Arrest of Julian Assange is an Attack on Journalism, Liberty, Self-Government and Civilization Itself

Without an unfettered press, without liberty of speech, all of the outward forms and structures of free institutions are a sham, a pretense – the sheerest mockery. If the press is not free; if speech is not independent and untrammeled; if the mind is shackled or made impotent through fear, it makes no difference under what form of government you live, you are a subject and not a citizen.

– William Edgar Borah

Agitators are a set of interfering, meddling people, who come down to some perfectly contented class of the community and sow the seeds of discontent amongst them. That is the reason why agitators are so absolutely necessary. Without them, in our incomplete state, there would be no advance towards civilization.  

– Oscar Wilde

The glimpse of Julian Assange being dragged from the Ecuadorean embassy in London is an emblem of the times. Might against right. Muscle against the law. Indecency against courage. Six policemen manhandled a sick journalist.

– John Pilger: Assange Arrest a Warning from History

I was born 80 years ago in a country called the United States of America, and now I live in a Homeland — an expression we haven’t heard since Hitler.

– Gore Vidal

The only thing I’ve been able to think about for the last few days is the mugging of Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. This post could go in many different directions, but given all the excellent articles already written on the topic, what seems most necessary is an explanation of what this means in the big picture of freedom in the Western world and civilization in general.

Assange’s apprehension on April 11, 2019 and the related indictment and extradition request by the U.S., has led to a level of concern and anger similar to how I felt during the financial crisis and banker bailouts a decade ago. This may seem hyperbolic, but allow me to explain.

As long-time readers know, the financial crisis and subsequent bailouts, including the failure to prosecute bank executives for extreme fraud, was the most formative event of my life.  The whole grotesque charade forced me to confront the reality of the sort of country and economy I was living in, and what I saw horrified and disgusted me.

Although rich and powerful people have always been able to get away with stuff the poor and disenfranchised never could, this reality was shoved far more undeniably in your face during and after the financial crisis. The bankers who committed fraud that crashed the world economy didn’t just hurt a few people, they created a systemic catastrophe that in one way or another impacted and touched the entire planet. The public was then told it needed to rescue these institutions for their own good, but after that had been done, not a single major bank executive went to jail or was even put on trial.

Terms like “Too Big to Jail” emerged to describe the unconscionable practice by which the Department of Justice deemed big banks and their executives untouchable. The most society-destabilizing aspect of the period wasn’t the financial crisis itself, but the response to it.

This is when many people, myself included, began to recognize that there’s a class of people who can do whatever they want without consequence. Such people can set the global economy on fire, or as a different class of elites had done years earlier, can destroy entire countries based on fake news inspired wars, only to end up promoted and celebrated down the road as if nothing ever happened.

Americans are being taught, by repeated example, that there exists two main classes of people in this country. Those aligned with — in one way or another — the national security state, and those who are not. If you’re aligned with the interests of empire and are somewhat prominent, you will never suffer consequences for any of your actions.

Your career will flourish irrespective of how wrong you are, how many countries you destroy, how many civilians you murder, or how many lives you ruin with fraud and corruption. You are for all intents and purposes a member of the imperial royalty, and as such, completely and totally above the law. This isn’t speculation or exaggeration, it’s demonstrably provable reality. We’re being gradually conditioned to accept a society comprised of rulers and the ruled, of masters and servants. There’s no place in such a construct for self-government. You are a subject not a citizen. 

Within the other, much larger class of people, there exist several types. There are many people who just go along to get along. Even if they know what’s happening in their name and with their tax money, they don’t care much for liberty and are certainly not willing to do anything to prevent its demise. Then there’s the multitude that have absolutely no idea what’s going on to any reasonable degree. Chomsky noted:

The general population doesn’t know what’s happening, and it doesn’t even know that it doesn’t know.

These people are perfect subjects, and pose no concern or problem to the protected national security state class. In contrast, there’s a small percentage of the population that understand how evil, secretive and corrupt it all is and simply cannot stay silent. These people are problematic, but the most troublesome ones, the ones who must be dealt with harshly and made an example of, are those willing to risk their lives and liberty to expose the crimes of government to the masses of people who, generally speaking, don’t even seem to care. Three of the most prominent of these types are Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden and Julian Assange. It should come as no surprise that one is exiled in Russia, while the other two are in prison.

