Tuesday 7 December 2010

Julian Assange, Shame on U.K. and Sweden.

Henry David Thoreau wrote, apart from On Walden Pond, an essay on Civil Disobedience (1849). The government, according to Thoreau, is not just a little corrupt or unjust in the course of doing its otherwise-important work, but in fact the government is primarily an agent of corruption and injustice.[Wikipedia]

He went on to say...
"Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison.… where the State places those who are not with her, but against her,– the only house in a slave State in which a free man can abide with honor.…"

...and he went to jail for his beliefs, it wasn't just rhetoric.

Now, most of us aren't that strong, or don't get a chance to show how strong we are, but Assange, figurehead for WikiLeaks is in jail on trumped up charges which basically makes him a political prisoner.

British justice, supposedly the finest in the world, has refused to give bail to a man who offered £180,000 security (his admirers did) because he is wanted in Sweden FOR QUESTIONING, (where the senior prosecutor discharged his case a long time ago, in fact declared it ridiculous). No charges have been made, only allegations. He has not been arrested. His lawyer has not been shown any information regarding the charges.

He is in prison. His lawyer has been refused access to see him for the next 5 days.

Now in the face of strength, the weakness of the British Court and the Swedish Government are just more manifest.....and the large capitalist companies have shown their weakness too.

According to the Tweetosphere.......you can send a donation to the KKK through all the companies, like Paypal, who are now refusing to take donations to WikiLeaks. The weak cower.....
....and unsurprisingly a band of hackers called "Anonymous" has now decided to give the companies that have been trying to make WikiLeaks life difficult, a taste of their own medicine (cyber attacks and DoS). I can't blame them. Resistance is not futile.

The Good Old Days have gone, because of the Internet, when governments can stop their dirty laundry being washed in public. They no longer control the flow of information, though many of them would like to. Information is power, and it's no longer solely in the hands of governments and media moguls as it used to be.

I expect there will be attempts to 'rectify' this... moves to control the flow of such embarrassing revelations, and the Party Faithful like Palin will recommend that whistle-blowers be "hunted down like terrorists". Some like Clinton will try and spin the facts to make Assange the enemy, this is how governments work, we are used to it, even though we see through it...but.... the Internet is sacred. My right to access all the good and bad it has to offer is a thing worth fighting for.

Expect things to heat up on the Internet control debate...... though I expect the Censors to lose.

:ll

26 comments:

  1. *sigh* to quote the sage, "And so it goes."
    I am sorry the British government and the paid agents in Sweden have caved in or been bought by who I, and many, believe to be behind this persecution. I know you read my blog with both letters from Julian's lawyers prior to this "extraordinary rendition" and know what those supposed allegations really are.

    As to your last paragraph, these things are already happening right now. Even the labeling "pirate" used to describe copying digital bytes, where nothing is taken away or lost (unlike thievery) muddies the issue in the direction the psyops warriors wish.

    I am an artist, and I know I've been straying into politics lately, but it is as an artist I must speak about my society and my world, and unfortunately this is one of those times when many deceptive, unethical and downright predatory practices are being brought to the forefront of my attention because they are affecting and thinking to affect my home.

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  2. Darned sad... You know, years ago a friend of mine saw conspiracies in everything... and I thought she was SO WRONG. Today, several decades later... I realise there are conspiracies in everything. Everything is shades of gray........well, almost... you are either pregnant or youre not.The rest is shades of gray.

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  3. OH, BTW... @Miso Heh heh.. I close all my blogs with "and so it goes" ...does that mean I'm a sage? =^..^=
    In my day I was a tad spicy!!

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  4. I am in LOVE with Julian Assange!!! He is MY HERO!!! I fear for his life. He, unfortunately, does as well. He has given orders to release many documents if he shd disappear.

    This whole incident pulls the curtain back on just the first layer of filth and lies. . . and is so very frightening. The Attorney General of the US, Eric Holder, is hot on his trail as well. Some Senators in Congress are even calling for his execution as a traitor!!!

