A couple of points are worrying me. Why have the police not been into all of News International’s offices, particularly its HQ, and removed all the hard drives, rather than waiting for News International voluntarily to sort through their own emails and hand over what they choose? This seems to me absolutely remarkable. The Met even raided Damian Green’s House of Commons office, but they treat News International precisely as though it were a foreign embassy with diplomatic immunity.
The second point is, how can Lord Macdonald – whom I have respected in the past – be acting as their lawyer now, when he was the Director of Public Prosecutions responsible for inaction on this some years past?
This scandal is fascinating because it has the potential to expose so many layers of the cosy corruption of the British establishment.
I think the most likely explanation is that the widespread penetration of voicemail accounts has compromised powerful people, so the police have been told to proceed very carefully, to give time for evidence to be destroyed.
We have no idea of the extent of this matter. Murdoch’s empire is international. As they’ve been doing this here, they’ve likely been doing it all over the world. The technique is simple, so it is likely that groups other than Murdoch’s empire have been doing exactly the same thing.
Shame on you Rebekah! The flame haired beauty is incommunicado.
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Another possible angle is that the trade wasn’t *just* money – but that info obtained illegally (and paid for by a third party) could have been very useful to police in otherwise legitimate investigations. So building up a mutually beneficial relationship based on both trust and fear. With those on the police side who received info that way now in senior positions.
Pete
Mary, you are right, I think she has suspended her FB account, not surprising really. I can see loads of people sending all kind of abusive messages to her (and she deserves them all). I was at the gym today, a young 16/17 years old was kick boxing, a kick..F Murdoch, a punch…F Brook, and on and on it went. It warmed my heart to see someone as young as him actually cared.
The beloved writer and dramatist Dennis Potter loathed Murdoch for what he had destroyed. He called his cancer ‘Rupert’. He predicted that there would be this monster controlling our media and hence the minds of the people.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnVrK38xI-A A segment of a long interview
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I thought of Dennis this year when the blossom was out and so beautiful and splendid.
Vince reads Dennis Potter: “Seeing the Blossom”
{http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wf22FxGxn4&feature=related}
Hi,
Has anyone noticed how none of the main broadcast hacks are calling what Coulson did, the main that our Prime Minister employed and didn’t want to resign, as plain corrupt criminal BRIBARY.
Why!
Why are our broadcast journalists continuing, bar c4, to largely be spoon-fed the story?
Kind regards,
MN
According to testimony Rebekah Wade (now Brooks) gave to a parliamentary select committee in 2003 (when she was editor of The Sun) that her newspaper often paid the police for information.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2044608-2,00.html
So i’d guess that maybe other News International owned tabloids might have done something similar? That’d explain why the police have sent them polite letters asking if they have any evidence they’d like to hand over that incriminates them, rather than raiding thier offices.
A former head of the Metropolitan Police also got a column in the News of the World when he retired.
So it looks like the police have been allowing evidence to be destroyed so their own involvement is less likely to come up
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/apr/04/police-ignored-news-world-evidence
“Has anyone noticed how none of the main broadcast hacks are calling what Coulson did, the main that our Prime Minister employed and didn’t want to resign, as plain corrupt criminal BRIBERY. Why!” Methuselah Now
Rhetorical question, I realise. Of course, as you’ll know, the answer is: Because to admit that top British officials take bribes and lie and cheat and screw us all from every angle, to say in so many words (and words are crucial) that those cadres who rule us are systemically cancerous, would destroy the illusion of governance that allows them to justify their continued (and unjustifiable) rule over a nation they view as subjects.
Thanks, Mary, indeed, Dennis Potter was superb – that last interview, when he was dying, was shudderingly powerful. A hugely talented writer and a real human being.
Hi,
Suhayl, too true.
Mary thanks, just as I was thinking, I wish someone had the balls to broadcast that on the main channels.
In their pig-headed arrogance, Murdoch and Brooks don’t seem to realise that they can “not resign” for as long as they want, but as the various cases hit the courts, Inc. Galloways and the contradictions appear, as they already have with Coulson in Tommy Sheridens trial, Brooks, if the police straighten up, will end up in prison, just as Goodmen did.
