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Another Perspective
What David Might Say
A response to the Murdoch witch-hunt one would wish the British Prime Minister would deliver.
If I were the Rt. Hon. David Cameron, Prime Minister of Great Britain, and leader of the Party of Sir Winston Churchill and Baroness Thatcher, asked by the media to comment on the Murdoch scandal, I think that, rather than scuttling off to Africa, I would answer something like this:
“The political left in this country and the U.S. have embarked on an operation — all-out war — to destroy the Murdoch enterprises and with them any voices dissenting from the left. They are being assisted by politicians from every major party.
“They have, so far, succeeded in destroying the News of the World and the jobs of about 200 journalists as well as many others, despite the fact those responsible for the News of the World’s alleged crimes apparently left it years ago, and several of them have, notoriously, since been employed by, or been extremely close to, both Labour and conservative governments.
“Already the closure of the News of the World will mean a loss of significant commercial activity for many small country newsagents and similar shops struggling to survive. The flow-on effects may be disastrous even if they are not instantly visible. For a small country store, sales of 50 pounds a week or so from the News of the World may mean the difference between survival and bankruptcy. It is the height of irresponsibility to cut the cash-flow of struggling small businesses at the present economic times, and before any evidence of real wrong-doing has been presented, let alone proved.
“The left’s long-term objective is the destruction not merely of the Murdoch enterprises in this country, including the Times and a large part of the television market. Polly Toynbee, writing in the Guardian,has indicated that the real targets in Britain of the present frenzy include the Daily Mail which is not owned by Murdoch and which has had nothing to do with the phone-hacking scandals, but which is frequently critical of the left and had exposed many of the left’s scandals.
“What the left is moving towards, and they see their chance now, is to launch a growing snowball to crush any non-left media.
“In America this includes Fox News, Twentieth-Century Fox, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post and HarperCollins publishers. This list is by no means exhaustive.
“In Australia, the country of Murdoch’s birth, their principal target is the Australian, the only big-city daily that reliably provides a forum for conservative writers (including support for Israel).
“When we step back and look at the big picture, what we see is a massive cultural attack, stretching across the English-speaking world, fueled by an unsavory mixture of ideological hatred, spite and money. What a long way we have come since the days in the 1960s when the Left put itself forward as the champion of free speech!
“My Government is adamant that journalists are bound by the ordinary civil and criminal law regarding libel, sedition, obscenity, etc. In any event, should a newspaper acquire a reputation for publishing falsehoods, even harmless ones, it will in effect cease to be a newspaper and the public and advertisers will shun it.
“But our political culture is right to hold press freedom sacred. However much it may be abused, once a free press is lost, all freedom is lost. There has never been a free press without other kinds of political freedom, and there have never been other kinds of political freedom without a free press. The News of the World lasted through 168 years during which Britain was probably the freest society in the world, along with America and the other Anglomorph nations. As for figures in public or political life, they generally entered the limelight voluntarily and can take their chances. Certainly innocent people whose privacy is subjected to unwarranted intrusion by the media should be protected and, if necessary, compensated, but in fact the market for material obtained unethically is very limited.
“In the last analysis a free press is one of the things our soldiers died for in two world wars, and are dying for today. Although it is a perennial temptation, my government will never tolerate press control. In the words of Sir Winston Churchill, ‘Never! Never! Never! Never! Never!’ And in the words of George Orwell in Nineteen Eighty-Four: ‘If the freedom is granted to say two and two make four, all the rest follows!’
“We Conservatives have plenty in our record to be proud of. We put the first spoke in Napoleon’s wheels. We were right about Communism when the rest were wrong. We declared war on Hitler when the Left were screaming for appeasement. A spokesman of our values and tradition told Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall. If we stand unwaveringly in defense of free-speech, yes, for the trashiest and most sensational Sunday rag, we will be right again.”
If only.
About the Author
Hal G.P. Colebatch’s “Immram,” Counterstrike, is being published by Australian publisher Imaginites.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (22) | Leave a comment
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Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 7.20.11 @ 7:09AM
Excellent!
The Murdoch affair is obviously a fight between the statists on the left and their detractors in the public.
Shamus| 7.20.11 @ 8:02AM
This is a UK story. Murdoch may be its poster child, but it is an indictment of Fleet Street.
It lays bare the degenerate British press culture and the serious damage inflicted on the British system of government. American media may have adapted some of the traits of UK tabloid journalism, but US journalists don't routinely commit felonies in the course of their reporting.
The real problem in the UK is the widespread corruption of law enforcement. Sleazy UK tabloids habitually operated wiretaps and bribed police to do their bidding. Resignations at Scotland Yard complement those in the Murdoch empire.
I've no idea how the British will cope with this deplorable situation, but fundamental reforms appear to be needed.
Jack von Bauer| 7.20.11 @ 1:57PM
It lays bare the degenerate British press culture. Huh?
