Did you wonder for a minute just why 100,000, then 200,000, then perhaps 200,000 plus young Germans found themselves in the middle of Berlin to cheer on Barack Obama, Democrat Party candidate for President of the United States?

While wincing at the vacuous banalities in his speech, my attention did wander. I suppose these must be a lot of teenage backpackers in the centre of town in mid-summer, and they must have wandered  along for a look at the new Messiah. But I didn’t really think about this seriously, despite knowing the BBC, not to mention the U.S. networks, have a casual way with the truth.

It turns out that there was indeed a huge crowd gathered in Berlin, but they were there for a pop concert starring two popular German acts – reggae artist Patrice and rock band Reamonn. No, I’ve never heard of them either, but don’t you think the BBC coverage (I can’t claim to have watched or listened to all of it on the radio and TV) might have mentioned this as a way to explain the huge crowds?

It is probably just incompetence on the BBC’s behalf, but because it has a reputation of not being too concerned with the truth when its favourite politicians are being flattered, you would think that this important piece of context should have been included.

By the way, here’s quote from the speech which I didn’t see on TV.

“As we speak, cars in Boston and factories in Beijing are melting the ice caps in the Arctic, shrinking the coastlines in the Atlantic, and bringing drought to farms from Kansas to Kenya”.

Anyone voting for this one deserves all they get.

 Neil Winton – July 29, 2008