Good Ol' BBC

On my way home from JAS (the resolution failed 8-8), I listened to the BBC. Now we have all heard that the BBC World Report is biased....but to hear it live is another thing. Three things were interesting:

Pretty much the only country ever mentioned by name is the United States. Everything else is "the world community." The BBC talks about the US doing something or the US not doing something or people hating the US. It then interviews all kinds of people hating the US. After listening to all the vitriol, its perfectly understandable why everyone appears to hate the US or has an ax to grind with the US.... it's because the US is really the only one in charge with any ability to do anything for ill or good. All other countries are unmentionable.

Second, there was some reporting on stories that left out Key facts. For example they reported on Tom Delay. They described the story as a key Bush ally being indicted for money laundering. No mention of course about the political motivations behind the case. From the world view standpoint, all that mattered was "a Bush ally being indicted."

There was also reporting on the oil drilling in Alaska. They discussed the case as if the Republicans had found some technicality to slip the oil drilling bill through. They talked about how the area was pristine home to natural landscapes and polar bears and innocent caribau. They failed to mention, however, that the oil drilling amendment had previously been filibustered by a non majority... and that the most recent amendment passed with a majority.

Then they interviewed Danial Akaka from Hawaii (who voted for the bill). He said that he voted for the bill after meeting with the local alaskan eskimos who lived in the area and they all reported to him that they wanted the oil drilling. Akaka called it "self determination." The BBC didn't get it. They chastised Akaka for sacrificing the environment in favor of the wishes of a "local indigineous population." After that I laughed my ass off.

After that a listener emailed the BBC, which was read on the air saying "wouldn't Akaka like it if there was a big fat oil well in his state." The BBC announcers ranted in their approval. I thought... yes, he probably would like some oil drilling in his state.