INQUISITION TIME

I was driving home from work on Tuesday 11th September 2001 when I heard about the Twin Towers Attack. Speaking about it to a relation later that night, I observed that, in the coming days, America would realize who its friends were, and that it would get one or two unpleasant shocks in the process. Less than 48 hours later, the BBC showed just how true that prophecy was.

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The BBC reputation for fairness had already been dealt a blow by their behaviour during the Falklands War, when they proclaimed neutrality then went all out to help the Argentinians, even broadcasting the movements of British troops which resulted in their deaths (naturally the BBC didn't report that!). The BBC was also hostile to America during the Kuwait War, but the Clinton years (1992-2000) saw a slight thaw. Hostilies were resumed when Americans went against BBC advice and selected George W. Bush as president in 2000; BBC News had a large poster in their offices proclaiming he stole the election (no-one was allowed to disagree with this viewpoint, but some ungrateful employee went and blabbed to the press about it). But it was 9/11 that opened the floodgates of BBC bile.

Thursday September 13th was the day the Queen ordered the band outside Buckingham Palace to break with tradition and play The Stars And Stripes Forever as a symbol of her support. That evening the BBC broadcast their debate show Question Time, unusually (and unfortunately for them) a live broadcast. This programme was meant to have a randomly selected audience (i.e. randomly selected from the America-Hating Society). Even today, the BBC still claim that, whilst 99% of the country was expressing sympathy with the Americans, their audience just 'happened' to be 'randomly selected' from the 1% that wasn't. Former US ambassador Philip Lader was a guest, but of the four other panellists three came from the political left or far left. The audience, of whom only anti-Americans were allowed to ask questions, shouted and screamed Mr. Lader down, reducing him to near tears. At the end the BBC got one of the few audience members supporting America to ask a question; they later claimed this represented 'balance'. Over two thousand letters of complaint were received; at first the BBC refused to back down, but when even the government turned on them, finally issued a grudging apology. And still claimed 'it was just chance'. Hah!

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