Put her up in front of a jury, and as with those politicians who the cps actually bothered to charge, and who would find her innocent.
Kind regards,
MN
Absolutely right Craig.
The Met are far too deeply involved in all this to investigate it now.
We need an independent force to investigate it – preferably a Scottish one with fewer Westminster ties.
Hi,
Sorry for the mess here, it’s a cut & paste from previous writing, months back:
At the moment, the Tory party, news Corp. and the BBC (+ sky/itv being
fed what the law is from vested interests (as if the law alone matters
– as if news Corp. would dare sue and succeed when politicians have
actual power, Inc. just to delay)) are succeeding in saying the bskyb
takeover issue is unrelated, when after takeover the same people will
be in charge – actually the newspaper people.
Previously, ofcom has repeatedly allowed newscorp./bskyb to get away
with anything, ondigital, setanta, working to undermine freeview and
virgin media, at every point, they have zero tolerance to competition
or fair open markets or fairness, and stub out any potential
counter-force however early in it’s life (inc. politicians)
It’s the same corporate ethos, and few seem to be commenting on
that, from the founder down, just as with Enron, with all the
newspapers and other assets he’s bought and promises for 4 decades
broken – the memo’s from Roger ailes and other exec.s, et al…..
When other people mess up, the tabloids and
politicians (hand in glove, and given columns – a pm writing a column
in a tabloid!) can’t help themselves in labelling and demanding the immediate
sacking (without knowing all the facts) publicly when individuals are caught in a maelstrom.
History:
http://www.tvlicensing.biz/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2885
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1194240&page=7
Posts 166 (penultimate section before sign-off), 172, 177 (page 8).
http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/david-elstein/ofcom-pay-tv-review-what-does-it-really-mean
————————————————————————————–
Systematic.
Institutional.
In this, you have the potential of a story
approaching mp’s expenses.
http://liberalconspiracy.org/2010/09/03/what-would-the-met-get-for-not-pursuing-notw-phone-hacking/
http://www.bloggerheads.com/archives/2010/12/andy-coulson-andy-hayman/
The narrative/spin of News International doing everything to root the
problem out, which they innocently knew nothing of, is an angle that
would only be put forward by a puppet being fed.
….And then to miss the explicit link between Andy Gray, Hunt/the
bskyb takeover……..
All for show
—————————————————————-
Also, the interplay, column writing work, feeding terrorist
fear/propaganda, blunkett and hayman, Jackie smith, Alistair
campbell’s dirty/bloody hands throughout the last 15 years now trying
to diffuse, as with max clifford who took his own hush-money (and now defending brooks), the beckham kidnap story with the newspaper being at the raid,
the arrogance/power to uninviting sir Alan Sugar at a party where so
many of our politicians and news Corp.’s competitors were at, et
al……….inc. Kier starmer/the cps cooperating and indulging news
Corp.
It is insipid throughout.
So many of the commentators, and reporters in this story, are themselves implicated one way or another.
Kind regards,
MN
PS.
Gawker has a great archive of News Corp/Murdoch stories, just search fir the relevant terms Inc. Fox Roger ailes new York post etc…..
Same story – different country – and he had acted as lead defence counsel against a group that sought to overthrow the government then turned around and became AG to prosecute them. Welcome to the club.
http://guardian.co.tt/news/2011/02/20/move-acib-under-ag-s-office
Hi,
2 things:
Tesco is the most powerful company in the uk, if it decided to stop selling the papers in it’s shops and advertising in ALL of its outlets (Inc. poss. Sky tv)………..,
Why aren’t the police using anti-terrorist laws like they have on many Muslims, protectors and MP’s themselves, and the Murdoch media encouraged, to mass seize all their hard drives.
Rancid corrosive absolute corruption
+ if he was doing it in the uk, and some of the other unethical things murdochs been ultimately responsible, Inc. dealing with competitors and elected, but not supine politicians, what’s to say the same hadn’t happened in his other global outposts…………
http://mobile.slate.com/rss.jsp?rssid=411&item=http%3a%2f%2fwww.slate.com%2fdefault.aspx%3fdisplaymode%3d201%26id%3d2167464%26device%3drss
Kind regards,
MN
Ps.
