Stephen Dedalus (@StFilansDream), drew my attention to this example of how establishment journalists adapt to new political circumstances by adapting their language to conform with powerful narratives.
At the moment UK government figures are attempting to deflect criticism of their failures onto the EU’s supposed obstructive behaviour.
Lord Frost’s piece in the Telegraph is one of the clearest examples of this blame-shifting and demonising of the EU:
Lord Frost says the EU should “shake off any remaining ill will towards us for leaving, and instead build a friendly relationship, between sovereign equals”. Last week the Prime Minister infuriated Brussels when he unilaterally extended the grace period for supermarkets’ goods and parcels from the end of this month to October, prompting threats of legal action from Brussels. The grace periods mean procedures and checks are not yet fully applied.
The move sparked a fresh row with the EU, which is jointly responsible with the UK for the Northern Ireland Protocol governing trade and new border checks in the province.But writing for The Telegraph, the Cabinet Office minister blames the escalating tensions on the EU’s threat to impose a hard border on the island of Ireland in January. Lord Frost, who personally negotiated the Brexit trade deal and joined Mr Johnson’s Cabinet last month, says the EU’s behaviour “has significantly undermined cross-community confidence in the Protocol”.
He writes: “As the Government of the whole of our country we have to deal with that situation – one that remains fragile. That is why we have had to take some temporary operational steps to minimise disruption in Northern Ireland. They are lawful and are consistent with a progressive and good faith implementation of the Protocol. “They are about protecting the everyday lives of people in Northern Ireland, making sure they can receive parcels and buy the usual groceries from the supermarket.”
Journalists dependent on state funding are particularly exposed to the subliminal influence of this kind of elite narrative.
As Stephen spotted, they have started to refer the EU as ‘the bloc’ in a way which older readers will remember the Warsaw Pact nations were referred to as the ‘Eastern Bloc‘. The word seems more prevalent in recent months:
Italy is the first EU country to use the bloc’s new regulations allowing exports to be stopped if the company providing the vaccines has failed to meet its obligations to the EU.
Under the EU vaccine scheme, which was established in June last year, the bloc has negotiated the purchase of vaccines on behalf of member states.
As a quick comparison, I searched for ‘BBC bloc’ in the whole year 2015 and found several referring to the band Bloc Party, one referring to the Warsaw Pact but none referring the EU
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56279202
Will they refer to the USA as a sovereign equal or bloc when they get their marching orders from Washington?
Their delusions of grandeur continue.
In reality they are a small,overpopulated country 30 miles off the coast of Europe and now at the mercy of global trading blocs who will pick them off at leisure.
I see the Torygraf is still going strong on ‘SNP on the run’ nonsense.
They have a reputation to live down to,a tabloid in broadsheet format.
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re. “sovereign equals”. English Torydum is in serious danger of disappearing up itself, such is the level its arrogance and assumed cultural supremacy. I bet Lord Frost’s is incapable of acknowledging the legal fact that Scotland and England are equal partners in political union, guaranteed under Treaty law. Which is part of international law, so outwith Westminster’s legal powers to
pervertre-interoperate.Natural Law, the Law of Nations and Realism in International Politics
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9780230000636_3
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Realty is Reality
Why because nothing other than it possibly
Exist
Those who believe otherwise are in a comatose state of denial and delusion
On that basis England sooner than later awaken from their current state of mind
Why because here is their reality
No longer holder of a Empire, has the worst trade deficit in the whole world, Debt of collosal proportions and growing,no longer a military power unable ever to act on its own,
No economic significance in global trading
China and India already said NO trade deals
Because of such,Will soon lose its Permanent
UN security council seat ( only fools consider any matter as being permanent,absolutely all things are transient, why because of something referred to as time, and without such nothing is ever possible, it is time that makes all possible,just trying doing anything
Without any time whatsoever)
So those in power and their mouth pieces in the media will soon awaken to actual reality
And realise that indeed they have been dreaming, and now have to manage a very real nightmare
Such is how most Great powers and Empires
Finally end and more often than not in a rapid and chaotic manner
Former examples of great powers and Empires who knew all this and who came to terms with this reality have all established
Themselves as proud successful small nations
In their own rights
Think Sweden, Denmark and The Netherlands
The longer England remains delusional the greater their chances of future success diminishes
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Not that I’m recommending Hobbes, who’s interpretation of natural rights is considered by many to be crude legal positivism, and more than a tad authoritarian.
https://www.academia.edu/509324/Justice_Equality_and_Rights
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EU invested £3Billion in the vaccine.
Lord ‘Frost’ is being criticised by Tories, fed up with the lies. Claims it is playing into the SNP hands. The Brexit shambles starting to take effect. Affecting businesses and trade. The Tory bean counters. They cannot count or read a balance sheet. Exports down £54Billion. Imports more expensive, Transport cost escalating. Different routes to avoid the queues and red tape. The Tories lies. Liars always get found out.
The Tory monarchy getting exposed. Illegal tax evasion and interference in governance. The corruption of Westminster state. Not democratic or fair.
The majority want to stay in the EU, especially the young. They want to retain EU membership.
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We live in an increasingly failing, one-party State, where the Elite are desperate to hold to power, and increase their wealth.
How will they do that? They use the media to scapegoat “nasty foreigners”, oh, and us Scots–the greedy ungrateful sponges
They have huge dollops of money off-shore. When the economy dives, there will be bargains to be had…….asset-rich businesses; farmland; houses.
The last thing they want is Scotland leaving and doing well (take a few years, but not too many), and Englands decent people asking questions about increasing poverty wages and inequality.
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Gavinilochiltrer
And by Gawd they full well know it
The cake is getting smaller and smaller
And made by Mr.Kipling who indeed does make a exceedingly small one
They will soon be hoovering up the crumbs
And leaving the plebs to eat the thrown away
Tattie peelings from the Kitchens
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The attacks on the EU has always been there in the U.K. press but since Brexit it had ramped up. This year it is every day. It is all deflection and mostly lies.
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“The minority SNP government” is a phrase that pops up a lot at auntie beeb. Although technically a correct description, it’s use is very underhand considering the voting system for the Scottish Parliament.
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