Play Your Cards Right - BBC Trumped? - Part 3
Good Example? Any money paid out from the pot, would have to be paid by the ordinary people of Britain, who have already recently paid out significantly for Mr Trump's lavish visit. The Panorama programme, perhaps, for all of its naivety and clumsiness, was simply posing the question that should somebody who behaves like this, setting the example he does and who incites this kind of behaviour, including a riotous assault on the Capitol, be taking such a top job? Perhaps they do have a point? The BBC is funded by ordinary members of the public, many of whom are hard pressed and have just spent a considerable amount on treating Mr Trump to his recent PERFECT visit to the UK. Mr Trump has already received over $100 million in settlements from media companies in America. Threatening people to extort money seems to be a notable part of Mr Trump's character (and salary). However, it is usually the ordinary hard-pressed people that pay the price and pick up the tab in such instances. Mr Trump is not hard up and already has plenty of money. He doesn't need to be greedy, or threatening, or taking money from the ordinary people! The way we behave in life is a choice. He is supposed to be a leader, and leaders should be setting a good example! Is he?
Bit Of A Pickle: While we're on the subject of top jobs and leadership, I redraw attention to the first paragraph (and other articles on this website). Boris Johnson has now said, unless the BBC comes clean, he'll stop paying the license fee, which he regards as a tax (isn't everything, to pay people like you Boris?). Google says... "Whilst Mayor of London, Boris Johnson famously described his similar £250,000-a-year salary in 2009 as "chicken feed". Before he became Prime Minister in 2019, Boris Johnson's salary for his weekly column with The Daily Telegraph was £275,000 per year. After leaving office as Prime Minister, Boris signed a new, separate contract with the Daily Mail, reportedly worth £1 million, for an exclusive column that began in the summer of 2024." After reading that, it's probably fair to say that Boris doesn't actually live in the real world; the world that everyone else lives in (even though he tried to manage some of it). Neither does Donald Trump. Having managers that don't actually live in the world they are supposed to be managing, probably explains why the world is in a bit of a pickle!
Stacked Decks? People like Boris and Mr Trump, represent a class of people that many think only care about money - the nobles. Many think they don't really care about the ordinary people - the peasants. Nobles generally give the impression that they're superior, or 'upper', and that they're absolutely entitled to have a lot more money, land and assets, than the peasants. This is the natural order of things, as God intended. It's Darwinian. Survival of the fittest. Sorry, did I say fittest? I mean richest! And it actually is! Peasants have to know their place, obviously! The peasants are the workers and are simply there to do the work; to be suitably used, abused, and laid off, as required, or not, as the case may be. Oh yes, and to fight the wars that our leaders cause and suffer the brunt of the consequences. And also to pay for the war, because that costs a lot of money! And to rebuild everything that our leaders have caused to be smashed up, which also costs a lot of money! And not to expect too much pay, because peasants can't have too much money. And, of course, to be milked, I mean taxed, that is, give some of it back! Well, peasants don't actually ask for much out of life and don't generally complain if it's a fair game. A fair game without stacked decks. But is it? Are we getting a fair game from our leaders, the nobles and those in charge, or have the decks always been stacked, and are we, the peasants, just being continually flushed, trumped and taken for a run?
Let's Try That! Talking of trumping, that slightly-lingering farty smell, of course the BBC should rightly come clean, put its cards on the table, and let the air clear. And Boris knows, that is what we expect! However, Boris could have just said that is what HE would expect. Not that he's going to stop paying the licence fee, which again, sets a bad example and is not very helpful. Especially, when he suggests others should follow suit and do the same. We should support, what is still one of the best institutions on the planet and an organisation we can be extremely proud of. We know it's not perfect. That's because it's populated by human beings (the same as governments). We know it can always do better. That's because WE, that is human beings, can ALWAYS do better (the same as governments). Let's try that!
Invaluable! But while some are having a go, Boris, let's not overlook the amazing qualities the BBC does have. It is not just about news and current affairs. The BBC is a fantastic source of learning for children and adults alike. As well as providing great drama and general entertainment, it raises awareness of problems and issues in society and around the world. It works proactively to tackle crime. It provides superb education in all things: Science, IT, nature, health, sport, agriculture. Positive and constructive! Incredible work! Not forgetting local radio and the BBC World Service. Invaluable to many, both locally and worldwide. We should be absolutely proud of the BBC and support it in its hour of need, not take the opportunity to stick a hypocritical boot in Boris! We know none of us are perfect (no, I'm not going to take another opportunity to mention Boris).
Jokers In The Pack! Improvement in anything we do, is achieved by taking a good look at ourselves. That is scrutinising ourselves, working out what needs to be done, and honing our mechanisms to improve our performance. Although not everyone can do this, as it often involves taking constructive comment and criticism on the chin, everything and everyone can benefit if they can, including, as much as we may love them for being the entertaining characters they are, Boris and Mr Trump! Characters, like the rest of us, certainly not without their own flaws. Flaws which are greatly magnified and much more impacting on the ordinary people and the planet, when we are in positions of influence, authority, leadership and power. Especially, as we have seen all too often, when some turn out to be jokers in the pack!
Lost In The Shuffle: Regardless of the fact that the money would have to be found and paid by the ordinary-hard-pressed people of the United Kingdom, it's not particularly nice of Mr Trump, who has plenty of money, to be trying to extort ill-affordable money from an organisation that does so much good work in so many areas in the world. Some would say he's got a bit of a cheek to even think about Trumping the BBC, even if the editor did cut to the chase, leaving out the stuff in between. That is editing. If the editor is guilty of anything, it's not leaving a tiny little gap between the clips, to indicate they weren't actually concurrent. Or maybe pointing it out some other way! A definite oversight, granted, and perhaps an easy mistake to make if you're not thinking straight, or a bit tired after a long day. However, an admission of wrongdoing, a retraction and an apology should be enough for Mr Trump, shouldn't it? After all, we all make mistakes, even Mr Trump. Notably, any mistakes he currently makes will potentially cause a lot more damage and do a lot more harm than this little editing faux pas, which went completely unnoticed, lost in the shuffle!