I am still floating from the exhilaration of hearing this news yesterday.
Julian and Stella could not have a better friend and advocate than you, Chris. Your fervent dedication to securing his freedom and the rights of all journalists stands as a testament to your unwavering integrity.
This is for Julian, and Stella, and you, and every whistleblower and journalist brave enough to speak the truth, expose corruption, and challenge tyranny:
It did my heart good to read your poem honoring Julian Assange and all whistleblowers and truth tellers, along with Chris's powerful prose honoring Julian and the countless good people he has touched and who have helped to hold him all these years.
Chris Hedges is right, that "the ruling global class has shown its hand" and it orients to death and destruction with no vision of true Life at all. I've come to feel that the mind set that has built this edifice of paranoia, rapacious greed and cruelty inherent in these inhuman Entities, these monstrous totalitarian corporate Hydras loosed upon our world, can only be met and defeated by the fiercest creativity - creative thinking, strong inspired words and arts and music, creative spontaneous actions and mass protests... In short, calling upon all those wind whipped passionate hot sparks of lava filled with the green seeds of new creation itself that are roaring out of the volcano you graciously summoned. With all of Mother Earth at our backs! That old world is already filled with cracks and it is crumbling.
What a lyrical and exhilarating summons to resistance, Liana, and I am honored to connect with a fellow Apocaloptimist who shares my passion for resisting tyranny and saving lives!
I think you will especially appreciate these posts if you haven’t yet seen them:
I am so grateful to you for sharing this celebration of the brave Veridos (to borrow Diane Perlman’s brilliant term for the courageous personality) who stand as bulwarks against corruption, avarice, and totalitarianism!
I have never felt this kind of pure joy for a stranger in my life. Since the news yesterday a feeling of elation, a lifting, a freedom, has enveloped me. I know it’s not just altruism. I feel hope.
Your headline, CH, is fine, but if I may, I’ll turn it around. More than anyone apart from his family, you, Chris Hedges, saved Julian Assange. I don’t think I need to elaborate on that, but it’s just one more way that your work, and your great heart, makes the world a better place.
Thank you Chris, for shining a light on the heroes who get ignored or villified by the main stream press. Keep up the good work. From a long time subscriber.
It’ll be a tough battle. Yesterday after I read the first story about Assange in the Times I wrote a positive, inclusive, generous, comment, which garnered about 400 ‘likes’. Above it, the top three comments, all filled with lies, and condemning Assange, each had several times that number of ‘likes’. Thousands of readers cheering on vicious, hateful, and completely uninformed comments. They don’t even seem to read the paper they’re commenting in. It really makes one wonder.
The campaign to smear assange is in full swing again at the NYTS. Talking points, repeated ad nausea: he’s “no hero” and a “narcissist” who committed “treason” and Russia Russia China something.
They watch the news as a sport, or a reality show to pontificate on. They believe in nothing, are completely incurious and aggressively stupid. I have extensive experience as I am related to several of this species.
It is tough, because we're outnumbered. But we're tougher. Imagine how weak you have to be to rely on a television for your world view, and your tantrums to "win" a conversation. Keep thinking, learning, fighting. Because at the end of the day, we rock.
That’s all true. I draw encouragement from their anger, ignorance, and lack of discipline. They focus on absurd theories about Russia, Hillary Clinton, or whether Assange is really a journalist, and ignore the facts: Their government committed crimes. Instead of jailing the torturers they jailed Kiriaku. Instead of the smirking murderers in the helicopter they jail Assange and Manning. It’s the ease with which they twist reality that frightens me most.
Is 'uninformed' quite the right word, I wonder? 'Misinformed' might at least for some or many of them be more correct. I say that because although initially deeply impressed and supportive of Julian's and his colleagues' work, and shocked and angry about the war crimes they rightly exposed, as the months and years went by, I had to work quite hard to overcome the impression given by most of the mainstream media, including the so-called liberal ones. And of course it was mostly through reading writers such as Chris Hedges and many other independent writers that I came to understand just how (and why) I and people like me, who do keep, as we like to think, well-informed, had been so badly led to think ill of Julian. It was character assassination, very well done, well written by seemingly good, experienced journalists, many from the Guardian which most of us probably still have to read. This piece by Chris is as usual deeply insightful and compassionate, but is also I think terrifyingly right in pointing to what the authorities are lining up in store because they haven't dealt appropriately with the climate crisis. Hence how right he is to mention the genocide of Palestinians. Just as Israel has used that captive nation for weapons testing of its arms and surveillance industries ("Battle-tested"), so it's not at all unlikely that Israel's enablers in the mass murder (you know who they are) are practising for the future.
Thanks Chris. You are a rock of courage and truth, one who can be referenced with utmost confidence when facts are hard to establish. Not that there was ever any uncertainty about this matter - it was an obvious disgusting stitch up, from Sweden to Belmarsh, and revealed the institutional state paranoia and corruption we are now so aware of.
But your faithfulness to Julian’s cause encouraged us all to stay the course.
But we cannot wait for the apples to fall from the tree, we have to work with mass demonstrations to be able to enjoy them and that is the lesson of Assange's release.
