david:hansard
News
Syria: the strangest war
– Western military support for jihadist fighters in Syria could result in hundreds of thousands more deaths – The Syrian government and its forces, led by Bashar al-Assad, has been winning the war that has raged in the country since 2011. Helped greatly in recent years by Russia, and by others, including the … Continue reading
Serena Williams: doctors to blame for black women’s deaths
— Tennis star’s reckless accusation of lethal lack of care goes unchallenged in the media — Serena Williams is the greatest ever tennis player. Roger Federer comes close, but he’s not quite the best. I’ve admired Williams for a long time. Her tennis is exceptional, her career astonishing. But her achievements and fame place … Continue reading
BBC videos: sentimentalising the news
— BBC News videos are often no more than sentimental manipulation of its audience — In idle moments I sometimes make the mistake of watching short videos on the BBC News website. You know the sort. They’re usually only a minute or so long, but can occasionally be up to ten. They can … Continue reading
Manufacturing offence
— The Dove advert controversy: how to ignore reality and fake racism for your own benefit — This week one of the world’s largest corporations, whose existence depends on pleasing millions of customers, brazenly released an advertisement showing it believes black people are inferior to white people. Despite their marketing team being the … Continue reading
Cellophane and tealights: mourning terror victims in Britain
— Why do memorials for terror attacks in Britain lack the dignity found elsewhere? — With the increasing number of terrorist attacks in Europe in recent years I’ve often been struck by the odd way in which the British, compared to other nationalities, use flowers to pay tribute to the victims of such … Continue reading
