617: Paxman, the BBC and the First World War

Two weeks ago, I wrote a very sceptical piece about the BBC's First World War series presented by Mr Jeremy Paxman.

Having watched this evening the final programme in the series, I must say that Paxman's presentation had great sensitivity, and slightly to my surprise, due credit was given in respect of the appalling sacrifice made by Britain's great landed families.  Please understand that I in no way wish to belittle the enormous suffering and sacrifice made by the millions of others involved in the terrible carnage.  However the fact remains that as Paxman pointed out, the young lieutenants, many of whom came from the upper classes were five times more likely to die than the average "Tommy," as of course the junior officers were required to lead from the front.  And further to his credit, Paxman pointed out that for we who can have no conception of what the times were like, it is too easy to "snigger" at these sometimes seemingly foolhardy gestures of patriotism, whereas in fact enormous courage and bravery prevailed.  This was well said.

All well and good, but then I got angry when he told us about the "1,000,000 acres that went under the hammer" as a result of death duties. Great: you go over to France or Flanders to fight for your country, lead from the front, get shot or blown up and then the government confiscates your family's estates.

 

And we end up with him telling us that the country after the war was "more democratic."

Oh really?  No it wasn't:  all that happened over the years was that the traditions of class and duty were replaced with a lot of nasty, grasping, greasy pole merchants, many of whom rule us today.

Reflect on the past and weep my friends.

Yes it does make me bitter.

Until the next time.

608: As I Suspected

I watched, the other night, Jeremy Paxman's beautifully presented programme entitled The War Machine.

I do not feel that the quality of the presentation was matched by the content.  There was little about the higher direction of the war, although Lloyd George received honourable mentions for his successful  efforts in increasing production of munitions.

The majority of the programme, to my jaundiced eyes at least carried a distinctly left-of-centre flavour, with far too much time for example being given to a pair of frightful Scottish communists (well they sounded like communists) who attempted to justify the strike action taken in Glasgow by shipyard workers in 1915.

As readers here know, I consider that the First World War was a terrible mistake, but the country having become involved in the war, then strike action (and there was plenty in the 1939-1945 conflict too) is disgraceful.

Anyone who can be bothered to read Corelli Barnett (Audits of War etc.) will discover that it was stone-age individuals like those two losers who largely contributed to the destruction of the ship-building industry in this country - and not only ship-building.  We are seeing the same sort of Luddite attitude today in the strikes on the London Underground; I despair of this country sometimes.

I still have a sort of forlorn hope that subsequent programmes will a) intelligently consider grand strategy, b)not spend their entire allotted time on hoi polloi and c) not recycle the usual rubbish that all the generals were hopelessly incompetent.  I also hope for NO MUSIC; the BBC insists in its historical programmes in adding music everywhere.  Why?

Until the next time