian
    • Dr Strangelove.
    • Infernal Affairs
    • Bridge on the River Kwai.
    • This Is Spinal Tap.
    • Chung King Express
    • An Officer and a Gentleman
    • PTU
    • Contact
    • Saving Private Ryan
    • Family Guy Star Wars
    • Zulu
    • Hard Day's Night
  • The Long Read
    • How The Walls Come Down
    • War in Ukraine - the narrative and other stuff.
    • The Hidden Leader
    • The Big Game
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

Walter's Blog

"But how can you live and have no story to tell?" Fyodor Dostoevsky
Picture
Reflections on recent events, plus the occasional fact free rant unfiltered by rational argument. 

"If you want to read a blog to get a sense of what is going on in Hong Kong these days or a blog that would tell you wh at life was like living in colonial Hong Kong, this blog, WALTER'S BLOG, fits the bill."  Hong Kong Blog Review

22/5/2021 1 Comment

More BBC Deceit!

Picture
"Operating under the mantle of press freedom, breaking the law was of little consequence to Bashir and the BBC."
Shock, horror — a BBC journalist lied and used forged documents! No one with any insights into the workings of the BBC should express surprise at the findings of Lord Dyson. In Hong Kong, we've long seen the BBC distorting the truth, most recently with its portrayal of the 2019/2020 civil unrest. 

By whitewashing the mob violence here while vilifying the forces of law and order, the BBC gave tacit support to criminals and put innocents in danger. Even today, the BBC is doing the same with its one-sided coverage of trouble in Paris that seeks to taint the French police.

Lord Dyson's report on the infamous 1995 Princess Diana/Bashir interview gives legal weight to a well-known truth; the BBC is intrinsically deceitful. That assessment applies to BBC news output and its opinion programmes. But don't worry, the wildlife documentaries are primarily believable because the BBC can't get Lions and Tigers to lie.

The Princess Diana saga is awful on two levels. First, underhand methods snared the interview; second, the BBC sought to cover up, deflect, and disparage anyone who dared to challenge them. That cloaking took a sustained effort over decades. 

In 1995, with the help of the BBC, reporter Martin Bashir forged documents to groom Princess Diana, coaxing her into giving him access. The interview triggered a series of events that led to her divorce, removal of royal protection and her eventual death at the hands of a drunk driver in Paris. 

And while we may quibble over the direct linkages, you can hardly deny the impact. At best, Bashir was unethical, and at worst, he's part of an evolution of events that led to her death. All the while, the BBC supported, applauded and encouraged him. 

Of course, Diana is not entirely innocent in this matter. As an adult, she made decisions. Although, given her evident 'spurned woman' status, she was vulnerable. Bashir exploited that. 

Operating under the mantle of press freedom, breaking the law was of little consequence to Bashir and the BBC. We hear the same here in the case of a journalist who lied to get information from the Transport Department. Convicted in the courts, she continues to argue her case. 
​

Also, I've seen warrior cops adopt a similar attitude in pursuit of the bad guys, prepared to bend, or break the rules, to get a result. Any short-term positive outcomes come outweighed by the erosion of the law. Then when the truth emerges, the damage taints the whole organisation and society. 

In a lame defence of his actions, Bashir seeks to downplay the importance of the forged documents. That's the only hope he has. Unfortunately, I don't think it will wash in the court of public opinion. If I were Mr Bashir, I'd be looking to keep a low profile for the next two to three decades. 

As academic David Sedgwick identified in his seminal work on the BBC "The Fake News Factory", many journalists believe themselves above the law. They are willing to use unethical and illegal means to get results in their self-appointed status as guardians of all that is right and good. 

Sedgwick further holds that the BBC, captured by a minority of activists, seeks to mislead, unnerve, and inflame their audience. He makes a convincing case that takes in Brexit, the war in Syria and the BBC's portrayal of rape victims in the north of England, who suffered at the hands of Asian gangs. 

Meanwhile, these activist journalists continue to take public money to pursue their agendas without any proper oversight. In short, the British public is paying for an enterprise, which is starting to look criminal. 

There is no doubt that the terrible behaviour of one man – Martin Bashir - was responsible for much of this malignancy. Yet the role that BBC leaders played to obstruct investigations needs exposing. But, I can see that the 'rogue journalist' excuse getting rolled out to protect the rest of the corrupt edifice. Already, the defenders of the BBC caution against a feeding frenzy as they did after Savile and other nastiness. 

Then with Bashir gone, the BBC will revert to the norm, looking for the next story to fabricate. Unless something is done, we will have this conversation every couple of years. 

While demands for change are rising, the question remains can the BBC reform? History suggests not. Savile, Harris and many other terrible incidents tell us that this organisation doesn't learn. The culture is self-preservation above all else hidden behind a veneer of press freedom. 

In truth, I'm not sure how you bring about change, given that the BBC is a massive beast with its tentacles in many domains. There are parts of the organisation that do commendable public service work. These need keeping. 

Perhaps making the BBC a subscription service could have the desired impact instead of forcing people to pay. If BBC products are so much in demand, the public can subscribe. If not, then the Beeb will need to change or disappear. 

Lastly, I must applaud the Duke of Cambridge for his eloquent and heartfelt statement. In all this madness, he presented himself as steadfast, moderate in tone but deeply sincere. He's starting to look like a future King. Well done, Sir!
1 Comment
Chris Emmett
22/5/2021 11:24:26 pm

With the growing popularity of streaming services, it's likely the BBC and the other UK terrestrial channels will find themselves squeezed out and relegated to the role of production providers.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Walter De Havilland was one of the last of the colonial coppers. He served 35 years in the Royal Hong Kong Police and Hong Kong Police Force. He's long retired. 

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017

    RSS Feed

Home

Introduction

Contact Walter

Copyright © 2015