Nation speaking Peace unto Nation BBC-style

The BBC was at it as usual last night on Newsnight with that ghastly witch, Kirsty Wark, and the Russia-hating Mark Urban drawing parallels between the recent Russian intervention in the attack on Ossetia and "nineteenth century imperialism", using as visual aids old cartoons of slavering grizzly bears aimed at titillating the subliminal g-spot.

A couple of nights ago I watched Wark interviewing a US neocon and a Russian. It was obvious how she controlled the exchange so that the Russian was never allowed to develop his arguments --always cut off at the critical moment-- while the idiotic US neocon was given carte blanche by the ever-obliging Wark. She's obviously very good at this game.

Disgraceful is hardly the word. Where was George Galloway to rudely over-ride? Advice to Russians, Chinese and the BBC's ideological enemies: politeness doesn't pay. Be forthright, even rude and abrasive like they are.

It reminds me of an adage common in the old Soviet Union: "Whatever you hear or read believe the opposite and you'll be close to the truth!" Add the oh-so English subtleties of BBC disinformation and you have the totalitarian nature of Aunty smack up-to-date.

We understand that the BBC's motto, which is "Let Nation Speak Peace Unto Nation", received a direct hit by a Georgian Grad missile at the outset of hostilities. Ever since, the old Cold War propaganda 78 RPM shellac record it's been using has been stuck permanently in a xenophobic, anti-Russian groove.

Rory Winter, CHIMES OF FREEDOM, 27 August 2008