News of the world shuts down

[Don Rumata]

If the tinfoil hat wearers are right and news corp uses this kind of dirt digging primarily to control politicians and the police, and secondarily to sell newspapers, then a lot. But, you know, tinfoil.

For "regular" NewsCorp investors (like Prince Al-Walled bin Talal), it is might be just about selling newspapers. But for Murdoch, it is absolutely about the control of politicians. Just look in US, half of the Republican "candidates" for presidents are/were paid employees of FOX! (Huckabee, Gingrich, Palin, Trump). You do not need any tinfoil, it's right there in the open.

[TheManFromDelmonte]

For "regular" NewsCorp investors (like Prince Al-Walled bin Talal), it is might be just about selling newspapers. But for Murdoch, it is absolutely about the control of politicians. Just look in US, half of the Republican "candidates" for presidents are/were paid employees of FOX! (Huckabee, Gingrich, Palin, Trump). You do not need any tinfoil, it's right there in the open.

There is a big (and legal) difference between paying politicians for work / sending your journalists to tea party meetings and blackmailing politicians and the police with illegally gathered information.

Edit: I mean would be. If it had happened.

[Don Rumata]

There is a big (and legal) difference between paying politicians for work

I though the very definition of "corruption" is paying politicians to advance your own interests, no? I was under impression that politicians supposed to represent the people, not the media barons with Australian accents?

This is exactly what Murdoch is trying to accomplish, having politicians openly on a payroll as a new "norm".

[Pattern]

@NewStatesman - BREAKING Sir Paul Stephenson, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, has resigned - multiple sources are reporting.

[Malcanis]

@NewStatesman - BREAKING Sir Paul Stephenson, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, has resigned - multiple sources are reporting.

Dunno how to embed here but w/e: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY0WxgSXdEE

[Dirk]

Man, fuck knows just how terrible what actually happened was. All I know is that this has the greatest potential for widescale drama, :tinfoil: and that we've seen for quite some time here in the UK. Best to sit back and enjoy the ride

[elmicker]

You really believe that?

Why wouldn't you? It's an international law even the US has been signatory to for 50 years. Besides, what would the US have to gain in breaking from decades of international convention and trying to protect James Murdoch? He's a british citizen whose crimes have, thus far, been committed within british companies on british soil, and are only an issue in the british media. The worst case scenario for the US, at the moment, is the scandal erupting big style over there. The easiest way to make that happen would be to become involved, for example, by trying to protect one of the Murdochs.

@NewStatesman - BREAKING Sir Paul Stephenson, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, has resigned - multiple sources are reporting.

Good. He should never have got the job anyway. To his credit, though, he's done it right. Instead of spending days trying to argue his innocence in his particular bit of the scandal (20 free days at a luxury spa which happened to be employing a news international guy as PR exec, who he was also employing at the same time in a similar role at the same time as investigating NI), he's accepted that even if he was innocent, the failure to recognise the potential scandal, and his upcoming involvement in the investigation is grounds for resignation.

Bring on Hugh.

[Aurora148]

Hopefully Cameron will also be taken by this then we can have Prime Minister BORIS

MAKE IT SO

[Malcanis]

Man, fuck knows just how terrible what actually happened was. All I know is that this has the greatest potential for widescale drama, :tinfoil: and that we've seen for quite some time here in the UK. Best to sit back and enjoy the ride

The last thing that was this good was the expenses scandal

Oh man that was priceless, I enjoyed that, and this looks like it could be shaping up to be better.

[Don Rumata]

The last thing that was this good was the expenses scandal

Oh man that was priceless, I enjoyed that, and this looks like it could be shaping up to be better.

This is bigger than expense scandal, general public more or less expects politicians to do that sort of stuff. But this goes to the very heart of power and influence. There is much more going on behind the scenes, stuff that public does not see. Murdoch was a big-time powerbroker in US/UK politics for decades, now he is going down. Combine this with current clusterfuck in Republican Party currently in US, and you have world-wide crisis in the establishement. This has massive implications.

[Rodj Blake]

Hopefully Cameron will also be taken by this then we can have Prime Minister BORIS

MAKE IT SO

Boris isn't even an MP.

We'd probably end up with Hague.



IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?

[evil edna]

i wouldnt mind too much actually, i think hague is alright

[Warpath]

i wouldnt mind too much actually, i think hague is alright

Probably more in touch with the real world than Cameron, except when he went through the baseball cap wearing phase...

[El Capitano]

We've only got five minutes to save the pound!

[Warpath]

We've only got five minutes to save the pound!

Gordon Brown: "We not only saved the world!!!"

[XenosisReaper]

Brooks arrested

[Bin Matar]

Probably more in touch with the real world than Cameron, except when he went through the baseball cap wearing phase...

[Aurora148]

Boris isn't even an MP.

We'd probably end up with Hague.



IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?

they could probably find a geriatric MP in a safe seat who could be pushed into retirement for "health reasons" to sweep Boris into parliament in a by-election.

[Pattern]

@BBCbreaking: Met Police Assistant Commissioner John #Yates resigns http://bbc.in/pUnHO6

[Warpath]

@BBCbreaking: Met Police Assistant Commissioner John #Yates resigns http://bbc.in/pUnHO6

So head plod has gone, Top counter terrorism plod has gone and the terror threat lvl has been reduced. Whats the bets that next years Olympics will go out with a big bang?