Murdochgate = Watergate?

The Guardian's John Harris has written an article looking at how Murdochgate has unmasked the UK's political elite and how it will affect civil society in the future. I highly recommend you read this.

As the title implies I want to look at his allusion to Watergate at the end impacts things. First of all I want to direct you to a piece Noam Chomsky wrote in 1973, when admittedly the Watergate scandal had been running a bit longer (but then again info moves much faster now) but it is still very much a contemporary assessment. While Chomsky doesn't specifically predict the moral majority and Reagan, which Harris highlights as a key outcome of Watergate, he does accurately predict an increase and entrenchment of executive power over other branches of the US government.

There are also strong elements of Chomsky's main criticism, that Nixon was punished not for wrongdoing but for breaking the rules. For upsetting the cosy elite. In a similar sense Murdoch is receiving so much criticism because he used his influence to sway the political parties to do his will. This is not right, the press exists to influence the masses, to manufacture consent on issues the elite have already agreed upon. Even then it was only the revelations such as those about Milly Dowler that gave politicians enough cover to act in their own interests and take down Murdoch. Indeed Murdoch's strong connections to the elite before the past two weeks and even now is not a particularly large issue, other media groups seem to tacitly accept that influence and connection to the rich and powerful is a good thing, they were more jealous that they didn't hold as much power as Murdoch than worried about such close links between power and the fourth estate.

Finally to quote a paragraph of Chomsky's:

"Still more cynical is the current enthusiasm [from the media] over the health of the American political system, as shown by the curbing of Nixon and his subordinates, or by the civilized compromise that permitted Nixon and Kissinger to kill Cambodians and destroy their land only until August 15, truly a model of how a democracy should function, with no disorder or ugly disruption."

We are seeing a similar compartmentalisation of Murdoch's wrongdoing here, it is a British problem, it is a problem only with his papers, the TV arms of News Corporation in the UK and US is seperate and shouldn't be blamed. Close ties to a media oligarch by politicians in both main parties are seen as a sign of shame but not an indictment of the British political system as a whole.

The myth is still being maintained that this is a scandal that can be dealt with by the political class even though it is the creation of the political class. Removing Murdoch's influence removes an especially egregious symptom but it certainly does not cure the disease.

News Corp corruption news!

(almost a palindrome)

A couple of stories worth pointing out:

The former executive editor of the News of the World was arrested today. Oh and he happened to be a consultant hired by the Metropolitan police to advise the Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner John Yates, the officer in charge of investigating phone hacking. Oh and he just happened to be advising them on "stuff" over the period back in 2009 when the Met decided there was no need to investigate phone hacking further.

All perfectly innocent I'm sure.

Secondly Rupert Murdoch gave the American Chamber of Commerce $1 million to lobby to weaken the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the very act he may now be charged under over events in the UK. Theres also a picture of Elliot Spitzer because it is all but inevitable he is going to try to link his own downfall with other invasions of privacy of the rich and powerful probably as a springboard back into politics. After his shameful defence of the IDF's illegal boarding of a ship in international waters and the murder of nine passengers I can't say I view that as a good thing.

Oh just noticed this on the live stream from the Guardian (where else?) and it is probably worth pasting:

PA has published a list of the menbers of the Commons culture media and sport committee who will grill Rupert and James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks at next Tuesday's hearing:

• Chairman John Whittingdale is a senior backbench Conservative. He quit his job in the City to work as an adviser to Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.

• Tom Watson, Labour, took News International's Sun newspaper to court and won after it ran stories claiming he had been involved in a campaign to smear the Tories.

• Louise Mensch, Conservative, a "chick-lit" novelist, claims she has been "threatened" before by a national newspaper journalist.

• Philip Davies, Conservative, is a rebellious backbencher who is outspoken on crime and immigration.

• Therese Coffey, Conservative, was finance director for Mars Drinks UK before being elected last year.

• Damian Collins, Conservative, worked at Saatchi advertising before setting up his own marketing firm.

• Paul Farrelly, Labour, admitted last year he "wrestled" a man to the floor in a Commons bar "entirely in self-defence".

