Tesco: Supermarket Superpower
It makes a profit of nearly a quarter of a million pounds an hour. It takes more than one pound in every eight spent in the UK. With profits topping £2bn a year, it has nearly a third of the UK's grocery market. It now has an empire of nearly 1,800 stores and it employs more people than the Army.
The Money Programme, bbc2, investigates how Tesco has become such an unstoppable force in British retailing.
It now sells more health and beauty products than Superdrug and more baby care goods than Mothercare. Reporter Rajan Datar asks if the continued growth of this supermarket superpower could be bad for the consumer and Britain as a whole.
Tesco has just announced plans to open its first non-food-only store, to be named Tesco Homeplus.
"The consumer will be left with a choice of Tesco, Tesco or Tesco,"
Tescotown.
The residents of Bicester in Oxfordshire used to have just two Tesco stores in their small market town, but after Tesco bought T&S, they found themselves with six.
"I probably do 95% of my shopping at Tesco and that's only because I have no choice... even if I am popping out for a pint of milk or loaf of bread it will be to Tesco," says local resident Jo Scott.
and what of tesco's future ambitions regarding its powerful influence on our lives, from cradle to grave?
"we'd like to do more on education" says a tesco representative
archive...
2004: Tesco heiress and disgraced former Tory leader of Westminster council Dame Shirley Porter has finally paid up £12m to the authority for her role in the "homes for votes" scandal.
The payment, which was made after a secret deal between Dame Shirley, the Tory-run council and the Audit Commission, means that she will be let off a further £30m that she owed the local authority.
The Tesco heiress paid the money despite declaring that she had worldwide assets worth only £300,000.
Friday, 3 June 2005
Free speech in the dock
(by Helene Guldberg @ spiked)
English libel law should be scrapped
"surely in a healthy democracy, campaigners and journalists should be free to criticise big corporations, public figures and politicians - whether or not their statements are justified?"
"In the landmark ruling of New York Times v Sullivan in 1964, the American Supreme Court observed that in free debate erroneous statements are inevitable and must be protected - otherwise free expression would not have the 'breathing space it needs' and media self-censorship would be inevitable."
"The fear of not being able to prove the truth of the published word in court, and the recognition of the expense and resources required to do so, would limit public debate."
"The way to deal with the dire state of public debate today is to fight for more speech and debate, not less."
"That means scrapping the libel law, for a start. The UK libel law has a chilling effect on free speech."
"The notoriously prohibitive costs involved in libel cases have ensured that the libel courts exclusively serve the interests of the rich and powerful. As long as they have enough money to pay the extortionate lawyers' fees, London's High Court is the place to come to launder their reputation."
"In England the libel law assumes that the words complained of are untrue and that the claimant's reputation is untarnished."
"The claimant does not have to prove any actual damage of reputation - only that the statement could potentially lower their esteem in the eyes of 'right-thinking members of the public'. The burden then falls on the defendant to prove that the defamatory words - and their possible interpretations - are true."
"If authors, editors or publishers have the smallest inkling that the truth of a proposition cannot be proven in court (even when made in good faith), the knowledge that they will have a less than a one-in-five chance of success in a libel trial means the story is most likely to be dropped. So rather than tinker with a law that is antithetical to free speech, we should get rid of it once and for all."
SUNLIGHT IS THE BEST DISINFECTANT
(by Helene Guldberg @ spiked)
English libel law should be scrapped
"surely in a healthy democracy, campaigners and journalists should be free to criticise big corporations, public figures and politicians - whether or not their statements are justified?"
"In the landmark ruling of New York Times v Sullivan in 1964, the American Supreme Court observed that in free debate erroneous statements are inevitable and must be protected - otherwise free expression would not have the 'breathing space it needs' and media self-censorship would be inevitable."
"The fear of not being able to prove the truth of the published word in court, and the recognition of the expense and resources required to do so, would limit public debate."
"The way to deal with the dire state of public debate today is to fight for more speech and debate, not less."
"That means scrapping the libel law, for a start. The UK libel law has a chilling effect on free speech."
"The notoriously prohibitive costs involved in libel cases have ensured that the libel courts exclusively serve the interests of the rich and powerful. As long as they have enough money to pay the extortionate lawyers' fees, London's High Court is the place to come to launder their reputation."
"In England the libel law assumes that the words complained of are untrue and that the claimant's reputation is untarnished."
"The claimant does not have to prove any actual damage of reputation - only that the statement could potentially lower their esteem in the eyes of 'right-thinking members of the public'. The burden then falls on the defendant to prove that the defamatory words - and their possible interpretations - are true."