    There are certainly no grounds for his incarceration and he turned himself in!!! There are only to date unproven allegations against him.

    Poor Dear Julian, he has become the martyr for truth and justice of our times. And he has held up a mirror for us to see clearly just how horrifyingly right wing our world has become. There is no way that ppl can remain silent after this.

    Isabella Alphaville

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  5. @Brinda: you must be a Vonnegut fan also ^_^

    @Isabella: the thing that interests/concerns/seems valid to me artistically, regardless of my politics, is the use of this communications medium. For the first time in history, a substantial investment is not required for an individual's or an organization's views to be widely heard and disseminated.

    "They" are trying to gain control; with Net Neutrality distortion, with hidden (but not to techs) deliberate sabotage (of DNS redirects, reachable addresses, "traffic shaping" and "quality of service"), with "terrist h@X0R threats, with "protect copyright" justifications... but so far, we are routing around them.

    You can argue the politics of what Julian did, or how he did it; that is a personal point of view. What is really being pointed out by this case is the misuse of "top secret" classification not to conceal information vital to our security but to cover up entrenched interests, abuse of power, personal pettiness, privilege and advantage and the abuse of the classification itself. Since their slogan is "If you have nothing to hide, why worry about transparency?" when they seek to pry into my email, cellphone and web history, I don't see why "some pigs are more equal than others" and we can't have much more transparency in government, as the bulk of these cable releases show us petty and insignificant items being misclassified "top secret" to spare someone embarrassment or comfort.

    The second huge issue here which concerns all of us is the attempt by corporate and political interests to gain control over this medium as they did with radio and television; to allow only "approved" signals to be carried by "approved" carriers; to censor and limit dissemination of information in the same way the Church used to limit reading the Bible or books on one's own. It is also artistically valid to study the art/methods of a propaganda machine in action.

    This medium is new, and has more fantastic promise and possibilities for transforming our lives and the world than any other previous invention in its reach and scope. It is also the first time that I can have a say or put my effort into shaping such a medium; I did not have that chance for radio or television.

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  6. Post by Miso Susanowa....


    @Brinda: you must be a Vonnegut fan also ^_^

    @Isabella: the thing that interests/concerns/seems valid to me artistically, regardless of my politics, is the use of this communications medium. For the first time in history, a substantial investment is not required for an individual's or an organization's views to be widely heard and disseminated.

    "They" are trying to gain control; with Net Neutrality distortion, with hidden (but not to techs) deliberate sabotage (of DNS redirects, reachable addresses, "traffic shaping" and "quality of service"), with "terrist h@X0R threats, with "protect copyright" justifications... but so far, we are routing around them.

    You can argue the politics of what Julian did, or how he did it; that is a personal point of view. What is really being pointed out by this case is the misuse of "top secret" classification not to conceal information vital to our security but to cover up entrenched interests, abuse of power, personal pettiness, privilege and advantage and the abuse of the classification itself. Since their slogan is "If you have nothing to hide, why worry about transparency?" when they seek to pry into my email, cellphone and web history, I don't see why "some pigs are more equal than others" and we can't have much more transparency in government, as the bulk of these cable releases show us petty and insignificant items being misclassified "top secret" to spare someone embarrassment or comfort.

    The second huge issue here which concerns all of us is the attempt by corporate and political interests to gain control over this medium as they did with radio and television; to allow only "approved" signals to be carried by "approved" carriers; to censor and limit dissemination of information in the same way the Church used to limit reading the Bible or books on one's own. It is also artistically valid to study the art/methods of a propaganda machine in action.

    This medium is new, and has more fantastic promise and possibilities for transforming our lives and the world than any other previous invention in its reach and scope. It is also the first time that I can have a say or put my effort into shaping such a medium; I did not have that chance for radio or television.

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  7. It seems Google doesnt like large comments, its happened to a couple of people.... I suggest you post in two parts. Although it stops the comment, I get to repost it and it stays.... oh well... it gets published in the end anyway...:)))

    Keep commenting...:))

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  8. ...and....check out Miso's post on the subject too... excellent stuff...

