It's only just over two months ago that an Isle of Man DJ said on Manx government owned radio:
In the Isle of Man we are like a family and we can squabble amongst ourselves but we don't like it when other people throw rocks at us and there's this bloke from this Tax Justice Network, Richard Murphy who is constantly having pops at the Isle of Man and the tax regime here to the point where we are all really rather bored of it to the point where we wish there was a wet ops department in the government that could go and take him out.
The reference to a “wet ops departnment” is to a KGB assassination unit.
Many in the Isle of Man thought I was making a fuss in pursuing what I thought to be incitement. Due to the inappropriate behaviour of the Isle of Man Today newspaper in holding an on line poll on the issue I dropped my police complaint.
I hope a few more might understand why I took the matter seriously now.
Such language was, and remains even more so now, utterly unacceptable.
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Mr Murphy, I think I must have misunderstood the point you are trying to make here. My first reaction was that you were attempting to utilise the carnage in Norway to defend your overreaction to an admittedly tasteless and ill-advised joke by the radio presenter Stu Peters. Whatever political differences we may have, I struggle to believe that you would sink to such depths of poor taste and hijack this terrible tragedy to justify your actions, so can you tell me what point you were trying to make?
You did not misunderstand
Except to the extent that you always misunderstand
But then you live in a place that sets out to undermine democracy and you support it doing so
What would you understand?
I did not hijack what happened. I said that the use of the language of incitement; the language of hate, is unacceptable.
I’ll add this: action to undermine democracy is also unacceptable.
So to is the provision of the mechanisms to facilitate systematic abuse of developing countries as a result of which millions have died – as almost all aid agencies testify. But the Isle of Man is involved with that – and you’ve always denied it.
Don’t accuse me of anything distasteful – reform your state – stop your war on democracy; stop your assistance to those who abuse
Then you have a moral platform. Now you don’t
If this last weekend is to have any positive impact it has to empower those who name those who support oppression. The Isle of Man does support oppression
And I will say that – even if I am threatened
I doubt it.. the ones that were irritated, annoyed and embarrassed by the DJ have already made their comments. The ones that took succour at the DJ’s words or shrieked with indignation that YOU complained about what was broadcast are probably still in denial of the risk of actions following on from hateful and spiteful words.
Its a pity for them, as had they attempted and succeeded in putting forward an intellectual argument to counter yours about the unfairness or fairness of the VAT share calculations, then maybe the IOM Government’s meetings with HMRC might have produced more favourable outcomes for them. Or at least the ones in power might have realised venomous personal attacks on you were not going to dissuade the HMRC team, adjusted policy to take account of the coming change in circumstances in good time, perhaps warned the people who were presently benefiting from gratuitous government spending that the tap was likely to be turned off and the remaining sources of government income might not allow future spending to be so generous. These people might then have sought to think carefully before entering into long term borrowing commitments, or making business plans whose success was predicated on the continued high expenditure by the IOM Government, or not holding their Government to account for the spending decisions, vanity projects and mismanagement that seem to be regularly identified.
My you are a precious one. Thinking that you were actually going to be targetted for assasination by the Isle of Man government. Laughable at best. Delusional at worst.
I never said I was
I said the language was incitement – and the sad evidence – all to apparent – is people act on that language
Palin used it in the US with consequences
And is quite clear – the margins between some parties on the right in Europe and extremism are small
The time to deny these links is over
That’s not delusional – that’s reality and those denying it are culpable
No-one imagines that the IoM govt would assassinate Richard. The language of incitement might however tip a nutter over the edge. Allowing the comments by the DJ, who was not a lone individual but an employee of a radio station is the thin end of the wedge. Zero tolerance for this kind of thing is the right way to go.
Richard unfortunately your comments on this matter are obscure. If you have a legitimate complaint why would a poll in an IOM newspaper make you drop your complaint?
Because it inevitably prevented any prospect of a fair trial – ever
So of course I had to withdraw
I have no idea whether that was deliberate or not – but it was the inevitable result
You are of course absolutely entitled to your view on whether there would have been a fair trial – but wasn’t the matter in the hands of the Police anyway? It would not have been you on trial but Mr Peters.
Some of the comments from other respondents seem to imply that you were trying to connect your situation with that in Norway. Given the horrific nature of the bombing and the massacre of so many youngsters that would be in awful taste.
I guess I was guilty of being too ambiguous
Of course I was not claiming my being threatened put me in the same situation as those who have suffered in Norway.
But I am unambiguous: tolerance of the language of threats, including considering it acceptable to have people talk of ‘taking people out’ on a state owned radio station, is tolerance of the language of violence — and far-right wing, anti-democratic violence at that.
