An Open Letter to Rupert Murdoch

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Victoria Rollison nails it – and thank you again for permission to republish.

Dear Rupert Murdoch,

I am writing with good news. Not good news for you. Let me explain.

You are probably in a pretty good mood right now, understandably. Your puppet is running my country. Not your country. My country. You chose to give away your citizenship of Australia, presumably because you can make more money as an American. So now you are precluded from voting in Australian elections, which is by the by because you are, I’m depressed to say, having the pulling-out-a-plug-in-a-bath sort of influence regardless. Compared to my citizen’s vote being equal to pissing in the ocean.

However, I’ve moved on from the anger I felt about this situation in the lead up to the election, when you used your Australian newspapers to not just campaign for an Abbott government win, but to bully and downright corrupt your way into power. You got what you wanted and now we (Australians, not you) have to live with the consequences. I studied marketing at university (and graduated, did you graduate from Oxford Rupert?), so I understand why you were so anxious, in a business sense, to ensure a whole new market for television viewers didn’t suddenly open up via the internet via a world class National Broadband Network. A business owner should do whatever he or she can to protect their market share, whether selling fruit or Foxtel subscriptions. I can see why it’s in your personal best interests to kill such progressive infrastructure reform in Australia in a dollar and cents way. This, of course, doesn’t make your behaviour in campaigning against the Labor government to rid your company of the NBN any less evil. What you’ve done is akin to a fruit grower sneaking into his neighbour’s yard in the night and burning down his apple orchard, because his own orchards aren’t bearing profitable fruit. So yeah, your ethics leave a lot to be desired. But what would we expect from a person whose newspapers profited from the hacking of a dead child’s phone? Business ethics? What a fucking joke.

I guess with this free run you’ve given your puppet candidate, it’s understandable that the puppet is feeling a tad cocky. This cockiness seems to be of great pleasure to you. Amazingly you even managed this week, amongst your excitement, to deliver a tweet without a spelling or grammatical error. Good work Rupert.

So you’re pleased with the level of obedience you are seeing. You love that Australia has just become the first nation in the world to turn off a climate change alleviation policy, when other countries are fighting similarly evil, rich old men like you to implement their first action against climate change. You’ll be dead before we truly know how fucked we are by your evil acts. I guess the safety of your young children and grandchildren is of no consequence to you. Not when there’s money to be made in your lifetime.

But the thing is Rupert, your joy at your puppet’s quick and decisive action to show us just how conservative, backward, unthinking, anti-intellectual, misogynist, circa 1950 and just plain old fuckwit Australia’s new government is going to be, may have some unintended consequences for you and your puppet and your puppet’s government.

I know you might not have noticed the outrage your puppet has caused in the very first three days of being in power, a power you have longed for and your puppet has longed for your entire lives. I guess it’s understandable that you don’t hear the masses when you only follow 47 people on Twitter and I can see you choose those Tweeps very carefully. A quick scan of the accounts you follow reveal The Australian, Boris Johnson, Pope Francis and the puppet himself. Excuse me if I pass on attending your next Tweet Up. But I’m fairly well connected with Australian Tweeters and this is where I get to the point where you will understand why my letter is a joyous one. You see, Australia’s progressive Twitter population might be a very small population, but we’re representative of a larger whole and we’re wholly outraged by your behaviour in unethically delivering your puppet power. And equally as outraged by the way that this puppet is also using this power. So what? I’m getting there.

Surely you’re smart enough to advise your puppet that it’s not exactly bright to prove how ready-for-power and not-sexist he is by naming himself as the Minister for Women’s Policies and Programs in a cabinet of only one very questionable woman. Leaving aged care, disability and science from Cabinet Ministries. Scrapping the Climate Commission. Meanly removing the popular Steve Bracks from a diplomatic post. Petty sackings of bureaucrats. Promoting a work for the dole policy for indigenous Australians (hello race discrimination) and a reduction in indigenous legal aid. Managing to piss off our largest and most populace neighbour, Indonesia, just to name the highlights.

Going this hard, this early is only going to have one outcome, and this is not a good outcome for you and your puppet. I know all the actions I have listed above would count as achievements to people like you. But not everyone feels this way. In fact, through these actions, your puppet has done something Labor was unable to do over the last six years, and it’s something that is going to hurt your puppet’s government deeply at the next election. I even think it will make my hash-tag prophecy come true. #OneTermTony. It’s pretty simple Rupert. Something has shifted. You and your puppet have unified and mobilised progressives. We got sidetracked over the last six years as our progressive Labor government delivered reform after juicy policy reform. Our eyes came off the ‘fighting Tories’ ball as Labor MPs infighting and Labor vs Greens infighting removed effort from the primary goal of ensuring baddies like you don’t win government. But we’ve learnt our lesson now. In only three days, we’ve collectively learnt our lesson. Thanks to you and your puppet, we’ll never err again. You’ve sparked a revolution and for that, I am very thankful. Not grateful, because you haven’t done it purposely. But thankful. Well done Rupert. Australia will, eventually, thank you. Because after progressives unite to rid this great country of your puppet, we will never forget the part you played.

