The Russians call it Kompromat – the use by the state of sexual accusations to destroy a public figure. When I was attacked in this way by the government I worked for, Uzbek dissidents smiled at me, shook their heads and said “Kompromat“. They were used to it from the Soviet and Uzbek governments. They found it rather amusing to find that Western governments did it too.
Well, Julian Assange has been getting the bog standard Kompromat. I had imagined he would get something rather more spectacular, like being framed for murder and found hanging with an orange in his mouth. He deserves a better class of kompromat. If I am a whistleblower, then Julian is a veritable mighty pipe organ. Yet we just have the normal sex stuff, and very weak.
Bizarrely the offence for which Julian is wanted for questioning in Sweden was dropped from rape to sexual harassment, and then from sexual harassment to just harassment. The precise law in Swedish, as translated for me and other Sam Adams alumni by our colleague Major Frank Grevil, reads:
“He who lays hands on or by means of shooting from a firearm, throwing of stones, noise or in any other way harasses another person will be sentenced for harassment to fines or imprisonment for up to one year.”
So from rape to non-sexual something. Actually I rather like that law – if we had it here, I could have had Jack Straw locked up for a year.
Julian tells us that the first woman accuser and prime mover had worked in the Swedish Embassy in Washington DC and had been expelled from Cuba for anti-Cuban government activity, as well as the rather different persona of being a feminist lesbian who owns lesbian night clubs.
Scott Ritter and I are well known whistleblowers subsequently accused of sexual offences. A less well known whistleblower is James Cameron, another FCO employee. Almost simultaneous with my case, a number of the sexual allegations the FCO made against Cameron were identical even in wording to those the FCO initially threw at me.
Another fascinating point about kompromat is that being cleared of the allegations – as happens in virtually every case – doesn’t help, as the blackening of reputation has taken effect. In my own case I was formerly cleared of all allegations of both misconduct and gross misconduct, except for the Kafkaesque charge of having told defence witnesses of the existence of the allegations. The allegations were officially a state secret, even though it was the government who leaked them to the tabloids.
Yet, even to this day, the FCO has refused to acknowledge in public that I was in fact cleared of all charges. This is even true of the new government. A letter I wrote for my MP to pass to William Hague, complaining that the FCO was obscuring the fact that I was cleared on all charges, received a reply from a junior Conservative minister stating that the allegations were serious and had needed to be properly investigated – but still failing to acknowledge the result of the process. Nor has there been any official revelation of who originated these “serious allegations”.
Governments operate in the blackest of ways, especially when it comes to big war money and big oil money. I can see what they are doing to Julian Assange, I know what they did to me and others (another recent example – Brigadier Janis Karpinski was framed for shoplifting). In a very real sense, it makes little difference if they murdered David Kelly or terrified him into doing it himself. Telling the truth is hazardous in today’s Western political system.
Richard Robinson: Fair point, though I think it’s unlikely in practice that juveniles would be reading a forum like this. As a safety precaution I have tried to discourage readers showing it to them. However, let Craig feel free to censor the joke out, if he sees fit.
Speaking of which – does anyone know what’s happened to him?
“As a safety precaution I have tried to discourage readers showing it to them”
Yes, that was the bit that rubbed me up the wrong way. Can we not be trusted to have our own ideas of what’s proper, that we need instructing in yours ? Let alone that it’s a “problem” that wouldn’t even have arisen if you’d followed your own advice.
hey Somebody… the RD was always in dentists’ waiting rooms and so on. It was marginally better than ‘Woman’s Own’, but that’s not saying much. As for America, well, if some Russian Jew said to old Abe that it’s a “good place”, that’s the end of the discussion!
Suhayl… the troll is teabagging harder than ever these days. Err, I mean the teabagger is trolling harder than ever, err… well, don’t let the racism get to you.
“along with Crazy Katherine Harris in Florida, where she facilitated the prevention of tens of thousands of blacks from voting.”
How did she prevent them from voting? And why isn’t she in jail? Once count of this, and she goes to jail.
Being anti-Muslim and anti-Christian (I am both) is not racist.
Now what’s wrong with Russian Jews and their opinions?
Richard Robinson: Assuming that broadcasting the joke was a mistake, my advice was a safety precaution. If you don’t need it, fine. No great harm done.
Glenn: “As for America, well, if some Russian Jew said to old Abe that it’s a “good place”, that’s the end of the discussion!” I’m glad you think so. But there’s nothing like first hand experience. So visiting the place is a good idea. I would also watch “The West Wing” (on DVD) to get a good account of the ‘truth told through fiction’ about the American leadership.
Commissioned and Non-commissioned U.S. Military Officers for 9/11 Truth petition the Congress of the United States for:
“a new and independent investigation into the events of 9/11/01 by a duly constituted legal body with the authority to subpoena and require testimony under oath, and with authority to prosecute if criminal activity is discovered, so that the perpetrators of these crimes against humanity can at last be brought to justice.”