And let me be clear; such language was expressed in the Isle of Man, aimed at me, without comment or public complaint being raised by anyone. That remains profoundly shocking — as shocking as the halfhearted apology from and the lack of sanction on the person using this violent language.
But let me put this another way. If those who use that language do not intend it to have meaning and consequence why do they use it?
I have reflected on this and come to only one possible conclusion and that is that I believe consequence is desired or the language would not be used. And I believe that the only possible desired consequence is, ultimately, violence. What else can be presumed?
In that case I believe zero tolerance of such language and those who use it is now required because this is language intended to lead to violence against mainstream democratic politicians. We have now seen that happen. The consequence of this culture — a culture contemptuous of democracy — is now clear: democracy is threatened by it.
As a result all democrats have a duty to now stand up across religious and political divides and decry such language, those who use it, those who excuse it and the radio stations and other media that publish it and the states that support it.
Those states, in my opinion, include the Isle of Man, which as a tax haven is at the forefront of the attack on democracy and at the forefront of the attack on the wellbeing of billions of poor people around the world. It allowed the language of violence on its national radio station without sanction. Many in the Isle of Man dismissed that language as ‘foolish’ or ‘trivial’. No it isn’t. It’s far from either: it’s deliberate, it’s violent and it’s an attack on freedom.
And in that case I remain sure was more than justified in raising my complaint.
Many around the world realise now the crisis we face and that appeasement — the policy of 1933 towards violence — cannot be acceptable this time. In the interests of democracy those who use the language of violence to promote violence against those who support the right of the people of the world to democratic self determination have to be more than named and shamed — they have to be stopped.
That language was used on Manx Radio. And I condemn Stu Peters who used that language for doing so, Manx Radio for pardoning it and the Isle of Man government for taking no action about it. I name them all as the opponents of democracy — because without action being taken that is exactly what they are.
It is what all captured states — which is what the world’s tax havens acting on behalf of an elite who seek to oppress the majority in this world – collectively are.
The opposition to tax havens may need to move to a new phase. As agents for the oppression of democracy the battle against tax havens has to be come overtly political. So be it. Democracy demands it. And so fight tax havens we shall.
“it’s deliberate, it’s violent and it’s an attack on freedom.”
And it’s intended to intimidate blameless people into silence.
The culture of “don’t complain/comment or else you will be killed” has no place in a civilized society and those receiving such threats have every right to insist that the perpetrators are bought to account and punished.
Clearly the Isle of Man has yet to reach this level of civilization.
It’s ok Richard, everyone knows that you need to keep your name in the public eye but you are not Salman Rushdie no matter how hard you try to blow things out of proportion. Wasting scarce resources, police time, is an offence in its own right. The man that made these comments is a fool and bigger people would understand that. Running off to tell teacher is childish. 90% of people think that you should have accepted the on-air apology or ‘grow up’ but doing that does not generate ‘news’. Most people think you are an idiot for going to the police.
Most people also said right wing political violence did not exist in Europe before last week
But it was
Most people have not been warned of the risk they take by opposing tax havens
I have
Most people do not want to believe that the language of right wing bigots has consequences
The evidence is it has
Which is why inciting political violence needs to be a crime
“Most people think you are an idiot for going to the police.”
Most people on the Isle of Man (and shareholders in the Premier Low Risk Fund) that is. People who are aware how utterly useless the island’s police force is (when it wants to be)..
You acted quite correctly in “making a fuss” Richard.
Pensioners who were tricked into transferring their life savings to the Isle of Man based Premier Low Risk Fund plc (and then complained) also received intimidating threats from those involved in “promoting” the fund.
That there will soon be another Chief Minister, but this will make no difference. The island needs a complete change of government, with a whole new attitude, before it can begin to claim to be a responsible and trustworthy international financial center.
Never invest or deposit a single cent on the Isle of Man until the present government is sent packing.
And regardless of threats and intimidation the PSG will also be “constantly having pops at the Isle of Man” until such time that justice is delivered to hundreds of pensioners who lost their life savings in the Premier Low Risk Fund.
Might it be worth pointing out that the Isle of Man DJ in question is from Manchester.
PSG,
What about the millions stitched up by the labour government over Equitale Life. Or do they not count?
I think Equitable Life lost them
The means used by both Equitable Life and Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander (Isle of Man) Limited to obtain money from the public are manifestly different; as are the circumstances relating to the Premier Low Risk Fund plc.
If inappropriate means are used to cause elderly and vulnerable people to transfer their life savings into the bank account of another there is just cause for complaint.
Never forget that it is a serious criminal offence to obtain bank transfers by deception.