US taxpayers subsidized Rupert Murdoch's efforts to destroy journalism in this country to the tune of 4.8 billion dollars! Update! Important correction.

From Reuters:

Rupert Murdoch may not garner as much attention for his financial savvy as he does for his journalistic escapades, which last week led to the shuttering of Britain’s oldest tabloid. But that doesn’t make his money management any less impressive.

Indeed, when it comes to taxes, instead of rendering unto Caesar, Murdoch has Caesar rendering unto him.

Over the past four years Murdoch’s U.S.-based News Corp. has made money on income taxes. Having earned $10.4 billion in profits, News Corp. would have been expected to pay $3.6 billion at the 35 percent corporate tax rate. Instead, it actually collected $4.8 billion in income tax refunds, all or nearly all from the U.S. government.

Low life, scum sucking, son-of-a-bitch!

Here I thought I could not dislike Rupert Murdoch anymore than I already do, and then I learn this!

There you go Americans.  While our economy is suffering through historic hard times, and our neighbors cannot find jobs to feed their families, our tax dollars are going to subsidize a man who has purposefully lied to the citizens of this country, provided a platform for constant attacks against our President, and helped sell TWO unnecessary wars to the American people!

There is no place in hell hot enough to adequately punish this cancerous piece of human excrement.

Update: Well at least THIS is some good news today:

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. media empire dropped its bid to takeover lucrative British Sky Broadcasting on Wednesday ahead of a House of Commons vote in which all three major parties were to issue that very demand.

News Corp. deputy chairman and president Chase Carey said "it has become clear that it is too difficult to progress in this climate."

Gee, ya think?


Well this is a start, but personally I will not be satisfied until Murdoch has been run out of the news business forever. And takes all of those phony journalists at Fox News with him, by the way.


Yes I know that I am being unrealistic, but a man can dream can't he?

Correction: The journalist who wrote the initial article that I based this post on, has admitted he made a rather large mistake.


Rupert Murdoch's News Corp did not get a $4.8 billion tax refund for the past four years, as I reported. Instead, it paid that much in cash for corporate income taxes for the years 2007 through 2010 while earning pre-tax profits of $10.4 billion.

For the first time in my 45-year-old career I am writing a skinback. That is what journalists call a retraction of the premise of a piece, as in peeling back your skin and feeling the pain. I will do all I can to make sure everyone who has read or heard secondary reports based on my column also learns the facts and would appreciate the help of readers in that cause.

The journalist, David Cay Johnston, then goes on to explain how he made the error in some detail.

I apologize for my part in disseminating this information. I placed my confidence in the reporter, and it seems he simply made an honest mistake.  I understand mistakes, I make them myself quite frequently.

However like Mr. Johnston, and unlike some people who attempt to double down on an error, I try to own up to my mistakes. And so I have.

I will of course continue to try and provide only accurate information in the future.  However I simply cannot promise that I will not slip up occasionally. I am only human.