Please read the above Thoic links, they are true, I was into that scene then.
“Why aren’t the police using anti-terrorist laws like they have on many Muslims, protectors and MP’s themselves, and the Murdoch media encouraged, to mass seize all their hard drives.” Methuselah Now.
Precisely. The term, ‘Augean Stables’ comes to mind. Now, where is the river?
so lets sum this up before our so,ldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq are getting mightily pissedd off with having their dead buddies phones hacked for red rag purposes.
Murdoch’s empire is eeemingly build on accessing powerfull and popular peoples phone’s, as do the MI’s. He uses these comms to manipulate elections and, most likely, commercial rivals.
This case is rapidly becoming a global scandal and i would not be surprised if the Chinese are starting to investigate the legalities that surrounded Star TV.
The media and those involved in flogging off our assets are desperate to not involve Coulson and the take over of BSKYB in this scandal, they are all running around like headless chickens now.
I think the European courts should get their hands on this affair, they have had many encounters with Ruperts lawyers over the past and would dearly love to investigate this sham.
But listening to Dumbledor Boris this morning, bumbling on about nothing is serious and we can sort this out with an inquiery blahblah, we’ve heard it all before.
And what off Clegg and Cable and the Lib Dems hanging in for dear life, how much of a hint with a fencepost do they need to get behind the ears? Hacking has infiltrated all sorts of people now and he must have had more than just one journalist/PI doing it.
general election in autumn? will Milliband have to befriend snoop Rupert to ‘win it’?
Stop all this talk of ‘enquiries’. That is just what these politicians, police and hacks corrupted by Murdoch would like to happen. Very simililar to the Hutton and Chilcot theatricals which have allowed the actual criminals to escape justice. Kick the ball into the long grass where it is lost for ever and slowly perishes out of sight.
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BRING CHARGES NOW.
“Why have the police not been into all of News International’s offices, particularly its HQ, and removed all the hard drives, rather than waiting for News International voluntarily to sort through their own emails and hand over what they choose?”
I suppose we’ll all be discussing the doctrine of omnia praesumuntur contra spoliatorem, chimney sweeps and the boarding of Ophelia.
Rock on Mary, the lot needs arresting on the spot and News International shut down for reasons of sabotaging our effort in Afghanistan.
Their alledged practise of hacking into dead comrades/their families phones, will seriously undermine the moral of troops, they will be absolutely livid and in situations were loosing focus can costs your live, when in the afternoon heat thoughts stray and soldiers think about their fallen mates, these revellations do not help at all.
Who were these other 37 newspapers buting hacked comms? Who in East Anglia would have wanted to buy info about the Soham Murders from some private Dick? Newspapers should come clear, if that term can be used at all in this scandal, they should owe up and apologise for their lazy journalism and cunning guile. Would Archant ever purchase such or any other hacked information? what do you think Craig?
Steve Richards: “Politicians are finally free from Murdoch’s tyranny”
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/steve-richards/steve-richards-politicians-are-finally-free-from-murdochs-tyranny-2307925.html
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“Panic in No 10 as the decision day for BSkyB takeover bid looms”
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/panic-in-no-10-as-the-decision-day-for-bskyb-takeover-bid-looms-2308180.html
At Avaaz, 127,282 emails sent. 100,289 sent in two days.
http://www.avaaz.org/en/murdoch_messages_2/
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“The decision of major companies, including Ford, Virgin Holidays and Lloyds to cancel, suspend or reconsider advertising contracts could potentially hurt the News of the World long before any public inquiry opens.
.
“Not that it was all the companies’ own idea: the message came loud and clear through the social media that they could face a boycott of their own from customer-power. Self-interest, as so often, is at the heart of it.”
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-reader-power-2307919.html
I hope nobody here is falling for that crap by Steve Richards in the very soft liberal and derelict ‘Independent’.
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Medialens –
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“a press culture with an admirable reputation for speaking truth to power”
Posted by gabriele on July 7, 2011, 10:40 am
Britain has a long tradition of highly competitive, lively and responsible newspapers. It is a tradition which attracts envy from many parts of the world and has fostered a press culture with an admirable reputation for speaking truth to power.
