From Brit telly presenter Eamonn Holmes to burning 5G towers in the Netherlands: Stupid week turns into stupid fortnight for radio standard
- Reference: 1586878207
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/04/14/5g_misinformation/
- Source link:
During a spirited discussion with Watchdog journalist Alice Beer about whether 5G causes COVID-19, Holmes said: "What I don't accept is mainstream media immediately slapping that down as not true when they don't know it's not true."
From Amanda Holden to petrol-filled water guns: It has been a weird week for 5G [2]READ MORE
Except that we do know it's not true. One scientific hypothesis places COVID-19's origins at a wet market in Wuhan, China, where wild animals are bought and consumed. That hypothesis, although unproven, is based on some evidence: the RNA of the virus is similar to that of another virus found in bats and pangolins.
And then there is the fact that COVID-19 has spread throughout countries that don't yet have 5G, like Iran (where [3]4,683 had died at the time of publication) and France (which to date has recorded 14,967 coronavirus-related fatalities).
Holmes also fundamentally misunderstands the role of a journalist – which is surprising, considering he used to be one. The Fourth Estate is supposed to inform and educate the populace, not discuss bonkers conspiracy theories spouted by random tinfoil-hat-wearing Twitter eggs.
Giving credence to such ideas merely reinforces them, and contributes to an atmosphere where gullible rubes set fire to 4G antennas, because they're too fucking stupid to know the difference.
Eamon Holmes' apology
I want to clarify some comments that some of you may have misinterpreted from me yesterday, around conspiracy theories and coronavirus and this involved the roll-out of 5G.
Both Alice Beer and I agreed in a discussion on this very programme on fake news that it's not true and there is no connection between the present national health emergency and 5G, and to suggest otherwise would be wrong and indeed it could be dangerous.
Every theory relating to such a connection has been proven to be false and we would like to emphasise that.
However many people are rightly concerned and are looking for answers and that's simply what I was trying to do, to impart yesterday.
But for the avoidance of any doubt I want to make it completely clear there's no scientific evidence to substantiate any of those 5G theories. I hope that clears that up.
To his credit (although I assume there was some backstage arm-twisting), Holmes has since given a full on-air apology. Although it's safe to say this matter isn't yet settled, given that communications regulator Ofcom has received more than 400 complaints about the programme.
5G tower burning goes global
Britain is a nation famed for its cultural exports: from football to The Beatles. So it's no surprise that the plucky Dutch have taken up Blighty's latest craze: burning 5G towers.
According to local daily De Telegraaf , the towers were located in Rotterdam, Liessel, Beesd and Nuenen. An anti-5G slogan was daubed in the vicinity of one antenna.
In the last week, four such towers were damaged by vandals, prompting an investigation by the Dutch Counter-Terrorism Unit. In [4]a statement (in Dutch) , the agency said it considers this escalation "a worrying development" with potential to disrupt emergency communications by law enforcement and healthcare providers. ®
* or as people outside the UK know him, "Who?"
Sponsored: [5]Choosing A Low-Code Vendor
[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3029910/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
[2] https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/04/06/5g/
[3] https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
[4] https://www.nctv.nl/actueel/nieuws/2020/04/10/reactie-nctv-op-brandstichting-zendmasten-nederland
[5] https://go.theregister.co.uk/tl/1936/-8579/choosing-a-low-code-vendor?td=wptl1936
Giving credence to such ideas merely reinforces them, and contributes to an atmosphere where gullible rubes set fire to 4G antennas, because they're too fucking stupid to know the difference.
And therein lies the nub of the problem (emphasis mine) ... these are the same fools who are lauding Spaffer and Hancockup as saviours of the NHS despite plenty of evidence to the contrary.
George Carlin was right ... if my code scaled as well as stupidity appears to then I'd be happy indeed.
Nah, they're not setting fire to 4G towers. Those are good, they let us check the Facebooks and the Twitters and the YouTubes so we can find out how 5G towers are killing us.
or as people outside the UK know him, "Who?"
I'm in the UK but still went "Who?"
Re: or as people outside the UK know him, "Who?"
To invoke the spirit of the late Sir Terry, I would advise you to cherish your ignorance on that point.
Way out of date
The Fourth Estate is supposed to inform and educate the populace, not discuss bonkers conspiracy theories spouted by random tinfoil-hat-wearing Twitter eggs.
When did you last read a British newspaper? With one exception(*) they're all full of clickbait bullshit designed to get eyeballs for their advertisers, and axe grinding opinion pieces with statistics so abused that if the stats were kids the police would raid the premises immediately. The only difference between the tabloids and the so-called "quality" papers is the reading age required.
(*) The FT. Shame about the paywall.
Re: Way out of date
When the government manages to get rid of the BBC, this will be the best TV journalism available
Misinterpreted?
"I want to clarify some comments that some of you may have misinterpreted from me yesterday"
Nobody misinterpreted you, Eamonn. You were very clear in your attempt to become an Irish Glenn Beck.
re: God's gift to women
That's what Eamonn's opinion on himself was 20 years ago.!
It's about time the smug eejit was put out to pasture to make way for the next generation of presenter.
I gave up on watching daytime TV years ago and ITV pretty much. Lowest common denominator broadcasting, appropriate for (un)Social Media generation I guess.
Re: re: God's gift to women
Holmes is an utter egocentric twunt. In his recent court case where he was trying to avoid a tax bill he described himself as "the best live TV presenter in the country", "better than anyone else", "the market leader and an expert", and "answerable to no one but myself". Satisfyingly he lost the case.
Lovely turn of phrase
" clickbait bullshit designed to get eyeballs for their advertisers, and axe grinding opinion pieces with statistics so abused that if the stats were kids the police would raid the premises immediately"
Simple solution
Classify these essential infrastructure attach as terrorism, just like they did when all those heroes were setting fire to the money generating speed cameras a few years back?
The most moronic about 'burning 5G towers' in the Netherlands is there aren't any. Sure, there are a couple of test sites, but all towers found 'in the wild' over here are no more than 4G, because 5G HASN'T BEEN ROLLED OUT YET!
Bloody tin foil hat idiots.
"But for the avoidance of any doubt I want to make it completely clear there's no scientific evidence to substantiate any of those 5G theories. I hope that clears that up."
Actually, no, it doesn't. Scientific evidence is that they're so utterly bonkers that it can only be believed by celebrities and the seriously stupid.