Planet Rugby Forum

So I think there is one real fascist to be worried about at the moment: Viktor Orban.

He's pushed through some dodgy laws in the last couple of days and seems to be operating in an information vacuum of his own creation.

If you're concerned about these things there's a petition to restart the BBC Hungary service. See this link.

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ ... an-service

Has a politically-focused petition ever actually achieved anything of significance? Or an open letter?
There seems to be a new one doing the rounds every other day whenever social media is outraged about something.

Jim Lahey wrote:Has a politically-focused petition ever actually achieved anything of significance? Or an open letter?
There seems to be a new one doing the rounds every other day whenever social media is outraged about something.

I don't know. This is aimed at the BBC rather than any political party though. It feels a bit more substantive.

Seneca of the Night wrote:Nonsense.

I would tend to agree.
Any 'objectivity' the BBC used to display ended a long time ago.

It's not nonsense. It might be unlikely but those aren't the same things. This is asking the BBC to make a decision that is well within their gift and capability; to reinstate a service that they used to run.

They might not do it. That doesn't make it nonsense.

Interesting links.

Recent parliamentary bills have been reported as criminalising the provision of legal assistance to asylum claimants.

Or the provision of information on how to seek asylum.

Apparently for some the concern is with the BBC

He's heading that way when he criminalises legal representation

Seneca of the Night wrote:Nonsense.

Edit: though I suppose a narrow petition to the BBC is an achievable thing. This is very different from a radio free Europe situation though. Orban is genuinely popular and not rigging elections.

Orban is genuinely popular AND rigging elections by suppressing the media (and other things) according to the OSCE. Hence the petition. The view is that he didn't rig to win power - he already had that - he rigged to get a super majority which happily and entirely coincidentally is sufficient for him to start writing changes into the constitution.

Seneca of the Night wrote:

Santa wrote:It's not nonsense. It might be unlikely but those aren't the same things. This is asking the BBC to make a decision that is well within their gift and capability; to reinstate a service that they used to run.

They might not do it. That doesn't make it nonsense.

I thought the bit about orban being a fascist was nonsense.

I reckon he is. I guess we'll see.

BH Cammy wrote:So people are asking for a propaganda machine to counter what they say is propaganda. We live in weird times.

But but but Russia. . . .but but but facism . . . .but but but we should interfere in a soverign country's internal affairs with 'objective' journalism.

Jim Lahey wrote:Has a politically-focused petition ever actually achieved anything of significance? Or an open letter?
There seems to be a new one doing the rounds every other day whenever social media is outraged about something.

I'm going to start an online petition that will seek to ban all online petitions for purposes of online petitions don't do anything.

If we reach a certain level of signatures and they don't ban online petitions, it will prove my point that online petitions don't do anything.