Over more than 3 decades, no one dared question the perversion of politics by and for Rupert Murdoch

[marmar]

Over more than three decades, no one dared question the perversion of politics by and for Rupert Murdoch
After last week's events, things can never be the same again for the corrosive Murdoch media empire

Henry Porter
The Observer, Sunday 10 July 2011


The king is dead – long live democracy. With the immolation of the News of the World last week, we saw the end of the pre-eminent political influence of the last three decades in Britain. Rupert Murdoch's pass to Number 10 has been withdrawn; the access code for his editors and senior executives has expired. All the unseen deal-making, fixing, manipulation and bullying, as well as that princely sense of entitlement emanating from News International headquarters at Wapping, have gone.

These are very big gains from the events ignited by the revelation that Milly Dowler's phone messages were hacked and deleted by the private inquiry agents working for the News of the World, as she lay dead. Faced with that singularly disgusting act, the nation drew a line: this is not who we are; we won't support those responsible by buying their product; nor will we advertise in that newspaper or tolerate those who do.

It was a lightning revolt with a whiff of the Arab Spring about it, in that the anger was directed at the power of an elderly dynast and his closest associates. There is a feeling of liberation at the end of this highly charged week and we can say that our society seems better off: our political system is freer and, I would suggest, a little bit cleaner; relations between the media, politicians and the public have changed for the good.

The door has shut on Murdoch. Party leaders and backbenchers, from Nicholas Soames to Alan Johnson, won't have him back. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jul/10/rupert-murdoch-phone-hacking-cameron

[RKP5637]

1. I'd love to see this guy fall off his tin throne. IMO he has done irremovable

damage to countries and people. His brand of propaganda is hatefulness and deceit for his personal profit.

[leveymg]

2. I wonder who the Saudis will now hire to take his place?

Maybe, they don't need a single, very visible media baron to influence the US and UK so much anymore, and will just work directly through the western-registered corporations and politicians they still control.

Maybe, they're just not into us so much, anymore?

[BlueJazz]

3. Nothing is lower than a Murdoch. The bottom of the scum pond.

[seafan]

4. Reagan helped Murdoch become a US citizen on September 3, 1985.

St. Ronnie made it possible for Murdoch to acquire Metromedia. And the cancer began to grow.


Now, this decades-old criminal family enterprise needs to be excised.

[defendandprotect]

5. kr

[Citizen Worker]

6. And if this was done in the UK it was done in the US. Elliot Spitzer comes to mind and maybe John

Edwards as well. Just think back when Hillary was running. She felt compelled to kiss the ring of the slimy lizard.

[Uncle Joe]

9. I would be astonished if it wasn't done in the U.S. this is Murdoch's MO and it's

infinitely difficult to break that pattern.

Murdoch is the cynical media version of Nixon, knowing their arguments can't hold water, subterfuge, bribery and blackmail are their only recourse and thus wiretapping or hacking become SOP.

The question is whether the U.S. corporate media has enough sufficient integrity left to carry out such an investigation and exposure?

[Blue Owl]

7. He's got the integrity of a stale turd

Flush it.

[Uncle Joe]

8. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, marmar.