BBC World news (GMT 14.00, Tuesday 14 August 2007) covered the issue of Chinese-made toys in the U.S for a total of 19 minutes. Yes, 19 minutes! If this does not suggest an anti-Chinese bias, what does?
As the countdown to the Beijing Olympics starts there are daily BBC reports from China that are extremely critical. The other day the reporter covering the festivities talked about, among other things, the limits on expressing opinions that went against the official viewpoint. And all around him there were tens of hundreds of performers. Why didn’t officials stop that telecast?
If sub-standard and unsafe products are being dumped on the rest of the world by Chinese manufacturers, it is happening with the connivance of their western buyers who turn a blind eye to such practices. Foreign buyers source from China to cut costs. If corners also get cut, so be it.
So why does the BBC and other international media not expose the other side too?
While undoubtedly free speech does not exist in China, the western media is no paragon of honest reporting either. In totalitarian societies, governments control the media. In the West the ‘free’ press is controlled by big business and other special interests groups. Freedom of the press is the freedom of the owners to publish or broadcast what they want.
In days gone by when the BBC did not conduct surveys or ask for viewer feedback, its reputation was impeccable. What has gone wrong?
And back to the issue of unsafe Chinese-made toys in the U.S. The average American child is at greater risk on U.S streets and schools than from toys made in China.
COMMENTS
Peter Markham
Up ‘the anti’ mate. I totally agree with you.
Peter,
Teresa
Need more of this …….the other side of the effects of globalisation!!!!
Teresa
Jan
“Globalisation” is just another name for BIG BUSINESS to make even more PROFITS at the expense of the less fortunate…be it Chinese, Indian or Bangladeshi (underpaid and overworked) labour.
Maybe MATTELL have no money to pay for the toys they ordered?? And are rejecting them this way….
Besides, I do know for a fact, that all MNCs have QC reps on site wherever they produce their junk. So, were these overpaid US employees sleeping on the job, or what?
And what freedom of the press if Murdoch owns all the media!
BBC = Blair/Bush Broadcasting Co.
Jansan
Jan
The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.
H. L. Mencken
Jansan
Minnie
It’s all about SPIN with the media in the west..and Britain and the US have mastered it well.
Minnie
Juhi
Great article !! Very well written…maybe we should consider entering it in the Washington Post here.
Juhi
JanSan
Hallo Percy,
Nice Web Blog. Keep up the good work educating us idiots!
JanSan
© Percy Aaron
Wow Laos 