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Talk about Newsnight

Newsnight

Friday, 24 August, 2007

  • Newsnight
  • 24 Aug 07, 04:30 PM

pool203.jpgThe main event in television today is happening in Edinburgh, where the annual TV festival gets underway.
The big topic up for discussion there is standards and what's become of them.

Back in London we'll be doing our bit to reverse this supposed decline.

Our main topic is, once again, the fatal shooting of 11 year old Rhys Jones. Merseyside police have issued a direct appeal for the killer, thought to be a child himself, to give himself up. They also need more information from eyewitnesses.

It is a particular feature of this type of crime that police encounter a wall of silence from the communities that hold the answers. That was the case when 15 year old Billy Cox became the 3rd school child to be shot dead in South London early this year. Today we return to the estate in North Clapham where he died to see what if anything has changed.

Then to Afghanistan where British soldiers are facing daily dangers. It makes news that three more have died, all presumed victims of so-called friendly fire, all the more tragic. It's reported the three, all from the 1st Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment, were killed by an American bomb. Two of their colleagues were injured. We’ll hear the latest.

It makes another battle that's going on, up in Edinburgh, sound quite trivial by comparison, but Jeremy Paxman's lecture to the annual television festival tonight is bound to generate big headlines. Following weeks of debate about trust and standards, he's calling for the rescue of what he says is the "very soul of the medium."

We'll also report from another festival, this one, surprisingly, in North Iraq. It's the first arts festival in that country in recent years and we'll be showing you the highlights.

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BIG HOLE DISCOVERED

So Paxo is to address "the very soul of the medium". That will explain the discovery of an unbelievably large hole in the universe, that is full of nothing.

  • 2.
  • At 08:36 PM on 24 Aug 2007,
  • Vincent Mcgrath wrote:

I no longer have a television, as I get older I no longer want to be fed the 'liberal' attitudes of whoever is controlling the Â鶹ԼÅÄ. We all see the world from our own perspective and nobodys vision of how the world is, is the correct one. I watched newsnight and the presenter does not like asbos and then denegrates them by her tone and manner. Why can we not have imparciality. I am not interested in the presenter or their opionion I AM INTERESTED IN WHAT HAPPENED.

Also the resigned and cynical attitude that is the remit of journalist must change you leave no space for any other possibility.

  • 3.
  • At 09:49 PM on 24 Aug 2007,
  • Bob Goodall wrote:

Dear Newsnight

Re friendly fire:

• Are risks increased by using forces from different countries with less experience and training in working together, perhaps complicated by different equipment

• How many US personnel have fallen to friendly fire compared to other countries and where has this friendly fire come from?

• Do US Pilots fly higher and play it safer, when supporting non-us troops?

Found the following, have highlighted certain bits with ########

Oral evidence
Taken before the Defence Committee on Wednesday 14 May 2003
Members present:
Mr James Cran
Mr David Crausby
Mr Mike Hancock
Mr Gerald Howarth
Jim Knight
Patrick Mercer
Syd Rapson
Mr Frank Roy
Rachel Squire
In the absence of the Chairman, Rachel Squire was called to the chair.
__________
Witness: RT HON GEOFFREY HOON, a Member of the House, Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence, examined.

Q82 Jim Knight: Like others before it, the conflict produced victims of so-called 'friendly fire' and, as I understand it, it is fairly common, particularly in the early stages of a conflict, that those sorts of incidents should happen. What have your investigations of the incidents of UK forces being hit revealed about the causes, whether there are any common threads to those causes

#######and to what extent is friendly fire a particular problem of combined coalition operations?

Mr Hoon: Those investigations are still under way and I think it would be wrong at this stage to preempt their conclusions by making even tentative suggestions as to causation. Certainly those investigations will be rigorous and will involve, where relevant, coalition forces in the widest sense. In answer to your second question, I think it is fair to say, sadly, and I recognise that the relatives of those killed will not make this kind of distinction, that there were friendly-fire incidents involving mixed forces, US on UK, there were friendly-fire incidents involving US on US and there were friendly-fire incidents involving UK on UK.

Q83 Jim Knight: ############But none UK on US?

Mr Hoon: Not that I am aware of, but I think it does demonstrate the accidental nature of this. I am not using that word in its light way, but in the way that is proper. These were unlooked-for incidents, despite very determined efforts made, certainly as far as the technology provision was concerned, to use all the efforts that we could to avoid them, but the real answer to your question is that I cannot see, from what took place, that there is any pattern that suggests that this is the result of coalition-style operations.

Q84 Jim Knight: ##########If combat identification had been successfully rolled out some time ago, as was originally planned, do you think those incidents would have been reduced?

Tried to download the following, had difficulty doing so, will try tomorrow

Air and Space Power Journal
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat
casualties with friendly fire requires a high degree of teamwork between ...... to command an AEW or AEG of mixed forces. So far this article has attempted ...
www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/apj/apj03/sum03/sum03.pdf - Similar pages


Bob

  • 4.
  • At 10:25 PM on 24 Aug 2007,
  • john wrote:

What the public expects of TV is not complex.

if its entertainment ie drama then factual maters are not important.

it it is billed an informative viewing such as news or documentaries then we do not expect to be mislead.

futhermore it would be nice if you could refrain from using the same piece of footage in quick succession!

  • 5.
  • At 10:27 PM on 24 Aug 2007,
  • Dr Llama wrote:

Dear Mr Singleton, I'm becoming concerned for your wellbeing. Such bile, such animosity, such persistent belief in academic selection! As a medical practitioner I recommend that you have an eccles cake and an early night.

