More Of The Same

[poliphilo]

The politicians fear Murdoch because they believe his papers can determine the outcome of elections. This belief has never been put to the test.  No politician who defied Murdoch has ever won an election because no politician has ever dared defy him.  Perhaps now, when the tide of public opinion is running so strongly against him, one of them might break ranks. Cameron for instance? He's already in power, so what has he to lose but his chains? 

Comments

[airstrip.livejournal.com]

Problems like these are fun. If Cameron could just convince enough people to stand against Murdoch and Murdoch happens to be wrong--almost certainly, since ideological positions are like stopped clocks--Murdoch's power would evaporate as a consequence of challenging him. You'd never need to find out if he's powerful, he's just a cat in a box.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Now is the time to do it. The News of the World- Murdoch's British Sunday- is involved in a scandal that just spreads and spreads- with new allegations of wrong-doing emerging every day.

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

Cameron seems a most unlikely candidate. Why would a man who speaks for the rich, and faithfully serves their interests, question the business practices of one of the richest and most powerful men in the world? It makes no sense.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

He's also a populist- and this is becoming a hugely popular movement.

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

But his deep and personal involvement with Brooks may well demonstrate his populism to be little more than a vehicle for his ambition.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

O yes, sure: Cameron is a PR man- and very good at it too. Heaven only knows what his true values are- if he has any.

[ideealisme.livejournal.com]

I have as little time as anyone else for Murdoch, but am I the only one getting increasingly disturbed at the use of the murdered victims' families as hostages by the media in their grudge against him? It's actually getting to the point where I'm finding it distasteful.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Hostages? Most of them are coming forward of their own will, aren't they? They're angry- and with reason.

[ideealisme.livejournal.com]

For sure they are - but when non Murdoch media run a campaign to unseat an undeniably odious man and use these people's pain as a weapon in their arsenal - I dunno, it just makes me uncomfortable.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I see what you mean, but I don't see how their anger can be delicately side-stepped. They're what it's all about.

[petercampbell.livejournal.com]

The chances are that he was quite unaware of any of the events goings on at the time, but any excuse to bring the old bugger's empire tumbling down...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I don't suppose he had a day to day knowledge of what was happening in the News Room, but he must have been aware of its ethos.

I don't think this will destroy the empire- it's an international empire after all- but it may loosen his grip on British public life. I don't think David Cameron and Rebekah Brooks will be going riding together (as they apparently have done) any time soon.

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

For what it's worth, Murdoch's influence may have already peaked, over here. Year-over-year, viewership is down for Fox News Channel, his far-right-wing propaganda machine.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's good news.

The trouble at the NOTW wiped over a hundred million off NI's value on the NY stock exchange yesterday.

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

Ouch.