Friday, November 3, 2017

Take a bow, Anne McElvoy: the competition is stiff, but you may have just said the most ridiculous thing in the history of Question Time

OK, so let's just briefly recap.

* In 2015, the Catalan people freely elected a parliament in which the absolute majority of members were pro-independence.

* In the popular vote in the 2015 election, pro-independence parties comfortably outpolled anti-independence parties by 48% to 39%.

* The elected pro-independence government held a referendum last month to definitively determine whether the population wanted independence or not.

* The pro-independence campaign won the referendum by an overwhelming margin of 92% to 8%.

* In spite of violence, intimidation and vote theft by the Spanish authorities, 38.5% of the entire registered electorate successfully cast a vote in favour of independence, meaning that even had there been a very high overall turnout of as much as 76%, a victory for the pro-independence campaign would have been statistically certain.

* Braving a very real threat to their own personal liberty, government ministers acted to respect the will of the electorate by declaring an independent republic.

* An opinion poll published this week shows that there continues to be a majority in favour of independence (roughly 53% to 47%).

* Two very recent voting intention polls suggest that the pro-independence parties are on course to retain their overall majority in parliament in the December elections, and to win the popular vote once again.

Presumably aware of most or all of the above, Anne McElvoy of The Economist somehow felt able to indulge in the following musings on the BBC's Question Time tonight: "The facts are that there is not an overall appetite in Catalonia for independence, and sometimes the debate is conducted as if there were.  And sometimes some of the framing of news reporting seems to suggest that there is.  AND THERE IS NOT.  If you want a LEGITIMATE pro-independence movement, then go out there, campaign for it, and get people on your side. The push for independence is, I think, over for the moment."

There comes a point where it's actually quite difficult to know how to argue with stupidity like that.  What's truly inexplicable is that the host David Dimbleby didn't step in to correct (or at least challenge) such an obvious factual inaccuracy, and instead simply allowed viewers to be grossly misled.

*  *  *

I touch on the subject of Catalonia in my article for this month's iScot magazine, which is now available.  A preview of the article has been posted HERE, and you can purchase a digital copy of the magazine HERE.

17 comments:

  1. James, do you seriously think that the Establishment mouthpiece (the BBC) would actually try to establish a degree of basic truth with its remaining viewers? Today's Dimbleby is a shadow of his former "glory".

    QT has become a complete farce, paid for out of the miserable BBC "Scottish" budget. (I have to confess I haven't watched the programme yet as I am outwith the UK, but will catch up later when it's online).

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  2. Hard Talk presenter claimed there was million at the anti-Independence rally.

    The number from other sources puts it well below half that and suggests that a substantial number were bussed in from outside Catalonia.

    Obviously this will be British Government meme in keeping with the same line in Scotland.

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    1. 87,000 Yoons were bussed.

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    2. The Jocko referendum was a fiddle. MI5 stuffed the ballot boxes... Englanders were secretly bussed in over night on secret buses...You just cannot beat the Spanish Inquisition... Question Time is a secret English plot to disrupt the Nat si argument.

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  3. I'm certain aristocrats in France had a similar mindset as McElvoy pre-Revoluition, of course after it they had no minds to set anything in.

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  4. Anne made Daniel look pretty balanced on most subjects. Quite an achievement really ☺️

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  5. Under 50% of Catalans took part in the vote, of whom a high percentage voted for Independence.
    Do your sums!

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    1. The estimated stollen votes by the Guardia Civil would have put the actual turnout at over 50%. Plus with the threatened violence, the closed polling stations, the intimidation leading up to the vote, who knows how any people stayed at home.

      If the Spanish Government were so convinced they would win, hey could have let the vote go ahead peacefully then simply ignored it as not 'approved'. (As though a peoples' right to self-determination requires anyone else's approval).

      Current polling does suggest a majority for Independence, this might not have been the case had Madrid acted democratically. They will reap what they have sown.

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  6. Dear, James, and deary deary me... what else can we expect from the mainstream media? Unsurprisingly, many of us have lost faith in much of what some people call 'honourable' debating and newsworthiness! ~ Perhaps this is an element of what's inspiring the appearance of so many alternative options? I hope that tomorrow's world will be better catered for, politically and with genuinely honourable politics and media!

    Thanks for your article, here, Ewen

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  7. The Jocko fash are similar to the Catelonia fash inasmuch as they ultimately want to hand power to the EU beaurocracy. There is no point in independence just to have economic and fiscal policy handed to the corrupt EU.
    Surprisingly the EU elite are not supporting the Catelonian clique. Dividing the working classes further would surely be in their interest.

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    1. Sorry for my post, I am so ashamed of my behavior. Alcohol is my folly.

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  8. Yes, I think it's Ms McElvoy herself that's trying to do the framing....

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  9. It's now just over 6 weeks until 21 December - which (in UK anyway) would be regarded as a period during which we'd expect some enforcement of rules to ensure that the campaign and election are conducted in a free and fair manner.

    At the tail end of a news item yesterday (Sky News, I think) there was an observation that if an arrest warrant were to be issued for Mr Puigdemont, that would make it most unlikely that he could participate in the election. I presume that would also apply to the 10 people already arrested, to others in Mr Puigdemont's entourage in Belgium, and to any others who may be placed under arrest in the next 6 weeks.

    In addition to actual arrests of, or warrants issued against Catalonian politicians, there are more frequents reports of legal threats against others - parties, media, and individuals who have led criticism of police. Even where these threats do not come to fruition, they must nonetheless have an impact in disrupting of suppressing free campaigning by the pro-independence side. And that's before we even get to control of the Catalonian broadcasting media and established web sites.

    I haven't seen anything about monitoring of the election - e.g. by OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) - hence my expectation would be that any external monitoring would be heavily dependent on the sort of voluntary efforts made by groups and individuals in the referendum. No doubt the Catalonian parties themselves are best placed to consider the pros and cons of their involvement in what looks inevitably an election that will be rigged in many respects.

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    1. None of your business Nat si. The Spanish can run their country without outside interference from fascists.

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    2. The Spanish Government ARE the Fascists, you Moronic Yoon Tit.

      Your membership not expired yet?

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    3. Clearly auld yin you do not know the difference between fascism and democracy. You Nat sis do not accept the will of the Scottish people so you qualify for the former... Not only that you want to sell Scotland out to the EU because of your hatred for the English and that could make you a rascist.

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    4. JTRIG agent provocateur

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