No man escapes
When freedom fails,
The best men rot in filthy jails;
And they who cried: “Appease, Appease!”
Are hanged by men they tried to please.

– Hiram Mann

Without any public debate, we’re being actively conditioned and forced to accept a role as powerless servants to the national security state apparatus. The American empire has a ruling class comprised of CEOs of large corporations, Wall Street, the Federal Reserve, billionaires, the mass media, intelligence agencies, the regulatory bodies, think tanks, etc. These people run the show and are above the law. Everyone else must listen and accept orders, and if you dare step out of line and expose the unconstitutional secret actions and corruption of the ruling class, you’ll be hunted down like a dog and your head placed on a spike. That’s why they’re going after Assange so hard ten years later. It’s a message, a warning, and a pretty explicit threat. There’s no liberty or self-government going on here. There are rulers and the ruled. Accept it or suffer the consequences.

Similar to how Alex Jones was used as the perfect villain to condition the public to accept more rampant and subjective online social media censorship since he’s such a polarizing figure, Julian Assange is being used to drag various normal practices of investigative journalism into the mud (see Glenn Greenwald’s excellent piece) because he’s also polarizing. Sadly, a huge number of “resistance” Democrats are cheering on his incarceration mainly because they believe Wikileaks’ revelations about Hillary Clinton and the DNC cost her the throne.

A tweet from authoritarian Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer last week tells you all you need to know about these people.

These people are thuggish, short-sighted and dangerous, but this comment represents a prevailing sentiment amongst many of our fellow subjects, I mean citizens, and it’s why a guy like Julian Assange is being used to make the practice of investigative journalism appear criminal and dirty.

In the really big picture, the Assange affair is terrifying because it’s being used to further public acceptance that the unwashed masses are merely servants of ruling class masters. That exposing the crimes of our deranged elites is the only punishable offense, not the criminal acts themselves. Unfortunately, many people cheer this on because they want to avenge Hillary’s loss, or are just rabid authoritarians who care nothing for liberty or our constitution to begin with.

The reason I’m writing this post and consider it one of the most important things I’ve ever written, is because we can go in two main directions from here as a country. We can accept our degraded and impotent role as meaningless subjects in a vast, corrupt and vicious empire, or we can prioritize freedom, self-government and civil liberties to build a halfway decent civilization. In other words, we can blindly march forward into another dark age, or we can create a new renaissance.

How this will turn out is anyone’s guess, I just know we’re at a crucial crossroads and can only hope these words will inspire some of you to snap out of it, find a little courage and follow your better nature. If not, we will slowly at first, and very quickly later, lose whatever freedoms we have left.

Finally, I want to wrap up by sharing an extremely informative speech given by the late Gore Vidal in 1998 about the origins of the national security state, which is quite fitting since Assange himself was seen holding a copy of, Gore Vidal History of The National Security State, as he was snatched from the Ecuadorian embassy.

As he so eloquently states:

There comes a moment where empires cease to exert energy and become symbolic, or existential, as we used to say back in the 40s. The current wrangling over NATO demonstrates what a quandary a symbolic empire is in when it wants to maintain its view of itself at home and abroad, and yet lacks the mind, much less the resources to impose its hegemony upon its former client states.

Happily, in the absence of money and common will, nothing much will probably happen. Meanwhile there is a new and better world ready to be born, the optimum economic unit in the world is now the city-state.

Enjoy.

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39 thoughts on “Arrest of Julian Assange is an Attack on Journalism, Liberty, Self-Government and Civilization Itself”

  1. “optimum city-state”… for me, this resonates with secession.. either city-states, ‘former’ states or regions. It’s not that rare for a ‘impossible’ to become a ‘must happen’ quite quickly (i.e., ‘medicare for all’ in Bernie’s campaign, to it’s ‘popularity’ now)… maybe it will be that way for ‘local’ independence. hmmmm… and Notre Dame is burning down. Thanks a bunch, Michael

    Reply
  2. The silver lining of the Assange perp walk is that it will expose QAnon as the fraud it is. They’re still telling everyone to sit back and relax while Trump plays 4D chess and saves the universe. A surprisingly high number of delusional Q followers are still out there, wanting to believe in Trump so badly that they’ll suspend disbelief as long as possible. Assange’s head on a stick will wake many of them up. Military misadventures in Venezuela or Iran would wake up even more.

