Wednesday, December 14, 2005

America's obsession?!?

Yesterday the BBC provided an excellent example of the way in which its own warped and pejorative view of the US is casually passed on as established fact. In an article prompted by the execution of "Tookie" Williams and headlined Can a murderer ever be redeemed, religious affairs correspondent Alex Kirby points out that most of those arguing against the implementation of Williams' death sentence presented strictly utilitarian arguments.
Oddly, for a country as obsessed with religious observance as the US, the Christian argument seems almost an afterthought.
Not a country with a predominantly Christian population. Not a largely church-going nation. No. A country "obsessed" with religious observance.

It is pretty much unimaginable that the BBC might ever characterized a Muslim theocracy governed by Sharia as being "obsessed" with religious observance. But with America, where religion is increasingly banned from the public sector and the number of people who attend church weekly is, at best, around 40% (and is more likely much lower), the BBC has no problem at all not only characterizing the country as being "obsessed" with religion, but with assuming it is a well-known and established fact among its readers.

Frankly, given the BBC's own relentless coverage of religion in America, one must wonder just where the "obsession" with religion lies.

5 Comments:

Blogger Fidothedog said...

Thats the BBC for you, never let the facts get in the way of a made up story. Worst thing is we have to pay for this lefty shit to be spoon fed up each evening.

6:06 PM  
Blogger Alison said...

I agree with Fido. Great post btw.

12:09 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

On the subject of Williams, R5 "Upallnight" had a piece by a US court journalist. She stated that Williams' acclaimed childrens books had apparently only managed a sale of some 300 copies.

Guess its quality not quantity that brings a Nobel Prize nominations.

She also stated that stories from San Quentin indicated that Williams had never become a model prisoner, despite his redemption.

5:13 PM  
Blogger Sean said...

Bad day for the beeb :0)
It admits its bias by ommision, in court.

www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/inside/statement.shtml

12:01 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Its not just the BBC, there seems to be a general view in Europe of; because we do things this way, therefore it most be right.

Totally missing the point that a large part of the world, perhaps the majority, doesn’t do things the European way.

I don’t see the mainstream America press going on and on about how poor the average European is, or how small, gutless and shitty looking the cars are here in the UK, or how oppressed we are here because we can’t buy a revolver.

2:42 PM  

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