MACDONALD
It can be hugely convenient for all of us to ignore any kind of bias when it suits our own agenda, political philosophy or social conscience.
When the boot is, metaphorically, being applied to the Tories, Farage & Co, Trump et al; I have delighted in watching them squirm.
Except, in more cases than not, they didn’t care a fig and continued with their lies and propaganda (as I saw it).
They aren’t trying to convince us of anything: they have a different audience.
I’m making huge assumptions here.
It might be difficult, though I’m no expert, to surmise that, if you were a Scottish Nationalist, a Brexiteer, climate change denier or a Palestinian or a Jew; you weren’t on the wrong side of impartiality, far less perceived public opinion.
That case might be difficult to prove given the amount of air-time given to each, possibly in the hope that scrutiny, should it be applied, might conclude that any fairness rules had not been breached.
It’s certainly hard, sometimes impossible, to remain impartial whilst delivering the facts.
The job of the news is not to try to please all, or indeed any, of the people all (or indeed some) of the time.
It should be straightforward.
The B.B.C. has built a reputation, forged over 100 years, for unscrupulous fairness across all of its news platforms.
Lately, several swipes have been directed at it, not all of them without some kind of merit.
I’m guessing here, but has it ever been thus?
Opinions are like, well…..it would be rude to apply the characteristic.
However, when we, or whoever we recognise as the ‘good guys’ in these skirmishes, succumb to the tactics of the ‘other’: we will have partially lost.
So when the B.B.C. this week admitted to airing an edited version of a Domhnall Tong speech to somehow suggest that he was (more) directly inciting the Capitol Hill rioters, all hell broke loose.
For a man who had 30,573 false or misleading claims verified by the Washington Post Fact Checker over the 4 years of his first presidency; to be the very obvious pot calling the kettle black matters not a jot.
From the outset, the tactic of the right (and not just in America) has been to discredit the news agencies, muddy the information highway and cast doubt on what is plain and obvious.
It’s a slow process, one which sensible and even not so sensible people were aghast at in the beginning.
But over time, the assault on the truth takes its toll.
If you don’t like the truth, threaten to sue.
It’s amazing who will capitulate rather than fight when the cost is not measured in just dollars.
So when a Baroness on Radio 4 this morning espoused the virtues of the BBC including children’s programming, educational content, documentaries and being the biggest generator of cultural content in the country, she omitted to stress the one thing that we all take(took) for granted.
That it would be fair and impartial, to the best of its abilities, when reporting the news.
The rest are nice extras and important revenue generators, but the broadcaster has, or had, a reputation for scrupulously unbiased reporting.
When the Tories and Farage start piling in with scandalous comments like ‘now the Hammas of the broadcasting world’, you know that there’s a real fight brewing.
For them, the truth has often stood in their way.
If the government and the corporation don’t sort this out quickly and get ‘it right’, the repercussions will have dire consequences for us all.
I’m with Michelle Obama.
‘Go higher’, not lower.
A saying that was popular, some 111 years ago to be exact, was “it’ll all be over by Christmas”.
Golf
The way things are going in the MacIver Consultancy Winter League at Stornoway, it could be a whole month out.
Arthur MacIntosh & Pat Aird have shown such dominance in the early stages that, bar for Arthur’s lost ball a fortnight ago; the rest of us would already have conceded that they had ‘run away with it’.
The hare and the tortoise is an old fable and Pat & Arthur have been the hares several times before.
Last Saturday they demonstrated their solidity as a pairing with an exemplary 11 holes which saw them standing on the last tee at 2-under par, courtesy of birdies at the ‘Cup’ and Ard ‘Choille’.
The rest of the round had been composure personified.
Then came the ‘ouch’ moment.
A bogey-5 at the last, the ‘Long Cabarfeidh’.
It proved somewhat costly in that it denied them the outright win on the day and 15 points.
They signed for 44(38) and will settle for joint spot and 14.
Now sitting on 37 points they are looking, not quite with binoculars, at ‘Sweeney’ and Andy Murray, adrift on 23 points in second place.
Slow down lads, 50% of the field (over 50 teams) haven’t got off the mark yet at all!
Previous winners, father and son pairing, D.J. & Donnie Macleod, throw the accusation that the league is penal for low-handicappers right out of the window.
Talent is all that’s ever required (when you don’t have a ‘bandit’ allowance).
A flawless round saw a birdie at the ‘Manor’ surpassed with an eagle (2) on the driveable, for some, ‘Cup’.
Further excellence on the ‘Redan’ and ‘Long Cabar’ saw two more shots picked up and a card that is the pick of the season so far, and on their first outing.
Their 5-under gross 40(38), for a similar 14 points, will take some beating.
The top of the table now looks like:
- Pat Aird & Arthur MacIntosh (3) 37 points
- Donald MacSween & Andy Murray(6) 23
- Neil ‘Flute’ MacLeod & Neil ‘Spike’ MacIver(9) 20
Down at Scarista, the big news of the week was that Sebastian Waugh of Arabia didn’t win.
Didn’t come second, third or fourth even.
He was completely usurped by the excellent golf of club champion, Jack Arundell, who, despite a double-bogey on the 5th, still managed to shoot a 1-under par, 9-hole, 33.
Doug Morton, fresh from validating the second half of the round of the century thus far on Friday, began his round with that most spectacular of birdies, an eagle.
Unfortunately he had given ‘it’ back by the fourth.
A bogey on the last, ever a possibility, scuppered his chances as he dropped to a very creditable, level-par, 34