"If authors, editors or publishers have the smallest inkling that the truth of a proposition cannot be proven in court (even when made in good faith), the knowledge that they will have a less than a one-in-five chance of success in a libel trial means the story is most likely to be dropped. So rather than tinker with a law that is antithetical to free speech, we should get rid of it once and for all."
SUNLIGHT IS THE BEST DISINFECTANT
an erect penis next to a Christian cross
a Greek art curator is set to go on trial for "insulting" the eastern Orthodox Church, following a complaint by Georges Karatzaferis , a far-right party leader.
Christos Ioakimidis organised a major modern art exhibition in Greece as part of a series of cultural events leading up to the Olympics. The case against him stems from a painting by Belgian artist Thierry de Cordier, which shows an erect penis next to a Christian cross.
archives...
andres serrano 'piss christ'1987
a plastic crucifix suspended in the artists urine
(plus piss art)
and...
The Sexuality of Christ in Renaissance Art and in Modern Oblivion
Leo Steinberg explores the symbolism of christ's erect cock
divine interventions
...home of the baby jesus butt plug and more
I pulled myself tight to Christ, his body slick with sweat and blood. He groaned and thrust hard. I could feel the sperm's release....
also...
DING DONG THE CUNT IS DEAD
the death of Pope John Paul II
jesus of the week
The Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia's principal activity is to promote the Constitutional principle of separation of church and state and to educate the public on matters related to a nontheist lifestance...
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
The Secular Coalition for America
Biblical America Resistance Front
resist a biblical america .... a resource for all who work to monitor and counter the Biblical America movement.
The future looks bright
Richard Dawkins welcomes an attempt to raise consciousness about atheism. Language can help to shape the way we think about the world....
Atheism is Indeed A Civil Rights Issue
nonbelievers should focus on electing other nonbelievers to political office.
in 1958, a Gallup poll revealed that 53 percent of American citizens would vote against a Black candidate for president on grounds of race alone. In a 1999 Gallup poll, that figure had declined to four percent.
That same 1999 Gallup Poll revealed 49 percent, would vote against an atheist on grounds of atheism alone than would vote against someone for any other reason.
Michael Newdow, a California doctor with a law degree, told the court on Wednesday that the government "is supposed to stay out of religion".
the faith-based presidency
open dialogue, based on facts, is not seen as something of inherent value. It may, in fact, create doubt, which undercuts faith. It could result in a loss of confidence in the decision-maker and, just as important, by the decision-maker.
AMERICA'S ROLE MODELS ..... photos that highlight the Christianity of Nazis
"God Is With Us": Hitler's Rhetoric and the Lure of "Moral Values"
The priest rules through the invention of sin
the celebrity atheist list
collection of notable individuals who have been public about their lack of belief in deities
and an illustrative array of potential responses to whenever someone says "God Bless You"
a Greek art curator is set to go on trial for "insulting" the eastern Orthodox Church, following a complaint by Georges Karatzaferis , a far-right party leader.
Christos Ioakimidis organised a major modern art exhibition in Greece as part of a series of cultural events leading up to the Olympics. The case against him stems from a painting by Belgian artist Thierry de Cordier, which shows an erect penis next to a Christian cross.
archives...
andres serrano 'piss christ'1987
a plastic crucifix suspended in the artists urine
(plus piss art)
and...
The Sexuality of Christ in Renaissance Art and in Modern Oblivion
Leo Steinberg explores the symbolism of christ's erect cock
divine interventions
...home of the baby jesus butt plug and more
I pulled myself tight to Christ, his body slick with sweat and blood. He groaned and thrust hard. I could feel the sperm's release....
also...
DING DONG THE CUNT IS DEAD
the death of Pope John Paul II
jesus of the week
The Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia's principal activity is to promote the Constitutional principle of separation of church and state and to educate the public on matters related to a nontheist lifestance...
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
The Secular Coalition for America
Biblical America Resistance Front
resist a biblical america .... a resource for all who work to monitor and counter the Biblical America movement.
The future looks bright
Richard Dawkins welcomes an attempt to raise consciousness about atheism. Language can help to shape the way we think about the world....
Atheism is Indeed A Civil Rights Issue
nonbelievers should focus on electing other nonbelievers to political office.
in 1958, a Gallup poll revealed that 53 percent of American citizens would vote against a Black candidate for president on grounds of race alone. In a 1999 Gallup poll, that figure had declined to four percent.
That same 1999 Gallup Poll revealed 49 percent, would vote against an atheist on grounds of atheism alone than would vote against someone for any other reason.
