BBC bias on America - index of banned books

I listened to the AM slot 9-9.45, 22nd September, to hear a discussion about the United States, which concentrated on America's Achilles heel, race. It was inspired by the current presidential race and the issues separating the candidates - but don't expect to hear both sides of the story. Moderated by Justin Webb, leftist America correspondent for the BBC, the world's premier left-wing News organisation (funded by the British Taxpayer, but never mind), had invited onto the programme as guests three Americans: a socialist sympathiser, a woman called Castillo and Sidney Shelby, who was black. For much of the programme there was the usual unanimity of opinion between the participants, all of whom seemed to have been invited on in order to be critical of the United States, its institutions and its history. In fact, the tone of the debate was unremittingly negative, concentrating on Racism and exploitation, the exception being the occasional comment from the African American Shelby, such as that the US eventually got round to facing these issues and deserved some credit for having faced them, unlike other countries.

At one stage, about 40 minutes in of a 45 minute programme, when Shelby started talking up America - "but the problem for Black people is within their own culture" or words to that effect, and that there was something about the US to be admired, Webb jumped in and calmly remonstrated with him for departing from the script. Shelby was black and alone amongst the participants in showing a belief in the virtues of hard work and wealth creation. At the end, the socialist said that wealth was "given disproportionately to the rich" and Shelby heatedly disagreed saying they worked for it. At last an argument after 45 minutes of typical BBC discussion show group think. Then Justin Webb wrapped it up, with Shelby the only dissenting voice from the enlightened message that Justin wanted to dispense. Presumably he was only invited on because he was black and it was assumed that he would follow the opinions of the white liberals and leftists on the show. When he didn't play the part written for him, Webb, supposed objective, gently reminded him of the error of his ways. In spite of Shelby being off-message, Shelby was similar to the others in being distrustful of religion and seemed to dislike social conservatism. So the republicans had no friends in this debate.

What is the point of discussing Evangelicals or Social conservatism if you don't get one of these evangelicals or social conservatives on board? Are they some exotic tribe that can't represent themselves? Presumably Webb put the programme together with a view to promoting a certain message and he chose people whom he thought could be relied on to promote it. What an abuse of the taxpayer's money by the so-called National Broadcaster. What a charade. Well done to Shelby for not playing along.

The BBC has an index of banned books, I'm sure. Top of the list is "Can we trust the BBC?" by Robin Aitken, which has never been mentioned once on the airways of the Nation's broadcaster. Too bad for free debate because the BBC controls 87% of the broadcast media. "State of Emergency" by Pat Buchanan on the immigrant invasion of the United States is no doubt another. Clash of civilisations another. The term appears only as a cardboard charactature argument to be refuted by leftist commentators.