Good to see Melanie Phillips criticsing the BBC for "trawling for ammunition". She simply trawls for material to plagiarise. I think it says a lot when Richard Littlejohn is cited as having a cohesive argument. Couldn't find a coherent stick with which to beat the BBC this morning?

PS: If Melanie hates the BBC so much, why was she appearing on BBC Two's flagship news programme last night?

BeefQueen,

Well said...although the BBC reacted in silly and OTT fashion about Killroy's remarks...it stretches incredulity to be expected to feel sorry for the likes of RKS and RL who trade very knowingly in being controversial (it is their product and they know how to market it) in tabloid papers and at the tabloid end of the broadcasting market for hundreds of thousands of quid a year.

The so-called McCarthyite reaction is hardly in the same category as some poor embattled university professor trying to publish some interesting research and being hindered by PC zealots in his department. Something for which some true sympathy might be deserved.

Cynical media types always know how to turn such a slip-up into a lucrative new career direction with a new TV channel or paper!

It appears that my earlier comment has offended the host of this site. I never wish to offend, so I apologise in full for any offence caused.

I also retract the suggestion that the host plagiarised Richard Littlejohn's column. She quoted it with a reference.

I shall leave it to others to make up their own mind whether my comments were unfair, without merit, nonsensical and abusive.

The only answer is for the BBC to be privatized. Let's see how it can compete in the marketplace of ideas on its own.

If only the BBC had put a fraction as much effort into checking Andrew Gilligan's story.

They were, BeefQueen. They were.

Travis,

Bravo!! Why on earth is there a 'British Broadcasting Corporation'? - there isn't a 'British Newspaper Corporation'. Why should the rules for broadcast media be different from print media?

Whether we think Kilroy went too far or not, do we really want our journalists, TV presenters and others in the front line of comment, intimidated and inhibited to the extent that a word out of place in certain areas can lose you your job, even your livelihood.

so miss phillips still flying the zionist flag can't u tell everyone that your just a jewish colonel of mr sharon's world peace who can hide her english name from brits unlike muslims can, IMPARTIALITY ? LISTEN TO TOM P HE'LL TELL U THE TRUTH.

Pieces like this make Melanie Phillips look like an idiot.

If anyone had published an article as ignorant and gratuitously abusive about Jews she would have been the first to rush to print in condemnation.

He wasn't even suspended by the BBC for the views he expressed but because he breached clear guidelines regarding presenters of topical news programmes. If he wanted to take the BBC shilling he had to accept the rules.

In any even his piece was racist and ignorant. For heavens sake he described Iran as an Arab country!

BeefQueen seems to be a bit of a mad cow.

I'm afraid that I'm perfectly sane. Glad to see that no-one else appears to be taken to task for offensive remarks!

David - You say Kilroy-Silk trades knowingly (hard to trade unknowingly, as any market trader will attest) in controversy. Could you define controversy in this issue, please?

He [originally] said "some Arab states" repress women. Could you explain what makes this statement contentious, please?

And are limb-amputators. Could you explain in what sense this statement is misleading or controversial, please?

And are supporters of suicide bombers. Again, could we hear how this is open to grave doubt?

David - no offence, but I think your reference to the name of McCarthy was made in deep ignorance of the issues of the day in the American government and subsequent events. You have apparently heard the name "McCarthy" used as a term of vilification without understanding the history, nor the history who use this name in the perjorative.

Beef,

re Caroline's 'mad cow' comment...LOL..
come on...you've gotta laugh, it WAS funny (and had none of the real nastiness of some of the put-downs we've had from some of the men on here). Thank God for fiesty women!!

Caroline,

You raise some important points and I WILL answer them...just a little later...as I have to dash...till later ;-)

Caroline,

Robert Kilroy-Silk wrote the following:

‘we’re told that the Arabs loathe us...what do they think we feel about them? That we adore them for the way they murdered more than 3,000 civilians...for being suicide bombers...limb-amputators...womenrepressors...?’

These are generalisations about ‘Arabs’ rather than specific statements about the evil practices of some extreme Islamic fundamentalists and the life of oppression under Arab dicatorships.

There is a big difference.

