Meanwhile, in La La Land.....

According to Melanie Phillips, the NIE report is part of some wide ranging conspiracy theory taking in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and the United States. Here's a little taster:

On this blog on December 5, I floated the theory that the US had done a deal with both Iran and Saudi Arabia to produce calm in Iraq in return for a promise not to bomb Iran and to serve Israel to them on a plate. Now Debkafile -- whose bulletins, based on intelligence sources, are not reliable but often contain more than a germ of truth -- is reporting a grander version of the same theory. It claims that a Washington-Tehran understanding is in the making, brokered by Saudi Arabia.

[extract]

True? It sounds horribly as if it may be. And there is another dimension to all this. The picture above says it all. Saudi Arabia, which is aghast at Iranian power, appears to have reached the same conclusion about the US -- that it has now totally lost its bottle. Saudi can no longer rely on the US to do what Saudi wanted it to do -- to destroy the Iranian regime. So it has now given up on the US and is doing the next best thing: cosying up to Iran itself. If you can't beat them, make deals with them seems to be its motto.

Hilarious. Isn't it time a tin hat was added to Melanie's picture?

In all seriousness, John Pilger made an excellent point when I witnessed one of his recent talks. It is far easier, and takes less time, to expose the lies of the Daily Mail, The Sun etc than it is to go for the big guns like the BBC, The Guardian etc. The former are no real challenge in terms of identifying the weaknesses in their arguments and exposing them. The latter, on the other hand, buries its establishment bias much further beneath the surface. On this evidence, it really is too easy to expose Phillips' piece as utter fantasy. There's no challenge here. The kind of people who believe this believe there is some vast Jewish conspiracy controlling the world, or that 9/11 was a plot cooked up by the government and there is a secret hanger where all of those who were 'on the planes' are being hidden. Utter lunacy.

Melanie Phillips - Ignorant Fuckwit, Or Just Mentally Unstable?

You decide. The world famous climatologist has been once again sharing her perceived wisdom with the world. Here are her latest pearls of wisdom:

Hang on, you murmur: in any event, aren’t we simultaneously being told that global warming will mean parched summers and winter deluges? Sure — but global warming is a truly miraculous theory. It means that, without a shadow of a doubt, we will have dry summers and wet winters, and wet summers and er, well, wet winters. As Dr Stott says:

‘In the UK wetter winters are expected which will lead to more extreme rainfall, whereas summers are expected to get drier. However, it is possible under climate change that there could be an increase of extreme rainfall even under general drying.’

As it gets dryer, it will get wetter. Truly, this global warming theory has some extraordinary properties.

Now, it struck me that good old Mel has rather missed the point here. What Dr Stott is saying is that as the country becomes generally drier, it will be subject to more extreme rainfall (ie heavy bursts of rainfall over short periods of time). It is quite a simple concept to get your head around, providing you are not clinically insane of course. The phenomenon of high temperatures and a drier climate combined with heavy bursts of rainfall is not unusual. NASA helpfully explains this in reference to Sub-Saharan Africa:

In the tropical wet-and-dry climate, there is a distinct dry season during the winter months. During the dry season, very little rainfall occurs and droughts are common. Rainfall occurs during the remainder of the year. Rainfall in the tropical wet-and-dry climate can be highly irregular, varying tremendously from one year to the next. In this climate regime, destructive floods can be followed by severe drought. Vegetation in the tropical wet-and-dry regions of Sub-Saharan Africa is mainly tall savanna grass and low, drought resistant deciduous trees.

So there we have it. It is possible, as the climate becomes drier, that there can be cases of extreme rainfall during general drying periods. I guess we shouldn't be surprised that Mel fails to grasp such basic science, after all this is the woman who believed that water vapour makes up most of the atmosphere. However, the really bizarre thing about this article is that she openly ridicules Dr Philip Stott. This is odd because she usually relies on Dr Stott to attack those who believe in climate change here, here, here, and here. Undermining her own source? She really has lost it.

* Unlike Mel, I am happy to admit that my knowledge of science is pretty sketchy. If there is any obvious cock-up regarding rainfall in dry climates, please tell me.