We may of saved his life, but the US won the battle - they have terrorized all potential whistle-blowers. and journalists. Who in their right mind would go through what they put him and Manning through!?!
"He was released because day after day, week after week, year after year, hundreds of thousands of people around the globe mobilized to decry the imprisonment of the most important journalist of our generation. Without this mobilization, Julian would not be free."
Kudos & thanks to many faces who stepped up, spoke out & put feet in the street for years! <3
It is truly a day of days, almost unbelievable given the mountains scaled. I am extremely happy for Julian and his family. And also thank you Chris, you are a wonderful human .
Congratulations to everyone who fought for Julian Assange's freedom...hah hah hah. What a battle for so many years! Thank you to those continually fighting to free Palestine as well. May all life on and/or from Earth one day know everlasting peace.
I, too, had the feeling they may not be through with Julian yet! I was elated to get the news and I thought how you, Chris, must have cried tears of joy. God help us. You’ve been a rock through all of this. Thank you. 🙏
I'm so happy that Julian is free, I hope the US doesn't pull some last minute crap. I hope Julian can heal up and just be with his family. Let's not forget Edward Snowden, forced to hide in Russia.
The strong language we need and never get from the mainstream media. The people have to vote with their feet in the street as we used to chant in the sixties. Generating mass movements is the only path to victory over the security state.
Much thanks for all you have done. Words cannot possibly cover your years of struggle to free him.
I am still floating from the exhilaration of hearing this news yesterday.
Julian and Stella could not have a better friend and advocate than you, Chris. Your fervent dedication to securing his freedom and the rights of all journalists stands as a testament to your unwavering integrity.
As I told Stella (https://x.com/MargaretAnnaAl1/status/1805413072821272606), Dan Ellsberg would be elated to know his dying wish has been fulfilled.
This is for Julian, and Stella, and you, and every whistleblower and journalist brave enough to speak the truth, expose corruption, and challenge tyranny:
You’ve rippled the ocean.
You’ve whipped the wind.
You’ve sparked the volcano.
And even if the Goliaths target you,
even if their thugs assault you,
even if their scientists spike you,
your truth will swell to a seismic wave,
traveling upon the sea of the awakened,
swallowing up our tyrannizers.
We will trill your truth.
We will warble your song.
We will whistle your secret
to the world, until there are
too many of us to silence.
—“Ode to a Whistleblower”
• https://margaretannaalice.substack.com/p/ode-to-a-whistleblower
• https://margaretannaalice.substack.com/p/ode-to-a-whistleblower-video-tribute
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bASZkhDROzo
Beautiful.
Thank you, Liana 🙏
It did my heart good to read your poem honoring Julian Assange and all whistleblowers and truth tellers, along with Chris's powerful prose honoring Julian and the countless good people he has touched and who have helped to hold him all these years.
Chris Hedges is right, that "the ruling global class has shown its hand" and it orients to death and destruction with no vision of true Life at all. I've come to feel that the mind set that has built this edifice of paranoia, rapacious greed and cruelty inherent in these inhuman Entities, these monstrous totalitarian corporate Hydras loosed upon our world, can only be met and defeated by the fiercest creativity - creative thinking, strong inspired words and arts and music, creative spontaneous actions and mass protests... In short, calling upon all those wind whipped passionate hot sparks of lava filled with the green seeds of new creation itself that are roaring out of the volcano you graciously summoned. With all of Mother Earth at our backs! That old world is already filled with cracks and it is crumbling.
Thank you, Margaret, for your deep love of Life!
What a lyrical and exhilarating summons to resistance, Liana, and I am honored to connect with a fellow Apocaloptimist who shares my passion for resisting tyranny and saving lives!
I think you will especially appreciate these posts if you haven’t yet seen them:
• “Against Defeatism: The Apocaloptimist Manifesto”: https://margaretannaalice.substack.com/p/against-defeatism-the-apocaloptimist
• “Memes by Themes: Resistance”: https://margaretannaalice.substack.com/p/memes-by-themes-11-resistance
As a trauma therapist, you may find value in my profound exchange with Meredith Miller:
• “Dissident Dialogues: Meredith Miller (Q&As #1–4)”: https://margaretannaalice.substack.com/p/dissident-dialogues-meredith-miller-1-4
Thank you for wielding your creativity to defend the vulnerable from the cruelites, philanthropaths, and tyrants, Liana!
I've shared this amazing trubute!
I am so grateful to you for sharing this celebration of the brave Veridos (to borrow Diane Perlman’s brilliant term for the courageous personality) who stand as bulwarks against corruption, avarice, and totalitarianism!
I have never felt this kind of pure joy for a stranger in my life. Since the news yesterday a feeling of elation, a lifting, a freedom, has enveloped me. I know it’s not just altruism. I feel hope.
Your headline, CH, is fine, but if I may, I’ll turn it around. More than anyone apart from his family, you, Chris Hedges, saved Julian Assange. I don’t think I need to elaborate on that, but it’s just one more way that your work, and your great heart, makes the world a better place.
Thank you Chris, for shining a light on the heroes who get ignored or villified by the main stream press. Keep up the good work. From a long time subscriber.
