Samantha Bee investigates Kate Middleton's uterus and discovers a royal suckler's paradise. (02:17):
UK lawmakers recall Rupert Murdoch after secret recording emerges
Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch has been recalled to the U.K. parliament to clarify evidence he gave about alleged crimes by his journalists following the emergence of a secret tape in which he appeared to belittle the police inquiry.
Murdoch, the head of News Corp., told lawmakers in July 2011 that he was “shocked, appalled and shamed” by the revelations of phone hacking and illegal payments to public officials that prompted him to close his prized News of the World tabloid two years ago. "This is the most humble day of my life,” he told the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
But it emerged last week that during a private meeting with journalists on sister paper The Sun -- shortly before he gave evidence to parliament -- he was secretly recorded railing against the police inquiry.
"Why are the police behaving in this way?" Murdoch said in the recording, published byExaronews.com. "It's the biggest inquiry ever, over next to nothing.”
As a cover-up Rupert Murdoch is using THE EXACT SAME TECHNIQUE that Frank Lunzt(?) made up for Mitt Ronney. Notice:
Compare: Rupert Murdoch: I Used The 'Wrong Words' In Secret Police Recording
With This: Mitt Romney's Incredible 47-Percent Denial: "Actually, I Didn't Say That"
The Future? Mitt Romney Is Still Trying, Failing to Explain Away His "47 Percent" Remarks
This part concerns the British Tabloid that was involved in the recent hacking scandal. [Note: This also connects with the case for regulation of news media.]
There is a timeline of events here, that suggest there was some hanky panky going on in the background (i.e. payments being made for keeping people happy/silent) such as this one;
January 2007 – News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire are convicted of conspiracy to hack into phone voice mails of royals and are jailed. Andy Coulson, the paper's editor, claims to be unaware of hacking but still resigns.
July 2007 – Goodman and Mulcaire sue the tabloid for wrongful dismissal. Goodman receives £80,000 and Mulcaire receives an undisclosed amount. (click here to read more)
How can you get money for wrongful dismissal if you are guilty? Well, the story is still breaking...for example;
One of the Murdoch's has this to say, "The Company paid out-of-court settlements approved by me. I now know that I did not have a complete picture when I did so. This was wrong and is a matter of serious regret."
To say that making a payment was wrong, after such a large time period, is unusual.
And this, "We have also admitted liability in civil cases. Already, we have settled a number of prominent cases and set up a Compensation Scheme, with cases to be adjudicated by former High Court judge Sir Charles Gray. Apologising and making amends is the right thing to do."
There are still bugs to work out with asking questions and understanding business deals, however, since lie detector tests are allowed in civil suits, I think it's a good idea for citizens to take advantage of this and thoroughly interrogate any suspects associated with the invasion of privacy laws. (It won't happen, but I wanted to say this anyways)
Article: "Les Hinton, the chief executive of Dow Jones and Rupert Murdoch's right-hand man, resigned from News Corp on Friday night, a statement from the company said. Hinton, who led Murdoch's News International when the phone-hacking allegations first arose, quit hours after Rebekah Brooks, News International's chief executive, also resigned."
A look at developments and mistakes (with some comments) since July 8th:
"Anne Simpson, the Briton who is in charge of corporate governance at Calpers, said that it was time for change at the company, which gives special voting powers to shares held by the Murdoch family. "News Corp does not have one share one vote. This is a corruption of the governance system. Power should reflect capital at risk. Calpers sees the voting structure in a company as critical. The situation is very serious and we're considering our options. We don't intend to be spectators – we're owners," she said. While the Murdochs own 12% of the company, their special B shares give them voting rights over 40% of the company. Calpers holds 6.4m shares."
Behaviour pattern: Like to keep control over decision making in his company.
The loss on Friday of Mr Hinton, a senior US-based adviser who has worked for Mr Murdoch for 52 years, and Ms Brooks, a pivotal figure in his UK operation and close family friend, capped a second tumultuous week for the News Corp chairman.
