Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

BBC says it won’t allow statue of George Orwell at its entrance

To the surprise of right-wing commentators, it is possible to be too lefty for the BBC.

The British public broadcaster, which is often criticized by conservatives for its political slant, will not allow a statue of George Orwell to grace the entrance of its new headquarters, reportedly because the idea is too partisan.

Orwell, who worked briefly at the BBC, earned international renown through his writing, aiming his pen at imperialism, unbridled capitalism, the Spanish civil war, revolutionary excess and totalitarianism. In 2008 he was named the second-best British writer since the war, trailing only Philip Larkin in a list compiled by the Times of London.

But in spite of his fame -- and a range of targets that has seen him claimed by both the right and the left -- outgoing BBC Director-General Mark Thompson was apparently quick to dismiss the idea of Orwell’s statue at the broadcaster’s entrance.

“I met Mark Thompson at a BBC reception and mentioned the project,” Baroness Joan Bakewell, a supporter of the George Orwell Memorial Trust, told the Daily Telegraph. “He said, ‘Oh no, Joan, we can’t possibly. It’s far too left-wing an idea’.”

Mr. Thompson is away and has not commented. The broadcaster insists that the spot being proposed is already being used and that another place, off BBC property, can surely be found.

The compromise amused some, who saw it as a face-saving hypocrisy. But others suggested the decision was inadvertently correct.

“A doughty warrior in the cause of liberty, free thought and political prose as clear as a glass pane, Orwell deserves his statue all right -- but ... today's BBC - aka the Ministry of Truth -- might not be the best place for it after all,” Nigel Jones wrote at the Daily Mail.

Original Article
Source: the globe and mail
Author: Globe Staff 

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