In the article: US slips down development index the BBC shows us to ourselves as they often do.  It is hard to find our own press willing to say it as bluntly.

Americans live shorter lives than citizens of almost every other developed nation, according to a report from several US charities.

 So now we are killing ourselves as well as so many others in the world!

The report found that the US ranked 42nd in the world for life expectancy despite spending more on health care per person than any other country.

Overall, the American Human Development Report ranked the world's richest country 12th for human development.

 But, we cry,  that is because we have better health care.  Ummmmm  then why are we dying more?  Let us examine this beneath the break.

Are you listening Sen. McCain?

The BBC reports on the finding of the bodies of 2 missing American soldiers in Iraq, Alex Jimenez and Byron Fouty. Both had been missing over a year.

Of course I expect nothing but cliches from you. And it goes without saying our hearts go out to the families. But draw a larger picture, Senator. The Jimenez family had to be told in Spanish that their son's body was found.

This is absolutely hacktackular. The BBC compiles a list of McCain and Obama "flip-flopping." In an apparent stab at "journalistic balance," they list five examples for each candidate. The problem? That in order to find five Obama flips, they had to just make things up. That's right. Go ahead and list Obama flip-flops that have never happened. That will be fair and balanced.

Check this out:

"Mr Obama himself has announced that he plans to visit Iraq, where he will make 'a thorough assessment' which could lead him to 'refine' his policy. Some critics have seized on this as an indication that Mr Obama is laying the groundwork for a change in position."

Wow. "Some critics" say there are indications that Obama might change positions in the future. As someone who once saw a piece of burnt toast that looked a little bit like Elvis flip-flopping, I'm not sure I can trust this future Obama that a psychic saw in a vision one time.

And there's more, of course ..

The BBC posted a rather thought provoking article this morning concerning the state of the US, this election and changing beliefs about the very future of our economic strength and dominance.a rather thought provoking article

Today, AP is reporting on the long lasting health benefits of psilocybin. The article, whilst well intentioned, is written from the perspective of the uninitiated and well, uses phrases like:

She felt like she was taking off. She saw colors. Then it felt like her heart was ripping open

and

Experts emphasize that people should not try psilocybin on their own because it could be harmful

Who are these so called experts and why are they trying to ruin everyone's good time? Here is a link to the full article:

More info and a link to an even more potent strain of article (psst, it's British) after the fold.

This weekend Paddy Ashdown was interviewed in the BBC's Hardtalk strandabout Afghanistan. In it he predicted that there would have to be western military involvement in the country for thirty years just to deny it as a base for training Al Qaeda.

Lord Ashdown is no armchair expert on the country. At one stage he was proposed as the UN representative in Afghanistan, having been UN High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2002 to 2006. A former leader of the UK Liberal Democrats, he was also approached to join the  Gordon Brown government. He declined but wrote a briefing paper for Brown on Afghanistan.

The program's home page (link above) does not have details up as yet but watch for it on the various BBC stations as it is broadcast internationally as well as on the BBC News channel.

Well, the headline may be a bit of an exaggeration.
But this BBC-report brings some stunning allegations against the Republican (presumtive) nominee.

'When John McCain was my captive'

I hope those doing the IGTNT Diaries here don't mind my using that leadin. I do so as it seems to be just published, by the BBC, and to give Honor to these fallen British Soldiers, especially Sarah!

The Forgotten War

When we all talk about these occupations we only seem to use the terms that decribe the male soldier, we seem to conviently forget that there are women serving, and always have in our militaries, and they are serving in even more dangerous situations in these modern militaries, combat rolls!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/...

The Swedish study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, compared the size of the brain's halves in 90 adults.

Gay men and heterosexual women had halves of a similar size, while the right side was bigger in lesbian women and heterosexual men.

A UK scientist said this was evidence sexual preference was set in the womb.

Just when you thought you couldn't swear more profusely and violently than you have...

BBC Panorama tonight reveals what Henry Waxman calls quite possibly "the largest war profiteering in history."

At least 23 billion dollars. Billion. Not million. Billion. 23 Billion dollars to private contractors - Halliburton apparently number one on the list of more than 70 companies.

