Julian Assange’s legal options have nearly run out. He could be extradited to the U.S. this week. Should he be convicted in the U.S., any reporting on the inner workings of power will become a crime.
There is no good reason for Julian to be charged under the Espionage Act, because he didn't sell or give classified info to a foreign government. He merely told the truth the people needed to know, just like others such as Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning, and made some privileged people look bad for doing wrong things. There needs to be a loud voice from many people opposing any action against Julian Assange.
Thank you for your concise summary of the huge injustices Assange has endured up to this point in his persecution. Any compassionate person must conclude he has suffered way beyond anything justified by his actions. The people persecuting him have lost all their humanity!
"All of the public protests I have attended in defense of Julian in the U.S. are sparsely attended. Our passivity makes us complicit in our own enslavement."
I'd like to believe Assange inflicted a "grievous wound" to the deep state monsters, but it's hard to see it that way. Nobody cares, or even knows. Just like they don't care about a dangerous airborne disease, or know that the great heat--the end of normal--is at hand.
No. We're asleep. The comfortable among us will only fall more deeply asleep, desperate to keep what comforts they can.
Yes, Nicholas [Kristof], "Many on the left had erred on what was perhaps the most important issue of the 20th century, global totalitarianism" — but let's admit that the late 19th, all of the 20th, and well into the 21st century — we erred and followed the long arc of history in the wrong direction to Empire and Wealth instead of Love and Democratic Socialism.
As early as 'fixing' corporate capitalism in 1886, being judged a legal equality of humans and corporations, the wrong path was taken.
By 1898, when Mark Twain formed the American Anti-Imperialist League, the die was cast that "The Quiet American" Empire a century latter aspired to rule the world.
FDR's democratic social equality instincts by 1944 were dramatic, empathetic, and evolving — until 'the fix' was in — when Dixiecrats and 'Big City Bosses' orchestrated the first 'silent coup d'état', and democratic socialist Henry Wallace was excised.
With the success of the first, the ante was upped, in the early 60's with Ike's national security state reservations, concerns, and warnings, along with a string of not-so 'silent coup d'états'.
Then came the litany of duopolies, Disguised Global Crony Capitalist Racist Propagandist Criminal Ecocidal 'Children-Killing' & 'War-Starting' EMPIRE, controlled by a ‘Ruling-Elite’, UHNWI, <0.003%ers, TCCers, arrogantly self-appointed "Masters of the Universe" — which hides Empire behind their totally corrupted dual-party Vichy-facade of faux-democracy — moving to a FULL-ON Global EMPIRE.
Julian Assange's plight is the same for me as all of the Iraq BS - the invasion and torture and unaccountability. RFK Jr says on Day 1 of his administration Julian and Edward Snowden will be pardoned.
J'Accuse....! Or not. If only Americans weren't depressed and distracted, apathetic and utterly incurious. Throughout the Dreyfus Affair French citizens were passionately divided - and remain vociferously active and in the streets regarding perceived wrongdoing by their government. But U.S. citizens are the proverbial boiling frog, largely oblivious to the horrific injustice of Julian Assange's persecution and the inevitable wreaking-ball for investigative journalism that is intended with his extradition. As with anyone empathetic to Assange's plight and aware of the corporate totalitarianism behind it, this feels like a nightmare reaching its climax.
I always appreciate reading your lucid analysis of these vital matters. Julian Assange ought to be considered as the modern versions of Sacco and Vanzetti, or the Rosenberg case. Instead, we have a pacified public who with supposedly more technology has actually less information, and almost no motivation to get into the streets to protest abuse of power and reclaim their rights.
Thank you for being one of those few who still hold the torch of integrity aloft.
Shocking indeed. The slow murder of Julian may not be just revenge, but rather, warning to anybody daring to reveal more and bigger crimes in the future, including crimes that Julian has not yet revealed.
He hasn't completely lost his mind. My guess is he is well aware of the ramifications and would willingly commit suicide to protect journalism. I would not wish that rock and a hard pla e decision on an enemy. It is up to him to decide how to meet this crisis. He has children and should never allow anyone to make this choice for him. A true hero either way and I would guess that either way there will be violent retribution for the blatant inhumane treatment of a journalist who sought only to provide truth. Truly this is a very sad affair.
There is no good reason for Julian to be charged under the Espionage Act, because he didn't sell or give classified info to a foreign government. He merely told the truth the people needed to know, just like others such as Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning, and made some privileged people look bad for doing wrong things. There needs to be a loud voice from many people opposing any action against Julian Assange.
