tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post8443863534907463140..comments2024-03-21T12:52:08.166+11:00Comments on Freedom and Flourishing: Does Australia also have a ruling class?Winton Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383561940886657594noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post-78820007691441381912010-11-25T13:46:25.417+11:002010-11-25T13:46:25.417+11:00Ken Jarvis informs us that not only is Rupert Murd...Ken Jarvis informs us that not only is Rupert Murdoch ruling class, but he is <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thecaseagainstmurdochabook/" rel="nofollow">the most powerful man in the history of the world</a>!Lorrainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13567383019731167967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post-87704177347269075212010-10-18T15:41:05.570+11:002010-10-18T15:41:05.570+11:00Hi Lorraine.
Perhaps I should start with Rupert. ...Hi Lorraine. <br />Perhaps I should start with Rupert. He is one of your mob now. He had to renounce his Australian citizenship some time ago because of concerns that foreigners who own media in the US might have too much influence on US politics. But he still sounds like an Australian!<br /><br />I agree that media owners have a fair amount of political influence. But their influence has probably lessened with the growth of the internet etc. Murdoch may have had more influence in Australia in the past - when he was identfied as a supporter of the Labor party. <br /><br />I'm not sure about your distinction between elite attitudes and power relationships. Do wealthy people have more influence on policies adopted by political parties than the ruling class as described in the dot points above? I'm not sure about the US but I don't think that is true of either of the major political parties in Australia.Winton Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07383561940886657594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post-55283248621228788672010-10-18T14:05:19.082+11:002010-10-18T14:05:19.082+11:00I don't know jack about Australia, but if ther...I don't know jack about Australia, but if there's any truth to the Iron Law of Oligarchy, then it's a very safe bet that yes, Australia has a ruling class. Perhaps the most famous Australian today is Rupert Murdoch, who is certainly wealthy enough to be considered ruling class, and more importantly is a very influential spokescritter for ruling class interests.<br /><br />As for the caricature painted in your list of bullet-points, I seriously doubt that it even approximates what's on the minds of the actual ruling class. It, and the <i>American Spectator</i> article you point to, are refrains we've already all heard a million times, intellectual-bashing, euro-bashing, PC-bashing, and of course the bald assertion that there's more power in media and academia than there is in business, finance and 'national security.' The former are utterly financially dependent on the latter, and it shows. Elitism and rulership are two entirely different things. One has to do with attitudes, while the other has to do with power relationships.Lorrainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13567383019731167967noreply@blogger.com