    There was significant outrage at Assange’s arrest, but it’s tough for regular people to fight back when far too many are smugly assuring themselves that all is well, that benevolent actors behind the scenes are looking out for the little guy. They really believe Assange will be given four star treatment as a hero, rather than the grim reality of rotting in a dungeon somewhere, only infrequently pulled out to face the cameras as an example of what happens when you have the insolence to fight empire.

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    • We’ll see,Tengen. Notice that the charges leveled at Assange are very specific charges which were not pursued for years because it was thought they couldn’t be proven. Notice also these charges originate from 2010 and have nothing to do with the 2016 election. It could be that Assange and his lawyers have been lobbed a softball which they will proceed to hit out of the park. Meanwhile, Assange might have opportunity to sing like a bird, putting the smug Schumer and his ilk in a very, very bad position. Perhaps in orange jumpsuits. I fully expect DJT to remain very noncommittal re this case, so as not to appear to have a dog in the fight. Optics are important.
      I too thought it was a little heavy-handed to “drag” Assange out of the embassy, until I found out that they needed to carry him to the waiting van so that his foot would not touch British soil. If that were to occur, the UK could immediately arrest him and subject him to all they’d like to do to him. He was being protected from that.
      So let’s withhold judgment until everything comes out in the wash.

    • Don’t the Brits have jurisdiction over their sovereign air space? Do you Really think that the Empire with all its power and resources couldn’t lay a finger on Assange for ten years or cut his internet access. Whatever the real story is I know this one is total BS. Though I must admit having Pamela Anderson bring Assange sandwiches was a PR master stroke…but not as well done as the Lady Gaga photo op event where she posed in a black outfit complete with witches hat as opposed to Assange in all white. Get it?

    • Yeah yeah David, trust the plan. Been hearing that for what, 27 months? I have a feeling we’re going to be waiting a VERY long time for this grand scheme to come together in Q fashion.

      Also, does trusting the plan involve Trump’s veto today, deliberately prolonging the Saudi-led bloodbath in Yemen? Seemingly everything Trump does has the neocon stamp of approval, yet we keep hearing it’s the subtle nuance of 4D chess, incomprehensible to us mere mortals.

  3. I’m sorry Mike, but in my opinion, for what little that is worth, the population is so thoroughly propagandized, and so uninformed, and so lazy, and so outright stupid, that I don’t see any way that the Jew World Order is going to be defeated. And even if a miracle occurred in terms of awareness, it’s too late. 5G and AI will give the technocrats and elites the upper hand that might only be removed by total insurrection. And we all know that isn’t going to happen. This reminds me of the pipe dream that the central bank will be defanged by bitcoin. The banisters are are far too clever for that.

    What can be done? I wish someone would tell me.

    Reply
    • “Jew World Order?” Do not insult half of my family ancestry with that sort of vile, divisive, slur. It’s wrong, unproductive and disgusting. Don’t bring that sort of trash on my website again.

    • Buddy your mind is to twisted to fix sorry ! My very best & oldest friends I grew up with are Jewish … as a Christian I refer to them as my cousins . A very high bridge perhaps ?

    • Its not an insult. And it’s not wrong. It’s the truth. You will discover this if you look into it.

      To your credit, I note that you did not borrow from their playbook and censor the comment.

      All roads lead to the City of London.
      http://Www.911nwo.com

      Go ahead. Don’t be afraid. Look into it. This is not my opinion. And I’m not an anti Semite.

      Thank you for your patience.

    • Ralph, your comment was anti-semitic, divisive and most importantly unproductive toward helping us (all of humanity) advance above our current depraved situation to create a better world. Don’t pull that sort of thing again on this site.

