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tarkatheblowpig

Listed below are comments made by tarkatheblowpig between Tuesday, 3rd June 2008 and Wednesday, 28th January 2009.

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BBC and the Gaza appeal 1:59pm on 28 Jan 2009 Mr Thompson
I have just read your letter in todays Guardian newspaper and your blog above and I feel so strongly I have to comment.
Since your tenure as Director General BBC News has been consistently 'dumbed down' to appeal to a level that is offensive to the vast majority of intelligent, free thinking people in this country. We all understand that the situation in Gaza is very highly political, contreversial and difficult to report on with out being accused of partiality to either or both sides. However, most like minded people would also realise that if you were to show the 'humanitarian' appeal it would not be as a threat to the BBC's impartiality.
There are some situations that transcend your misguided attempts to protect the BBC's image in the world. In this case, what is more important, saving the lives of innocent people who cannot protect themselves, or preserving the image of the BBC news which is now a tarnished, tabloid style of news presentation?
In 1984 we saw a report from Ethopia by Michael Buerk highlighting the plight of millions of people dying through the effects of war and famine. This report, although presented with as much impartiality as Mr.Buerk could muster, could not fail to present what was happening in a way that could have called the BBC's standing on the issue into question. But from this came a greater good, with the British people understanding, inteligently deciding and reacting on what they saw in a positive way. I hate to think what may have happened had you have been the editor in chief at that time.
Finally, I'd like to point out that your much vaunted impartiality is called in to question due to the fact you will not present the appeal. In doing this you have become implicit in recognising the state of Israel's legitimacy in commiting murder in Gaza, and by not allowing the British people to have a way of viewing how to help the innocent people in Gaza, you will be as responsible for those deaths in Gaza as the Israeli Governemnt who give the order to fire upon those peoples.
Belated win for Team GB but is anybody cheering? 12:01pm on 03 Jun 2008 Whats worse is the way that a great athlete (and for me the best sprinter I have ever seen) Michael Johnson has been treated in this. But still, as a measure of the man's greatness, is his words on this subject in giving back his medal. The one American athlete who was, is and always will be clean is the only one who has come out and disowned his medal. In the same way Darren Campbell shunned and made known his thoughts on Dwain Chambers MJ, by his actions has shamed the cheats he was forced to compete with as team mates.
If American Athletics are serious about cleaning up their act they should put MJ in charge of their athletic set up. I am sure that he would hunt down all their cheats and ensure that none of them ever compete again.
I think it is too late for Beijing 08 but by 2012 with people like Johnson at the fore front we could have a clean Olympics.

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