As Western Civilization digs its grave.....
Thank you for your concise summary of the huge injustices Assange has endured up to this point in his persecution. Any compassionate person must conclude he has suffered way beyond anything justified by his actions. The people persecuting him have lost all their humanity!
"All of the public protests I have attended in defense of Julian in the U.S. are sparsely attended. Our passivity makes us complicit in our own enslavement."
This might be the ultimate tragedy.
I'd like to believe Assange inflicted a "grievous wound" to the deep state monsters, but it's hard to see it that way. Nobody cares, or even knows. Just like they don't care about a dangerous airborne disease, or know that the great heat--the end of normal--is at hand.
No. We're asleep. The comfortable among us will only fall more deeply asleep, desperate to keep what comforts they can.
Yes, Nicholas [Kristof], "Many on the left had erred on what was perhaps the most important issue of the 20th century, global totalitarianism" — but let's admit that the late 19th, all of the 20th, and well into the 21st century — we erred and followed the long arc of history in the wrong direction to Empire and Wealth instead of Love and Democratic Socialism.
As early as 'fixing' corporate capitalism in 1886, being judged a legal equality of humans and corporations, the wrong path was taken.
By 1898, when Mark Twain formed the American Anti-Imperialist League, the die was cast that "The Quiet American" Empire a century latter aspired to rule the world.
FDR's democratic social equality instincts by 1944 were dramatic, empathetic, and evolving — until 'the fix' was in — when Dixiecrats and 'Big City Bosses' orchestrated the first 'silent coup d'état', and democratic socialist Henry Wallace was excised.
With the success of the first, the ante was upped, in the early 60's with Ike's national security state reservations, concerns, and warnings, along with a string of not-so 'silent coup d'états'.
Then came the litany of duopolies, Disguised Global Crony Capitalist Racist Propagandist Criminal Ecocidal 'Children-Killing' & 'War-Starting' EMPIRE, controlled by a ‘Ruling-Elite’, UHNWI, <0.003%ers, TCCers, arrogantly self-appointed "Masters of the Universe" — which hides Empire behind their totally corrupted dual-party Vichy-facade of faux-democracy — moving to a FULL-ON Global EMPIRE.
Julian Assange's plight is the same for me as all of the Iraq BS - the invasion and torture and unaccountability. RFK Jr says on Day 1 of his administration Julian and Edward Snowden will be pardoned.
J'Accuse....! Or not. If only Americans weren't depressed and distracted, apathetic and utterly incurious. Throughout the Dreyfus Affair French citizens were passionately divided - and remain vociferously active and in the streets regarding perceived wrongdoing by their government. But U.S. citizens are the proverbial boiling frog, largely oblivious to the horrific injustice of Julian Assange's persecution and the inevitable wreaking-ball for investigative journalism that is intended with his extradition. As with anyone empathetic to Assange's plight and aware of the corporate totalitarianism behind it, this feels like a nightmare reaching its climax.
I'm pretty sure that Julian is already destroyed psychologically and physically.
This is so wrong, on so many different levels. And we can't seem to stop it.
I always appreciate reading your lucid analysis of these vital matters. Julian Assange ought to be considered as the modern versions of Sacco and Vanzetti, or the Rosenberg case. Instead, we have a pacified public who with supposedly more technology has actually less information, and almost no motivation to get into the streets to protest abuse of power and reclaim their rights.
Thank you for being one of those few who still hold the torch of integrity aloft.
We have to overthrow the US government and dismantle the security and surveillance state
Julian is targeted for exposing to the public how our criminal overlords operate & who they are.
The crime against Julian Assange is so terrible that I cannot find the words .
Cnnnie Bygdnes
Shocking indeed. The slow murder of Julian may not be just revenge, but rather, warning to anybody daring to reveal more and bigger crimes in the future, including crimes that Julian has not yet revealed.
He hasn't completely lost his mind. My guess is he is well aware of the ramifications and would willingly commit suicide to protect journalism. I would not wish that rock and a hard pla e decision on an enemy. It is up to him to decide how to meet this crisis. He has children and should never allow anyone to make this choice for him. A true hero either way and I would guess that either way there will be violent retribution for the blatant inhumane treatment of a journalist who sought only to provide truth. Truly this is a very sad affair.
It is surreal to watch this persecution. Thank you for your unwavering voice and journalistic integrity