    • Talk about being propagandized, take a look within. You must unconsciously know that there are the good, benign, bad and out right evil within every group of humans in this world. So your singling out the Jewish people because you have been drank the cool aid shows you still need to do more homework. I’ve read the ‘Protocols’ and they are just an undated version of Sun Tsu’s ‘Art of War’ and Macheaveli’s ‘The Prince’, attributed to some secretive Zionist master plan intricately woven to point a finger and have you react in exactly the way you have. No doubt there are the good, the bad and the ugly but responding on such a low frequency only feeds into a matrix of division and hatred as purposely constructed so that most people will never think of seeking to understand what is really going down. Which is the waging of psychological warfare to control the information, thoughts and actions of the general population by a small group of control freaks, many with psychopathic tendencies. If truth is your thing then know that this war is as much a spiritual one as it is an earthly one. What actually governs the human experience is a set of universal, binding and immutable law that has very real consequences for all human actions and that manifests as the world we see around us. The ‘controllers’ are in open rebellion against this law, likely as a result of their psychopathy, and mean to take the rest of the population,as ignorant of this law, down with them….and you my friend are playing into the grand scheme just as much as any Zionist, as also ignorant of this law, is playing into the same grand scheme.

    • Ralph, you’re treading on very, very dangerous ground. The LORD didn’t say to Abraham and his descendants, “I will bless them that bless thee, and those who curse thee I will curse” for nothing. You need to start taking God’s word seriously. Your eternity depends on it.

    • As long as we’re all dog piling on Ralph, it’s important to apply this indignation consistently. I’m perfectly happy with this as long as it works both ways, meaning it’s not okay to call out a people group as evil, nor is it okay to say someone HAS to like a people group because the guy in the sky commands it. That shouldn’t be, um, kosher either.

      I understand wanting to prevent this site from becoming like ZH (ironically the place I first read Michael) where people throw around the n-word and routinely denigrate Jews, Muslims, Millennials, women, and more. It’s understandable to want to avoid that, but now that the cat’s out of the bag, it’s got to be evenhanded.

    • The “insurrection” may happen when the USD is converted 1-10 into its new digital equivalent or when its devaluation starts its death spiral. Otherwise, an economist collapse may accomplish waking the zombies up.

      I wouldn’t hold my breath the zombies will do anything except provide entertainment for our life experience.

      The central bank is a separate issue from bitcoin. It’s not either/or. That’s just propaganda.

  4. I totally agree with the meat of MK’s argument that independent journalism is being read the riot act. It seems the censorship front is of late once again on the move and being pushed forward, in Russia, the EU and in the Anglo western nations using Assange as the excuse and example. China and its ilk already have combined a totalitarian system with technology to socially engineer a Technocracy.

    My only quibble is that this is very likely role playing of a nature to bring about exactly the desired chilling effect on independent journalism. Ditto the other examples cited here. Better would have been the examples of Michael Hastings or Aaron Swartz and such.

    Does anyone REALLY think the Empire could not touch Assange for ten years? Does anyone really believe that Snowden after careful deliberation hands his entire set of files to a MSM – Guardian reporter who would not go near the exact same type of material released by NSA whistle blower Russ Tice in 2005 and that the reproter – Greenwald would then go on to work for NSA friendly Deep State billionaire Pierre Omidyar? Really how has the work of these two affected your life in any way, shape or form? I don’t claim to know all the ins and outs of these operations but I do know when to call B.S. when I see and smell it. That said MK is dead nuts right that ‘Control’ will be moving to try a shut down independent journalists that are able to ruffle Control’s feathers.

    Reply
  5. I thought the same thing about the term “Homeland” when it was initially given. It was incredulous to me that Bush was even using it. The medical-industrial state is one of the scariest. CIA must be out of our universities and medical facilities but for job fairs and teaching as retirees (with full disclosure). We must guard against foreign agents at our colleges but the FBI, CIA, NSA, etc. have already scarily morphed for decades with little oversight, and must not also “monitor” our universities. This must be another, new, dedicated entity. Demand review, reform, and should they continue to exist, valid, reliable, and verifiable oversight of the Intel App. I protest in Miami if anyone wants to join me. More info at my site. Protest wherever you are, before it might be too late.