That is why I viewed his comments as being controversial.

I want to stress that I think that certain punishments under sharia law are barbaric and that women are shamefully repressed in Arab countries. That suicide bombers are evil, sometimes sick people who are often manipulated by other equally evil people.

Many Arab states are dictatorships in which the citizens live in poverty, are ignorant of the realities of the world and are being fed constant propaganda and conspiracy theories.

THat some Arabs are easy prey for the purveyors of Islamic extremism is therefore not surprising.

Mr Kilroy-Silk was absolutely right to focus on the abuses of Arab countries. If he had remained on that territory I would have added my support to his article.

However, he chose to make very controversial generalisations about Arabs.

I do not think he should have been sacked by the BBC. However, I do find it difficult to see how he could ever have chaired one of his future chat show programmes on a subject such as 'race relations' with any credibility, given his article.

To compare his sacking with McCarthyism (as some have done and to which I was responding in my comments above) is to grossly exagerate the grievance that is now being suffered by Mr Kilroy-Silk.

McCarthyism was a specifically American phenomenon during which hundreds of first intellectuals, writers and artists and then state employees, were investigated and made to name other left-wing sympathisers under threat of imprisonment. It does not do justice to today's thinkers to throw around distinct 'isms' (whether fascism, socialism, communism, totalitarianism, McCarthyism etc) specific to certain periods and certain countries and to portray today's use of PC in free societies as being anywhere in the same league as these other 'isms'. It's sloppy, disengenuous and an insult to the people who were imprisonned (or worse) for their views under any of these 'isms' to even regard the sacking of a TV chat show host (and tabloid journalist) in a free society as being in any way similar to the awful denials of freedom that have occured under these other totalitarian philosophies.

Can I ask a simple question. All of you who defend RK-S's right to say what he said and freedom of speech and the like.

Can I rely on your support if I was to say that we shouldn't support Jews because they're a bunch of greedy, money grabbing capitalists who conspire to control the world banking system and the media and who are modern day imperialists intent on grabbing as much land as possible. They're also baby killers and think its fun to shoot children. They're not to be trusted and all power to all those who chase them out of their own countries.

Would you support me in saying that? In exercising my right of free speech. After all, it's only a point of view.

For the avoidance of doubt, those are not my views. They're meant to be repugnant, racists and anti-Semitic. But I want to test if you're defending some mad notion of free speech or attaching yourself to Islamophobic comments. So come on, let's hear the truth.

David:

"Beef,

re Caroline's 'mad cow' comment...LOL..
come on...you've gotta laugh, it WAS funny (and had none of the real nastiness of some of the put-downs we've had from some of the men on here). Thank God for fiesty women!!"

Oh, I agree. Much cleverer than most of the tripe written on here. However, it was still "abusive" so I just trust that Melanie Phillips is e-mailing her as we speak. Otherwise it would appear that Ms Phillips is concerned only when the comments in some way are abusive towards her . . . . If you're gay, or an ethnic minority, or liberal, you're fair game.

Beef,

"so I just trust that Melanie Phillips is e-mailing her as we speak"

I doubt it...responding to all the rude comments made on this site would be a full-time job!;-)

I think she came down on you harshly because she might have considered your comments libellous. But she has forgiven you, it would appear!

Actually, the number of really gratuitously offensive comments on here appear to be restricted to two or three men (guess who?...no, I don't mean yours truly).

The women are much better behaved...surely a reason for a greater - rather than a lesser - feminisation of society...don't ya think?;-)

Till the next time, take care

Brendan,

I agree with you that Melanie's diary entries and articles indicate that she does not have a uniformly applied code on what actually is prejudice and when it should be condemned or treated lightly. Like most people she is bound to be subjective to an extent. If Harry Hammond had carried a placard calling for restrictions to be placed upon Jews I do not know whether she would have responded with the levity that she thought should apply to his placard stating 'Stop Homosexuality'

RK-S said in his article that Iran is an Arab nation. Surely that in itself shows that he's too much of a cretin to be let loose in front of a camera.

I well remember that he had a film crew accompany him on his train journey to Westminster when first elected an M.P. He gave an interview in which he confidently predicted that he would become Prime Minister.

