baldysblog.co.uk

In the UK, “cock up” is far more likely than a “conspiracy” but that does not mean to say, as the Labour Party often demonstrates that “manipulation of the media” is not commonplace within the UK.

Being a Thursday the Telegraph publishes yet another Mary Riddell article that speaks only of her confused mind that seeks only to ‘serve’ the Labour Party and Gordon Brown in particular. Now whilst there is nothing unusual in this, the censoring of the resulting “comments” from readers is rather odd.

The Topic

The substance of the article is that Gordon Brown knowing how unpopular he is, will try to hide behind the Queen and hope that her general popularity will induce some sort of “feel good factor” that will rub off on him. It would appear that some of the concepts behind the evolved British Constitution are totally “new to Mary Riddell.

I spotted this last night and wrote in a comment that was not published but in which without being overly rude, I suggested that she might consider giving up journalism as a career and consider becoming an “Outreach Worker” of some kind. The fact this didn’t get published is hardly a surprise because frankly she gets a torrent of abuse every time the DT publishes the latest “Dreary Drivel” article. An example being the following:

“Her Majesty, resplendent in diamonds and reading glasses…”, … “with an aptitude for spending taxpayers’ money.” “David Cameron’s mendacious claims of a ruined country…”

Lots there for us to get stuck into this morning, fellow-bloggers.

Seconds out of the ring, and no holds barred!

Posted by **** on November 27, 2008 8:08 AM”

Manipulation ?

I hope the comments “Moderators” are not under instructions to manipulate the incoming comments in any way but who knows ? From time to time but mainly at the weekends, I will find that absolutely nothing I submit is published however innocuous and I have experimented with this by sending many different mails. My conclusion was that there was someone on the team that just doesn’t like me.

On the other hand it could be targeted filtering as “spam” using software on the incoming where groups of regular commentators mails will get trashed to create a ‘difference’ in the contributors on a day to day basis who knows ? What I do know is that I’ve posted 4 different entries and none have been published by 14:00. (Update: By the evening the last one I sent below, had been so 1 out of 4).

However whilst the editorial staff shielding Mary Riddell from some comments is neither here nor there, today something odd is happening, the comments are being manipulated in rather an odd way into an anti-monarchist debate.

Anti-Monarchist

People in this Country will piss and moan at the drop of a hat but normally on the DT site, there is a good ‘to and fro’ among the people and below is an example:

“So Brown is now running to hide behind the last British institution New Labour hasn’t destroyed.”

The reply from someone else:

“I disagree – The signing of the EU Constitution did exactly that.
Mrs Windsor is now just a citizen of the EU. Having betrayed her Coronation Oath by giving the royal nod to the surrender of OUR sovereignty to unelected foreigners in a foreign land, she signed-off her own redundancy. There cannot be two sovereigns ruling a nation. It’s time for her and her family to let go of the trappings of a sovereign.”

Of course I had to reply to that:

“Whilst I agree with your sentiments concerning the EU, I definitely want “OUT asap”, to criticise the Queen over the Lisbon Treaty is totally incorrect unless you want to recreate a modern version of the “English Civil War”.

The “Royal Assent” to any Bill has little practical meaning and has not for 200 years or more. The primary purpose of the Monarch is to unite the Nation over and above Party politics and regardless of the current incumbent of the office of Prime Minister in times of crisis. This is incompatible with the Monarch refusing to sign a Bill you and I detest or one we approve of (leaving the EU) and others detest. Besides which, if she had, this disreputable Government and their backbench lackeys would soon have passed legislation to remove the Royal Assent on all Acts of Parliament and you know that to be true.

The principle settlement from the Civil War was that all executive powers rested with the elected representatives of the people who funded the “Bills”. The very word Bill comes from the fact that any Government action costs money. The fact that a fool such as Brown sees all our money as his to dispense with at his whim is our foolishness for electing such creatures to Parliament not the Monarch’s.

I have been writing for some time about the need for substantial and carefully considered reform of the House of Commons and specifically the role of “First Among Equals” and “Prime Ministerial Patronage”, I have always found it very funny that people will sooner concentrate on those other pillars of our Constitution, the Lords and the Monarchy rather than the rotting carcase of our democracy as represented by the antics of the Commons and its inmates.”

I suppose its lucky I’ve got my own blog, I can always guarantee publication !