Rejoice, rejoice rejoice!

I don't buy that. There are some extremely smart conservatives in this world. There are traditional conservative politicians in Norway who's really worth respecting, and there's conservative writers, journalists etc. that I respect the heck out of.

What I don't like, though, is the almost purpusfull attempt at making lack of intellect a good thing (itself a complete oposite of traditional conservatism), and conciously making the choice to misrepresent facts to get the story looking better.

Look, there are a few ways to change how we view reality. First, we can choose what to broadcast. We can favor stories that show party a look like morons and stories that make party b look clever. Then we can decide to skew the facts to support a basic viewpoint. For instance, we can do a Michael more and take things out of context. It's still true, but it somehow makes your argument less credible.

Then there's the third way. Lying. Fox lies, has been caught doing it again and again and again. And they aren't showing any signs of stopping it.
 
I understand that in the Communist version of 20 century of history the Russians virtually defeated the Germans single handed.

It is quite odd how the Poles have maintained their brilliant work ethic given the Communism they had for so long - really impressive people in general.

News and properganda - two sides same coin in many countries. Sometimes the properganda is not so subtle either.
 
nomix said:
I don't buy that. There are some extremely smart conservatives in this world. There are traditional conservative politicians in Norway who's really worth respecting, and there's conservative writers, journalists etc. that I respect the heck out of.
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Well, maybe I should have emphasized the sarcasm and irony in my post a bit more ;)
 
Well, with regards to the second world war, or the great patriotic war as the Russians called it, it was won by the British buying time, the Yanks building the guns and the Russians providing men. They had greater losses than the other major allies combined, probably, and without them, the war might have been lost.

There's a common argument that we Europeans should help our American friends in war because of their help in our time of need. I agree with that to some point. But we tend to forget that while the British and Americans bombed German cities, the Red Army advanced towards Berlin on the ground.

Just to give it some balance. I haven't read these new Texas history books, but I somehow doubt they give the deserved creedence to the Russians when speaking of WW2.
 
Hell, the old ones barely did, and not just in Texas.
 
20 million Russian dead.

Russia got most of Eastern Europe and some of Japan's territory in the East
America got its industry kick started following the depression and made shedloads of money and technological advances (some of which were stolen)
Britain got the infrastructure bombed to crap and lost the Empire in a manner that was not ideal - I think it would have gone anyway but it went far too quickly. Loads of trouble since then in some of the ex-colonies - hello Burma/Mayanar (sp?).
 
News Corp pulls out of BSkyB bid
BSkyB bid dropped by Rupert Murdoch's media group after pressure from the public and parliament

Rupert Murdoch's media group News Corporation bowed to pressure from the public and parliament on Wednesday and withdrew its bid to take full control of pay-TV company BSkyB.


All three main political parties were poised to call on News Corp to abandon its offer in a vote in the House of Commons later on Wednesday.


The move leaves News Corp's key strategy for UK corporate growth in tatters. The proposed ?8bn deal has been in train for more than a year, with the first offer tabled in June 2010.


It is the one of the biggest setbacks the 80-year-old media mogul has ever suffered and follows 10 days of revelations about the true scale of phone hacking at the News of the World, the paper Murdoch shut down last week.


The decision to abandon the deal is also a major blow to James Murdoch, who is third in command at the company and has responsibility for News Corp's UK businesses, including its Sky stake and News International.


It is likely to lead to criticism from investors over the way the company has handled the phone-hacking affair. James Murdoch initially took charge of the scandal but his father has twice flown in to the UK to take charge, most recently at the weekend.


News Corp's deputy chairman and chief operating officer, Chase Carey, said it had become clear that the Sky takeover "is too difficult to progress in this climate".


Carey, who is also News Corp's president, said: "We believed that the proposed acquisition of BSkyB by News Corporation would benefit both companies but it has become clear that it is too difficult to progress in this climate.


"News Corporation remains a committed long-term shareholder in BSkyB. We are proud of the success it has achieved and our contribution to it."


News Corp will have to pay BSkyB a break fee of around ?38.5bn after walking away from the deal.


BSkyB's share price immediately began to fall. It was down by 23.5p, or 3.4%, to 669p at about 2.30pm on Wednesday shortly after the announcement that the deal was off, far below the 700p level at which News Corp originally tabled a bid.


