BPC Radio 4

I like to listen to Radio 4 because it really the only intelligent conversation on the radio in the United Kingdom. The trouble is it is so infested with political correctness. It’s only 11.30am and already we’ve had the following:

The guest producer of The Today Programme today was Zadie Smith, the writer of mutliculturalist themed fiction. She says of her book White Teeth: “There’s sadness for the way tradition is fading away but I wanted to show people making an effort to understand each other, despite their cultural differences”. That’s great, but I wonder whose tradition she was talking about here? Undoubtedly it is that of immigrants rather than that of the host nation. But unfortunately multiculturalism doesnt work when incompatible value systems collide.

It was then announced that tomorrow’s guest editor will be none other than Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor. So they have actually handed over the editorial reins of the flagship radio news programme to a person who is proud of believing things without evidence (viz. has “faith”).

I wander into the kitchen later and turn it on again. Of course, one gap had not yet been filled: I find a transsexual on the radio being probed about his/her life.

I’m not saying these things should never be discussed, but Radio 4 is so saturated with political correctness now, you just end up controversially thinking – “Can’t we have some normal people on for a change?”.

Update: 2nd Jan 2009

Well, I wake up and – following the Iraqi-born guest editor of The Today Programme - it’s time for Desert Island Discs again. Who is it today? A “British Muslim Marxist feminist”. What a mouthful! I might have guessed! That must be tricky, being a Muslim and a feminist…

Update: 4th Jan 2009

I just heard Laurie Taylor describe evolution as a theory of accident, which is the exact opposite of the truth. Evolution is in fact a theory of rigorous selection. It’s sad how often this error is made.

I also heard a serious biological discussion of how Mary could have had a virgin birth. Hello? Isn’t it more likely this simply did not happen? Somehow I think so. Given standards of evidence at the time, and that accounts were written long after these events supposedly happened, it is astonishing what credence is given to them.

It looks like I can’t listen to Radio 4 any more. But then what do I have?