    Reply
  6. Honestly the only solution to this mess would be a rise in interest rates to 30% ( painful but required) and for something to be done about the internet .
    My suspicion is that it ( and high speed technology) seems to be proving itself to be the biggest problem for humanity. The more decades go by the more I see the immaturity of the species , we have obviously created something we are not ready for on a global scale .
    Humanity has a rocky road ahead & climate change is the last thing we should be focused on . Just like the shell game , your eye is always fooled & your attention misdirected!
    GOD HELP US ALL !!

    Reply
    • As long as the USD exists in its current form, we won’t see 3% again, let alone 30%. In the words of the occupational hypnotherapist in Office Space, rates are headed “down, down… WAY down”. Eventually we’ll go negative.

      Also don’t see how shutting down the internet solves anything. It’s just a tool, often a useful one. That reasoning is even more spurious than blaming guns for homicides.

  7. David, notice his demeanor in the pics and video as they dragged him out of the embassy screaming:

    “Roast me! Hang me! Do whatever you please,” said Brer Rabbit. “Only please, Brer Fox, please don’t throw me into the briar patch.”

    Then the photos of him looking cool, calm, and collected, giving a thumbs up and a wink with a wry smile on his face as he was enroute to the station in the back of the police car.

    “Brer Rabbit was sitting on a log combing the tar out of his fur with a wood chip and looking smug.”

    Reply
  8. I’m a bit dismayed that this respected site should descend into vulgar identity attacks ! (ON BOTH SIDES) – I just refuse to see this polarisation so simply defined as pro/anti Jew, semite, zion etc.

    I’m sorry to be critical Michael, but I also refute suggestions that the question of liberty, free speech and expression,etc , are in any way restricted to what you repeatedly refer to as “this country”, or “our country”. – I feel you inadvertently foster the notion of “the chosen ones” of this great empire?

    I agree with you on demanding a certain “quality” of expression on your site, but not when you demand content.

    Reply
    • Hi Tom, happy to hear your criticisms, let me address them.

      First, let me define what this site is not. This site is not a platform, it is a place where I share my thoughts on a distinct topic or idea around once a week. The comment section exists so that readers can engage in dialogue about the posts I write and ideas I share. I have seen the comment sections of too many other websites descend into a pointless gutter, and that is not an acceptable outcome for me given that this is a very personal space.

      One of the things that is not permitted is to categorize and demonize a particular group of people (any group of people) based on the parents they happened to be born to. That is demanding a certain quality and it is not demanding content. It is excluding a particular type of low consciousness and ignorant commentary and I do not apologize for doing so. Again, this site is not a platform. If this isn’t reasonable to you, I understand if you no longer wish to read or comment here.

      Second, as an American citizen, I can only put into context what is happening to the constitutional rights we have here, which is why I focus on that. If you’re not an American I can understand how this can be alienating at times, but this isn’t the intent. I can only talk about what I know, but I certainly think the most broad interpretation of free speech is ideal for human beings generally speaking.

  9. Thank you Michael. I assure you that I value your thought provoking treatises. I also admit the difficulty of separating “gutter” expression from “quality” or criticism from abuse.
    I never doubted your ability to explain what was perhaps just a slightly over emotional exchange, and I thank you for taking the time to do so.

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    • I certainly have an issue with what you keep hammering on about……. “ language “ . As I read your comments, your background is obviously one of a preferred education.
      Your tone is demeaning to anyone not lucky enough to to have been afforded the graces of a wonderful education , which would suggest wealthy upbringings ?
      I sense you would turn your back on the uneducated & regard their opinion as less worthy ! You come off a bit pompous. .. Sorry about that but perhaps it’s a character flaw ?

    • Zulugroove, I assume this comment is meant for me, so allow me to address it real quick.

      First, I have never hidden the fact that I was brought up privileged. My bio is right here on the about page for everyone to see. I also often discuss how I worked on Wall Street for a decade and made good money there. If you have a problem with any of this, or think it affects my tone or demeanor in a negative way, that’s perfectly fine. There’s also a simple solution. You can stop reading my work.

      Second, if you don’t like the parameters of what I want to achieve in the comment section, you are free to stop reading and commenting here. There are tons of other sites to visit. To reiterate:

      “Let me define what this site is not. This site is not a platform, it is a place where I share my thoughts on a distinct topic or idea around once a week. The comment section exists so that readers can engage in dialogue about the posts I write and ideas I share. I have seen the comment sections of too many other websites descend into a pointless gutter, and that is not an acceptable outcome for me given that this is a very personal space.”