Michael Newdow, a California doctor with a law degree, told the court on Wednesday that the government "is supposed to stay out of religion".
the faith-based presidency
open dialogue, based on facts, is not seen as something of inherent value. It may, in fact, create doubt, which undercuts faith. It could result in a loss of confidence in the decision-maker and, just as important, by the decision-maker.
AMERICA'S ROLE MODELS ..... photos that highlight the Christianity of Nazis
"God Is With Us": Hitler's Rhetoric and the Lure of "Moral Values"
The priest rules through the invention of sin
the celebrity atheist list
collection of notable individuals who have been public about their lack of belief in deities
and an illustrative array of potential responses to whenever someone says "God Bless You"
"All war is based on deception." ... Sun Tzu
or as Robert Strauss once said to Bush "You can fool some people all of the time - and those are the ones on which you should concentrate your efforts."
PUBLIC RELATIONS ...
"The best PR happens with the people unaware that they are being manipulated."
Remember, if everybody knows something, that image has been bought and paid for.
Real knowledge takes a little effort, a little excavation down at least one level below what "everybody knows."
"At any given moment, there is a sort of all pervading orthodoxy, a general tacit agreement not to discuss large and uncomfortable facts."
(......George Orwell)
INDUCING CONSENT. aldous huxley 1962
What we observe in the population today are the three destructive symptoms of persons whose minds are controlled by alien forces...
1. Amnesia, i.e. loss of memory.
2. Abulia, i.e. loss of will.
3. Apathy, i.e. loss of interest in events vital to one's own health and survival."
(....Michael A. Hoffman II)
"If we understand the mechanisms and motives of the group mind, it is now possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing it."
(......Edward L. Bernays, 1891 - 1995, one of the fathers of public relations)
"Public relations embraces the "engineering of consent"
"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses....."
or as Robert Strauss once said to Bush "You can fool some people all of the time - and those are the ones on which you should concentrate your efforts."
PUBLIC RELATIONS ...
"The best PR happens with the people unaware that they are being manipulated."
Remember, if everybody knows something, that image has been bought and paid for.
Real knowledge takes a little effort, a little excavation down at least one level below what "everybody knows."
"At any given moment, there is a sort of all pervading orthodoxy, a general tacit agreement not to discuss large and uncomfortable facts."
(......George Orwell)
INDUCING CONSENT. aldous huxley 1962
What we observe in the population today are the three destructive symptoms of persons whose minds are controlled by alien forces...
1. Amnesia, i.e. loss of memory.
2. Abulia, i.e. loss of will.
3. Apathy, i.e. loss of interest in events vital to one's own health and survival."
(....Michael A. Hoffman II)
"If we understand the mechanisms and motives of the group mind, it is now possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing it."
(......Edward L. Bernays, 1891 - 1995, one of the fathers of public relations)
"Public relations embraces the "engineering of consent"
"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses....."
Pylons may be a leukaemia risk
Around 1% of homes in the UK are estimated to be within 200 metres of high voltage National Grid power lines.
Living too close to overhead power lines appears to increase the risk of childhood leukaemia, researchers say.
A major study published in the British Medical Journal found children who had lived within 200m of high voltage lines at birth had a 70% higher risk of leukaemia than those 600m or more away.
Although the trend was definite, the researchers said they could not reasonably explain why it occurred and that more research is needed.
There are around 7,000km of high voltage power lines involved in the transmission of electricity across England and Wales, and 21,800 steel pylons.
Around 1% of homes in the UK are estimated to be within 200 metres of high voltage National Grid power lines.
Living too close to overhead power lines appears to increase the risk of childhood leukaemia, researchers say.
A major study published in the British Medical Journal found children who had lived within 200m of high voltage lines at birth had a 70% higher risk of leukaemia than those 600m or more away.
Although the trend was definite, the researchers said they could not reasonably explain why it occurred and that more research is needed.
There are around 7,000km of high voltage power lines involved in the transmission of electricity across England and Wales, and 21,800 steel pylons.
UN calls for action to halt Aids
Aids is spreading faster than ever, outstripping efforts to contain it, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has said.
"Last year saw more new infections and Aids-related deaths than ever before," Mr Annan told a conference in New York.
Only 12% of people with Aids in underdeveloped countries are getting anti-retroviral drugs, he added.
He urged world leaders to give Aids the same attention they devote to global security.
Aids is spreading faster than ever, outstripping efforts to contain it, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has said.
"Last year saw more new infections and Aids-related deaths than ever before," Mr Annan told a conference in New York.
