Age of the moron

A few years ago I wrote this post: Let moron speak onto moron:

In the days of Lord Reith, the BBC would broadcast the news, unfettered by personal opinion, and was all the better for it. The BBC still is the best place for the news, mostly unbiased and unspun. However, a few years ago, new trend begun, which has now spread to all BBC departments.

It seems that the BBC cares what the Great British public thinks, quite why is beyond me. Not that they shouldn't care, but it's their job to tell us the facts and the rest we decide. But it began in sports shows, the phone-in was born.

At first it was it was all rather novel; but then boring as Manchester United fans, or Chelsea fans would complain about the lack of firepower up front and demand another multi-million striker be bought. Danny Baker, who brought the talk show to these shores hated this and gave such people short shrift.

But the idea of the phone in was here, and then it spread to more and more shows. Now, three hours of Radio 5 Live's output in the morning is dedicated to what the average loony taxi-driver or manic closet racist thinks. They even begin the breakfast show thus; bringing you news, sports and your views on the stories that matter to you.

I don't really care what Mrs Smith from Bristol, of Mr Jones from Edinburgh thinks of the 'big issues, and no matter what they think I won't change my mind. I will listen to the business editor and his take on how the markets are heading, or the main football correspondant and his thoughts on last night's results. Maybe the Middle East's editor and what does that last news item mean for the region.

So, at nine in the morning, when the airwaves are given over to the rabid and the unemployed, I switch off and do something less boring instead. Of course the internet allows the angry, or the ignorant another soapbox to climb onto. I left my old blog site, Matchdoctor today. I am fed up with the creationists and the right wing crazies spewing their bilge; of course they could be fed up with mine too.

Leaders should lead by doing what they think is right, not what middle England or the Daily Express editorial is saying. Great leaders act. And public service broadcasters should concentrate on what they do best, bringing us the news and information and allowing us to make our own minds, in the comfort of our heads and homes.

And then followed it up a decade later with this:

Many years ago, I wrote a post called something like, let moron speak unto moron, a play on the BBC motto, given that most week day mornings were given over to phone ins where the presenter asked people what they thought of the day's big events.

Now as much as I vaue what Joan from Bridgend or mike from Newcastle thinks, these are just their opinions. I have them too. But I would much rather hear from people who know what they are talking about and can explain the issues and risks of a particular course of action rather then merited, but unfocused anger.

Giving the angry such a voice amplifies the misconception on where to lay the blame. ooking back I can now see how this lead to Brexit.

Whole areas of the country have been treated like shit for decades, from the Beeching cuts to Thater's "economic" policies of closing down (unionised) heavy and strategic industries, to the general automation of much manufacturing. Many feel left behind, so want someone to blame.

So, snake oil salesmen and shysters said to blame the EU. And chief among them was one Alexander Boris de Piffel Johnson, journalist for the Torygraph, who got bored reporting on the day to day business of the EU, so made shit up. And people liked the made up shit more than the real news, as dull and boring as it was, so bendy bananas and low powered vacuums became the norm.

Johnson was sacked for making up quotes from that job, but has gone through life telling porkies and just getting away with it.

He switched sides in the Brexit debate before the referendum, and was seen as the reason Leave won.

30 years later, he is now PM trying to force the UK out of the EU against the wishes of Parliament, and locked in a series of battles as to which is sovereign.

So far, Parliament has won.

But Brexit relies on the beliefs and promises of Brexiteers, who to a man, or woman, do not understand what they're making promises about. I mean, one of the first acts of Brexit was Sir Ivan Rogers being fired, he was chief UK diplomat to the EU, and his knowledge could have steered the UK out of Europe in much less damaging terms.



But he did not believe, so was purged.

The purging has gone on, and last month 21 senior moderate Tories were expelled for not believing, not even with a three line whip.

But there are eperts that could be called on, in all sorts of fields, but they would reveal the brutal reality of the stupidity of Brexit in all its forms. Of course, reality will win out, and it will be painful and damaging, but as always, the EU will be blamed.

The Irish Border issues can be easily explained, but Johnson and co would rather you believed their bullshit rather than understand it, and make an informed decision. Of course, people voted for Brexit for many reasons, but no one voted for no deal and not one of the Brexiteers explained the consequences because they themselves did not understand no care what they were. The much derided experts in the Civil Service would have to do that.

Bloody experts.

Indeed.

But why I am repeating this now? Well, a couple of reasons. Not listening to actual experts, who in many cases went to college and/or university before engaging in that area of expertise might mean they know more about a subject rather than Dave on the A13 in his white van who read something on Facebook last week.

Wat started off with something trivial, then morphed into doubting vaccines and social distancing, and people taking horse dewormer rather than the vaccine because of 5G or something.

I mean, sometime I am aware of some of the stuff I say seems far fetched, but I am pretty good at looking at sources for stuff I write about on here.

Brexit is the next obvious issue where group think triumphed over actual experts. Beacuse Govey said we had had enough of experts. But then putting up barriers bin tade between us and our closest trading partners was never going to end well. And when trade and constituational experts pointed out that the NIP expicitly broke the UK single market, despite Johnson and the NI Minister denying it, it is what happened, and Johnson, JRM and the rest are dealing with the effect of the deal they wanted two years later. Finally, in football, as my team Norwich sink back into the Championship, Twitter and message boards make the angry be heard first.

I mean, I had higher hopes than finishing bottom of the league again this year, especially after spending 0ver £50million on players, but as Newcastle rattled three past us yesterday in the spring sunshine, Alan Shearer tweeted that Jolinton who scored the first two goals, had only cost £40million.

Only.

And that was before their bloodsoaked takeover.

Yes, we're angry, but what is the alternative: accept a similar buyout to The Toon? Or how about the Burnely one where the new owner just transferred the debt he created when buying the club, onto the club? I still have no idea how that is even possible, but its what happens.

I would rather listen to experts than endless angry people who are agry at consequences who denied those same consequences whould happen. I have had to mute many Norwich fans on Twitter as Norwich losing every week is bad enough without fans tweeting abuse at each other, or the players, the manager of the owners.

United we stand, divided we fall.

Into ignorance and stupidity,