I assume that everyone here supports this effort.
“Assuming that broadcasting the joke was a mistake, my advice was a safety precaution. If you don’t need it, fine. No great harm done.”
Well, but it’s an ineffective precaution, because you can’t count on everyone who sees it having the same idea of what’s proper. Once you make something public you lose control of it, is all I’m saying.
Richard: I know what you mean. For instance, I was fully intending to show that joke to some primary school kids as soon as they finished for the day, and it would have been dead embarrassing to have to explain what it meant. Thank God I was warned in time not to do so!
Abe, I spent the majority of the 1990s living there, spent time in at least 30 states, and made scores of visits since through work. So thanks all the same, but I don’t think getting a DVD of “The West Wing” will add much to what I’ve gained through living there and the couple of hundred books (serious ones!) I have on the US and its activities around the world.
You remind me of a dotty old aunt who provided indispensable advice much like your own.
Richard, Glenn: The point about the joke is well-taken, and I apologise for the error of judgment of broadcasting it. I will hope that that no-one will show it to young children (for they might get in trouble if they did..)
Glenn: you appear to have a good deal of first-hand experience in the U.S. By coincidence, a relation of mine lived there during the 90s for several years, and came back – he didn’t much like it there. But “The West Wing” is so good that they got former presidents and members of the White House staff to do interviews for the extras (as well as staffers being consultants). It’s superbly well-made, so that to miss it is to miss a valuable work of art as well as a real glimpse nto the American centre of power.
The aunt you mention sounds interesting. I suspect that she’s not that dotty at all. I wonder what kind of advice she gives, apart from things like using a scarf in cold weather.
“using a scarf in cold weather”
Now, *there*’s yer “biking philosophy”.
LfStL ‘Now what’s wrong with Russian Jews and their opinions?’
Because they are almost all in Israel living on stolen land.
i think I prefer the prescient Bill Hicks to the West Wing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MRykTpw1RQ
ps only just got Abe’s joke, mind you. tsk tsk.
Technicolour: the language Bill Hicks is using is definitely unsuitable for little ones, yea, meriting a period in detention if they are caught using such words; tsk, tsk indeed.
But I am being serious when I say that “The West Wing” is many times as unmissable as even the series Hornblower – because there were 8 Hornblower films (all very good), but over 150 episodes of the WW – and about current times, and the greatest political power centre on Earth. I could make a similar comparison with other excellent series like Shogun, or “Edward and Mrs Simpson”.
Now “The West Wing” may be incomparable, but some other American series are very good. Like “The Paper Chase” (2 seasons now available on DVD), Cannon (2 seasons, each in two parts however), “Hawaii Five-O” (9 out of 12 seasons released to date), “Magnum, P.I.” (the whole lot, great stuff!). And I have yet more good news: The Ellery Queen Whodunit (with Jim Hutton) is now available for pre-order. I kid you not! Ah, the benefits of American civilisation. Consider these recommendations dotty at the risk of everlasting loss!
Abe, I loved Ellery Queen too, so I will forgive you for the conflation of fiction (made up) with fact and commentary. Your world view nevertheless reminds me of occasional times spent with lost young men, after too much skunk and news horror, would start babbling about the X Files. It took a long time, invariably, to get them OK again.
So recommend away. I quite liked Alias Smith & Jones and the Rockford Files, myself.
sorry: *who*, after too much skunk and world horror etc
but, sorry, will watch the West Wing again if I have a chance, although have no faith in its veracity. Am predisposed to like Charlie Sheen, however, and by extension Martin.
Mark
Jesus pbuh is said to have said, in the gospels that worldly people are cleverer at negotiating than religious people. The example was given of the supervisor who was caught with his hands in the till, who quickly did a deal to get himself out of trouble.
Why can’t our leaders admit that Thatcheristic economic policy has been a complete disaster spiritually? Look after yourself, which Maggie said was the message of the Gospels, speaking from a church pulpit to the world, has led to a generation of trash who do not think it is unethical to oppress other nations. Who do not think it is unethical to swindle the foodstuffs or the financial savings of ordinary people.
Although they are pre-known by Allah, our destinies are placed firmly with ourselves in the Qur’an. This is a criterion of right and wrong, including the superlative of right which is worship and trust in God, and thye superlative of wrong which is disbelief in God and trust in other than God.
Time and time again in the Qur’an we are reminded that wrongdoers will be disgraced in this life as well as in the next. Pharaoh refuted the signs of the different plagues and was drowned with all of his people. Hell will be their abode in the hereafter. Mrs Thatcher’s policies have been trashed by recent events, and her followers like Blair and Brown who refused to contradict her philosophy, even though that is what the British public had asked them to do, stand disgraced for the violence committed in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the igninomy of allowing the Jewish bankers to bankrupt the United Kingdom. Worse is to follow on the day of Judgement.