For all its faults, the British MAINSTREAM newspaper industry is more vibrant, politically diverse and innovative than the dinosaur, leftist US mainstream press.
Kevin Dunn| 7.20.11 @ 9:54AM
If and when Murdoch is destroyed in Britain, Fox news (50% of the US viewing audience) will be next. Just a UK story?
Shamus| 7.20.11 @ 12:23PM
There are three ways that News Corp might have trouble in the US. The FBI investigation could uncover illegalities. Charges might be brought under the foreign corrupt practices act. And instances of criminality could be cited as a reason to take away Fox broadcast licenses.
The FBI has not announced anything publicly about its investigation, so there's no clues where it's headed. News Corp could pay large fines if need be, and taking away Fox broadcasting licenses is probably a stretch. Wrongdoing appears to have taken place in the UK rather than the US, so attempts to level charges in a US venue seem inapt.
old white guy| 7.20.11 @ 1:49PM
shamus , i'm thinking we should be investigating you. i want to know what your interests are in destroying any news media in the u.s. come on tell us all now.
Shamus| 7.21.11 @ 1:07PM
I'm a really boring person, but if you're having trouble sleeping, feel free to investigate. My interest in News Corp is as an investor seeking to understand the risks of buying their stock. My guess is that this whole matter is much ado about nothing, but it still scares me enough to stop me from investing.
Jack von Bauer| 7.20.11 @ 1:59PM
What sort of license does Fox News need to appear on a cable provider near you?
Shamus| 7.21.11 @ 1:12PM
Fox owns television stations that broadcast over the air (just like ABC, NBC, and CBS). Laws from the 1950's require a broadcast license to use the airwaves. Your point is an interesting one, however, because perhaps Fox could become a cable only network.
Eisenhower| 7.20.11 @ 11:12AM
It will be a cold day in hell before the "Heir to Blair" ever says anything like that.
Booker | 7.20.11 @ 11:55AM
People who visit small country stores don't buy the News of the World - they would be lucky to make £5 a week, never mind £50. Also, the Daily Mail is a purveyor of Class 1 junk - the best thing about this paper is the Saturday TV/Radio magazine.
Jack von Bauer| 7.20.11 @ 2:00PM
I see from your post that you've never been to Britain.
Booker | 7.22.11 @ 11:32AM
I live in Britain. With a small country store just around the corner. But I only buy the Daily Mail on Saturday for the listings magazine.
Will| 7.22.11 @ 4:26PM
Read the Guardian!
tamaraJu| 7.20.11 @ 2:49PM
What would David say? are you kidding?! He would say; "get rid of that fake azz land that bears My name, that falsely claim Our GOD (True Israel) built. theyve built that with their own hads and lied to the world. Did Our GOD not Reject them? REVELATION 2:9 & 3:9
Occam's Tool| 7.20.11 @ 4:34PM
Thanks for playing, Clint.
More seriously, this is a bad thing for freedom of the Press, although it is a great thing to see a very hot woman (Murdoch's wife) on worldwide TV.
David| 7.20.11 @ 5:02PM
Where was this outrage from the left when Julian Assange, stole military secrets via hacked emails and published them in there papers.
Oh wait, his actions only made those widows, whos phones were hacked. Without him, soldiers wouldnt be dead.
POST American| 7.20.11 @ 10:25PM
Pillow fights among Globalists. No more,
no less.
"We are using MASSIVE third world immigration
to DESTROY British culture once and for all
---FOREVER."
-TONY BLAIR
Fmr PM/ Globalist / Cultural and Demographis
EUGENIST/ -----future EU President?
(Daily Mail interview)
Of course Cameron's vetted and 'on board'
with this same hideous Chatham House Fabian
agenda for standardization, a-MAL-GAME-ation
and destruction.
As for eavesdropping ---they've ALLLL been doing
it on everyone for decades. The VAST blackmail
op that's been long underway pervades the entire
establishment.
GET REAL
Alan Brooks| 7.20.11 @ 10:59PM
but you are distorting it; you are a conspiracist who makes the rest of us feel better about our own flaws, as you make us glad we aren't a total wingnut like you;
you are a conspiracy nut...
a Tinhat.
You are the King of Tinhats!
POST American| 7.20.11 @ 11:36PM
"----We are using MASSIVE third world
immigration to DESTROY British culture
once and for all ---FOREVER."
-TONY BLAIR
"Understand, 'Free Trade' (ie monopolist
control of trade), Globalism and EUGENICS
(---and TREASON) are ALWAYS intertwined. ALWAYS."
-ALAN WATT
(deadly accurate online coverage)
-------------------ALWAYS.
NOW---WHAT ARE WE STILL NOT GETTING?
weddingdresses | 7.21.11 @ 5:59AM
evidence of real wrong-doing
Nice| 7.22.11 @ 11:03PM
I see from your post that you've never been to Britain.
http://www.jerseys-hats-store.com
http://www.summer-products.com