The Empire Strikes Back

'Can you believe this saga?’ said Janno, ‘News Corp co-chairman Lachlan Murdoch filing defamation proceedings against Crikey over an article that he says connected him to the 2021 US Capitol riots.

'I love Malcom Turnbull’s commentary’ she continued, ‘“Lachlan Murdoch owns boats that are worth more than Crikey,” he said in a comment he added along with his donation to the publication’s fundraiser for its legal bills.’

'Unfortunately, the MAGAlomaniacs now have mainstream media commentators reinforcing cult style conspiracy theories. The FOX is definitely in the chicane house, and if the facts don’t match your subjective reality, call it fake news. The first thing a cult does is claim that everyone else is lying to you,’ said Johno.

'And back in Australia, how the hell did we get to the point where we now have two-thirds of our metropolitan mastheads owned by Murdoch’s News Corp,’ continued Johno. ‘Ownership of Australia’s newspapers is one of the most concentrated in the world. We have about as much divergence of newspaper ownership as the Ku Klax Khan has of racial inclusion.’

'And speaking of white angry men, have you watched Sky News after dark? — it’s like a parallel universe,’ said Alphy, who spoke from first-hand knowledge.

’Back on Terror Firma Alphy, luckily, the ego has landed. Our erstwhile Prime Minister, twice removed, Kevin Rudd, chairs Australians for a Murdoch Royal Commission (AFMRC),’ said Johno. ‘But can you imagine trying to get an incumbent government to risk moving against News Corp., and prompting another re-run of “The Empire Strikes Back.” That would be courageous.

‘Alas, I think Albo would invoke visions of Sir Humphrey Appleby saying “Courageous decision Prime Minister.”

‘Sir Humphrey then went on to explain to the PM, the difference to the between controversial and courageous, Oh, yes! "Controversial" only means "this will lose you votes". "Courageous" means "this will lose you the election"!’

'Speaking of the Empire striking back,’ said Janno, ‘I was just reading about Ravil Maganov, the chairman of a Russian oil company who spoke out against the war in Ukraine. He was in hospital and apparently was smoking on a window ledge, when he fell to his death. Surprise, surprise, it turns out the CCTV cameras were not working due to maintenance work.’

’In stark contrast to the wannabe Tsar, the Russian leader who facilitated the dissolution of the old Soviet Union, won the Nobel Peace Prize, and one of the most impactful figures of the 20th century, Mikhail Gorbachev, has just died,’ said Johno. ‘RasPutin will not be providing him with a State funeral.’

'In just thirty-three years, the world has gone from celebrating Gorborchev instigating the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of the Cold War, and eventual independence for central and eastern European countries, to the present day invasion of Ukraine,’ said Alphy. ‘

'From the Nobel Peace Prize to War Crime Indictments, hardly the Ascent of Man,’ sneered Alphy.

'Likewise,’ jeered Johno, ‘from Pulitzer Prize publishing to pecuniary pursuit of publishers, clearly the descent of media.’

Robert StygallSeptember 18, 2022