Tuesday, January 12, 2010

How Euroscepticism can kill millions

No really it can. That is if you take the latest propaganda wheeze from the European Parliament office in London, launching tomorrow at the BETT trade fair it Olympia, at face value. Called 'Crisis Point' it is an interactive whole school program by which a children are encouraged to pretend to be EU Commissioners or MEPs for a day. This way they learn vital citizenship lessons.

The day starts with a news report. Xtreme Drug Resistant TB has claimed a life in England, and Europe goes into scare meltdown.

We must have new legislation to stop this horrid disease today...

Of course this just exemplifies the way in which the EU now propagandises itself. As we know from their own 'Communication Strategy' a key target demographic is kiddiewinks,
"It has to be seen as complementary to the already existing or proposed initiatives and programmes such as those in the field of education, youth, culture and promoting active European citizenship".
First they see a target audience, then they commission somebody to produce something that targets that audience. In this case to the tune of 70,000 Euros through a subsidiary of Bell Pottinger/Chime. Then launch.

If you go to the website there are all the things that you as a teacher need to have a fun day promoting the efficacy of EU action in public health. Oh yes it claims to be 'impartial', well given the strictures of the Education Act it could hardly do otherwise now could it? After all the Act states,
"407. - (1) The local education authority, governing body and head teacher shall take such steps as are reasonably practicable to secure that where political issues are brought to the attention of pupils while they are- (a) in attendance at a maintained school, or (b) taking part in extra-curricular activities which are provided or organised for registered pupils at the school by or on behalf of the school, they are offered a balanced presentation of opposing views."
But if you play with the rather spiffing flash program available to download from the site, then what do we find. If you put in that you want to retain national control over policies the outcomes include tens of millions of deaths, and a 60% likelihood of civil unrest. Now if you take a communitarian approach you can bring down the deaths to the low teens (best I have managed) and have no civil unrest.

Genius.

Now apart from the basic propaganda aspect of this is the point that this sort of exercise ties into another major issue facing us, an issue that is dealt with today in the Daily Mail by Chris Booker, and is a reprise of his excellent book (with Richard North) 'Scared to death'.

Those that purport to govern us are past masters in the use of the 'Doctrine of Beneficial Crisis'. Pick up an incident, exaggerate the situation, position government action as our saviour and produce centralising legislation, giving themselves more power. Of course this is all done at breakneck speed with the concomitant that it is done badly and ends up costing a packet of our money.

Result, more central power, and massively increased costs.

More genius.

7 comments:

Witterings from Witney said...

Nice post GT - have linked to it.

Witterings from Witney said...

forget to ask for comment updates - which now done!

View from the Solent said...

Wow! A new game! Let's see who can kill the most!
That's the approach that the kids I know will take. But then I don't live in Islington or Notting Hill.

And then shock, horror stories in the MSM. As with the iphone thingy that counts your booze intake - resulting in contests to get the highest score.

(btw, word verify is feckeddi. Is that referring to Mr Balls, the education commissar? How apt.)

Anonymous said...

What's the story with Nikki Sinclaire?

Anonymous said...

I used to love going onto EU sites in order to play their games.

One game was set up to see how much I knew about the EU.

I used to give all the wrong answers in the vain hope that there was somebody who actually monitored the quiz on behalf of the EU.

It used to cheer me up. (Yes I know it's sad)

Gawain Towler said...

Solent, I borrowed that thought - hopefully see tomorow.
Anon,
You know I am not sure, in London now, but rather glad to be out of that loop.
WG. Yup it is

被リンク said...

Good post.

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