Las Vegas gambling czar Sheldon Adelson makes no secret of the fact that he doesn’t like journalism so why did he buy his state’s largest newspaper?
The billionaire Zionist (photo at right), who was recently exposed as the secret buyer of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, already owns Jerusalem’s Israel Hayom (Israel Today). He recently bought control of Israel’s main religious daily, Makor Rishon, and NRG, an Israeli news web site.
Haim Saban, an Egyptian-born Jewish billionaire who immigrated to America, made his fortune by turning the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers into a global franchise, which he merged with Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation. He is the executive chairman of Univision.
Adelson, who contributes millions to Republican campaigns, and Saban (photo at right), who is a major donor to the Democrats, are talking about joining forces to buy the New York Times.
Their objective is obvious. Both are ardent Zionists and are dedicated to silencing criticism of Israel.
And to protecting Israel at all costs.
Adelson once suggested dropping a nuclear bomb in the desert to show the Iranians what could happen if they didn’t tow the line. And Saban is quoted as saying that if the Iranians balked at demands to totally eliminate their nuclear potential he would “bomb the living daylights out of the sons of bitches.”
The activities (and growing influence) of these two billionaires illustrate a dangerous trend in media – not just in America but globally.
Powerful interests are buying up control of the world’s news.
It’s most obvious in America where Mort Zuckerman, a real estate developer, owns the New York’s Daily News, Red Sox owner John Henry has bought the Boston Globe, and Rupert Murdoch, the owner of 21st Century Fox and News Corp., has acquired the Wall Street Journal.
(Amazon founder Jeff Bezos recently bought the Washington Post and I wonder if that has anything to do with the firing of longtime left-leaning columnist Harold Meyerson).
Right-wing crazies monopolize talk radio. And huge corporations have gobbled up mainstream TV.
(It’s no wonder I have to scroll through the cable TV stratosphere to find Democracy Now with Amy Goodman. And I can’t find Keith Olbermann anywhere.)
This trend is evident not just in the US but globally.
The world’s broadcast media are controlled by a few corporate giants – Viacom, CBS, Comcast, Vivendi, Televisa, Walt Disney, Hearst, Organizações Globo and Lagardère Group.
Meanwhile, as television’s dominance declines, “social media” outlets (Twitter, for example) are flooded by paid propaganda, churned out by an army of flacks. And a dizzying array of web sites have been created to dump special-interest disinformation on the public.
As you might imagine, this relentless bombardment is inevitably molding public opinion to strengthen the global influence of powerful special interests.
Click for what’s ahead in media.
