I used to get BBC World, but after the invasion of Afghanistan I realized it was the most appalling codswallop ... and after the invasion of Iraq I realized I might as well cancel it altogether, rather than risk inujuring myself by sticking my foot through the TV.

Still, there were some amusing moments, such as when they ocassionally booked the wrong economist for a take on events. They had Dean Baker of the Center for Economic Policy Research on there once. He proceeded to tell them what a crock intellectual property rights were or somesuch. Everyone looked very surprised and you could see them thinking 'who booked this guy?' and 'well we're not having him on here again ...' They even did the same during the invasion of Iraq, where a testy UK military expert with an ounce of integrity denounced BBC correspondents for reading from the script with garbage about the 'coalition' needing to capture Um Qasr 'to get that humanitarian aid in.' 'No, no,' he said, 'Um Qasr is a major deep water port and it is needed for military purposes, and I'm getting a bit sick of everyone saying it's got something to do with humanitarian purposes.' Well, they didn't have him on again either.

These were, of course, simple stuff-ups and in no way redeem the MSM organs. I suppose BBC incompetence can be praised for occasionaly letting through one or two glimpses of truth and humour, but it certainly isn't deliberate.