Never even made it to the front bench.

Brendan,

"RK-S said in his article that Iran is an Arab nation"

Yes, complete ignorance

"Surely that in itself shows that he's too much of a cretin to be let loose in front of a camera"

The essence of modern TV is that ONLY cretins are let loose in front of a camera.

"The essence of modern TV is that ONLY cretins are let loose in front of a camera".

LOL...AND 'serious point'! LOL because your description conjures up the worst form of TV currently served up. BUT 'serious point' because modern TV shows virtually no discussion or topical programmes on social issues which include anything other than sound-bite driven, manufactured controversy as 'infotainment'...where are the earnest, thoughtful programmes of the 60s...like the wonderful '7-UP' series?...

I trust some of you will enjoy the irony in this: Melanie Phillips damns the BBC for curtailing free speech.

She and I exchanged e-mails this week (on another matter, ragarding appalling comments made here about the death of Rachel Corrie and Tom Hurndall, including 'jokes' about how they died). Firm words on both sides but nothing offensive. I reproduced our correspondance here and what does Melanie do? - why, she removes them within hours.

So, is it freedom of speech for her Islamophobic friends who wish to make gratuitously offensive and racist comments but not freedom of speech which reveals her own (admittedly somewhat embarrassing) words?

I think we should be told.

I, as site maintainer, deleted your comments which were directly personally at Melanie. They did not, in any way, relate to the article on which you were commenting.

Please desist from these personal posts. If you have further comments please direct them to me by email (I have emailed you)

Thank you.

Dear Tom,

Would you please post an announcement that will catch everyone's attention as to your presence on this site. Perhaps this might be accompanied by a short declaration of the ground rules - ie what will and will not be tolerated beyond illegal comments.

Perhaps a brief warning about future conduct that could lead to being barred from the site might result in less needlessly offensive personal comments and focus people's attention on actually debating the issues on the threads.

Thanks in advance and good luck with your dutiies!

Melanie has already done this in her post about readers' comments. Common sense and decency should prevail.

As long as comments are legal and relevant, then no moderation is necessary, or desirable.

If you have any further concerns, then email for clarification.

Free speech, ha !

Is Melanie Phillips as stupid as she seems or is she just trying to get attention with her half witted pro-israeli rubbish? She's like a pinched, frowning nasty grown-up version of the kids that paint "BNP" on the council estate walls. They don't really understand what they're saying but they know they'll get a reaction.

Melanie Phillips. I did think freedom of speech was a good thing. Then I stumbled upon this website. You, along with the likes of the BNP, The Daily Mail, James Whale et al, inadvertantly present the strongest argument I have seen in a long time against free speech. You are an Zionist apologist. If you love Israel so much go and live there, and stop polluting our media with your facist drivel!

I think it's a fair question as to whether MP really is as stupid as she seems or rather that she's bright enough but prefers malignancy.

Take her comments about the Liberal MP. First she totally distorts what was said, then uses the distorted version to call for her prosecution.

What was said is that it is possible to understand what motivates the bombers and that if she had lived for many years in those conditions she too might do what they do. Is this endorsing their actions let alone inciting murder? If you're truly slow witted raise your hand now and say "yes".

I can understand how people who live in terrible poverty, with no real prospects and no worthwhile jobs turn to crime/drugs. Indeed, if I lived like some of these people do I too might turn to crime/drugs. Does this paragraph recommend that people take drugs or commit crime? Does it advocate criminality and drug abuse?

What a bunch of fuck wits, leaving posts on here...dear me!

Dat,

Well, your 'contribution' proves that you are certainly one of the bunch...

well! what ever Kill Roy siad about Arabs i think 101% true and right i support him what ever is happening in saudia kuwait almost whole of the midel east is somethinggg ____________ strange i dont have words to say humans right are being abuse non arabs woman are brutaly raped becoz they are not arabs labours dont get there pay becoz they r non arabs if they got to report against them they get more worst treatment non arabs in a arab country is consider to be a crimnal slave this what happening in saudia there is much much more happening than this if i will get a chance to speak on bbc against them i will tell in detail what arabs Kill Roy i support u