Only 12% of people with Aids in underdeveloped countries are getting anti-retroviral drugs, he added.
He urged world leaders to give Aids the same attention they devote to global security.
http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/
meanwhile...
Bush opposes UK Africa debt plan
The UK's plan to write off debts owed by African nations is facing opposition in the US - and particularly from President George W Bush.
meanwhile...
Bush opposes UK Africa debt plan
The UK's plan to write off debts owed by African nations is facing opposition in the US - and particularly from President George W Bush.
Thursday, 2 June 2005
Wednesday, 1 June 2005
Fuhrer Hitler on Tuesday dismissed a human rights report as being "absurd" for its harsh criticism of Nazi treatment of terrorist suspects held at Auschwitz. Hitler said the allegations were made by prisoners "who hate Germany."
Bush says Amnesty report 'absurd'
US general rejects Amnesty report
But Amnesty hit back. Executive director William Schulz said: "What is 'absurd' is President Bush's attempt to deny the deliberate policies of his administration."
"What is 'absurd' and indeed outrageous is the Bush administration's failure to undertake a full independent investigation."
meanwhile...
the 300 page annual amnesty international report
...Amnesty International accused the US government of damaging human rights with its attitude to torture and treatment of detainees.
The "war on terror" appeared more effective in eroding international human rights principles than in countering international "terrorism". ...
"The US, as the unrivalled political, military and economic hyper-power, sets the tone for governmental behaviour worldwide. When the most powerful country in the world thumbs its nose at the rule of law and human rights, it grants a licence to others to commit abuse with impunity."
Bush says Amnesty report 'absurd'
US general rejects Amnesty report
But Amnesty hit back. Executive director William Schulz said: "What is 'absurd' is President Bush's attempt to deny the deliberate policies of his administration."
"What is 'absurd' and indeed outrageous is the Bush administration's failure to undertake a full independent investigation."
meanwhile...
the 300 page annual amnesty international report
...Amnesty International accused the US government of damaging human rights with its attitude to torture and treatment of detainees.
The "war on terror" appeared more effective in eroding international human rights principles than in countering international "terrorism". ...
"The US, as the unrivalled political, military and economic hyper-power, sets the tone for governmental behaviour worldwide. When the most powerful country in the world thumbs its nose at the rule of law and human rights, it grants a licence to others to commit abuse with impunity."
"Follow the money"
The Washington Post (with its nuisance registration required for reading articles) has confirmed that Mark Felt, a former deputy chief of the FBI and now 91, was Deep Throat.
Deep Throat helped Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncover the Watergate affair, the scandal which (despite deliberate obstructions and intimidation) eventually forced the resignation of Republican President Richard Nixon in August 1974. ..... Nixon is so far the only US President to resign from office. He was replaced by Vice-President Gerald Ford who then pardoned Nixon to avoid a trial.
As Watergate unfolded, Deep Throat became nervous that his role in the Post's investigation would be discovered. He is believed to have demanded that the two stop conversing by phone, thinking that the line may be tapped, and they began meeting late at night in a Washington parking garage.
If Woodward wanted a meeting with Deep Throat, the reporter would rearrange a potted plant in his apartment window.
If Deep Throat wanted a meeting with Woodward, he would somehow ensure that page 20 of Woodward's daily New York Times delivery was circled.
"all the president's men"
amazon.co.uk
amazon.com
archive...
Journalist death toll in 2004 was worst since 1955
but killings are not the only way to silence journalists.
....Reporters Without Borders also report that 107 journalists were in prison around the world on January 1 2005.
back in 2003 Reporters Without Borders were saying that "arrests of journalists and censorship of media had reached a record high" and that this is "undoubtedly linked to the fight against terrorism and to anti-terror laws adopted by some countries since the 11 September attacks".
not forgetting also that "You could get a journalist cheaper than a good call girl, for a couple hundred dollars a month." said a CIA operative in discussion with Philip Graham, editor Washington Post, on the availability and prices of journalists willing to peddle CIA propaganda and cover stories.
Media monopoly and militarism go hand in hand
George Bush must have been delighted to learn from a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll that 56 percent of Americans still think Iraq had weapons of mass destruction before the start of the war, while six in 10 said they believe Iraq provided direct support to the al-Qaida terrorist network .... notions that have long since been thoroughly debunked by everyone else.
Why? Because rather than challenge the fraudulent claims of the Bush administration, we've had a media acting as a conveyor belt for the government's lies.