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  9. *blush* *giggle*
    Blogger is telling me "get yer own blog!"
    Ok, new rule: if I have to make more than two paragraphs, I'll just do my own post :D
    *still blushing*

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  10. Nah....it a pure pleasure to have your input, Miso.

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  11. Isabella Alphaville as the defender of the free word??? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

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  12. Saveme for vice president. what a ticket that would make!

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  13. I prefer the other way around and let Miso write my speeches as she has nothing better to do.

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  14. "I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected."

    I have stated publicly many times in front of various witnesses that I have absolutely no desire to be Queen... I mean President whatsoever. It's too much work; Princess is much better. I categorically deny any and all other spurious allegations.

    Besides, I would not make SaveMe Vice President, but Minister of War. If you think for a minute you'd understand why. She has the experience; she has the touch; but most importantly of all, she has the hearts and minds of her constituency.

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  15. As peace only brings us Josina Burgess, Teaparty's and IDOLS elections in UWA I declare war now! Or did I already did it??? Did I already told you all the story about the day that Isabella Alphaville forgot her underwear?

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  16. We thought you did already, SaveMe; I mean isn't that your declared mission statement?

    As to "forgot her underwear," I mean... who hasn't?!?!?!

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  17. Thank you for your support Miso!!! I have stopped wearing underwear altogether on the advice of SaveMe and of course, then there is no chance to forget. . .I have enough problems remembering things as is and this way I can neglect sorting my lingerie drawer with no regrets. And for your information, I have burned all my bras.

    As to free speech, I have always been a champion of it. . .the First Amendment is my dear friend and I took several courses on it during law school. However, even the freedoms granted by the First Amendment do not allow for "shouting fire in a crowded room". . .nor is slander tolerated. . .

    Miso, I agree totally with what you so eloquently stated. However, let's not forget that art and politics can be and should be strange bedfellows. Politics is not a dirty word but censorship is. Art History is a sub-set of History. It is all one.

    SaveMe, I am not only defender of the free word, but also defender of the free worLd and I do believe "LOVE is all there is."

    As to the 30th Anniversary of John Lennon's assassination. . . You know at the time, my friend, Jerry, was their macrobiotic chief and took care of Sean. The Dakota is around the corner from where I live and I have visited it and the Lennon apartments many times. Despite the horror of insanity, violence and war mongering, I do still IMAGINE. Imagination, art, freedom of expression, freedom of speech, they are all one.

    So Bravo Julian!!! You are my Hero!!!!

    ISA

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  18. oops, now see it is Soror who so "eloquently stated" . . .so sorry Soror. . .I am not only forgetful, but also need reading glasses. . .

    Isa

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  19. all I am saying is
    GIVE PEACE A CHANCE

    ISA

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  20. So this is Christmas
    And what have you done
    Another year over
    And a new one just begun
    Ans so this is Christmas
    I hope you have fun
    The near and the dear one
    The old and the young

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  21. Happy Holidays to you, SaveMe, and to Everyone!!
    Wishes for a 2011 full of magic!!

    xxx
    ISA

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  22. Two points:

    A just government should never fear truth. A government that fears truth is not motivated by the good of the people the claim to represent.

    It is the attitudes of those posting here who give me optimism in the future, when all around I see armies of powerful people attempting to corrupt that future. The Internet *has* shifted some of that power back into the hands of the people; if it has enabled enough power, we will see those who try to hide the truth slowly but surely replaced by those who believe that truth keeps everyone clean. On the other hand, if that shift of power does not adequately move to the people, and there is no confidence in The Official Truth, we will see a new revolution. I don't know who will prevail but either things will change or it will get very messy.

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  23. Yep, Jim, there are a few people with enough sense to understand what is at stake. Thank the gods.

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  24. It is so important. I've expanded my comments above... quite a lot. http://jimrantsnraves.blogspot.com/2010/12/truth-in-government.html

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