>Interesting the correlation between a strong Murdoch media presence and the inability to elect governments that come near reflecting the views of the population.

The similar system here was shaped during the last decade, where he (the psychoswan aka president) owns almost none of the media, but the big mafia, ahem, tycoons' businesses are in cahoots with the government, it's a completely you-scratch-my-back economy - and they will diligently withdraw advertising from any newsmedia who don't toe the party line. It's happened a few times already. The opposition doesn't get heard at all, not even in the Parliament, they always find a way to manipulate them out.

There's an old slogan from Alan Ford comic (Italian, but more popular in ex-Yu than at home, there's already a sociological study about it), "if you mean to win, you must not lose". This year's version was "if you mean to win, do not vote".