It has long been a puzzle to many how Piers Morgan managed to achieve such success in the public eye. Personally, I find him to be a clown, a bully, and a windbag. Despite numerous scandals that would have ruined most careers, he somehow managed to rise to the top of the media industry. This week, Private Eye magazine shed some light on this mystery while reflecting on the life and exploits of billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed. In a piece written by Morgan himself back in 1999, he confessed to a strategy that many employ but seldom admit: groveling to billionaires, especially those who own the media.
This strategy is not uncommon, but openly acknowledging it is. Morgan spoke the unspoken rule of public life. If you want to succeed, you must cozy up to the rich and powerful, particularly those who control the media. The obvious implication of this rule is that billionaires are the ones who hold the real power. Many rules can be broken without consequence – you can conceal your financial interests and flout editorial guidelines while appearing on the BBC, or breach parliamentary rules – as long as you remain loyal to the interests of the wealthy. But Morgan’s Rule is sacrosanct. If you are a political party or a commentator seeking influence, you must abide by it, or face vilification and exclusion.
Morgan and other journalists like him belong to what I call the concierge class, offering a range of services to economic elites. Some specialize in translating the extravagant demands of oligarchs and corporations into politically expedient decisions or attacking the critics of plutocrats. Others engage in reputation-laundering, using donations to cultural institutions to transform unsavory characters into respected figures. And then there are lawyers, accountants, bankers, and wealth managers who assist in hiding and laundering money, obtaining special visas, or launching legal attacks on detractors. This is why organized crime thrives in London, exploiting the city’s lax financial regulations and oppressive libel laws.
The government itself is complicit in this system. In 2021, while Rishi Sunak was chancellor, the Treasury granted special licenses and approved sanctions-busting flights for Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian warlord, to sue investigative journalist Eliot Higgins. The few dozen individuals, supported by thousands of concierges, exert dominance over our lives. The democracy we claim to have is nothing more than a thin veil over oligarchic power.
There are numerous ways in which economic power translates into political power, and none of them are beneficial for ordinary citizens. One obvious method is through campaign financing, which influences not only political parties but entire systems of thought and action. These transactions push the interests of society aside. Financial power also ensures that legislation aimed at curbing economic crime and money laundering contains loopholes big enough for superyachts to sail through. The House of Lords has fought to close these loopholes, but the government has thwarted their efforts at every turn.
Money’s influence extends to environmental issues as well. Wealthy individuals, like the multimillionaire who burned $15,000 of fuel while deciding on a last-minute change of travel plans, disregard the impact of their actions. Meanwhile, Sunak, who serves the interests of the oligarchs, travels in helicopters and private jets instead of taking trains. Celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and Floyd Mayweather also contribute to environmental degradation by flying in private jets for short trips. The collective effect of these actions is astounding – society increasingly bends to the will of the ultra-rich.
Almost everyone in the public eye adheres to the same set of ludicrous beliefs: that economic growth can continue indefinitely on a planet with finite resources, that the accumulation of vast fortunes by a few individuals is acceptable, that the ultra-rich should be allowed to own as much natural wealth as their money allows, that there is nothing wrong with a handful of offshore billionaires controlling the media and setting the political agenda. Anyone who challenges these notions is marginalized and silenced. We are free to speak, but only up to a certain point – a point that holds all the power.
Morgan’s rule is not just an unwritten guideline; it is an unspeakable truth. Everyone knows it but few dare to mention it. It underlies our esteemed institutions, our legal systems, our social norms. It is the silence that needs to be broken.
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