And so Rupert Murdoch retires, or at least claims to have done so. He leaves behind a fatally divided America, a world burning with climate change, and a media empire that may be past its best. Before all of us who try to hold educated and reasonable opinions rejoice, we need to answer these questions
1 If Rupert Murdoch is to blame for the rise of populism, why are there similar movements in countries where his empire has small or negligible influence?
2 Why do so many people hate the educated, and define them as “hostile elites” ?
3 Why was his greatest commercial success to be found among manual labourers, especially white ones?
4 Starting with “masculinity”, what is the relationship between political beliefs and the construction of identities?
5 Why are their no similar populist movements on the Left?
6 If the Murdoch Empire collapsed tomorrow, would something even worse replace it?
7(for investors) who is running the show-Lachlan or Rupert?
8 Why was Rupert Murdoch, an heir to a fortune and a billionaire so able to pose as an “anti elite outsider”?
9 Is right wing populism the natural default state for the human mind?
10 How can progressives of all stripes counter the influence of Murdoch’s successors while at the same time ensuring a free media and flow of information?
Summary Was Rupert Murdoch a cause-or just a symptom?
[1]https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/22/rupert-murdoch-legacy-power-blame-elite-fox-donald-trump-russell-brand
Learning, Science and Society 