I am an unabashed sports fan. I love watching the Olympics and get irrationally patriotic about it. Many of my friends find these traits irritating. But I have been really enjoying the last few days of British success.
Victoria Pendleton’s win in the sprint cycling was a great moment, but was completely marred by a classic propaganda moment by the monolithic state broadcaster. No, I don’t mean Chinese TV, I mean the BBC pumping New Labour as usual.
Victoria flashed across the line, and within two seconds the BBC cut to a shot of Tony Blair standing and applauding, holding him on screen for some time. It completely spoiled the moment for me – a sporting triumph marked by a war criminal. To complete the puff, the commentator praised Tony Blair’s “generous support for the British team”.
Bollocks – it was another example of a politician trying to gain kudos from national sporting achievement. And to describe Blair as “generous” is risible. Whenever you see Blair pop up anywhere, the first question to be asked is, who is paying for him? The great freeloader never pays for his own holidays, as has been frequently documented. On a previous visit to China, he received a US $500,000 payoff.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/nov/08/china.tonyblair
Bkair has been to Chima at least four times since then – visits which would seem to have but a tenuous connection with his official role as chief facilitator of illegal Israeli settlement in Palestine. Blair has been making himself useful to the Chinese, and obnoxious to human rights and environmental campaigners, by arguing that politics should be kept out of the Olympics.
http://tonyblairoffice.org/2008/08/olympics-should-be-about-sport.html
So who is funding Blair’s Olympics?
The Mail is asking the same question, and got this response:
Earlier today Mr Blair’s spokesman insisted the couple were on a ‘family holiday’ but refused to comment on whether they had paid for it from their own pockets. He would also not be drawn on whether the Blairs were in China as someone’s guest
.
I think that we can take that as an admission that the revolting Blair is being paid off again. The question is, for what?
I share your feelings too Craig – what an achievement by Victoria, a real proud moment for us all to share…only for it to be tarnished with a reminder of all the bad things associated with Blair. It was probably a good thing if it raises more questions about that evil man. He is a war criminal. Mark Steel's new book "What's Going On?" should be a good, enjoyable read for your journey home.
Unbelivably or perhaps not, the clip of the Bliars applauding was on Newsnight last night and again on BBC Breakfast this morning. Last night on the Newsnight programme there was a discussion with Jeffrey Archer!! and Duncan Goodhew about the reasons behind Britain's success in the Olympics. Emily Maitlis opined that we usually associate Olympic success with totalitarian regimes. Was it happening now because 'we are an easy-going liberal democracy'. You couldn't make it up as they say.
The same clip of the Bliars applauding Victoria Pendleton was on Newsnight last night and again on BBC Breakfast this morning.
On the Newsnight programme there was a discussion with Jeffrey Archer!! and Duncan Goodhew on the reasons behind our success in Beijing. Emily Maitlis the presenter opined that we usually associated such success in competitive sport with totalitarian regimes. Was ours because 'we are an easy-going liberal democracy'? If that is what she really thinks about the state of the nation, you couldn't make it up as they say.