  10. “But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil” is the most important advice Jesus ever gave. While at the same time being the most misunderstood.

    Siddhartha Gautama also delivered that same message repeatedly.

    As soon as anyone starts creating negative energy in reaction to negative behavior, all you’re doing is further empowering them by indulging in anger and resentment, which are really just fear. That is what self-important people do, and it is counter-productive.

    Look no further than the fruits the “Resistance” has produced regarding Trump. They indulged in feeling offended because they think they’re important.

    Yes, there are bad so-called Jews, Christians, Muslims, etc. Those are just convenient monikers self-serving people hide behind. Tribes provide cover for those types of people because there is always safety in numbers. The numbers make it easier to hide.

    What self-serving people are most afraid of are people who truly are not afraid of them, and display that by doing good.

    Reply
    • A fair and thoughtful criticism of my response to Ralph. Given my time constraints these days due to family obligations, I quickly and aggressively responded to Ralph without a more detailed explanation. Later when I had time, I gave a more thorough response to Tom.

      Here is part of it.

      “First, let me define what this site is not. This site is not a platform, it is a place where I share my thoughts on a distinct topic or idea around once a week. The comment section exists so that readers can engage in dialogue about the posts I write and ideas I share. I have seen the comment sections of too many other websites descend into a pointless gutter, and that is not an acceptable outcome for me given that this is a very personal space.”

      I hope this helps explain what I am trying to achieve here and what I do not want to see happen to this comment section.

    • Hi Mike,

      I understand your response to Ralph, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a real issue there that needs to be discussed. I also don’t blame you if you don’t want your site to be where that discussion takes place.

      Henry Makow ( https://www.henrymakow.com/ ) does a good job of covering the highly troubling ‘Judeo-Masonic’ NWO (a criminal mafia that wraps itself in ethnic, national, and other identities to escape notice and criticism).

      This issue is not new. Arguably it is the gordian knot at the heart of all that is going on. Not likely much positive will be achieved without addressing this issue. Silence, in the face of glaring offenses (like censorship, support of disastrous immigration, control of the Federal Reserve, and extreme undue political influece) only aggravates the problem; frank, honest, open conversation is what is needed–polite, but not hamstrung by political correctness.

      Best,

      GH

    • Another good source is Ron Unz’s Unz.com

      http://www.unz.com/runz/the-myth-of-american-meritocracy/

      Privilege like that revealed in the above article, the opposite story of that with which the narrowly-controlled mass media browbeats, can only lead to escalating discord until it is resolved.

      Yet few are willing to even speak of them. Note, like Mike, both Makow and Unz have Jewish ancestry, and they’re fighting the good fight.

  11. Overall, what Julian Assange was arrested for was for conspiracy to commit computer fraud – the connection is with Chelsea Manning’s access to secure servers – it was not Mr. Assange who attempted and attained access.
    These charges against Assange are “thin” at best. To quote Donald J. Trump, “We’ll see what happens”. But look to the United States to do whatever it takes to utterly silence Mr. Assange.
    The United States is utterly obsessed with anyone who “appears” to get away with something the U.S. cannot control – look at how the U.S. viciously imposes economic sanctions as the new “nuclear weapon of control” for entities like Venezuela or North Korea (and anyone else who does not fall in line, including corporations).
    Julian Assange may actually get a “fairer shake” in Sweden, as they have reopened the sexual assault case, and the Swedes may be unwilling to extradite him, for fear of unjust treatment in the U.S court system. Though recently, the Swedes have been a vassal state of the U.S.

    Reply
    • It is no secret that Assange/Wikileaks has a dead mans switch, Chris.

      That is the only reason the teabags haven’t already seen to a “sudden illness led to his death despite our best efforts to save him” scenario.

      So it matters not whether he stays in the UK, or is extradited to the US or Sweden.

      My first assumption when they pulled the trigger and arrested him was that they must have gotten to one or more Wikileaks insiders who knew how to kill the dead mans switch. But now I’m beginning to think otherwise.

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