It’ll be a tough battle. Yesterday after I read the first story about Assange in the Times I wrote a positive, inclusive, generous, comment, which garnered about 400 ‘likes’. Above it, the top three comments, all filled with lies, and condemning Assange, each had several times that number of ‘likes’. Thousands of readers cheering on vicious, hateful, and completely uninformed comments. They don’t even seem to read the paper they’re commenting in. It really makes one wonder.
I saw that as well. It smelled like an organized campaign.
Lapdogs. They do tend to stink...
The campaign to smear assange is in full swing again at the NYTS. Talking points, repeated ad nausea: he’s “no hero” and a “narcissist” who committed “treason” and Russia Russia China something.
They watch the news as a sport, or a reality show to pontificate on. They believe in nothing, are completely incurious and aggressively stupid. I have extensive experience as I am related to several of this species.
It is tough, because we're outnumbered. But we're tougher. Imagine how weak you have to be to rely on a television for your world view, and your tantrums to "win" a conversation. Keep thinking, learning, fighting. Because at the end of the day, we rock.
That’s all true. I draw encouragement from their anger, ignorance, and lack of discipline. They focus on absurd theories about Russia, Hillary Clinton, or whether Assange is really a journalist, and ignore the facts: Their government committed crimes. Instead of jailing the torturers they jailed Kiriaku. Instead of the smirking murderers in the helicopter they jail Assange and Manning. It’s the ease with which they twist reality that frightens me most.
I don't draw encouragement from it. I am terrified by it.
Most humans are, first and foremost, herd animals to rival any sheep or lemming.
It's that simple.
Is 'uninformed' quite the right word, I wonder? 'Misinformed' might at least for some or many of them be more correct. I say that because although initially deeply impressed and supportive of Julian's and his colleagues' work, and shocked and angry about the war crimes they rightly exposed, as the months and years went by, I had to work quite hard to overcome the impression given by most of the mainstream media, including the so-called liberal ones. And of course it was mostly through reading writers such as Chris Hedges and many other independent writers that I came to understand just how (and why) I and people like me, who do keep, as we like to think, well-informed, had been so badly led to think ill of Julian. It was character assassination, very well done, well written by seemingly good, experienced journalists, many from the Guardian which most of us probably still have to read. This piece by Chris is as usual deeply insightful and compassionate, but is also I think terrifyingly right in pointing to what the authorities are lining up in store because they haven't dealt appropriately with the climate crisis. Hence how right he is to mention the genocide of Palestinians. Just as Israel has used that captive nation for weapons testing of its arms and surveillance industries ("Battle-tested"), so it's not at all unlikely that Israel's enablers in the mass murder (you know who they are) are practising for the future.
Thanks Chris. You are a rock of courage and truth, one who can be referenced with utmost confidence when facts are hard to establish. Not that there was ever any uncertainty about this matter - it was an obvious disgusting stitch up, from Sweden to Belmarsh, and revealed the institutional state paranoia and corruption we are now so aware of.
But your faithfulness to Julian’s cause encouraged us all to stay the course.
As dark as things appear to be most of the time, once in a while a little light does shine through.
But we cannot wait for the apples to fall from the tree, we have to work with mass demonstrations to be able to enjoy them and that is the lesson of Assange's release.
I am surprised that the CIA did not murder him
To that I would add: yet
We may of saved his life, but the US won the battle - they have terrorized all potential whistle-blowers. and journalists. Who in their right mind would go through what they put him and Manning through!?!
Still, at least he is free.
"He was released because day after day, week after week, year after year, hundreds of thousands of people around the globe mobilized to decry the imprisonment of the most important journalist of our generation. Without this mobilization, Julian would not be free."
Kudos & thanks to many faces who stepped up, spoke out & put feet in the street for years! <3
#FreeAssange Collection 2012-2024
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pameladrew/collections/72157719403264692/
It is truly a day of days, almost unbelievable given the mountains scaled. I am extremely happy for Julian and his family. And also thank you Chris, you are a wonderful human .
Congratulations to everyone who fought for Julian Assange's freedom...hah hah hah. What a battle for so many years! Thank you to those continually fighting to free Palestine as well. May all life on and/or from Earth one day know everlasting peace.
I hope he Remains safe. I just have a bad feeling this is not over. I hope and pray that I'm wrong
I, too, had the feeling they may not be through with Julian yet! I was elated to get the news and I thought how you, Chris, must have cried tears of joy. God help us. You’ve been a rock through all of this. Thank you. 🙏
I'm so happy that Julian is free, I hope the US doesn't pull some last minute crap. I hope Julian can heal up and just be with his family. Let's not forget Edward Snowden, forced to hide in Russia.
The strong language we need and never get from the mainstream media. The people have to vote with their feet in the street as we used to chant in the sixties. Generating mass movements is the only path to victory over the security state.
Much thanks for all you have done. Words cannot possibly cover your years of struggle to free him.
Thank YOU, also.
This fine novel by one of Russia’s most loved authors amplifies what CH is talking about. https://calirb.com/the-big-green-tent-a-novel-by-ludmila-ulitskaya-translated-by-polly-gannon/