• Alan Keen, Labour Co-operative, is chairman of the All Party parliamentary football group and once worked as a tactical scout for Middlesbrough football club.

• Adrian Sanders, Liberal Democrat, is a keen campaigner on animal welfare issues.

• Jim Sheridan, Labour, a former trade union convener and chairman of the All Party parliamentary Scottish football group.

The Guardian reviews the Metropolitan Police's position.

I was somewhat unsure what was happening regarding the Home Affairs Committee interviewing four senior police officers yesterday. The Guardian has clarified things somewhat.

For reference those police officers were: Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner John Yates, Peter Clarke; a retired Deputy Assistant Commissioner with the Metropolitan Police, Andy Hayman; a retired Assistant Commissioner with the Metropolitan Police and Deputy Assistant Commissioner Sue Akers, currently heading Operation Weeting, the ongoing investigation into phone hacking by the News of the World.

Nick Davies who is one of the main Guardian journalists behind their investigation into phone hacking has made a video summing up what happened.

Meanwhile Simon Hoggart further puts the boot in for Andy Hayman.

However it is worth bearing in mind that the man heading up the Home Affairs Committee, Keith Vaz has a fair amount of association with corruption himself.

Sir Hugh Order of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), which in spite of its' name is a wholly private company with no attachment to the state, has also criticised Mr Hayman. One has to assume Sir Hugh and ACPO are bristling at someone else horning in on their undermining people's privacy. and example two

But hey in the midst of all this at least our noble law enforcers are marching against deep cuts to public services. So at least in this we can stand in solidarity with these peo-

We accept that cuts have to be made but we ask that the government acknowledges our unique status.

Oh. So cuts to public services in general are fine, just not to their wages. What a fine bunch the British police are.

Good news from Arizona.

Well maybe anyway, dictatorships don't tend to fall apart just because a couple of the inner circle go away. I'm getting ahead of myself, two key members of Sheriff Joe Arpaio's regime have been forced to resign due to some internal politicking. Any set backs for the most prominent dictatorship within the continental US is a good thing though surely?

"To wit, damaging a truncheon."

Alife Meadows, a student who was beaten up by the police to the extent he needed brain surgery has been charged with violent disorder by the police.

LENIN'S TOMB summarises it better than I could. Its a fucking farce the amount of deference and respect the Police are given.

Phone Hacking Update!

Hot news, when Rebecca Brooks told a select committee that reporters for The Sun paid police officers for information, she didn't mean reporters for The Sun paid police officers for information.

Consider the matter cleared up!

Well actually to quote her:

If, in doing so, I gave the impression that I had knowledge of any specific cases, I can assure you that this was not my intention.

Which is, I suppose, very likely to be true even if not in the way the statement means it.

Britain is also not a democracy

Rupert Murdoch's Sunday newspaper The News of the World (a publication that challenges the World Series for the narrowest interpretation of "world") has been caught red handed hacking people's phones and has issued a public apology and offered payoffs specifically to those there is incontrovertible proof they hacked.

There are plenty of others with good cases and even some of those who've been offered bribes, including a Labour MP and former minister (political office, not God botherer), who may well not go for the deal. Indeed it seems the storm isn't breaking for News Corporation in the UK quite yet.

James Murdoch's elevation to No.3 in the hierarchy is interesting given the TV debates for the leaders of the three main parties before the election last year were his idea. The debates elevated Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats, to an eminently popular figure and wholly undermined what had until then appeared to be an unopposed victory march for Murdoch vassal and friend of Rebekah Brooks; David Cameron. Sure the post debate surge didn't hold for the Lib Dems and the parliamentary party ended up merrily siding with the Conservatives to form a coalition government, betraying their grass roots and nearly everyone who'd voted for them at the first whiff of power but this was still a set back for the Conservatives and their patron Murdoch.

So why was he promoted? Well its difficult to choose a Mafia or Monarchy metaphor (hell they're both feudal dictatorships anyway) but essentially ol' Rupert has decided blood is thicker than water and getting his son to safety in a new country and new job, a new job that gives him considerable power over those who might reveal his misdeeds to British authorities, matters more than punishing him for accidentally allowing British politics to be opened up somewhat. Rebekah Brooks, renowned enforcer for the Murdoch family in the UK as the above article suggests, has not been given such a courtesy.

