The Beaver - Latest Comments

Re: The need to respect the Falklanders’ verdict

Alan Urdaibay — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 15:24:17 -0000

Oddly, I've come into contact with numerous Argentinians over the years in my work. None have complained about the Falkland conflict and none have had the slightest problem with my Britishness. I'm sure there are some who must be anti-British - I expect there are some who are anti just about everything, but I don't think this is the norm.

It's a very long time since my years at LSE but it's fun to see that people are still throwing words like 'imperialist' around!

Re: The Disqualification of Jason Wong

Tatty_D — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:51:37 -0000

Horrible little man.

Re: BBC Programme Uses LSE Students to Gain Access to North Korea Without Informing the School

LSE student — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:55:49 -0000

What gave these students the right to make this decision themselves? They were representing LSE and as such, this decision should not have been made by them without consulting the university.

The BBC clearly acted poorly, but these students should not have been in the situation in the first place.

Re: Where next for the British Economy?

Granscole — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:36:42 -0000

Bla bla bla, This is a school of economics that claims to be the top thinking business and macro and micro economic force in the world. Tell us what we have to know about the direction of the British economy - don't ask us. What have you with your great economic minds proposed for the British economy? I am with Paul Krugman - he was my teacher of development economics in Sweden and I think along his line. Where does the LSE stand?

Re: BBC Programme Uses LSE Students to Gain Access to North Korea Without Informing the School

James McCartney — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 14:38:53 -0000

I think the point which has not been raised is the freedom of being able to travel safely as an LSE student. For example, after this incident how will a LSE student travelling in Iran be viewed?

I have heard that both the CIA and MI6 as a norm do not pose as journalists because it would harm the reputation of all journalists and make it more difficult for them to report the news. How could journalists do their work if they were potentially spies?

If the situation had been reversed and we discovered an MI6 agent had posed as a BBC journalist there would be condemnation not only by the BBC but from news agencies around the world.

The head of the BBC should apologize and publicly state that the BBC will no longer allow its journalists to impersonate students.

Re: BBC Programme Uses LSE Students to Gain Access to North Korea Without Informing the School

Graham Swallow — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 14:11:55 -0000

Those students can never visit NK again.
Thats not a "risk" thats an inevitable fact.
Nor their siblings, for decades.
Not even if they speak the language.

Re: BBC Programme Uses LSE Students to Gain Access to North Korea Without Informing the School

OpenYourEyes — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 12:07:48 -0000

Wow, some people here are the epitome of idiocy. The LSE's complaint was NOT that the BBC wanted to cover a story on NK and all the atrocities there. Their (very legitimate) concern was that the student's safety was severely compromised by the BBC smuggling their journalists into the country without their knowledge. Had they been caught, do you REALLY think NK will be lenient and say "OHH, you didn't know they were journalists? Well then, off you go, sorry about that".

How would you feel if you were at risk of being detained and interrogated in hell, without your knowing until after the fact, just so some story-hungry journalist can make a report everyone already knows about, in the hopes they make a name for themselves and get the Pulitzer? How would you feel if it was your kid's/brother's/friend's safety?

Yes, everyone's safe for now, but if you let crap like this slide, why wouldn't the BBC (or some other media outlet) try it again? And as for 'Why is LSE going to NK?" it could be for any number of academic reasons. They could be researching the effects of such socio-political environments, beyond the obvious "people are hungry", or some other research that would give insight into NK.

Jesus, what the hell is wrong with British Media? I'm all for free press, but sometimes the industry takes it too far (Phone hacking for example).

Re: BBC Programme Uses LSE Students to Gain Access to North Korea Without Informing the School

George Kafantaris — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 08:37:08 -0000

The students are safe, the journalists are safe, and we know a little more about North Korea.
Let's move on.

Re: BBC Programme Uses LSE Students to Gain Access to North Korea Without Informing the School

seddonm@verizon.net — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 07:02:27 -0000

Having reported from inside North Korea on several occasions, I have absolutely no doubt that the students could have been at serious risk byJohn Sweeney. He says that 'LSE students protected him', but what possible protection could he have offered them had he been uncovered? He has previous form on this, as I made an official complaint to the BBC eleven years ago, after reporting from inside Saddam's Iraq, without being informed by the Editor or Producer of BBC Correspondent that the programme was being fronted by John Sweeney.

My complaint is set out here http://www.guardian.co.uk/m... was in my opinion, never satisfactorily dealt with by the BBC.

Re: BBC Programme Uses LSE Students to Gain Access to North Korea Without Informing the School

TheMeerkat — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 05:41:00 -0000

The fact that a journalist should go undercover simply to enter the country says a lot about what Communism is really about and how vile the regime in North Korea is.
As for LSE, we know that it is not the first dictatorship it get cosy with. It can't expect everybody else play their game.

Re: BBC Programme Uses LSE Students to Gain Access to North Korea Without Informing the School

qu1 — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 05:33:10 -0000

Why were LSE students going to North Korea?

Re: BBC Programme Uses LSE Students to Gain Access to North Korea Without Informing the School

Brian Josephson — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 04:41:09 -0000

Irrespective of whether the students were properly advised or not, it's hardly a free choice being asked (as those who went on the trip were) to choose between going to N. Korea and taking a risk, or not going at all. If they really wanted to go ahead with this, the BBC should have offered the students a third option, involving a later trip with no hidden reporters, at the BBC's expense of course. And its unfortunate that the new Director appears to approve of what happened.

