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<blockquote data-quote="wolsty" data-source="post: 3023" data-attributes="member: 175166">I don't attribute any anthropomorphic characteristics to Murdoch's corporation, Rolf, just to the man himself.&nbsp; He has a very 'hands-on' management style and his employees, when told to jump may, if they're very bold, have the temerity to ask how high.&nbsp; His record shows that he sacks those people who disagree with him and is not above a bit of nepotism when it comes to appointing family members to run his subsidiaries.Make no mistake, Murdoch's courtship of the Thatcher Government and, more lately, Blair's supine sycophants demonstrate that he's in the business for more than just money.&nbsp; Just ask yourself why he's recently stated that he intends to use his newspaper empire to oppose Britain's joining the Euro.And as for monopolies!&nbsp; What about the Murdoch companies' new stake in terrestrial digital tv and the agreement on broadcast rights for League football?&nbsp; And then there's the rest of Europe.&nbsp; Will, as seems likely, Canal+ be his next victim?You're right about the man in the street, though.&nbsp; And that's why we ought to be seriously concerned about the prospect of the dissemination of information being in the hands of one man, one family or even one corpporation.&nbsp; History is littered with examples of the misery caused by tyrants, politicans, press barons, religious leaders and the like, who have sought to control what 'the masses' see, hear and, ultimately, think.&nbsp; &nbsp; I may be paranoid, but that doesn't mean that they're not out to get me!&nbsp; Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom; if we go the way of the man on the Clapham Omnibus, we'll wake up one morning really believing that Murdoch has our best interests at heart - or even that a Big Mac is a wholesome meal.&nbsp; By comparison to which, Orwell's vision of a totalitarian society will appear very attractive.I'm off to France at the end of next week.&nbsp; Almost four weeks of eating and drinking too much but, more importantly, no television, no newspapers and no radio.&nbsp; Perhaps I'll return with a less jaundiced view.&nbsp; But I doubt it.wolsty:+</blockquote>

[QUOTE="wolsty, post: 3023, member: 175166"] I don't attribute any anthropomorphic characteristics to Murdoch's corporation, Rolf, just to the man himself. He has a very 'hands-on' management style and his employees, when told to jump may, if they're very bold, have the temerity to ask how high. His record shows that he sacks those people who disagree with him and is not above a bit of nepotism when it comes to appointing family members to run his subsidiaries. Make no mistake, Murdoch's courtship of the Thatcher Government and, more lately, Blair's supine sycophants demonstrate that he's in the business for more than just money. Just ask yourself why he's recently stated that he intends to use his newspaper empire to oppose Britain's joining the Euro. And as for monopolies! What about the Murdoch companies' new stake in terrestrial digital tv and the agreement on broadcast rights for League football? And then there's the rest of Europe. Will, as seems likely, Canal+ be his next victim? You're right about the man in the street, though. And that's why we ought to be seriously concerned about the prospect of the dissemination of information being in the hands of one man, one family or even one corpporation. History is littered with examples of the misery caused by tyrants, politicans, press barons, religious leaders and the like, who have sought to control what 'the masses' see, hear and, ultimately, think. I may be paranoid, but that doesn't mean that they're not out to get me! Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom; if we go the way of the man on the Clapham Omnibus, we'll wake up one morning really believing that Murdoch has our best interests at heart - or even that a Big Mac is a wholesome meal. By comparison to which, Orwell's vision of a totalitarian society will appear very attractive. I'm off to France at the end of next week. Almost four weeks of eating and drinking too much but, more importantly, no television, no newspapers and no radio. Perhaps I'll return with a less jaundiced view. But I doubt it. wolsty :+ [/QUOTE]

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