Although I am well aware of the various theories of Just War, especially St. Augustine's, I am a pacifist through and through.
One of the reasons, oh and there are so, so many, why I could not abide the Tories was their cavalier (and I use the word carefully) was their attitude to war and conflict in general.
In 1982, at the height of the Falklands conflict, the submarine HMS Conqueror sank the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano.
Although justified in international law, I thought then (and do so now) that it was morally unjustifiable.
Moreover, Mrs Thatcher and the right-wing press headed by Rupert Murdoch's Sun, gloated sickeningly over the loss of life of some 1,000 Argentine sailors.
Showing posts with label rupert murdoch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rupert murdoch. Show all posts
Sunday, 2 May 2010
Friday, 29 January 2010
Lady with the Little Dog
Late last night/early this morning I waxed (rather too) lyrical about a Russian painting by Savrasov.
This afternoon, on the BBC iPlayer I caught up with a Woman's Hour dramatisation of an Anton Chekhov short story called Lady with the Little Dog, jolly fine adaptation it was too.
It reminded me of the film version that I'd seen in the early 1970s on the BBC2's World Cinema season. The film, dama s sobachkoy, was a delightful and poignant portrayal of a doomed love affair between two people already married, which reminded me so much of David Lean's Brief Encounter.
Much of my love for and knowlege of cinema was sparked in many ways by that series. I felt that the BBC lived up to its Reithian ideals of to "inform, educate, and entertain".
I strongly, passionately believe in the BBC both TV and, probably even more so, radio, which is why I am aghast at the constant attacks on it by the Tories and the rest of the "right-wing goon squad".
I am under no illusion that the given half a chance, they would carve up the BBC and sell of the more "profitable" bits to the likes of their chums including News Corp(se) and one Rupert Murdoch Esq.
This corporation who maintain a myriad of subsidiaries in low-tax havens like the Cayman Islands, the Netherlands Antilles, and the British Virgin Islands, simply to avoid paying its dues in a civilised society.
As far back as the 1990s, The Economist magazine was reporting that they were probably paying only one-fifth/one-sixth of the taxes they should worldwide, and NONE in Britain. Matters have not improved!
The BBC is part of the cultural fabric of this country having given so much to enrich us (as well as some duffers Kilroy, Dog Borstal, Kilroy...).
What has Murdoch given us? Oh yes, Page 3 of the Sun.
This afternoon, on the BBC iPlayer I caught up with a Woman's Hour dramatisation of an Anton Chekhov short story called Lady with the Little Dog, jolly fine adaptation it was too.
It reminded me of the film version that I'd seen in the early 1970s on the BBC2's World Cinema season. The film, dama s sobachkoy, was a delightful and poignant portrayal of a doomed love affair between two people already married, which reminded me so much of David Lean's Brief Encounter.
Much of my love for and knowlege of cinema was sparked in many ways by that series. I felt that the BBC lived up to its Reithian ideals of to "inform, educate, and entertain".
I strongly, passionately believe in the BBC both TV and, probably even more so, radio, which is why I am aghast at the constant attacks on it by the Tories and the rest of the "right-wing goon squad".
I am under no illusion that the given half a chance, they would carve up the BBC and sell of the more "profitable" bits to the likes of their chums including News Corp(se) and one Rupert Murdoch Esq.
This corporation who maintain a myriad of subsidiaries in low-tax havens like the Cayman Islands, the Netherlands Antilles, and the British Virgin Islands, simply to avoid paying its dues in a civilised society.
As far back as the 1990s, The Economist magazine was reporting that they were probably paying only one-fifth/one-sixth of the taxes they should worldwide, and NONE in Britain. Matters have not improved!
The BBC is part of the cultural fabric of this country having given so much to enrich us (as well as some duffers Kilroy, Dog Borstal, Kilroy...).
What has Murdoch given us? Oh yes, Page 3 of the Sun.