Claims not to have any involvement of the decision making even though he obviously likes to keep control and has an extremely long family friend relationship. (i.e. the involvement and behaviour pattern is such that ones the scapegoat technique is used appropriately you have to take a 'hit' or take responsibility of some sort)
"Labour leader Ed Miliband has called for new media ownership rules to limit Rupert Murdoch's "dangerous" and "unhealthy" concentration of power. He told the Observer Mr Murdoch's large market share led to "abuses of power".
True. concentration of wealth and influence in the hand of of a few (or one) can lead to abuse - Proof of Murdoch's abuse of power is here.
The following extracts are from Murdoch's questioning (transcript is located here.):
"Q: Why was no one fired in April, when the company took responsibility for large-scale phone hacking?
RM says people in the company were guilty. "We have to find them and we have to deal with them appropriately."
JM says most of those responsible had long since left the company." ----- "• Rupert Murdoch denies overall responsibility for the phone hacking affair.
Q: Who is responsible?
RM says the people he trusted, and the people they trusted.
He says he worked with Les Hinton for 52 years. He would trust him with his life.
(It is not clear from this whether he thinks he has now been let down by Hinton, or whether he is saying he still trusts Hinton, but that Hinton was let down by others.)" .From a strategy perspective... he's waiting to see what is proved against whom before he takes sides.
Other interesting things Rupert said at his hearing:
RM 'The law should not be broken only campaigning for change' - i.e. Rupert doesnt believe anyone should break the law except as far as campaigning to change it goes. Which is fine but look what he's campaign contributions go towards...
"Rupert Murdoch donated $1m to a pro-business lobby in the US months before the group launched a high-profile campaign to alter the anti-bribery law – the same law that could potentially be brought to bear against News Corporation over the phone-hacking scandal."
My view is not the same as one political institute...
Recognize that the Right is a complex movement. No one organization “controls” the Right. No single funder is “behind” the Right. Some large organizations areimportant, but many others appear to be more influential than they really are. Recognize that there are multiple networks of organizations and funders with differing and sometimes competing agendas. Find out as much as you can about the groups you see. Incorporate this information in your educational work. It is helpful in organizing to know a great deal about your opponents. Be alert to evidence of the Right’s “new racism.” The Right has replaced simple racist rhetoric with a more complex, “colorblind” political agenda which actually attacks the rights of people of color. See the Resources sections of this kit for some assistance in your research.
I think the above reasoning is wrong.
To fight a political war you need to first understand that every group has a source of power.
As explained in the 48 Laws of Power...
In the past, an entire nation would be ruled by a king and his handful of ministers. only elite had any power to play with. Over the centuries, power has gradually become more and more diffused and democratized. this has created, however, a common misconception that groups no longer have centers of power - that power is spread out and scattered among many people.Actually, however, power has changed in its numbers but not in its essence. There may be a few mighty tyrants commanding the power of life and death over millions, but there remain thousands of petty tyrants ruling smaller realms, and enforcing their will through indirect power games, charisma, and so on. In every group, power is concentrated in the hands of one or two people, for this is one area in which human nature will never change: People will congregate around a single strong personality like planets orbiting a sun.To labor under the illusion that this kind of power center no longer exists is to make endless mistakes, waste energy and time, and never hit the target. Powerful people never waste time. Outwardly they may play along with game - pretending that power is shared among many - but inwardly they keep their eyes on the inevitable few in the group who hold the cards. These are the ones they work on. When troubles arise, then look for the underlying cause, the single strong character who started the stirring and whose isolation or banishment will settle the waters again. Page 363, The 48 Laws of Power
Power still functions the same way as it has throughout our history. The rules are the same. You either play by the rules or you are food for the one that does. Rupert Murdoch is a leader. Of that there is no doubt. Not only did he keep controlling vote of all decisions in the Fox Network without disseminating it amougst a "board" as is the common practice. He had the nerve to say 'no, I don't control fox network'. But it gets better. All of US Media followed along showing that maybe Rupert Murdoch is not as dumb as you thought. He did distribute his power amougst a bunch of board people. Just not in the media company is controls but the other ones. Certainly explains how shareholders can be excluded from shareholder meetings. (proofs to this on other sections of this website)
Senator Bernie Sanders explains the Koch Brother Echo-chamber (Who are primary founders of the Tea Party which was created and promoted by Murdoch's News Network)