Another Case Of BBC Bias The Loonies Will Ignore

This one goes out to all the loonies who believe that the BBC has some radical left-wing agenda. Buried in the Entertainment section, is an enlightening apology over the BBC's coverage of the Holyrood election. Desperate to boost the arguments for holding on to the Union, the BBC conducted a survey into what the 'top 50' companies in the UK would think if Scotland broke away from the Union. During an interview with Alex Salmond, Jeremy Paxman claimed:

"We spoke to the 25 largest companies in Britain and the 25 largest companies in Scotland and none of them favoured independence".

Interestingly, the BBC has now issued an apology as it turns out that this wasn't exactly the truth. According to the apology on the website:

"Newsnight had not commissioned a formally-conducted poll or opinion survey, but had conducted its own straw poll of the companies concerned (though putting the same questions as had been used in a survey previously commissioned from the polling organisation ORB).

"This was an acceptable way of taking a snapshot of business opinion, and there was no requirement to publish further information about the basis on which it had been arrived at.

"However, the great majority of the companies contacted had declined to express a view on independence, so the results of the exercise didn't warrant the claim that none favoured it, or the implication that the biggest Scottish and British companies were ranged against it."

This apology follows a previous apology to Alex Salmond for the way he was cut-off in an interview by Kirsty Wark.

Of course, examples such as this will be widely ignored by the conspiracy theorists on the right. So obsessed are they with claiming that the BBC is involved in some grand left-wing scheme, they ignore all the evidence that points to the contrary. Like all deeply deluded individuals, they focus on the facts that they want to believe, rather than acknowledge the facts that deeply undermine their argument. The BBC has, and always will, defend the Union from any sign of a break-up. The dissolution of the Union is the last thing that the establishment wants, and the BBC is more than willing to support all efforts to undermine moves for independence in any of the home countries. In the rush to condemn the BBC as a left-wing organisation, facts like these will always be overlooked.

Melanie Phillips - Professional Conspiracist?

Quelle surprise, the UK's number one conspiracy theorist (Muslims are responsible for all the evil in the world, global warming is a vast conspiracy [insert any other wild conspiracy here] etc etc) still thinks that the BBC was up to something with the trailer it put out. Time was we used to lock people like this up and throw away the key. Padded cell for one Ms M Phillips.....

The Alan Johnston 'Conpiracy' Files - Courtesy of The Loonies at Biased BBC

More from the batty Biased BBC on the 'conspiracy' surrounding Alan Johnston's release. Here are a few more choice quotes from the loony site:

Allan@Oslo:

Like the man said, some lies can travel across half the world before the truth gets a chance to put its shoes on.

Not any more. That's what the internet does: it lets us attack the lies and we're doing it now. 'Kidnapped look' my arse. Johnston's been in on this from the start.

Allan@Oslo 04.07.07 - 3:30 pm #

Archie:

It was obviously all staged. I believe Mr Johnston and Hamas orchestrated this whole stunt in order to provide some publicity for Hamas. I'm sure Mr Johnston was a willing actor as I don't believe he was ever really held against his will.

Congratuations though Mr Johnston, you've managed to fool some very gullible people.

Archie 04.07.07 - 12:55 pm #

bijan daneshmand:

14.17 Alan: [I have just come back from the barbers] "Getting rid of that 'Just Kidnapped' look that I had had earlier." WTF?

Note to Alan: The unshaven beard growth is an essential part of the "just kidnapped look" next time you/BBC try to perfect this "look" make sure you dont shave for at least a week before you are "released"!

Still ovcerall, great acting Alan! Welcome back. The BAFTAs await!

bijan daneshmand 04.07.07 - 2:27 pm #

Archie:

Noga said "Archie: Your suspicions lurch into conspiracy theory. Johnston would have to be a first class actor in order to be as convincingly abject and relieved as he seemed upon his release. He also looks thin and pale, somewhat incoherent. You can't fake that."

Actually, I do believe it is a conspiracy, so you could call me a conspiracy theorist Are you kidding? Of course he could fake it. I'm sure Hamas have enough money to buy some makeup to make him look more bedraggled than he actually is. The Palestinians are notorious at churning out Paliwood propaganda with blood and actors so why not use a BBC man who is in on your cause? Anyone can fake being a little coherant and jubilant at being 'freed'. Why does he have to be a first class actor, just a little bit of crap acting will be good enough for those who want to believe this is all benevolent and Hamas are just fluffy puppies. I can't wait for the truth to come out.

