Oh Britain, Please Britain

[Rupert_Baehr]

Some years ago, I retired from the Royal Air force and re-joined my wife, who was serving in the United States Air force, in America.

 

Not a problem (most of the time) but the Americans do get a bit 'twitchy' about foreigners ... particularly when those foreigners are retired military officers and get visitors from the State Department. (They were friends who called in on the way to 'other' places. )

 

Then came Aug 02 1990. I called my wife at work (interrupting a [fairly minor] conference and suggested that her boss might want to listen to 'world developments'.)

 

What are these 'World developments' you want me to listen to, Rupert?" (He did, at least, pick up the phone.)

 

"Well Mike, Saddam Hussein has invaded Iraq." I gave him a list of what was happening.

 

A few hours later, when my wife came home, she brought with her a question: "I know your *&^%$#@ husband has contacts within the State Department, but please ask him how the hell he knows what's going on before we do?"

 

Easy. I used the BBC World Service (who trumped the whole of the US Intelligence network that day.)

 

I haven't relied on the 'World Service' since that day (yesterday's news is fast enough nowadays) but the Beeb's World Service was - back then - the most up-to-date and accurate News service you could find.

 

They beat the US Intelligence services by a day on Aug 02.

 

Don't under-estimate the Brits.

[alchresearch]

A variation on this story was used in a Bond film, the first one with the lady "M", poking a sly dig at the Americans getting their intelligence from CNN.

[Bonzo77]

Listening to the news, or watching Newsnight .. or checking the BBC website for any news … I often end up with this impression: sometimes I feel the UK media pays more attention to news related to far away places ( an example would be the Middle East ) than what is happening here

 

 

correct me if you feel I am wrong

 

They focus on petty small things, or wars that the government want us to know about.

[DeathAxe]

There is too much rubbish in the news, idiot people's births and TV gossip do not belong. The BBC has become a televised daily mail.

[Rupert_Baehr]

If ti doesn't start with '

' it ain't genuine!

[Vague_Boy]

There is too much rubbish in the news, idiot people's births and TV gossip do not belong. The BBC has become a televised daily mail.

 

I remember when John Terry's affair was pretty prominent on the BBC new. Now that's not news, even if it did affect his position as England captain. Because that's not news either. It's sport and belongs in the sports "ghetto" just before the "and finally" story about a cute duck adopted by a cat and then the weather.

 

If John Terry's affair caused a stock market crash, that would be news.

 

If it affected the weather or the price of commodities, that would be news.

 

But otherwise it's just prurient tittle-tattle.

[Chumley]

just before the "and finally" story about a cute duck adopted by a cat

 

I think the word is "farmed". Trust me, I know cats