She may not be family but its hard to say she is any less influential and valuable to News Corp than James and indeed the pair were joined at the hip... even at less auspicious moments. Standing by the heir apparent during his fuckup garners no favours it seems.

News Corporation internal politics matter here because a king rushing his son out of his fiefdom does not imply supreme confidence the law can once again be ridden rough shod over. The reason for this seems to be the light of scrutiny. As is common with media magnates News Corporation has enjoyed considerable secrecy regarding its' affairs because of their power to set the agenda and its' general influence over media organisations. A line editor might want to work for a Murdoch paper, a reporter needs to keep their contacts and so on. The Phone Hacking controversy, at least to begin with, was a typical example of this.

A Charlie Brooker editorial from last September highlights this. While at that point the controversy had been rumbling on for a few months already coverage was muted and non-existent even in some non-Murdoch outlets. (Its still not worthy of attention in Murdoch outlets, my parents subscribe to The Times and in spite of the unprecedented Mea Culpa in the News of the World today there isn't a single mention of the story in The Times today). Coincidentally thats why I'm linking The Guardian so much here, they've just covered the issue more than most.

But it kept grinding on and because it affected MPs parliament kept on at it and slowly but surely its forced things out into the spotlight and this nullifies a lot of Murdoch's usual advantages. As the article points out the Metropolitan Police, who Brooks admits to giving payment, have thus far been wonderfully helpful to News Corp doing lax investigations that were sadly unable to turn up evidence that has now been admitted in the News of the World Mea Culpa. Going further back the Met and the News of the World have worked very closely together and with all that cooperation the Police gave one has to suspect that an understanding ear was given to any issues or problems the Met had regarding other news stories.

Now of course while having to face the select committee several times and public scrutiny increasing suddenly the Police are leaping into action. This will probably continue, with angry politicians and increasing public awareness they'll likely be forced to do their job for fear of facing actual punishment for their corrupt links to Murdoch.

Similarly the tremendous political influence Murdoch enjoys could be coming to bite him in the ass. Former prime minister Gordon Brown suspected he'd been hacked but failed to listen to a friendly warning from Rupert and lo and behold Murdoch switched his support to the Tories in the last election. Cameron was so "grateful" he even took on a Murdoch agent as his press secretary. Andy Coulson (the basis for "the fucker" Thick of it fans) who was an early sacrificial lamb to try and placate those who'd been hacked. With increasing unpopularity and general public unhappiness with Cameron allowing Murdoch to gain an increasing hold over the British media it is likely the conservatives, while in no way aiding the investigation, will be unable to do much to obstruct it either.

Thus it would seem News Corporation be in a fair bit of trouble in the UK at the minute with maybe even the potential for his BskyB deal to founder. This is however very much the stars coming into alignment and in the long term isn't likely a huge set back. Even if Rebekah Brooks is hung out to dry it will likely entail her being sacked and facing no criminal penalty. Then if she can survive the 6 months without a job without a heart attack or aneurysm she'll be parachuted into another powerful well paid position somewhere else in Murdoch's global empire. The elite know to look after loyal vassals, its simply a good investment.

Also in the wider world Murdoch's power is still doing just fine. There apparently exists on tape proof Fox News CEO Roger Ailes ordered a subordinate to lie to a criminal investigation. A felony. But of course this isn't getting any attention at all. Oh and not a particularly recent development but I did learn not too long ago that former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar is now a serving member of the News Corporation board of directors.

This investigation if anything just goes to show the tremendous power of the Murdoch family.

A shadowy group offers the UK govt £5 billion and a Tory Lord admits to the house he laundered lots of money for the IRA but this is not news.

Credit to Jonny on this one, he caught it on Reddit and then fact checked it on Hansard (the British government's official records).