Archie 04.07.07 - 3:03 pm #

Biased BBC - Madder than a box of frogs.

They Just Get Madder

If there was any doubt as to the conspiracy theories that reside at Biased BBC, here is a prime example:

bijan daneshmand:
Expect a BBC "Gift" From Hamas Soon

The more I search online ... the more its clear that the "kidnapping" of Alan Johnston is a sham.
So far no one has seems to have been willing to report this ... with the WSJ ... coming closest to calling a spade a spade.

Taking a leaf from the Islamic Republic's Hostage taking play book ...

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/20.../iran- iraq.html

Hamas is preparing a "Gift" to the British ...

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spa...ges/ 864144.html

that is already paying big dividends ... allowing Hamas to disseminate its propaganda in the UK ... to a naive public ... as part of its attempt to sideline moderates.

http:// commentisfree.guardian.co...n_you_hear.html

its working a treat ... at Hay on Wye for instance we have ...

"William Sieghart concluded by saying that he believed that you have to get the "extremes to the table". If you want a peace process that will work. Olmert and Abu Mazen chatting, he suggested, gets you nowhere. In light of Martin McGuinness and Ian Paisley's moment, "who remembers David Trimble and John Hume?"

.... the real UNREPORTED scandal is that Arabist elements in the British FO and MI6 are possibly in cahoots with Hamas on Johnstons "kidnapping" ... which may well be nothing more than a media stunt ... devised by the FO & BBC for Hamas as a means of increasing Hamas leverage within the UK ....

this is part of a longstanding effort to cosy up to radical Islam

http://uniset.ca/terr/news/ g_fco...limbrother.html

the unsavory character behind part of this effort is the suitably named MI6 operative Alaistair Crooke ... a longstanding advocate of the Islamic Republic, and its sponsored terror arms ... Hamas, and Hezbollah

http://www.guardian.co.uk/ israel...1370861,00.html

more of this agent's repugnant views here

http://www.prospect-magazine.co....php? author=2456

i predict that Johnston will be released amid much back slapping and hugging between Hamas, BBC, and Foreign Office officials.

The losers in this charade will be the "moderate" Palestinians, the Egyptian Government, Israel, and the British public who as usual will be well and truely duped again ... thanks to the BBC ...

Subverting the interests of the United Kingdom in favour of Radical Islam ... its what we do

bijan daneshmand 28.05.07 - 2:24 pm #

Yes, they are even willing to make capital out of the kidnapping of a BBC journalist. No matter what the family are going through at this time. And they had the cheek to have a go at me for mentioning one of their numbers dead mother. They truly are sick, conspiracy obsessed loonies.

Someone Please Help Melanie Phillips

Yet more crazed rants from the mistress of conspiracy theories, I am really starting to worry about her sanity. In her latest rant she writes:

The fact that getting on for two hundred rockets have been fired by the Palestinians at Sderot in the past two days has been virtually ignored.

According to Haaretz:

Some 45 rockets were fired at the western Negev over the weekend, 15 of them landed in Sderot, wounding four people lightly. One rocket hit a parked car, another damaged a factory and a third caused a fire near Sapir College.

Fact takes a 1-0 lead over Phillips.

Phillips: The fact that yesterday a 35 year-old woman was killed by one of these rockets has been all but ignored by journalists.

According to Google's news search there are 2,529 articles containing the terms 'woman', 'killed' and 'Sderot'.

And the referee has blown the whistle. Another defeat for Phillips at the hands of Fact. Will she ever end this losing streak?? I guess not.

Dr Melanie Phillips - Climate Change Expert, or Loopy Conspiracy Theorist?

Renowned climatologist Dr Melanie 'I hate all of you, especially you fuckin' Muslims' Phillips has been very vocal in her criticism of the consensus on climate change. Her detailed scientific studies have drawn her to the conclusion that it is all a scam dreamt up by 'loony' lefties with some kind of malicious agenda. Like many conspiracy theorists, Phillips believes there is a vast network of people intent on undermining Western society. Like all conspiracy theorists, this amounts to nothing more than the wild rantings of a person who has lost touch with reality and has entered the realms of fantasy.

One of the main sources for her incredulity towards scientific consensus, is Professor Richard Lindzen. Here is an example of the praise that Phillips heaps on her beloved Professor Lindzen:

The meteorologist Professor Richard Lindzen one [sic] again injects some much-needed sanity – and scientific rationalism – into the global warming frenzy in an article in Newsweek.