  • 6.
  • At 11:17 PM on 24 Aug 2007,
  • John wrote:

So, we heard tonight that Newsnight is having it's budget slashed by 20%. No wonder the plug has been pulled on the podcasts.

Can we have proper clarification of this news and what the effects will be?

  • 7.
  • At 11:52 PM on 24 Aug 2007,
  • vikingar wrote:

PART 1of2

British Society has been reaping the whirl wind the liberal left have purposely sown since 1960's.

Other political forces have had their influence, but none so purposefully corrosive & agenda driven than these unelected self appointed 'societual engineers' (unqualified & mostly incompetent, given impact & results of their meddling).

Ultra liberalism has increasingly loosened the control that society, communities, the state, agencies, families & citizens/subjects have over the members of our nation, beyond that which is tenable, in their misguided aspirational pursuance of civil liberties without end or consequence …. that nears on anarchy in reality.

i.e. has the removal of Corporal Punishment & the notion of ‘Rough Justice’ led to a direct decrease in abuse & violence against children? … NO

It’s directly led to more violence against children & society … most often by feral children who graduate to become fully fledged antisocial elements or down & outright thugs & criminals.

They neither understand discipline or boundaries let alone the notions of self control, reliance & respect for others.

Our society caught is up in the flipside of ‘ultra liberalism’ & a system which enables political cliques (mostly of the left) to overly influence certain policy & the delivery of services against such.

We as a society are not richer for these alleged freedoms, we are downright poorer in many terms.

vikingar

  • 8.
  • At 11:55 PM on 24 Aug 2007,
  • Tasar wrote:

What did everybody think of Liz McKean? I know that she has co-presented in the past on the NI devolution thread, but surely somebody more heavily associated with both newsnight and the studio would have been relevant?

Although she was not too hampered by nerves, the line of questioning was particularly Breakfast-like and showed very little depth. I was also not convinced by the introduction's being delivered from a tall stance in front of the desk; what was the point? - contact Jack Straw about this one...!

  • 9.
  • At 12:02 AM on 25 Aug 2007,
  • vikingar wrote:

PART 2of2

When feral youth interpret liberal ‘freedoms & privileges’ as RIGHTS & ENTITLEMENTS to ‘do what you want, when you want to’ without fear of consequence – should we be surprised?

When the state & its agencies fail to intervene (overly concerned ref PC’ism, institutional racism slurs/labels & litigious action etc) they are effectively giving a GREEN LIGHT to poor/criminal behaviour, so no wonder the feral youth who grow up to be adolescent adults, who will stop them?

Perversely, when the most likely form of state/agency intervention is to actually prosecute those members of the public who choose to intervene and/or the courts enforce this farce (burglars prosecuting the victim) no wonder the feral youth & 'adolescent adults' (who can read, watch & listen to the news) feel they are beyond the reach of society & the law & when supposed punishments & stigma as seen as 'badges of honour' amongst the 'soldjas'.

Q. do we really have to wait for the yobbish culture equivalent of the July bombings, before government effectively responds & ultra liberal cliques realise they have gotten it very wrong?

In a week when children have been shot (mostly likely by another child), when a child murderer (who is a foreign national) ‘human rights’ are upheld over that of the victims family & the will of the state & vast majority of public opinion? … are we any surprised that hundreds of thousands of British people (those who can) choose to live elsewhere?

A United Kingdom devoid of Britishness & British values will not sustain British Culture, in this vacuum only lord knows what forces will influence and/or even dominate.

At that point, lets see the Ultra Liberals & the Left ply their aspirational politics on that feral & traumatised society

Enough is Enough, the calls for a ‘Renaissance of Rights’ continues a pace & only get louder.

vikingar

  • 10.
  • At 09:46 AM on 25 Aug 2007,
  • r wrote:

i thought liz mackean presented very well. I guess there was not much depth because it was only a half-hour show and there was alot of stories to cover. why cant she present occasionally?

  • 11.
  • At 10:46 AM on 25 Aug 2007,
  • S Madge wrote:

It seems in this country now guns are becoming a way of life.How could this have evolved in a nation that
no one should carry this weapon,we are not based on that american potty
thought that everyone has the right to carry arms.The simple thing to cure the problem(but you must remember politicians don't do simple)
20years for posession of a gun, 40 years if you use it, I am aware that
any hardcore person dose not care, so
its not perfect, but try it and lets wipe the smile off thier faces,these gun carrying nutters should not be allowed to bring down a standard we had for years.Age also is no excuse,
20 years for carrying a gun 40 years
for using it.Don't start feeling sorry for an individual that iare 11 years of age or 40years, the question is where did they get the weapon.

  • 12.
  • At 03:39 PM on 25 Aug 2007,
  • vikingar wrote:

UK - 2007:

- Loosing control of society.
- Loosing control of our borders
- Loosing control of our streets.
- Loosing control of our institutions & law.
- Loosing control of our system of government.
- Loosing control over a unified United Kingdom.
- Loosing control over national customs, character & norms.

Who do people rightly hold accountable?:

- EU
- illegals
- criminals
- feral youth & yobs
- political cliques (liberal left)
- non indigenous cultures & faiths
- failing state agencies & institutions
- unelected interfering bodies & groups.

The majority should not be taken for granted.

The majority will not put with it - watch & wait.

vikingar

  • 13.
  • At 07:51 PM on 25 Aug 2007,
  • vikingar wrote:

Ref #12

CLARIFICATION:

- non indigenous cultures & faiths (not satisfactorily integrated)

vikingar

  • 14.
  • At 12:41 PM on 10 Sep 2007,
  • Barbara wrote:

The Paxman lecture sounded like a lot of common sense. Hope it will prevail.

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