Saturday, 16 January 2010
Is there anyone more vile than Rupert Murdoch?
Just watched a TV ad commendably asking people to donate to the Haiti appeal.
Harrowing pictures of the aftermath of the earthquake physical damage and bewildered injured people. Then along comes the Sun logo and the voiceover asks you to donate.
My outrage and fury were sparked by small print that appeared on the TV screen that said of each pound donated, 61p would go to the fund and 39p to administration.
39p?
Has Murdoch no shame?
His multi-billion pound empire is going to make money out of people's misery on one side of the Atlantic and people's generosity and open-handedness on the other.
I call on the Sun's editor, Dominic Mohan, to withdraw the ad, apologise publicly for his boss's venal greed, and make a donation to the Disaster Relief Fund immediately.
It's the least he can do.
If I was David Cameron, and thank heavens I'm not, I'd think long and hard before accepting the support of a man, a paper, a company that has absolutely no moral compunctions.
Harrowing pictures of the aftermath of the earthquake physical damage and bewildered injured people. Then along comes the Sun logo and the voiceover asks you to donate.
My outrage and fury were sparked by small print that appeared on the TV screen that said of each pound donated, 61p would go to the fund and 39p to administration.
39p?
Has Murdoch no shame?
His multi-billion pound empire is going to make money out of people's misery on one side of the Atlantic and people's generosity and open-handedness on the other.
I call on the Sun's editor, Dominic Mohan, to withdraw the ad, apologise publicly for his boss's venal greed, and make a donation to the Disaster Relief Fund immediately.
It's the least he can do.
If I was David Cameron, and thank heavens I'm not, I'd think long and hard before accepting the support of a man, a paper, a company that has absolutely no moral compunctions.
Monday, 9 November 2009
Just how low will Rupert Murdoch's loathsome organ droop?
Last night I was at Rossendale's Festival of Rememberance Concert at the Bacup Leisure Hall, featuring the Haslingden & Helmshore Band.
During the penultimate number, Elgar's Enigma Variation IX (Adagio) "Nimrod", a projector to the right of the hall started showing a slide show of the service personnel who had died since the last year's Remembrance Sunday.
It was incredibly poignant and utterly moving, and I don't mean that simply as a pacifist.
One of the photos was that of Grenadier Guardsman Jamie Janes, so it was absolutely disgusting that the Sun was using one mother's grief to mount a personal attack on Gordon Brown.
I cannot imagine how painful it must be to lose a child and the maelstrom of emotions one is engulfed in, but for the Sun to somehow pretend to be outraged at the PM's spelling is beneath contempt.
The Sun must be the only paper that aspires to CLIMB into the gutter, and once there, actually makes the sewage filthier.
As the new editor, Dominic Mohan must be pleased with himself, and David Cameron overjoyed to have the Sun batting for him!
Shame on you!
During the penultimate number, Elgar's Enigma Variation IX (Adagio) "Nimrod", a projector to the right of the hall started showing a slide show of the service personnel who had died since the last year's Remembrance Sunday.
It was incredibly poignant and utterly moving, and I don't mean that simply as a pacifist.
One of the photos was that of Grenadier Guardsman Jamie Janes, so it was absolutely disgusting that the Sun was using one mother's grief to mount a personal attack on Gordon Brown.
I cannot imagine how painful it must be to lose a child and the maelstrom of emotions one is engulfed in, but for the Sun to somehow pretend to be outraged at the PM's spelling is beneath contempt.
The Sun must be the only paper that aspires to CLIMB into the gutter, and once there, actually makes the sewage filthier.
As the new editor, Dominic Mohan must be pleased with himself, and David Cameron overjoyed to have the Sun batting for him!
Shame on you!
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
It's the Sun wot dun* it
What an astonishingly arrogant and pompous front page by the "Currant Bun" today.
"After 12 long years in power, this government has lost its way. Now it's lost the Sun's support too", it thundered.
