Rod Liddle, ex-Editor of the BBC's Today program, and now uber-curmudgeon columnist for the Spectator, is one of my favourite journalists. He is always sarcastic, rude, embittered, cynical and negative. Just as all good columnists should be.
His last two pieces for the Spectator have focused on the 'cultural pecking order' at the BBC. Here are his views on who is open for attack at the Beeb and who are 'off-limits'.
Category I - Groups the BBC feel its staff must roundly abuse or even physically chastise
The BNP
Non government-approved Islamic Groups
Any Imam who has hooks rather than hands
Category II - Groups towards whom the presenter should display contempt or quiet hostility
Conservative MPs
UKIP
All Israelis other than those 'who are activists within peace groups'
Evangelical Christians
Supporters of the Countryside Alliance
Roman Catholics
Paedophiles
Chairmen of Multinational Corporations
Scientologists
Category III - Groups to whom the presenter should affect an air of studied indifference or mild distain
Members of the Labour Government (unless they were against the Iraq War)
Category IV - requires the presenter to fawn in a sickening manner and, on occasion, even proffer sexual favours
Pop Stars wishing to write-off African debt
All disabled people
'Ordinary' members of ethnic minorities
'Moderate' Muslims
Charity Spokeswomen
Bearded scientists in spectacles who insist the Earth is going to turn into a cinder by the year 2012
Those wishing for a 'neutral' bias at the BBC are smoking something strong. No news organisation can be neutral. It's simply impossible. The best and only solution is to privatise the BBC and let their bearded charity workers compete agasint the other 'biased' stations such as CNN and Fox News.
The same applies to Australia's national broadcasters, SBS and the ABC. End the taxpayer subsidies ($80 per head solely for the ABC), release them to fight in the open market and allow their biases to flourish.
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