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Link: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-condemnation-is-too-wide-ndash-not-all-newspapers-are-like-this-2307920.html
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Re: “a press culture with an admirable reputation for speaking truth to power”
Posted by finn mccool on July 7, 2011, 11:00 am, in reply to “”a press culture with an admirable reputation for speaking truth to power””
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“Speaking truth to power” – the most irritating saying ever invented by man in any language. It’s moronic, pretentious, and drippingly pathetic in just the right proportions. There’s should be penalty for people caught using it. Something serious and painful.
::::
‘Britain still has a free, independent and ethical press’
Posted by The Editors on July 7, 2011, 11:49 am, in reply to “”a press culture with an admirable reputation for speaking truth to power””
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Really? So, independent of news owners’ interests, the lifeblood of advertising revenues and the reliance on ‘trusted’ sources of news in government and corporations? Free of the fear of flak if they upset the wrong (powerful) interests? Free of the doctrine that says the West is basically benevolent?
What a joke.
Eds
::::
Cripes, I hadn’t read this yesterday:
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“As editor of the News of the World Rebekah Brooks was confronted with evidence that her paper’s resources had been used on behalf of two murder suspects to spy on the senior detective who was investigating their alleged crime …”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/06/news-of-the-world-rebekah-brooks
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“Cook and his wife are believed to be preparing a legal action against the News of the World, Marunchak, Miskiw and Mulcaire. Operation Weeting is also understood to be investigating.”
Off topic: the US drops 100 cases of alleged torture:
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http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/us-must-reconsider-closure-cia-torture-cases-2011-07-01
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And one former interrogator describes his work:
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“And yes, I at first accepted my training: that psychological dislocation induced cooperation, and would not be lasting or severe, therefore could be acceptable in certain circumstances. I came quickly to conclude that this was founded on erroneous conclusions — nonsense, actually — about human psyche and motivation. [It] did not work, was counterproductive and was, simply, wrong in every way. So, I came to oppose it.”
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http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/07/am-i-a-torturer/all/1
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Finally, a US joke, but easily adaptable to the UK:
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A school teacher, a Tea Partier, and a CEO are sitting at a table. In the middle of the table is a plate with a dozen cookies on it. The CEO takes 11 cookies, then looks at the Tea Partier and says, “Watch out for that teacher — she wants a piece of your cookie!”
Craig
“they treat News International precisely as though it were a foreign embassy with diplomatic immunity”
*
News International are much more powerful and dangerous than almost all foreigh embassies (apart perhaps from USA, Israel and maybe China).
*
NI appear to have impunity as well as immunity.
Cameron is at this moment hosting a ceremony at No 10 to award medals to the police. The ceremony and the reception is sponsored by the Sun. Enough said.
dreolin they had the chance of escaping the tyrrany of the bankers and passed it up, they’ll join together in common purpose to save the status quo, with a token sacrifice. When really there ought to be a jury directed public enquiry to get the full facts into the public domain. Buy whitewash futures
So, we’ve got senior figures in the media, police and Government who are all implicated, some only by association, in the phone hacking scandal — basically, as Craig says, a fair chunk of the UK Establishment.
Does anyone seriously expect a proper inquiry into the ties of corruption that link this tawdry triumvirate?
There will be one or two sacrificial “lambs” thrown to the pack (certainly Coulson) and then it’ll be business as usual. The next big celebrity sex scandal, and the Murdoch rags will be back on everyone’s breakfast tables.
How I Exposed Hacking
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14052690
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Good on Hugh Grant here. Look at the seedy creature from the NoTW.
“That man Murdoch is the one who if I had the time, I’ve got too much writing to do and I haven’t got the energy, but I would shoot the bugger if I could.”
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“There is no one person more responsible for the pollution of what was already a fairly polluted press and the pollution of the British press is an important part of the pollution of British political life and is an important part of the cynicism and misperception of our own realities that is destroying so much of our political discourse…”
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“and that is what its done, that is what is happening-and look at this happening to the BBC, look at this happening to television in general, look who owns it.”
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Dennis Potter – Last interview with Melvyn Bragg 1994