The title is not hyperbole, the source of this stunning revelation is a tiny blog: http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2010/11/conspiracy-theories.html and the relevant corroboration by hansard can be found here. I highly recommend you read this stuff but I'll give you a taster quote just in case you're too lazy to click links:

Lord James of Blackheath: Not into my pocket. My biggest terrorist client was the IRA and I am pleased to say that I managed to write off more than £1 billion of its money. I have also had extensive connections with north African terrorists, but that was of a far nastier nature, and I do not want to talk about that because it is still a security issue. I hasten to add that it is no good getting the police in, because I shall immediately call the Bank of England as my defence witness, given that it put me in to deal with these problems.

All credit to Charlie Stross for finding this out. Its good that hes getting a lot of traffic from Reddit but jeez its scary the mainstream media aren't covering this at all.

Britain's biggest Supermarket in huge property scam.

Sadly the only one who is running this story at the minute is Murdoch's rag The Times so unless you're a paying member of their site (or have parents who refuse to end their subscription) you wont see this story at the minute. The best I can do is a retail news site linking to the story.

In essence what has happened is that Tesco used a front company to buy up a city centre, deliberately ran it down, forced potential rivals out of business etc and then won the regeneration contract to repair all the damage they inflicted. Fans of The Wire or The Sopranos may find this story somewhat familiar.

If this story goes anywhere I'll keep you updated.

Russia outlaws all dissent.

The future intention to commit a crime is now a crime in Russia. Anything to stop people getting uppity about rights or massive corruption I suppose.

But really, those who have no intention to commit a crime, in the eyes of a security officer, have nothing to fear.

Greek Journalist investigating corruption killed by professional hit team.

BBC give details here. The odd thing is that US news sources are blaming anti-government terrorist group "Sect of Revolutionaries" see here and here whereas the BBC and other British news sources state the Police don't think terrorists were involved. It would be a bit strange for "Sect of Revolutionaries" to kill this journalist because their core aims are stated to be fighting corruption.

Oddly those two I linked seem to be from the same source (most published news these days is just slightly altered news agency releases) and were updated longer ago than the BBC release. Its odd if the US is trying to tar left wing groups so blatantly but still, something to ponder on.

Oprah hates disabled people

http://www.oprahhatesdisabledpeople.com/

So yeah a white woman got boosted over the second place black woman and a disabled guy who was way out in the lead suddenly lost millions of votes, just a coincidence I'm sure.

Cops perform freelance undercover operations or "crimes".

Very much a twofer this one with examples of police crimes big and relatively small.

On the big side of things the former head of Interpol (the organisation not the band) has been convicted of accepting bribes from a drug dealer. This was a strictly South African legal case but given interpol is one of the key agencies fighthing the "war on drugs" because a supranational entity is required to fight the drug trade, which by its' very nature is international, one has to wonder if they are also corrupt, drug organisations tend to be very rich after all.

Nonetheless even without such speculation the case leads to some very unpleasant questions for South Africa with facts such as:

Vusi Pikoli, the former chief prosecutor, lost his job for charging Selebi.

and

"And here was someone who was very high, very close to the top, also at the time [very close] to the former president of this country [Thabo Mbeki]."

In a somewhat smaller case a number of Miami Police officers and an FBI agent decided to cut out the middle man and commit crimes themselves. While not specifically abusing their positions they knowingly committed fraud via straw buyers to gain fraudulent mortgages to "flip" houses so their value increased and they made a profit off of their fraudulently acquired properties.

They were in league with a prominent local lawyer, Steven Stoll, a high profile Republican in the area:

Steven Stoll and wife Rebecca are well known in Republican and philanthropic circles in Broward.

Stoll let Republican activists use his mortgage company office to phone bank for Republican candidates, and the Stolls sometimes attended fundraisers, said Bob Wolfe, a Broward Republican activist.

Stoll was one of the lawyers who fought with Broward's canvassing board about the 2000 presidential recount.

So one of the guys who opposed the recount and thus helped Bush steal the 2000 election also committed millions of dollars worth of fraud. Still I suppose it does show Republicans work better with the police.

Judge completely in Big Oil's pocket

Yesterday I mentioned the pro-BP legal decision made by a New Orleans judge. I mentioned it as another example of corporations running the world and hey turns out that judge, Martin Feldmen, is heavily invested a variety of oil companies. Something of a mild conflict of interests.