More than ?3bn has been wiped from the value of BSkyB shares since the Guardian revealed on Monday 4 July that News of the World journalists had hacked into a mobile phone belonging to murdered teenager Milly Dowler.


The decision to walk away from the deal was taken earlier on Wednesday before prime minister's questions, which was followed by an announcement by David Cameron about the details of two separate inquiries, one into phone hacking and the other into media standards.


Carey was at News International's Wapping offices on the fringes of the City of London briefly, where the decision is believed to have been finalised.


Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said withdrawing the bid was the "decent and sensible" thing do to.


The Liberal Democrat leader briefly threatened to cause a coalition split when he declared Murdoch should abandon the Sky offer earlier this week, before Cameron decided he would also back a Labour motion to call for it to be dropped.


Shadow culture secretary Ivan Lewis said: "It's a victory for the public of this country, it's a victory for parliament and it's a victory for the tremendous leadership that Ed Miliband has shown".
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/13/news-corp-pulls-out-of-bskyb-bid
 
Time required for competition commission investigation: 6 months.
Time before NI can resubmit a bid for BSkyB: 6 months.

Hmmmm.
 
WillDAQ said:
Time required for competition commission investigation: 6 months.
Time before NI can resubmit a bid for BSkyB: 6 months.

Hmmmm.
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Are you sure on the first one? I remember Reuters saying the commission would take a year to complete.
 
Cold Fussion said:
Are you sure on the first one? I remember Reuters saying the commission would take a year to complete.
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Even more in their favour, resubmit in 6 months with original promise to sell of Sky News vs. a year to go through the CC.
 
Wow, another tumultuous day in the Politics and Media "firestorm" of News International.

Lots to cover, starting off with a question from a Labour MP during the weekly PMQs. (Prime Ministers Questions in Parliament.)

Tom Watson asked a question about whether 9/11 UK victims or their families had their phones hacked by News International journalists in 2001.

This follows a day after a US Senator had called for a Congressional investigation.

BBC News - Phone-hacking: US senator calls for News Corp probe

BBC News said:
A key US senator has called for an investigation into whether reported hacking by News Corporation targeted any US citizens.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller said the authorities should consider whether journalists working for the media giant had broken US law.

He warned of "serious consequences" should that be found to be the case.
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BBC News - Phone hacking: Prime minister reveals inquiry powers

BBC News said:
The judge leading the phone hacking inquiry will have powers to call media proprietors, editors and politicians to give evidence under oath, the PM said.

Lord Justice Leveson will oversee the public inquiry into the News of the World scandal and media regulation.

David Cameron said those who sanctioned wrongdoing should have no further role in running a media company in the UK.

More via Link

* * *

Terms of Reference:
Part 1

To inquire into the culture, practices, and ethics of the press, including:

a. Contacts between national newspapers and politicians;

b. The relationship between the press and the police;

c. The extent to which the current policy and regulatory framework has failed; and the extent to which there was a failure to act on previous warnings about media misconduct.

To make recommendations:

a. For a new more effective policy and regulatory regime which supports the integrity and freedom of the press, the plurality of the media and its independence from government, while encouraging the highest ethical and professional standards; and

b. For how future concerns about press behaviour, media policy, regulation and cross-media ownership should be dealt with by all the relevant authorities, including Parliament, Government, the prosecuting authorities and the police; and

c. The future conduct of relations between politicians and the press.

Part 2

To inquire into the extent of unlawful or improper conduct within News International and other newspaper organisations.

To inquire into the way in which the police investigated allegations of unlawful conduct by persons within or connected with News International, and the review by the Metropolitan Police of their initial investigation.

To inquire into the extent to which the police received corrupt payments or were otherwise complicit in such misconduct or in suppressing its proper investigation and how this was allowed to happen.

To inquire into the extent of corporate governance and management failures at News International and other newspaper organisations.

In the light of these Inquiries, to consider the implications for the relationships between newspaper organisations and the police, and relevant regulatory bodies and to recommend what actions, if any, should be taken.
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WillDAQ said:
Even more in their favour, resubmit in 6 months with original promise to sell of Sky News vs. a year to go through the CC.
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BBC News - News Corp withdraws bid for BSkyB

Police investigations and prosecutions could take years, Public Enquiry will take at least another year after that.

Murdoch will be unable to Bid for 100% of Sky again before all of these are finished.

