Fw: URGENT!! Stop Rupert Murdoch - just 24 hours left!

[susy shearer]

Dear all,

 

Please read and pass on to others quickly -- URGENT action required NOW!!

 

All best wishes,

 

Susy Shearer

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Ricken Patel - Avaaz.org <av...@avaaz.org>
To: "shea...@btinternet.com" <shea...@btinternet.com>
Sent: Wednesday, 2 March, 2011 8:35:45
Subject: Stop Rupert Murdoch

Dear friends across the UK,

Our democracy is at risk. Media-mogul Rupert Murdoch wants to extend his massive political influence by taking over BSkyB and controlling nearly half the British media! We have just 24 hours to press the government to stand up for British media and democracy and stop Rupert Murdoch:

In 24 hours, nearly half our mass media could be owned by Rupert Murdoch.

For four decades he has interfered with our democracy -- determining election results, bolstering politicians in exchange for influence, and smearing others who refuse his orders. But he may have finally gone too far -- with just 24 hours left before the decision, the coalition is still deeply divided on Murdoch's bid for BSkyB.

The government is deciding right now whether Murdoch can gain control of one of Britain's largest news corporations. Let's tip the balance against Murdoch's attempt to tighten his grip on our media. Click to send an urgent message directly to key decision makers on the BSkyB bid and send this on to everyone -- let's flood our politicians with tens of thousands of messages telling them we want Murdoch’s hands off our democracy:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_rupert_murdoch_uk/?vl

Murdoch has used his vast media empire to push war in Iraq, elect George W Bush, and block global action on climate change, and if he wins this week in Britain he will use his networks here to undermine all the issues that we care about. He has manipulated US, British and Australian democracy for years, but now he wants more complete control. In the US, most of the likely Republican presidential candidates are actually paid employees of Murdoch! When his Fox News Network was shunned by Barack Obama as a mere propaganda mouthpiece, it spawned the far right "tea party"and broadcast constant, often hate-filled attacks against Obama and his healthcare and peace agenda -- resulting in a huge win for Republicans in the 2010 congressional elections.

Murdoch media staff have trampled laws and standards when gathering news. Several News Corporation executives approved phone hacking and, when a formal investigation began, they had regular secret meetings with senior police officers who then failed to investigate the full extent of the scandal. Our government should punish such an organisation, not allow it monopoly powers over our media. But if Rupert Murdoch is allowed to buy all of BSkyB this week, he will soon own half of our newspapers and television. This should not be allowed in any democracy.

We can turn the tide on this powerful threat to our democracy. In the end the News of the World phone hacking scandal forced David Cameron’s communications director to resign. And a mass outcry from Canadian Avaaz members recently prevented a Murdoch-style TV network from getting taxpayer funding and stopped the Canadian government from removing the journalistic standards that would prevent this new network from spreading lies to the public. The fight against Murdoch has just begun, but already we've begun to win. Let's do the same in Britain! Click below to send an urgent message and send this on to everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_rupert_murdoch_uk/?vl

The power of Avaaz and of this moment in our world's history, is the power of unity. Across the Arab world and beyond, people are coming together in common cause across all boundaries. Murdoch's power is the ability to divide. His networks spew fear and misinformation, dividing left from right, citizens from foreigners, muslim from western, immigrants from non-immigrants, etc. Murdoch knows that democracy must be divided before it can be conquered. This week, let's show him what unity looks like.

With hope,

Ricken, Alex, Emma, Sam, Milena, Alice, Iain, Morgan, Maria Paz and the whole Avaaz team

Sources:

Murdoch close to deal with regulators over Sky
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a40fc482-4060-11e0-9140-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1FHWHwqJE

If Murdoch gets BSkyB, it will be a victory for monopoly capitalism
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/27/rupert-murdoch-bskyb-monopolies

'News of World' bosses dined with Met chief
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/news-of-world-bosses-dined-with-met-chief-2222814.html

Who is Rupert Murdoch?
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2004/07/b122948.html


Support the Avaaz community! We're entirely funded by donations and receive no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way -- donate here.

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[Phil Sage]

Suzy

Rupert Murdoch is a private individual selling services to private individuals who are not compelled to purchase those services.  You are not compelled to purchase or consume those services and your call for the government to intervene is utterly wrongheaded.

The socialist propaganda of the state compels you to pay for their service.  You have no choice but too pay for the BBC.

