Monday, September 24, 2007

Power silences scrutiny

bullyingThis isn't to do with science or the pharmaceutical industry. However it is directly related. It is about the way in which the powerful avoid illumination of their dealings.

Arsenal Football Club's newest shareholder, the Uzbek minerals billionaire Alisher Usmanov complained about a blog posting by Craig Murray. Usmanov ranks 278th on the listings of world billionaires at $2.6 billion. Murray is a former British ambassador to Uzbekistan. Over the past few hours Murray's ISP pulled the plug on his blog, also killing sites of several other customers (including MP and London mayoral candidate Boris Johnson). There appear to have been emails to Arsenal Football Club fan sites threatening libel action. Whoever suggested blogging was dull?

The Google-cache of Murray's blog is here. As it happens I thought it an irrational embarrassment, but such is the nature of ex ambassadors.

For recent discussion see:

Uzbek billionaire Usmanov censors critic and many UK MPs' blogs
Craig Murray, Boris Johnson and Arsenal's Uzkek billionaire
Alisher Usmanov: Unspeakable
Usmanov allegations
Perhaps He Is Confused As To Which Country He Is In?
This is what pissed off that fat fellow, Mr Alisher Usmanov
Bloggers for Craig Murray
Alisher Usmanov: A big, fat bully
craig murray muzzled, bloggers rally
Alisher Usmanov - porkey Russian oligarch(post 2
Bloggers and freedom of speech v Alisher Usmanov
Alisher Usmanov Did Not Use His noodle
Uzbek billionaire silences bloggers

The very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common.
Instead of altering their views to fit the facts, they alter the facts to fit their views...
Doctor Who


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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Money talks again, this time in the form of shillings, erm sorry, I meant Schillings.
The links you provided made an interesting read; I particularly liked the comment on The Lone Voice blog from 'Roberto'.. "...Nobody can get that much money totally, 100% honestly, nobody".

Unhappily, true 'Freedom of Speech' is illusory. (Although there is some amusement (!) to be found philosophising the various concepts subsumed by that cliche).

Chicken Yoghourt (www.chickyog.net) Arseblog (www.Arsenews.com) (no bandits, just football) who have further updates.

(Oh and btw, you need to check the last link to "Uzbek billionaire silences bloggers" it's dead or glitched.....the site is still up and running though (http://ydkmwayne.blogspot.com/)......)