Re: BBC Programme Uses LSE Students to Gain Access to North Korea Without Informing the School

Bill Savage — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 03:52:40 -0000

What an example of academic courage ! I salute the LSE for its opposition to the BBC lickspittles who want to reveal the heroic comrades of NK as cult psychopaths . Well done the torch bearers of truth and freedom

Re: BBC Programme Uses LSE Students to Gain Access to North Korea Without Informing the School

another bear — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 02:17:11 -0000

The LSE should break off any connection with NK, its educational bodies and government. Is the LSE not aware of the shocking human rights abuse taking place in NK?

Re: BBC Programme Uses LSE Students to Gain Access to North Korea Without Informing the School

Guest — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 01:48:57 -0000

You guys are missing the larger part of the story. Tomiko Newson, who works for the BBC, and was also a student, organized last year's LSE trip to North Korea. You should look into that.

Re: BBC Programme Uses LSE Students to Gain Access to North Korea Without Informing the School

The BBC is bullshit — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 19:45:33 -0000

His wife

Re: BBC Programme Uses LSE Students to Gain Access to North Korea Without Informing the School

PrettyBeavedOff — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 17:30:23 -0000

I met Tomiko once, she was well annoying

Re: BBC Programme Uses LSE Students to Gain Access to North Korea Without Informing the School

LSE STUDENT — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 16:43:59 -0000

Tomiko Sweeney is the daughter of John Sweeney?

Re: Panel discussion on the two-state solution

alex heidel — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 11:58:30 -0000

Overall, I really enjoyed the event. Very informative; it's a shame that there is no podcast. One of the things that I found perplexing was that Tom Wilson (who's bio states that he is the 'research director' at the Institute for Middle Eastern Democracy) was unable to source any of the facts he used in support of his arguments, especially when challenged. Mujahid Dattani on the other hand, provided multiple sources for each of his arguments, which gave the event an intellectual air (as opposed to 2 opposing sides fighting it out which is what normally happens on this issue). On a separate note, I was pleasantly surprised to see Mujahid speak in public again. I saw him speak in the Grays Inn debate final several years ago on Progressive taxation and he was very entertaining. Well done think tank society!!

Re: Rethinking drugs policy

Malcolm Kyle — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 05:13:34 -0000

Prohibition has finally run its course; the lives and livelihoods of hundred's of millions of people worldwide have been destroyed or severely disrupted; many countries that were once shining beacons of liberty and prosperity have become toxic, repressive, smoldering heaps of hypocrisy, and a gross affront to fundamental human decency. It is now the duty of every last one of us to insure that the people who are responsible for this shameful situation are not simply left in peace to enjoy the wealth and status that their despicable actions have, until now, afforded them. Former and present Prohibitionists must not be allowed to remain untainted and untouched from the unconscionable acts that they have viciously committed on their fellow human beings. They have provided us with neither safe communities nor safe streets. We will provide them with neither a safe haven to enjoy their ill-gotten gains nor the liberty to repeat such a similar atrocity.

Prohibition has (again) evolved local gangs into transnational enterprises with intricate power structures that reach into every corner of society, helping them control vast swaths of territory while gifting them with significant social and military resources.

Those responsible for this shameful policy should not go unpunished!

Re: Equal access to education for asylum seekers

Angus McKay — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:15:29 -0000

Quite correct that asylum seekers should pay for education. When these asylum seekers who have (supposedly) fled their home countries from war and persecution, they may have sold off their possessions and arrive in the UK with savings. Asylum seekers and their children are granted college and school education all free as part of the asylum package.

£36 a week? - plus free furnished, repair free accommodation, free heating and lighting, free NHS treatment, free maternity, free dentistry, free specs, free school and college education, free translation service, free legal aid to keep them here when their cases comes up again and again for review, free money.

Re: With a little help from my plan

kaeff — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:31:28 -0000

Thanks Anna, your article is really inspiring and to the point. To find the amount of planning that is just right, I got into the habit of making iterative plans: I'll look at the whole thing, and only plan what's absolutely necessary at the time. But I'll come back to planning at a later time, and do the same again. Planning on the basis of SMART goals helps a lot, too :-)

Re: Argentine ambassador on Falklands dispute

Big Den — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 09:17:54 -0000

Further. Britains claim to sovereignty dates from 1690 when they first landed on the uninhabited archipelago a claim that has been continuously asserted. Argentina's originates from the existence of a SPANISH settlement on the islands at the time of Argentina's independence from Spain, which ended peacefully one year later.

No indigenous people were ever expelled from the Falklands and Britain did not take them by force.

Re: Argentine ambassador on Falklands dispute

Big Den — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 09:04:50 -0000

What is the world coming to, students too lazy to even look up Wikipedia? Even the tiniest bit of research would have allowed a sensible question or two to the Argentinean "convincing argument" which is misleading at best.

Re: Argentine ambassador on Falklands dispute

Outandproud — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 19:19:54 -0000

First of all the British did not invade and no Argentinians were forcefully expelled! A mutinous garrison was peacefully asked to leave. Only a few settlers were present at the time and most of them stayed. Their descendants voted to maintain the islands association with the UK. Who could blame them? I mean with the option of British self government or Argentine autocratic mismanagement? It's a no brainier!!