tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post8901592052986459577..comments2024-03-20T12:03:26.126+00:00Comments on Thin Pinstriped Line: Lies, damned lies, and Media Reporting...Sir Humphreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704774192275240783noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-40306140653956466482012-07-05T17:10:02.998+01:002012-07-05T17:10:02.998+01:00Leaving aside the issue of the report's accura...Leaving aside the issue of the report's accuracy, I find it no bad thing for the country's top generals to resign in protest of what they feel is a wrong decision. It is one of very few substantive protests they can make, most of the others being denied them in the name of "civilian control".<br /><br />If you say it is bad for them to even resign in protest, then you condemn them to do nothing in blind loyalty to the System.arkhangelskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15247250672432027166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-63967585884671189452012-07-03T19:28:29.783+01:002012-07-03T19:28:29.783+01:00Thought the Torygraph has said that we have too ma...Thought the Torygraph has said that we have too many generals anyway (or was that the Mail?). Media can't have it both ways.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-48639335667233683872012-07-03T16:33:49.252+01:002012-07-03T16:33:49.252+01:00simple.... counter it with MORE free speech.simple.... counter it with MORE free speech.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-1745216616844484742012-07-03T11:56:31.292+01:002012-07-03T11:56:31.292+01:00In 1986 Sir William Armstrong, then head of the ci...In 1986 Sir William Armstrong, then head of the civil service, was caught by a minor Australian barrister in a blatent lie about the matter of Peter Wright's MI5 memoirs in court. He denied the lie by replying that he was merely being economical with the truth.<br />It's not merely the press that are manipulating the truth and recent revelations about the probity of our banking institutions is further proof of a general decline of our national moral fibre and, in that respect I believe that the civil service now believes that if that is sauce for the gander, then we'll have some of it.<br />Many of the recent Whitehall leaks must have originated from unhappy civil servants, so, it's just possible that this mischief was home grown.<br />However, I am an avid reader of your take on things military and they do provide an antidote to the ranters in the pub and club.<br />Keep it up.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12936638256567099802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-18196890950956568122012-07-02T22:31:11.474+01:002012-07-02T22:31:11.474+01:00MM - I totally agree- the problem we have is that ...MM - I totally agree- the problem we have is that I am utterly in favour of free speech. But where does one draw the line between free speech, and utter falsehoods invented to make a story?<br />I like your idea of a credible complaints body, rather than the Page 67, bottom column tiny font!Sir Humphreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08704774192275240783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-26357787371616633382012-07-02T19:47:40.918+01:002012-07-02T19:47:40.918+01:00"These men have spent their lives serving the..."These men have spent their lives serving their country. The military in the UK take great pride in being as apolitical as possible – people genuinely take pride in not being used as political pawns."<br /><br />Here Here! <br />Sadly the age of internet the gloves are long since off... its sad, as these imagined rants go on and on, in papers and blogs, the real services quietly and soticly carry on with their job.mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-58283344298161811312012-07-02T15:44:46.322+01:002012-07-02T15:44:46.322+01:00The Daily Mail is a travesty to any kind of qualit...The Daily Mail is a travesty to any kind of quality journalism as anyone who has had to deal with them knows. Sadly I don't think they care too much about the impact this article is likely to have on those generals.<br /><br />The trouble is how do you stop this sort of thing without venturing too far into preventing free speech? I hope Levenson results in a credible complaints body where the generals affected could complain and that body could hit them with an instant fine plus an order to redress the article.Machiavellian Mandarinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00634289066141168860noreply@blogger.com