She repeatedly cites Lindzen as a figure of authority on global warming, but she never gives much detail about the man himself. I decided to take the liberty of doing a little research on Richard Lindzen, and I was unsurprised by what I discovered. He has links to numerous institutes that are in turn linked to ExxonMobil, the biggest climate change denier in the world. A group that has been directly responsible for muddying the waters in the fight to battle climate change. Lindzen is linked to the following:

The Annapolis Center for Science-Based Public Policy - Member, Annapolis Center Science and Economic Advisory Council. Annapolis has received $200,000 from Exxon since 2003.

Cato Institute - Contributing Expert. The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank based in Washington DC, was founded in 1977 by Edward Crane and Charles Koch, the billionaire co-owner of Koch Industries, the largest privately held oil company in the U.S. It has received $90,000 from Exxon since 2001.

Heartland Institute - Expert. Founded in the early 1990s, Heartland Institute claims to apply "cutting-edge research to state and local public policy issues." Additionally, Heartland bills itself as "the marketing arm of the free-market movement." Heartland has received $561,500 from Exxon since 1998.

George C. Marshall Institute - Writer. Founded in 1984, The George Marshall Institute primarily focused on defense issues, advocating funding for Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative and Star Wars. GMI has since branched out and is one of the leading think tanks trying to debunk climate change. Exxon has funded the institute to the tune of $630,000 since 1998.

Tech Central Station - Writer. The Foundation appears to be a funding arm of the free-market news site, TechCentralStation.com. Since establishment in 2002, it has received $95,000 from Exxon.

So, hardly a reliable source of information then. All the above was taken from Exxon Secrets. There is a link with all the information above, here (click 'skip intro'). And here's what they say about Lindzen himself:

Dr. Lindzen was a member of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and contributed to the Second Assessment Report. He regularly takes issue with the general conclusions drawn from the IPCC's reports. His prolific writings assert that climate change science is inconclusive, and he has testified multiple times before Congress.

Ross Gelbspan reported in 1995 that Lindzen "charges oil and coal interests $2,500 a day for his consulting services; his 1991 trip to testify before a Senate committee was paid for by Western Fuels, and a speech he wrote, entitled 'Global Warming: the Origin and Nature of Alleged Scientific Consensus,' was underwritten by OPEC." ("The Heat is On: The warming of the world's climate sparks a blaze of denial," Harper's magazine, December 1995.)[emphasis mine]

Lindzen signed the 1995 Leipzig Declaration.

In other words, not a source that is to be trusted. Not that Dr Melanie 'barking mad' Phillips would give you such information to allow her readers to make informed decisions about the sources she quotes. That would just make her look like a mad conspiracy theorist, wouldn't it?

The Conspiracy Fraud

Last night, BBC2 broadcast a documentary on the conspiracy theories surrounding September 11th (go to YouTube and search for 'Loose Change'). A well researched piece, it attempted to dismantle the various conspiracies one by one. Now, I have always been fascinated by some of these theories, not because I believe them, I just find them interesting as a proposition. After all, our governments have a history of lying to the general public, as recent events have proven.

However, the point where I lose interest, is with the conspiracy theorists claim that there was some kind of Jewish plot behind the attacks. Some of them actually believe that Mossad were behind the attacks and made efforts to ensure that 4,000 Jews didn't go to work that day. The very idea of this theory is absurd and dangerous in equal measure. Unsurprisingly, this myth is perpetuated by anti-Semites across the globe. There is no factual basis for this allegation whatsoever, by suggesting it as fact, the theorists are pandering to the extremists. Sadly, if we want to live in a world where people can freely express their views, there will always be a lunatic fringe who seek to take advantage.

There is no doubt that September 11th actually happened. There is no doubt that the tragic events of that day led to the loss of life of thousands of innocent people. There is no doubt that those events changed the world forever. Unfortunately, all these conspiracy theorists achieve (alongside their anti-Semitic views) is a distraction from the real conspiracy surrounding those days. The conspiracy that occurred after the event. The conspiracy by those in power to cover-up their short comings and their undoubted negligence. That is the real conspiracy behind September 11th, NOT the anti-Semitic fantasies of a few extremists.