Angry Liberal- always first with a sensible reaction to the hot news stories of the day. Yes, this was news six days ago, but seeing as I haven't updated this blog in six months, that's not bad going by my standards.
So anyway. It transpires that the Daily Telegraph quite sensibly chose not to publish a few of the comments Vince Cable made to their undercover reporters- specifically those pertaining to News Corp's attempt to buy a majority share- or full ownership- of BskyB.
Blog post here.
A 'whistleblower' then leaked the full transcript to Robert Peston, who went public with it on his BBC blog.
On the one hand, you've got to admire Peston's journalistic integrity and devotion to exposing the truth.
On the other hand, what a fucking stupid cunt he is. At the end of his blog, Peston comments:
"Some will notice that when it comes to opposition to Mr Murdoch’s proposed takeover of Sky, there is a convergence of the Telegraph’s views and Mr Cable’s views."
Yes....with the views of everyone else in the country with a functioning brain. Murdoch is an implacable opponent of the BBC, he's a famous tax avoider (for clarification, that doesn't mean evader, just in case m'learned friends are reading), he's no fan of 'consolidation' in the media sector himself, apparently, and he's generally a nasty, pernicious old bastard.
The Lib Dems have essentially achieved fuck all in this coalition; now the one good thing they might have managed has probably been scuppered by a stupid-voiced twat riding on someone else's journalistic efforts and essentially stealing their story.
And while I'm on a Peston slagging tip, a friend once gave me 'Brown's Britain' and insisted I read it. Possibly the most recursive and tedious tome it has ever been my misfortune to have to struggle through.
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The issue with Murdoch, which you lot never understand, is…he makes products that everyone wants – Fox News, the most watched news channel in America, 20th Century Fox produces an endless list of not only hit shows, but good shows – Simpsons, 24, Family Guy, House and so on. No other TV maker comes close, and some, like ABC have close to Murdoch’s budget, they just aren’t as good at it.
ReplyDeleteIn the UK he owns the most read newspaper (the sun) and the Sky operation is the most successful pay-TV setup in Europe, going to some 8 million homes in the UK alone. His sponsorship of the Premier League has transformed British Football to being easily the best and most watched league in the world. The Times has actually lost money since 1980, but Murdoch keeps it afloat, and thus a number of good journalists in work.
So why do liberals hate him? The only completely unfair competition in the media market is from the BBC. Why isn’t liberal ire directed at their monopolistic practices?
His television operation in the UK is completely politically impartial – by law. Of course the same isn’t true of the print media, but the Independent or Guardian aren’t anymore impartial than the sun is, they are just less important because less people buy them.
In essence Liberals seem to loathe Murdoch, because, unlike them, he’s popular, and produces good stuff people want. Liberals would prefer us all to live in a grey society where the only channel is BBC 4, where football isn’t played (liberals mistrust working class crowds enjoying themselves, backed up by the fact only 5% of their voters in 2010 identified themselves as “working class”), where the only language taught in schools is French-Canadian and where history lessons are just a diatribe from beardy activists about the evils of everyone British ever, apart from Gladstone.
That you see, is why you don’t get Murdoch. He’s what a liberal can never be – tapped into popular culture rather than heading towards the dustbin of history for the second time in 80 years.
I see the Telegraph has run more stories of liberal ministers being bugged moaning about being in government and specifically moaning about policy, which makes me question….why are they in government then? Is it not the case that the Labour charge they sold out every principle to just get the ministerial car actually true? This lot appear to be the bunch of amateurs and beardy local activists with no understanding of leadership that they always appeared to be. Even Chatshow Charlie would have done a better job than this current shower of shit.
Drug dealers provide a service that people want, but that doesn't automatically make their business acceptable. For a start, like Murdoch, they don't tend to pay their taxes.
ReplyDeleteSo the Premier League is "easily the best and most watched league in the world" is it? It's watched by people who can afford £20+ a month for Sky Sports, £250+ a year for a season ticket, or £20-40 for a one-off match ticket. It's now a league where the best paid players earn in a week what someone on the minimum wage would earn in 10 years. Very egalitarian, and very decent of Mr Murdoch to pump all that money in, I daresay it'd be even more expensive otherwise.
As for the diatribe about the Lib-Dems....and? I'm not a member of the Liberal Democrat party. I should explain to first time readers of this blog (that is if I ever get any more first time readers :p ) that Nick is my friend in real life. He's apparently completely incapable of understanding that defining oneself as a liberal does not mean that you necessarily support or agree with the Liberal Democrat party in the UK (though I did vote for them in the 2010 election, my local candidate lost quite heavily to the labour candidate under our First Past The Post system, hence my vote made fuck all difference to anything).
Irrelevant quim dribble,
ReplyDeleteAnd don't lie, I've never met you.
So the Premier League is "easily the best and most watched league in the world" is it? It's watched by people who can afford £20+ a month for Sky Sports
ReplyDeleteSo yeah, that'll be just about everyone, and ask someone who actually knows about football - yes it is the best league in the world. No doubt without Murdoch money we'd still have one obviously, but would be little better than watching a Sunday side (or Liverpool) every week on every match.
Do like your comparison to drug dealers though.
ReplyDeleteSo what do you do Winston? "I supply crack outside school gates to kids".
And you Rupert "I supply 50 quality HD channels, the best football in the world, and produce not only the Simpsons, but Family Guy and 24".
Yes, a right cunt to be sure.