The sad truth, Alan, is that you are doing for the Labor government what the Labor government should have been doing for itself.

For reasons that I continually fail to fathom, the ALP seems to follow the Murdoch script as much as anyone else does. They seem to think that one day the electorate will wake up and realise what an excellent job they've done in successfully steering the country through the greatest global financial disaster in history. As my kids say: Yeah, right! They don't seem to understand that, not only should they be blowing their own trumpet all day every day, they have to get a bit nasty and play the Coalition at their own game.

Why don't they make it clear to the electorate that it's a no-brainer that Murdoch wants the ALP out because he wants the NBN ditched so as to eliminate all competition for his Sky channel?

Why don't they make it clear he wants the ALP out because the Labor government wants to make the media more accountable for the crap they publish?

Why don't they make it clear he wants the ALP out because his personal think-tanks - the IPA and Australian Business Institute - hate the fact that Australian workers are still subject to disgusting perks like permanent tenure, superannuation, long-service leave, sick leave, holiday pay, unfair dismissal security and, shock horror, a minimum wage?!

Why don't they make it clear that Murdoch wants the public service gone, finished, destroyed - never to rise again - because the public service is the only organisation left in the Western world that is still accountable to the public and not compromised by the profit motive?

But do the ALP spruikers ever mention any of this? The short answer is: NO, never. Why?

All I can assume is that the main ALP players have been drugged and photographed in a sleazy hotel room in bed with a prostitute.

When are Lefties going to ditch what are now centuries old blinkers and realise that bosses don't wear Top Hat's and carry on like Scrooge McDuck. For God sakes we have moved on to a new millennium, bosses don't have it in for their workers.

The only right bast___s are the same type of right lowlifes who play games in councils when someone wants a driveway or allocates a coal mine to a "Mate". It is not an economic problem per se but a moral failing common to power.

Workers include most bosses now, the least "worker" group would have to be the Left, Professional Students, Humanity Profs, machine pollies, credit card wielding Union Warlords and Green nutcases.

Alan

Why is it that you can't respond to my basic point; even by uber-Keynesian Paul Krugman's definitions (and pretty much all mainstream keynesians) fiscal stimulus is only necessary when interest rates are zero and monetary policy is out of ammo. Not the case in Australia.

Thanks for this input,

@Spindoc: Seems unfair to criticise Jcro – or Mr Rudd – for saying Murdoch has “media ownership of 70% of all outlets”.

Murdoch’s people have spouted this for years – even though clearly untrue – as is most of what they write.

For example, Stephen Brook in The Australian on August 15, 2011, penned this admission:

“With the Greens pushing for an inquiry into print media and a strong desire on the part of the federal government to introduce a privacy law, the mythical mantra of 70 per cent has become a bit of a stick with which to beat the [Murdoch] company. The statistic has gained very wide currency, not least because the figure has sometimes been touted by the company's aggressive sales teams.”

No. Not sometimes. Countless times – until they realised it worked against them.

Yes, it’s a lie. But, like most pervasive lies in Australia, it originated with Murdoch’s people.

@Killarney, re: “They [the Labor Government] don't seem to understand that, not only should they be blowing their own trumpet all day every day, they have to get a bit nasty and play the Coalition at their own game.”

No. It’s not supposed to work like that, Killarney.

In a liberal democracy, the government governs. The treasurer manages the economy. Other ministers manage their portfolios.

The media is supposed to write about what is actually happening: outcomes, reforms, progress, growth and development. And difficulties.

Your Government has exceptionally good reporting – weekly, monthly and quarterly reports, daily media releases, and regular press conferences. I subscribe to these from Australia, as I do from our Government here in France and from elsewhere.

The problem unique to Australia is that your mainstream media receive and read regular reports and media releases, then routinely falsify the situation.

[North Korea has the same problem in reverse.]

The issue is not with your Government, Killarney. It is squarely with your malicious, lying media.

No?

@Grim23: More than happy to respond.

You’ve been an excellent correspondent here. Sorry if I've missed a question.

Please re-post.

Cheers,

Alan A

I see Spindoc still doesn't actually have an argument

However, it is not in fact in doubt by anyone at all that Australia has the most concentrated media ownership the world. Here is a discussion about this: http://theconversation.com/australias-lamentable-media-diversity-needs-a-regulatory-fix-12942