h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ok... I know what I wrote last time and I really dont think it's serious...

Maybe its the foreign languages... (I might have written a sentence or two in spanish and french). They're just trying to check if anything mean or distasteful was written there...

Do you think they will kick me out?

I thought these things only happened in America... Arent Europeans supposed to be beyond petty censorship?

Maybe there is american money involved in the project.

Ok. We will just wait and see.

Long live the queen.

I don't think you'll get kicked out. You'll have to excuse the British... most of us can't even speak our own language properly, let alone another country's.

As for Europeans being beyond censorship? HA! HA!

I'm of the considered opinion that the current British Government are hell-bent on making this country into a model of the USSR, using spin doctors instead of KGB agents, and by trying (trying!) to discredit the free Press.

LONG LIVE THE FOURTH ESTATE!!! (Can you tell I've trained as a journalist?)

Oh, BBC. I'm really ashamed of you.

There's nothing free about the press in Britain. Just look at the political leanings of those who own it. You don't get much of a voice unless you are a right wing plutocrat.

Ballcocks.

Unless you consider the vast tracts of worthless Labour Government-worshipping editors and commentators 'Right-Wing'. In which case, I'm scared of you.

If, as you say, the editors and commentators worship the government, why do you also say that the government is trying to discredit them?

Yes, I can tell you trained as a journalist.

I did not say the Government are necessarily trying to discredit the free Press, merely trying to limit them to stories which the government wishes to be seen. They do this by trying to curtail Press movement - ie, the suggested abolition of the Lobby system (which provides leads to exposés and backbench, non-party line opinion.)

Those papers which blindly parrot the party line are extremely useful to the Government (and the Government is doubtless useful to them.) Those trying to get to the truth are gagged, hounded and vilified. Fortunately, most of the Press has woken up to the spin and mendacity of most of the sanctioned statements released from Parliamentary and Governmental sources.

The former USSR's newspaper Pravda (which, ironically, means truth) was a propaganda machine for the Communist leaders. It looks very much like the Government is attempting to manoevre the British Press into a similarly lapdog-like position.

Oh, and just to let you know, I didn't really appreciate that crack in your last posting.

Odd isn't it?

I say, "I can tell you trained as a journalist" and you take it as an insult.

If you were to say that you could tell I trained as an engineer, I would be proud of the fact.

If you think that the current British press and Pravda have anything in common at all, I can only assume you must be very young. There is too much extremist comparison being used which has an effect like crying wolf.

No insult is intended in any of the above so don't be so bl**dy touchy.

I was merely postulating that the current state of affairs might run out of hand... the future is looking slightly sinister and Orwellian.

Yes, I am young, and I'm sorry for taking that comment as a insult - just that society in general doesn't have a very good or clear view of the profession I trained in (I'm actually working as a graphic designer!)

I just love freedom of speech and am terrified that it might one day be curtailed... I would quote Voltaire here, but it's just so over-used. I'm sure you know what I mean.

So no insult taken!

Defend the righ to the death eh?

All sounds a bit dramatic to me, but alot of people have done it and we do need those who are passionate enough about it to speak out.

It's just that I don't see that our personal freedom of speach is endangered at present. My complaint with the popular press is that they do not even attempt to present a fair picture of any political situation. They always have an axe to grind or more sales to make.

Wow, that's the first time I've ever heard anyone mention the words "political situation" and "fair" in the same sentance!

First of all, I would like to welcome the new-guy.

With no offence intended to anyone... I liked the remark about being trained as a journalist... forget personal conflicts here - it WAS funny... (But New guy, why did you cower away when the concept of taken offence was introduced? Verbal conflicts are bliss. Embrace them).

I AM a little confused though.

You see, I live in Israel.

The way I see it, the British government is privately Pro-Israeli (In the whole Arab-Israeli conflict) but outwards it expresses the opposite (mostly for policitical and economical reasons). So how come the BBC are clearly Pro-palestinian? Which governmental policiy is supposed to influence the press? The REAL one or the SHOW?