As the Pentagon has learned, deploying the American media is more powerful than any bomb. The explosive effect is amplified as a few pro-war, pro-government media moguls consolidate their grip over the majority of news outlets.......
you don't need a covert conspiracy of like mindedness among media employees. Instead we live in an an era of network news cutbacks and staff layoffs, resulting in too many reporters being reluctant to pursue stories they know will upset management. "People are more careful now," remarked a former NBC news producer, reporters have mortgages and bills to pay....
Instead of filling the void with serious, skeptical journalism, most newspapers and television news programs provided jingoistic and nationalistic coverage in the aftermath of the attacks. They echoed the administration's simplistic "good versus evil" calculations, which served the interests of the neoconservatives in the White House who wanted to wage expansionist wars.
Too many journalists, under pressure to appear "patriotic," practiced stenography to power - repeating administration pronouncements without serious questioning or analysis.
US journalists too timid and too commercially controlled
The vast majority of reporters - 86% - now believe commercial pressures have meant the US news media avoid complex issues, 50% feel that the growth of 24-hour news services has weakened journalism, 56% believe the country's press is too timid and 52% believe reporting is "increasingly sloppy".
"We don't ask 'why' - or 'why not' - nearly as much as we should, particularly when covering our government," a reporter from the local press said.
The Washington Post (with its nuisance registration required for reading articles) has confirmed that Mark Felt, a former deputy chief of the FBI and now 91, was Deep Throat.
Deep Throat helped Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncover the Watergate affair, the scandal which (despite deliberate obstructions and intimidation) eventually forced the resignation of Republican President Richard Nixon in August 1974. ..... Nixon is so far the only US President to resign from office. He was replaced by Vice-President Gerald Ford who then pardoned Nixon to avoid a trial.
As Watergate unfolded, Deep Throat became nervous that his role in the Post's investigation would be discovered. He is believed to have demanded that the two stop conversing by phone, thinking that the line may be tapped, and they began meeting late at night in a Washington parking garage.
If Woodward wanted a meeting with Deep Throat, the reporter would rearrange a potted plant in his apartment window.
If Deep Throat wanted a meeting with Woodward, he would somehow ensure that page 20 of Woodward's daily New York Times delivery was circled.
"all the president's men"
amazon.co.uk
amazon.com
archive...
Journalist death toll in 2004 was worst since 1955
but killings are not the only way to silence journalists.
....Reporters Without Borders also report that 107 journalists were in prison around the world on January 1 2005.
back in 2003 Reporters Without Borders were saying that "arrests of journalists and censorship of media had reached a record high" and that this is "undoubtedly linked to the fight against terrorism and to anti-terror laws adopted by some countries since the 11 September attacks".
not forgetting also that "You could get a journalist cheaper than a good call girl, for a couple hundred dollars a month." said a CIA operative in discussion with Philip Graham, editor Washington Post, on the availability and prices of journalists willing to peddle CIA propaganda and cover stories.
Media monopoly and militarism go hand in hand
George Bush must have been delighted to learn from a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll that 56 percent of Americans still think Iraq had weapons of mass destruction before the start of the war, while six in 10 said they believe Iraq provided direct support to the al-Qaida terrorist network .... notions that have long since been thoroughly debunked by everyone else.
Why? Because rather than challenge the fraudulent claims of the Bush administration, we've had a media acting as a conveyor belt for the government's lies.
As the Pentagon has learned, deploying the American media is more powerful than any bomb. The explosive effect is amplified as a few pro-war, pro-government media moguls consolidate their grip over the majority of news outlets.......
you don't need a covert conspiracy of like mindedness among media employees. Instead we live in an an era of network news cutbacks and staff layoffs, resulting in too many reporters being reluctant to pursue stories they know will upset management. "People are more careful now," remarked a former NBC news producer, reporters have mortgages and bills to pay....
Instead of filling the void with serious, skeptical journalism, most newspapers and television news programs provided jingoistic and nationalistic coverage in the aftermath of the attacks. They echoed the administration's simplistic "good versus evil" calculations, which served the interests of the neoconservatives in the White House who wanted to wage expansionist wars.
Too many journalists, under pressure to appear "patriotic," practiced stenography to power - repeating administration pronouncements without serious questioning or analysis.
US journalists too timid and too commercially controlled
The vast majority of reporters - 86% - now believe commercial pressures have meant the US news media avoid complex issues, 50% feel that the growth of 24-hour news services has weakened journalism, 56% believe the country's press is too timid and 52% believe reporting is "increasingly sloppy".
"We don't ask 'why' - or 'why not' - nearly as much as we should, particularly when covering our government," a reporter from the local press said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