The campaign to save St Bernards was based on our individual choices not being overruled by the central state.  

If you have the energy to campaign you would be far better off campaigning for the privatisation of the BBC rather than boosting further state interference in the private decisions of individuals.

Sincerely

Phil Sage

---

From: susy shearer <shea...@btinternet.com>
To: save-st-...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Wed, 2 March, 2011 9:57:16
Subject: [ssb] Fw: URGENT!! Stop Rupert Murdoch - just 24 hours left!

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[ymco...@aol.com]

Phil and Suzy

 

I have lived in countries where the Broadcasting Corporations are privatised and they are complete rubbish.  No I say to the privatisation of the BBC, appreciate what the BBC gives you as you will miss it if it goes.

 

Yvonne

[Luisa Sykes]

Suzy, Phil & Yvonne

 

Agree with Yvonne privatisation is not guarantee of quality! Partly agree with Phil (except on the privatisation of the BBC)!

 

To comment on Suzy I would say that is a bit patronizing to assume people are easily manipulated by the media. Time and time again we find prove to the contrary. I can find no statistics to prove this (the huge demonstrations in Central London might prove it to a certain extent) but I’m convinced that most people in this country were against the Iraqi war, in spite of the propaganda in the media supporting the war and Tony Blair leadership! In the USA Obama won in spite of the Murdoch media supporting the Republicans. In my view, Obama fall in popularity is not a reflection of the attack of the Murdoch media but a reflection of the government inefficiencies in dealing with both the economy and implementation of policies not properly explained to the voters!!!

In any case, Suzy email and comments express a clear political opinion (my comments too obviously) but I’m not sure FaCT is the right platform for debating these issues!!!

 

Warm regards

Luisa

[susy shearer]

Phil and Yvonne,

 

Thanks for your thoughts and good to have some debate! 

 

No one is compelled to agree with this campaign, but if you do, there is limited time

for action.

 

The scale and reach of the monopoly proposed here is very great, and much is at stake.

Opposition to monopolies runs deep in the democratic impulse, including an appreciation

of the value of public broadcasting -- if democracy is to thrive, the preservation of genuine

public broadcasting is essential. 

 

Best wishes to all,

 

Susy

---

From: "ymco...@aol.com" <ymco...@aol.com>
To: save-st-...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, 2 March, 2011 11:31:53

[susy shearer]

Thanks for your thoughts, Luisa.  I circulated an e-mail about this campaign for information

as I thought it might be of interest to individuals and am not suggesting it as a topic for lengthy

debate in this forum.  If you agree with it, the original e-mail provides a way to participate; if

you disagree with it, you're free not to sign it, to dismiss it and delete it from your letterox!

 

Best wishes,

 

Susy

 

---

From: Luisa Sykes <lsy...@musestancil.com>
To: save-st-...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, 2 March, 2011 12:31:33
Subject: RE: [ssb] Fw: URGENT!! Stop Rupert Murdoch - just 24 hours left!

[Richard Douglas]

Dear Susy

 

The Save St Bernard’s email group was set up specifically for disseminating information associated with that campaign.  It is totally inappropriate to use the network to solicit support for other campaigns.  I already receive far too much unsolicited email and do not wish to receive any future correspondence via this forum unless it relates to the St Bernard’s campaign.

 

Richard Douglas

 

-----Original Message-----
From: save-st-...@googlegroups.com [mailto:save-st-...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of susy shearer
Sent: 02 March 2011 09:57
To: save-st-...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [ssb] Fw: URGENT!! Stop Rupert Murdoch - just 24 hours left!

 

Dear all,

--

[Rachel]

 

 

Hi Everyone,

 

Sadly the school has had a dramatically reduced amount of donations for the school fete this Saturday and a reduced amount of raffle tickets have been  returned so far……if every family bought one ticket we’d raise £900 for the benefit of the children. If every family bought £5 worth of tickets we’d have £4,500!!!! And you could win an Xbox 360 +Kinect, £150 Cash,  Tea at The Ritz  or a Wine Hamper. I know you are all parents that really care about the future of St Bernard’s so this is a gentle reminder to send in your donations of chocolates, toiletries, bottles, spirits, bric-a-brac etc and to return raffle ticket stubs, tomorrow!!!! And don’t forget to come to the fete, bring the family have some lunch, maybe a Pimms or a cappuccino, join in the fun and help raise vital funds for the school.

Thanks a million, I look forward to seeing you there.

 

Rachel Nash