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>Please don't signal boost easily falsifiable claims like this. The function of it is to sow division and prevent proper nuanced discussion. The phone numbers
by TMWNN 6y ago
>Please don't signal boost easily falsifiable claims like this. The function of it is to sow division and prevent proper nuanced discussion.
The phone numbers on that page is a hotline for general questions. It is absolutely not the same thing as the point mrtksn's Murdoch quote mentioned.
A media magnate like Murdoch has the phone number to the White House central switchboard and can get the President on the phone. Maybe not immediately, but probably within an hour. He might even have the President's personal cell phone number.[1] In turn, the President can either do what Murdoch requests, or transfer him to someone who can.
What is the EU equivalent to this sort of access? Murdoch can probably get Ursula von der Leyen on the phone more easily than he can Biden. But is she the right person for what Murdoch needs? Even if she is, her position certainly does not have the breadth of authority, or depth of command structures, that a US president can call upon. If Murdoch learns from a reliable source that Russia is going to full-on invade western Ukraine tomorrow, would calling von der Leyen to warn her be of any particular help for Ukraine, or for Europe? No; calling Biden, Merkel, Macron, and Johnson would be more effective.[2] That's the sort of thing Murdoch meant.
[1] Trump is well known for giving his cell phone number out and personally responding to calls, both before and after his election
[2] In this scenario, whether the UK is a EU member or not does not matter
- raverbashing 6y agoMurdoch meant "who should I call to have the deals I want to make facilitated?" (to put it in PC terms)
- TMWNN 6y agoWhether one thinks that Rupert Murdoch is a supervillain who manipulates politics in the UK and Australia as easily as a dog's owner gives orders to his pet, or merely an influential billionaire media mogul who gets the ear of world leaders like other billionaire media moguls, my point stands: There is no "there" in the EU for him to talk to.
- Dah00n 6y agoWhich is a good thing and one of the many differences between the EU and the US. Trump is known to be happy to give out his number to big tech which is absolutely anti-democratic as this is backaccess to power. It is on par with corruption in destroying democracies.
- TMWNN 6y agoTrump gave/gives out his number to almost anyone, including reporters. I can't find it right now, but there is a Times article in which the author recounts how after "a reporter' (i.e., the author) left a voicemail on Trump's cell phone, the man himself called back late that night.
- ZWoz 6y agoThat sounds like you paint corporate control over politicians in positive light. I am glad that American mogul don't have direct line (preferential treatment) to EU top level officials.
- ddalex 6y agoI would further that and say it's a good thing there is no "top" EU official - distributed governance makes this way more resilient, e.g. should the head honcho be a bad guy with a taste of dictatorship
- 988747 6y agoIf you want EU to do something you can call Angela Merkel, and she can beat EU Parliament and other institutions into submission quite quickly.
- Griffinsauce 6y ago> A media magnate like Murdoch has the phone number to the White House central switchboard and can get the President on the phone. If you think this is a good thing this entire discussion is futile.