Hack Attack, and the politics of fear

“Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts… perhaps the fear of a loss of power.” – John Steinbeck

            At first I thought media moguls like Rupert Murdoch had influence on government officials purely because of money. Although I have no doubt that money is a factor, I now see it as more of the icing on the cake; It’s nice to have and convenient to be able to throw around but, in the end, power and the fear it inspires are what allow News Corp to be as influential as it unfortunately seems to be.

            If, for example, a prime minister looking for re-election refuses to cooperate with a media mogul, that rebellion could cost them funding and public support (no matter how true the newspaper’s allegations may be). Instead of losing power, it seems that the media mogul in question would rather unfairly cheapen the prime minister’s name through a smear campaign and tilt public opinion towards a candidate that would be easier to control. The loss of control seems to be more influential than its gain.

            Fear is a powerful motivator, and quite an unpleasant feeling. If you present someone, anyone, a task laced with fear or intimidation, often they will want to get it done regardless of method or consequence, simply to make the fear go away as completely and quickly as possible. This does not, however, in any way make it acceptable for anyone to use that against others – no matter their net worth.