Yours sincerely
Victoria Rollison

1,298 thoughts on “An Open Letter to Rupert Murdoch”

  2. Wen you think of ‘passing irritants’ in the context of the alimentary canal, I think the description fits TA to a tee.

  5. This is being tweeted and retweeted and yet no-one seems to have noticed something is wrong –

    Illiteracy rates is Australia’s national shame

  9. Julie Bishop refuses to speak to world media.

    “Well!….If they won’t ask me about my jewellry, I have nothing worth talking about!!”

  10. “…no-one seems to have noticed something is wrong -”
    “ARE wrong”, Leone…”ARE wrong” !

  12. [The middle east had a very successful solution to the same problem of illegal boats. Their military boarded the boats, put a bullet in the skippers head and after escorting the vessel into port to replenish, informed the 2IC of the boat to return and if they ever came back, they would suffer the same fate as thier skipper.
    The trade quickly ceased.]

    This is the sort of intellectual commentry that makes it onto the ABC. these days!….can’t get much lower!

  13. EO….on a re-read of your post, I see you meant to add a semi-colon after ; “What” . …I mistook your comment to mean a question….my mistake on your mistake!

  14. I want to hear some of the OM. political commentry slap Alexander down for presuming to speak above his station!

  17. I’d say Bishop would be more concerned about seeming to be a total fool on Foreign Affairs than worried about Indonesia.

    This is diplomacy for the Big Boys & Girls. Julie Bishop is a freshperson minister who’s had three years of bragging she was ready and now admits – by her silence – that it was all bullshit.

    It’s not all about Prada and cocktail parties. And no-one thinks her cougar charms are as attractive as they once were. Especially the Indonesians.

  18. Michael Pascoe – What you missed: an incredible federal budget outcome

    It’s yet another case of politics overshadowing economics: while newbie Treasurer Joe Hockey insinuates otherwise, the final count for the 2012-13 federal budget is an outstanding achievement, a monument to a skilled Treasury performance in very difficult circumstances. No, seriously.
    …….
    And what’s entirely missed is what an incredible budget 2012-13’s proved to be. After a deficit of $43.4 billion the previous year – 2.9 per cent of GDP – it is an unprecedented and utterly amazing fiscal contraction to be able to get it down to about $19 billion, 1.3 per cent of GDP.

    http://www.theage.com.au/business/the-economy/what-you-missed-an-incredible-federal-budget-outcome-20130927-2uik6.html

  19. How come the MSM hasn’t reported this!

    { An Australian navy vessel penetrated Indonesia’s sovereign waters early on Friday morning and returned 44 asylum seekers to Indonesia, but search and rescue agencies insist it was not the first turn-back under the Abbott government.
    See your ad here

    The Indonesian search and rescue agency Basarnas has confirmed that would-be refugees aboard a wooden fishing boat made a distress call to the Australian authorities on Thursday evening, saying their boat was leaking.

    Under a protocol established between Australia and Indonesia last year, under then transport minister Anthony Albanese, the HMAS Ballarat was given quick permission to come into Indonesian waters to make the rescue.

    The crew deemed the asylum seeker vessel, which was carrying 39 men, one woman and four children, to be unseaworthy, and lifted the passengers off the ship.

    Also under the search and rescue protocol, the Ballarat then went closer to Indonesian territory where it met an Indonesian ship dispatched by Basarnas in calmer waters. In the early hours of Friday morning, the passengers were offloaded and brought back to Indonesia. }

    http://www.thecourier.com.au/story/1806141/australian-navy-returns-rescued-asylum-seekers-to-indonesia/?cs=12

  21. Just listened to the Albanese/Shorten leadership debate. Both were impressive but if I had a vote, I think I’d have to go with Albo. Labor will, however, be well served by either I think but I get the impression that Albo will appeal more out in the electorates because he looks and feels like being just ‘one of us’. He’s also got a wicked sense of humour.

  22. Has there been any mention by the Abbottfoolery to re-introduce conscription?
    Lucky I’m way too old.

  26. If SHE hadn’t been there then the resolution would not have been carried. How blessed we are to have her as our face to the world!