Also, heard today that the UK Regulator OFCOM will be investigating News Int. existing 39% holding of SKY, probably under the "Fit & Proper Person Test" to hold a UK TV broadcasting licence.

Another disasterous & crap day for Murdoch.

Brilliant! :thumbsup:
 
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What I think we currently witness here, is the downfall of a powerful man, who thought himself to be impregnable. Rupert Murdoch gained his power by controlling information. Politicians had to play along or else...

Now that power is eroding, because the very instrument of his power (control over information) is being stripped away from him -- or at least being compromised badly, maybe beyond repair.

Murdoch is obviously trying to duck the avalanche, that has been set in motion and is becoming bigger and bigger and gaining speed every day. He's desperately trying to zig-zag himself out of the way but eventually the avalanche will hit and consume him. Too many people have to settle a score with him, I assume, and I suppose he's not been very successful in creating real friends or loyalty from his employees by firing them.

One can indeed gain much power by controlling information. But don't you dare screwing up, because then you'll find out, that you have no friends in high places anymore, who only had been intimidated into playing friendly with you and will be happy to get rid of you. The ones who lived in fear of your power for a long time and secretly wished you to hell, will then show no mercy and fully use the opportunity of bringing you down.

The higher you get, the deeper you fall. Everyone is trying to save their asses now and we're currently seeing an interesting game of musical chairs. Who will remain in the end?

Anyway, the vultures surely are already waiting. Not that I'm feeling sorry for him, though...
 
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Heathrow said:
^
BBC News - Phone hacking: Inquiry at Murdoch's Australia firm

Any Murdoch Media companies in Norway?

:?
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No, but Monty controlled a lot before he left his company. A load of local papers, mainly. I know what practices they employed towards freelancers, at least, which were crap. And I've worked for a camera testing site at that time owned by Monty. According to a couple of colleagues, they couldn't write about launches of new camera gear outside normal office hours. The internet, according to Montgomery closed down at 1630 every friday..

:p

MacGuffin said:
What I think we currently witness here, is the downfall of a powerful man, who thought himself to be impregnable. Rupert Murdoch gained his power by controlling information. Politicians had to play along or else...

Now that power is eroding, because the very instrument of his power (control over information) is being stripped away from him -- or at least being compromised badly, maybe beyond repair.

Murdoch is obviously trying to duck the avalanche, that has been set in motion and is becoming bigger and bigger and gaining speed every day. He's desperately trying to zig-zag himself out of the way but eventually the avalanche will hit and consume him. Too many people have to settle a score with him, I assume, and I suppose he's not been very successful in creating real friends or loyalty from his employees by firing them.

One can indeed gain much power by controlling information. But don't you dare screwing up, because then you'll find out, that you have no friends in high places anymore, who only had been intimidated into playing friendly with you and will be happy to get rid of you. The ones who lived in fear of your power for a long time and secretly wished you to hell, will then show no mercy and fully use the opportunity of bringing you down.

The higher you get, the deeper you fall. Everyone is trying to save their asses now and we're currently seeing an interesting game of musical chairs. Who will remain in the end?

Anyway, the vultures surely are already waiting. Not that I'm feeling sorry for him, though...
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I think that's true. Murdoch were able to make or break anyone, partly because people (God know's why..) trusted his outlets.

What's changed is people's perception of Murdoch outlets. They just don't buy what they read anymore (except the lifestyle sections, about what decorative pillows to get and the Funny Animals section about a cat that plays the tuba + the crosswords).

Let's put it this way, one month ago, Cameron knew Murdoch could give him single digit approval ratings. And while that doesn't really matter unless it's getting very close to the five year limit between general elections, it does make life difficult. You just don't get things done with low approval, parliament, backbenchers and the oposition will fight you every inch of the way.

What's really changed is that Cameron knows he'll GAIN in the polls by bashing Murdoch. If he's made one mistake, it's thinking about it. That might cost him down the line. If any Murdoch outlet tries to smear him now, he'll get a positive boost. Being smeared by a Murdoch paper right now would be a great thing for any politician.

:)
 
According to a couple of colleagues, they couldn't write about launches of new camera gear outside normal office hours. The internet, according to Montgomery closed down at 1630 every friday..
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That's hardly a surprise, if you're investing in a test facility you want to make sure all of the results from that facility are for your own gain.
 
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