And why is it the BBC covering this major theft from Americans, instead of WaPo or the NYT or any one of our other media outlets? Because the Bush administration has placed a gag order on the discussion.

The killing of three members of the Parachute Regiment in a suicide bombing over the weekend brought the British death toll to 100. The Prime Minister Gordon Brown made this statement.

"They have paid the ultimate price, but they have achieved something of lasting value."

In what is perhaps the first challenge to the campaign, the main Channel 4 News tonight asked "What?"

Also over the weekend two local reporters for the BBC were killed, one in Afghanistan and another in Somalia.

UPDATE:
From the BBC

BBC political editor Nick Robinson said he understood that the (UK) government's next announcement on troop numbers will be made in July. This is unlikely to be the moment when full withdrawal (from Iraq) will be announced.

The object appears to be to release more troops for Afghanistan by carrying out the planned reduction of the Basra force to 2,500.

Thought you guys might be interested in how the News from last night is being reported on TV and Radio in the UK

That's what the BBC is saying to Americans today.  Memorial Day smells still linger on in our homes and we are greeted with these headlines:
US army suicides at record level
US veterans sue over 'poor care'
Veterans 'quarter of US homeless'  
It is a bit overwhelming to see these listed on the BBC site.  We talk about these things here, but we do little else.  Our mercenary military seems to be a conversation piece but it does not really get us very excited. I'm one of those people over 70 (Sorry Hillary, not this veteran) who is looking forward to electing a president who will care about this.  I am looking forward to electing a congress who will care about this.  Yet I look at these headlines and feel a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.  Please read on as I try to understand why.

The BBC has just run this story:

"The Conservative MP Simon Burns has been campaigning in American presidential elections since he backed George McGovern in 1972. This year he is backing Hillary Clinton, and he tells us why."

The article is interesting reading: http://news.bbc.co.uk/...

They do explain this:

It is too easy and wrong to generalise that the Republicans are the Tory party in the US and the Democrats are New Labour or Lib Dem.

We need an America that is once again respected, not hated, in the world; an America where everyone has access to health care rather than the current situation where approximately 40m working Americans cannot afford health insurance and an America where all benefit from its economic success - not just the super rich who have disproportionately benefited from the Bush tax cuts.

Then the rest of the article goes horribly wrong. My analysis is below:

From the current front page of the BBC news:

Barack Obama, candidate for the Democratic Party's nomination to run for US president, has apologised to a reporter for calling her "sweetie".

Reverend Wright move over. Get ready for ...

He later left a message for Ms Agar saying it was a "bad habit" and he "meant no disrespect".

The electorate will never forget this one: snorting cocaine is a bad habit, too. Anyone remember the scene from Coming to America when the Prince of Zamunda gives a wad of money to two homeless people, who turn out to be those guys from "Trading Places"? If I remember correctly, one of them then says to the other "We're back in business, Mortimer!"

Wouldn't it be fun to be the campaign manager who gets to call Hillary in the middle of the night and give her the good news?

I think the primary season might officially be over. Mrs. Clinton's remarks about potential consequences for Iran rippled across the big pond:

There was a great ruling for environmentalists today.  A federal judge ruled  that the US government can not stall any longer on ruling whether polar bears are an endangered species.

The full story from the BBC is
here

This is a great step towards hopefully gaining protection for polar bears, which in turn would be an important step towards starting to undue some of the damage the Bush administration has done to the environment, and it could very well be a critical step for many future battles surrounding drilling for oil on the North Slope and ANWR, stopping and reversing global warming and many other critically important issues.

Tonight on the BBC's Graham Norton Show Martin Sheen declared he was an Obama supporter.

After having some disparaging remarks about George W. Bush and commenting on the warm words that President Bill Clinton had for the West Wing he went on to declare his support for Obama. He also stated he felt a little sad that the two Democratic contenders were whacking away at each other.

Mr. Sheen was previously for Richardson and helped campaign for him.

I imagine there will be YouTube video soon but for those people in the UK they will be able to view again with the BBC's iPlayer.

UNREALITY TV link