    Australia made its mark today on the world stage, successfully passing the first United Nations Security Council resolution on small arms and light weapons.

    “The Security Council has taken too long to adopt its first resolution on small arms,” Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, who chaired the historic event, told the high level meeting.

    http://www.thecourier.com.au/story/1805528/julie-bishop-takes-un-security-council-reins/?cs=8

    Funny how she was not prepared to answer questions.

  27. Fiona, they don’t make them like Geoffrey Bàrker anymore. Insightful,nuanced,independent and with fine judgement. Today’s mob simply don’t compare. Tks for the great link.

  28. His first two weeks on the job have been so full-on that Scott’s pet lieutenant-general is in need of a break…..

    Defence says the Commander of Operation Sovereign Borders, Lt Gen Angus Campbell, is going on pre-approved 2 weeks leave from tomorrow.— Karen Barlow (@KJBar) September 27, 2013

    Lt Gen Angus Campbell will be replaced over the next fortnight by the Vice Chief of the Defence Force, Air Marshal Mark Binskin..— Karen Barlow (@KJBar) September 27, 2013

  29. Prepare to feel like having a chuck. Ellen Connolly setting new standards .

    [ Cool, calm and coiffed, Julie Bishop brings world’s leaders to heel

    First came a bang of her gavel, and next was one of those steely-eyed stares.

    United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon stopped talking, and Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg sat up straight – Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop was the boss today after all.

    Dressed in a designer suit, Armani probably, and her hair coiffed and unmoving throughout, Ms Bishop.. ]

    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/cool-calm-and-coiffed-julie-bishop-brings-worlds-leaders-to-heel-20130927-2uiwp.html#ixzz2g4ICsH7d

  31. kaffeeklatscher
    At least Ms Connolly managed one decent comment –

    What she could also have noted – but did not – was the work of Labor, who battled for four years amid fierce opposition from Ms Bishop herself to land a position on the Security Council.

  32. Al Palster,
    Inside Story is a great place. I am on their mailing list and I would suggest to all interested Pubkateers that you sign up.

  35. Good afternoon Fiona
    Great memoir link. The famous communist JJ Brown mentioned was an interviewee that I had arranged to see many years ago in his office as I was undertaking research into technological change including in the transport industry. (The previous day I had met with all the Victorian Railways board members in their elegant boardroom)
    Anyway I sit down with JJ and after a couple of minutes he said I was too young and had not lived through the Great Depression and would not know about life and he would not contribute and told me to leave as I did with my tail between my legs!

  36. After the disappointment by Ms Connolly a great big “Well Done” to Fairfax. They are getting a real live climate scientist to do a live blog on the IPCC report. She warms up with a debunking of Prof Andrew Blot’s fave claim. A big well done also to the Australian Science Media Centre for the excellent idea of organizing “scientists in residence”

    [ Debunking the persistent myth that global warming stopped in 1998

    The last decade was the hottest on record globally. Each year from 2000 to 2010, except 2008, was in the 10 warmest recorded globally…….

    Full coverage of the IPCC report, including a live blog, on this website from 6pm.

    Dr Sophie Lewis is a research fellow in climate science, based the University of Melbourne and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science. She is visiting The Age as part of a scientist-in-residence program organised by the Australian Science Media Centre.

    http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/debunking-the-persistent-myth-that-global-warming-stopped-in-1998-20130927-2ui8j.html#ixzz2g4O1UQq8

  37. NormanK ,pure gold. I don’t have the time or skill to do that but I had been thinking of doing a “Where’s Tony?” T-shirt superimposing Tony onto Wally.

  38. Dr NormanK has started a medical trend so “Mystery x-ray” time. Which Coalition pollie does this belong to ?

  44. I’ve finally got around to watching the first debate, hopefully I’ll get to today’s one when it’s uploaded.

    I’m still leaning toward Albo, but if Shorten ends up with the job, I’d support him regardless. Both are leaders I can get behind.

  46. I just don’t think Shorten can be trusted. Julia Gillard learnt that. So did his first wife. Forget his political machinations and betrayals, the baggage he carries from his personal life will be exploited to the max by Murdoch. I don’t think we need that sort of distraction right now.

  48. { What she could also have noted – but did not – was the work of Labor, who battled for four years amid fierce opposition from Ms Bishop herself to land a position on the Security Council. }

    So far, this bit is only included in one out of about 5 versions of the story on Fairfax web sites.

    Biased against the Labor Party? What are you talking about Willis. No way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

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