We've reached a sad day in Westerndom in so many ways...but surely 'our' media has just attained a new, *invidious low: in now effectively abandoning one of its longstanding, most loyal and devoted Commonwealth friends and relatives - to wit, the longsuffering and neglected nation of Zimbabwe.
In surrendering the people of Zimbabwe to the alligators presently moving in for the kill in the turbulent political waters swirling beneath their feet, even the much-vaunted BBC itself has forsaken Zimbabweans like so many over-heated cakes, abandoning them into the proverbial too-hard-basket. Yes, the **one-time justly-celebrated British Broadcasting Corporation has - its many praiseworthy internationally-broadcast radio programmes notwithstanding, and these are well worthy of the highest commendation (on a regular basis) - now not only 'dropped the ball' upon our erstwhile central southern African allies and compatriots, they've done so when they need our aid and help more than ever before.
Which I will make reference to in my imminent Part Three (to be published shortly). But sadly, they are far from alone in so doing, seemingly being joined - at least in these Antipodean 'nether regions' - by our broadcast media as well. What a despicable thing to do, abandon one's close friend when they're at an all-time low, putting the collective boot in when they're already well and truly down.
*Among its various meanings, according to my trusty Chambers Concise Dictionary, is this - entirely unexpected, but wholly accurate - one: offensively discriminating (italics all mine). And doesn't that just so aptly sum 'em up! Yes, I mean the mainstream media...and no, for all their faults - which may (in certain instances) be many - and varied - the likes of Sir Robert Muldoon, the Right Honourable Winston Peters, and even 'the Donald' (i.e. U.S. President Donald J Trump) himself are right on the ball in one major respect at least: their unanimous suspicion of and even at times downright contempt for the so-called 'journalists' and media outlets which style themselves so successfully as the brave bastions of truth and the upholders of the highest Western values and democratic principles. For once again they have failed abysmally - abjectly - in their self-appointed task (of bringing truth to power - and all the rest). Hey, on this one they're not even on the scoreboard.
**However over recent weeks and months and years the blatant inconsistencies and even hypocrisies of this one-time bastion of Westerndom's core Judaeo-Christian values has gone completely awol: missing in action - and without any forwarding address. More's the pity. Whether we're talking about their aiding and abetting the U.K. police in their unjust hit jobs upon the likes of Cliff Richards, Ken Roache and the like - while scurrying for well-needed cover as their own miserable 'non-treatment' of the serial paedophile Jimmy Saville was gradually, progressively exposed into public view, the BBC 'dealing with this' by their own brand of serial rationalization, duck-shoving and pleading of extenuating circumstances.
Or referring to their citing Aotearoa-New Zealand's new 'bright young thing', the Green Party's articulate female (Iranian) refugee M.P. Gohriz Ghahraman, as some sort of expert upon our neighbour Australia's admittedly appalling treatment of refugees, especially one-time New Zealanders, at, for example, their now infamous Manus Island (and Christmas Island) Detention Centre; when all the while this selfsame 'spokesperson on human rights' had been extensively exposed post- our last General Election (almost a year ago now) as a one-time apologist, nay, public spokesperson and defense attorney for, instigators of genocide in both 1990s' Serbia/Kosovo/ Croatia/Bosnia-Herzogovina etc as well as 1993-1994 Rwanda!
And time eludes us here to more than briefly cite their abject inconsistency, even hypocrisy, in giving almost a ***running commentary upon the intention of various 'Englishmen' (and no doubt women) to effect a rarely-invoked citizens' arrest of Pope Benedict the 16th upon his arrival in the U.K. for a papal tour back in 2009 or so, when, almost the very moment he set foot upon British soil they were pretty well feting him from veritable pillar to post, and couldn't get enough of him; virtually slobbering their newfound affection all over him as he rode in the papal motorcade (was it in the Popemobile? - I'm not sure) and then sat in state as it were alongside then British Prime Minister David Cameron in a makeshift sort of canopy (virtually transplanted holus-bolus from a Victorian-era garden show), while they - alongside their adoring fellow citizenry - oohed and aahed and fawned and scraped, bowed and curtsied before Benedict as he gloried in the unexpected adoration and adulation. ***Here including both branches (radio and television) of the BBC's broadcasting arm.
The very same one-time German Cardinal Josef Ratzinger who'd not only served in the Hitler Youth, and later in the Vatican's modern-day (theologically-oriented) 'Inquisition' (for trying and excommunicating heretics from the Roman Catholic Church), but who'd effectively done nothing about dealing with and to the then-rampant sexual abuse occurring c/o the RCC's priests and prelates and cardinals worldwide, and was thus going to be treated to - or rather, served with - an old-fashioned citizens' arrest upon setting foot in England.
Necessary Disclaimer (with the benefit of overnight reflection):
Perhaps I'm being a little too severe (and broad-brushed in my 'strokes' here), and should've been a bit less critical of the BBC - not so much vis-a-vis #1, however, nor with my overall point re Zimbabwe.
Nevertheless, in case #3 (re Pope Benedict's papal visit to Great Britain), they're guilty as charged, for rapidly, and quite inexplicably - unless it can be argued that they, like 'everyone else' at the time, were simply swept up into the overall feel-good emotionalism of the special occasion - moving from an heretofore impartial commentary (even arguably somewhat anti-papal line - reflecting societal-wide feeling then almost palpable) the one moment, to a rather over-the-top, utterly uncritical commentary the very next...as per the (subsequent) rest of their reportage...not even mentioning the former 'threat' (of a citizens' arrest), as if it was now altogether nonexistent,; or, still worse, as if it were now an irrelevance - beneath one's legitimate notice...as, like with the Royal Family, we were now all (expected to be) collectively besotted with them all - their each and every move - even 'rightfully so'...that any previous quibbles or concerns - however well-justified at the time - simply no longer mattered or made any real difference anyhow...
In case #2, for, apparently, simply not bothering to investigate Ghahraman's background (story) better - especially the well-canvassed controversy (within Aotearoa-New Zealand) that played out in our media late last year (especially in November). Again, as with #3, we all now simply couldn't get enough of GG. So, any past 'indiscretions' - however damning and utterly devastating to anyone else's career in the circumstances - simply no longer mattered...all was again forgiven, and any, however once quite legitimate concerns were to be simply relegated to the realms, the backblocks of sheer, utter irrelevancy.
As per Zimbabwe, I've still essentially the same concerns, with all the naivete and gullibility this of course suggests/highlights...though, to give them their proper and rightful due, the BBC's overall radio coverage of Zimbabwe - at least up until their fateful election 'result' announced last Friday New Zealand time - was quite exemplary, as far as it went...even putting other (NZ-wide media, anyway) way into the background. (At least they then covered extensively the more than legitimate concerns raised by opposition spokespeople and protesters in the country.)
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