News Corporation has sought to undermine elected governments

[IndianaGreen]

News Corporation has sought to undermine elected governments

Rupert Murdoch is a man driven not so much by market forces as a deep desire to optimise his empire's power and influence

David Puttnam
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 28 April 2012 16.00 EDT

The story that unfolded last week at the Royal Courts of Justice has roots that stretch back more than three decades.

Behind the highly rehearsed faux candour of Murdoch senior, and the bland evasions of his son, lies a story in which democracy – not just in the UK, but in the US, Australia and elsewhere – has been consistently and wilfully undermined in pursuit not simply of profit but, far more corrosively, of power.

For the past 30 years, the Murdoch empire has sought to undermine and destabilise elected governments, and independent regulators, in pursuit of a political agenda that, while hiding behind a smokescreen of free market orthodoxy, is in the end nothing less than a sophisticated attempt to optimise the power and influence of News Corporation and its populist, rightwing agenda.

That's to say low (or better still, no) corporate taxes, minimal state regulation and the creation of an aura of "exceptionalism" sufficient to convince and recruit many of the most senior politicians in the western world to either turn a blind eye or actively help the company to achieve its commercial objectives.

The strategy is well-honed and, as Murdoch himself once admitted, brutally simple. "You tell the bloody politicians what they want to hear and once the deal is done don't worry about it," ran one quote in Thomas Kiernan's biography, Citizen Murdoch. "They're not going to chase after you later if they suddenly decide what you said wasn't what they wanted to hear. Otherwise, they're made to look bad and they can't abide that. So they just stick their heads up their asses and wait for the blow to pass."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/...intcmp=239

[cornermouse]

To be penniless and alone would be the ultimate punishment for Murdoch.

[Enthusiast]

If only the U.S. could be rid of Rupert Murdoch and his diabolical media empire.

[Andrea]

Thank God they finally overreached and pissed off the Brits. After they knock them out over there, maybe, just maybe. someone will have the guts to go after them here.

[Echo In Light]

What I find interesting about this, that Murdoch's media empire was always about ideology, warping the public mind, and power, and not simply about $, is that for many yrs, the safe, Standard Issue position for all Level Headed, Sensible, Profe$$ional, Moderate, Conspiracy-Denying Democrats was to insist that, of course it's ALL about the $!!!!

...because if it's not, than that means - GASP! - powerful people within powerful organizations with strong political ties are actually colluding/conspiring to deceive the populace via lies and disinformation.

It's funny how as time passes, all of the safe opinions that 'moderates' used to diligently rally 'round (specifically to marginalize the not-so-safe 'conspiratorial' truth) are being exposed for what they are: reality has a conspiracy bias, not the other way around (despite pretending and wishful thinking )

[enufalready]

Rupert Murdoch "is not a fit person to exercise the stewardship of a major international company", MPs have said.

The culture committee questioned journalists and bosses at the now closed News of the World, as well as police and lawyers for hacking victims.

Its report has concluded that Mr Murdoch exhibited "wilful blindness" to what was going on in News Corporation.

But the committee was split six to four with Tory members refusing to endorse the report and branding it "partisan".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17898029

So, the Tories banded together and called it "partisan," but they're not.

[Ardent15]

(04-29-2012 01:50 PM)Enthusiast Wrote:  If only the U.S. could be rid of Rupert Murdoch and his diabolical media empire.

There are other corporations that would gladly take New Corp's place.

[TheCrone]

(04-30-2012 09:31 AM)Echo In Light Wrote:  What I find interesting about this, that Murdoch's media empire was always about ideology, warping the public mind, and power, and not simply about $, is that for many yrs, the safe, Standard Issue position for all Level Headed, Sensible, Profe$$ional, Moderate, Conspiracy-Denying Democrats was to insist that, of course it's ALL about the $!!!!

...because if it's not, than that means - GASP! - powerful people within powerful organizations with strong political ties are actually colluding/conspiring to deceive the populace via lies and disinformation.

It's funny how as time passes, all of the safe opinions that 'moderates' used to diligently rally 'round (specifically to marginalize the not-so-safe 'conspiratorial' truth) are being exposed for what they are: reality has a conspiracy bias, not the other way around (despite pretending and wishful thinking )

Echo in Light, it is amazing how much I want to echo your last paragraph:

"It's funny how as time passes, all of the safe opinions that 'moderates' used to diligently rally 'round (specifically to marginalize the not-so-safe 'conspiratorial' truth) are being exposed for what they are: reality has a conspiracy bias, not the other way around (despite pretending and wishful thinking )"
[/quote]

[Ardent15]

This doesn't surprise me. The "conspiracy to rule the world" is one of the worst-kept secrets in history. The only people who are shocked or surprised are those who had invested their faith in the ruling institutions of America.