Who the hell does the Sun think it is?
A tawdry rag purveying second rate filth, and third rate political analysis.
Trevor Kavanagh (its politics editor) let the cat out of the bag when he owned up to the fact that both Murdoch pere and fils were fully aware and behind the decision to change political horses.
Murdoch has form on that front, forget Britain in the 1990s, back in the 1970s he threw his weight and media empire behind the Australian Labor Party under Gough Whitlam and duly saw it elected. As the Whitlam government began to lose public support, Murdoch turned against him and supported his dismissal by the Governor-General.
This is the Murdoch who during the 1980s and early 1990s, was supportive of Mrs Thatcher and her Tory government.
This is the Murdoch who sacked 6,000 workers who had the temerity to strike upon being told that their jobs were being moved to Wapping. Many suspected then and still do that there was collusion with the highest level of Tory government in order to further damage the trade union movement.
This is the Murdoch who in the dying days of the Major government switched to Labour and Tony Blair. The closeness of their relationship, their secret trysts to discuss national policies was scandalous then and is still today.
This is Murdoch the patriot who became a US citizen simply to satisfy laws that only American citizens could own US TV stations, and yet also managed to have himself defined as an Australian citizen to retain his ownership of Australian media outlets.
This is the Murdoch who owns nigh on 200 newspapers worldwide, ALL of which editorialised in favour of the war on Iraq.
This is the Murdoch, whose Fox News portrayed Obama whilst running for President "as suspicious, foreign, fearsome, just short of a terrorist".
Should a man like this and his media empire (think Darth Vader, though not as cuddly) tell the British electorate how to vote and for whom.
The paper then goes on to say, "The Sun believes - and prays (to whom Mammon?)- that the Conservative leadership can put the great back into Great Britain".
You have been warned, if you sup with the devil, use a long spoon.
*dun (verb) to make repeated and insistent demands upon, esp. for the payment of a debt.
"After 12 long years in power, this government has lost its way. Now it's lost the Sun's support too", it thundered.
Who the hell does the Sun think it is?
A tawdry rag purveying second rate filth, and third rate political analysis.
Trevor Kavanagh (its politics editor) let the cat out of the bag when he owned up to the fact that both Murdoch pere and fils were fully aware and behind the decision to change political horses.
Murdoch has form on that front, forget Britain in the 1990s, back in the 1970s he threw his weight and media empire behind the Australian Labor Party under Gough Whitlam and duly saw it elected. As the Whitlam government began to lose public support, Murdoch turned against him and supported his dismissal by the Governor-General.
This is the Murdoch who during the 1980s and early 1990s, was supportive of Mrs Thatcher and her Tory government.
This is the Murdoch who sacked 6,000 workers who had the temerity to strike upon being told that their jobs were being moved to Wapping. Many suspected then and still do that there was collusion with the highest level of Tory government in order to further damage the trade union movement.
This is the Murdoch who in the dying days of the Major government switched to Labour and Tony Blair. The closeness of their relationship, their secret trysts to discuss national policies was scandalous then and is still today.
This is Murdoch the patriot who became a US citizen simply to satisfy laws that only American citizens could own US TV stations, and yet also managed to have himself defined as an Australian citizen to retain his ownership of Australian media outlets.
This is the Murdoch who owns nigh on 200 newspapers worldwide, ALL of which editorialised in favour of the war on Iraq.
This is the Murdoch, whose Fox News portrayed Obama whilst running for President "as suspicious, foreign, fearsome, just short of a terrorist".
Should a man like this and his media empire (think Darth Vader, though not as cuddly) tell the British electorate how to vote and for whom.
The paper then goes on to say, "The Sun believes - and prays (to whom Mammon?)- that the Conservative leadership can put the great back into Great Britain".
You have been warned, if you sup with the devil, use a long spoon.
*dun (verb) to make repeated and insistent demands upon, esp. for the payment of a debt.
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