Over One Hundred Lawsuits and Counting

Hi Everyone

When I was young, the radio news, the daily newspaper and the cinema newsreel were our only sources of news. On the radio, that news was provided by the BBC. Which newspaper you read was usually dependent on your political views. Now there are a myriad of TV and internet news channels, while those people who still buy newspapers are still influenced by their political views. Now, not a lot of people know this, but the BBC is 103 years old. During those years, has it made mistakes, of course, it’s 103 years old.. Has it had some bad apples in the organisation that should have been exposed more quickly, of course, it’s 103 years old. Have there been instances of bias, of course, it’s 103 years old. What is good is that it is completely independent of government, and that it is paid for by us. There is no doubt that it is not perfect, and that changes could be made, but it is still my first go to for news. If I had any lingering doubts about the BBC they were dispelled this week when Trump called it a “corrupt organisation” and then threatened to sue them for £1Billion. That is rich coming from someone who sues almost every news organisation that does not agree with his views, while he and Fox News continue to put out false information and insults. Then, Trump's English clone Farage, weighs in with his support, even though he gets plenty of accurate coverage on the BBC. All that convinces me to continue to defend and support the BBC even though it is not perfect. Don’t forget that at 103 years old, it too is approaching middle age.

This week, the annual Remembrance Day commemoration took place, where we remember all those who lost their lives, mainly in WW1 and WW2 to ensure the freedom that we enjoy today. Those of you who are long time Rubbish readers will know that the Junior Partner, my dad, spent the last six months of WW1 in the trenches of Northern France, where he celebrated his 19th birthday. Every year, I go to our local war memorial to remember his service and the service of others. This year, it was reassuring to see that more and more people are paying their respects, with many young people in attendance. Many ex-servicemen proudly wear their campaign medals, and in some cases, the medals awarded for bravery. Unfortunately, I do not have any of my dad's service medals as he told that he had returned them as he was so upset by what he had witnessed in those six months. Years later, I discovered through an internet search that he had indeed returned his medals. I was reminded that on the 11th November at 11-00am, he was in a small village when the end of the war was announced, a place where my son and I visited when we retraced this steps a few years ago, although it was some weeks later before he could return home to find that his job had been taken by someone else. A familiar story for so many. 

It seems that almost every day we see Trump leaning against a doorframe on Air Force 1, giving his eager press corps the benefit of his words of wisdom, threats or insults. The advice when we go on a flight is that we should remain in our seats with our seatbelts on. I am not particularly interested in what he has got to say, but I am eagerly waiting for the moment when he suddenly disappears off the screen. 

Just a thought:

To improve is to change, to be perfect is to change often.

Besides all the versions of the BBC, what do British people watch on TV? Rubber dinghies on the English Channel.

What do you call a Marine in an Air Force uniform? Artificial Intelligence.

Brian