Er… no. I hear them say. Er…very much yes. The US and UK have created their own demise. The banks say they are making profits. Yes, they are short-selling vast quantities of crisis borrowing. That crisis borrowing belongs to me and you, and it will sting us soon, the same as with Maggie, when the banks have caught enough fish with low interest rates to close the bag and hike the interest charges up to 15 % base rate again.
I bought an Austin Rover 1.7 Ital with an overhead cam in 1985. It constantly burned oil. I bought a posh Rover 800 in 1996. It constantly burned oil, but you couldn’t tell because the oil soot was caught in the catalytic converter. The buggers had just bolted more and more contraptions onto a completely crap engine design. Brilliant management! Sold to China for a pound!
Yes, Saudi Arabia is the intellectual centre of Islam, because all the others are flogging their own flawed brands of Islam. That doesn’t mean to say that the Saudi Royal family are not scoundrels and vagabonds.
All the branches of Islam read the book and do the opposite. the Arabic speakers of the world are the worst offenders in finding ways to deviate from the obvious meaning of the Qur’an. Other have been deviated by the West into following ideas which are not mentioned in the Qur’an. There are seventy-two sects of Islam in deviation, the only right followers being those who teach and invite to Islam, and who prosecute their faith by force when necessary.
If you don’t think the latest wars have made force necessary, go and build a mosque next to ground zero as a shrine to failed Western Imperialism.
“the only right followers being those who … prosecute their faith by force when necessary.”
Fantastic. You and Abe both. Anybody else lining up to decide when it’s necessary to kill me for having wrong beliefs ? Hurry, while stocks last.
anno, who in your opinion, is the apotheosis of Islam (apart from Allah and Muhammed) Anyone currently living?
technicolour: I am not aware of making up fiction; I ocnsider my own world view to be correct. However I can return your compliment: someone who likes Ellery Queen can’t be all bad. His books of short stories are pretty good as well, and this is where the internet comes in. They were first published by Victoe Gollancz, but sadly unavailable when I wanted them in the 70s (I only managed to find ‘QED: Queen’s Experiments in detection’ in my public library). But with the internet I can find the lot!
Richard: which beliefs do you think I would want to kill you for, exactly? For being against America? (Shocked). For being against Kissinger (Double shocked). For diaagreeing with Tony Blair’s decision to join in the Iraq war? Oh, that’s all right. I’ll get back to my tea and Hawaii Five O 🙂
Technicolour… in answer to your question of 9:15pm…
Me…?
Not.
Abe, I loved that joke!! Right on!! It took me a little while to get it. And when I did, I almost fell off the seat.
Interesting that even when someone celebrates the tolerance and common sense of most American people, the (to quote one of the Glaswegian characters from a short story I penned awhile back) “wee radge tadger” still feels the need to onanise to an unchanging pornography.
——————————-
On a much happier and far more chaste note, in acknowledgement of the Pope’s visit to Scotland tonight and tomorrow, here is a piece from the most adventurous (in my opinion) ever album of gospel rock. The person who posted it should have it down as, ‘Agnus Dei’ not ‘Angus Dei’, but perhaps they’d a had too much whisky or something! Play it again, Prunes!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nal82O3hMdM
Btw, just to be clear, of course with my quote I wasn’t referring to you, above, Abe – just realised the way it might look on the screen!
Alias Smith and Jones – fantastic – good vibes – you know, those two were anti-Vietnam War campaigners in real life; the one who killed himself was depressed over the state of America and the world. Sad.
The ijeuts in Saudi recently destroyed buildings made in the Prophet’s time in case someone started worshipping it – like no-one in 1400 years had ever worshipped it, but no… these fools are scared of bricks and mortar! Saudi Arabia prints Qurans and other material that have words subtly distorted to fit their beliefs – this is the farce of religion.
Anyway, Arabic words are multi-layered – as are words in most other languages, to a greater or lesser degree. Words are mutable. Meanings, even more so. Uncomfortable, discomfiting, untidy. That’s humanity. That’s the world. That’s the multiverse.
There are a million-and-one sects in every religion and each one thinks that they and only they have it down, the divine word, the righteous path. Light, goodness, truth.
Babel.
TOTALLY OFF TOPIC… BUT…
@Craig… please tell me,
When Srakozy ( irony of ironies ?” himself of Hungarian Jewish descent) expels Gypsies into Romania, then what?
What will NATO do?
What will the European Union do?
What will the United Nations and the UN Security Council do?
What will any government reacting to the laws that prohibit racist persecution, in and out of Europe, do in response to the conduct of the French President, whose actions play favorably into the hands of the xenophobic far right?
Well, what did they do in response to the massive war crimes of Bush and Blair?
Answer: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!
The (to quote another urban realist character) eternal “lun” refers to Arabs as “ragheads” and he claims he’s not racist?!!!
!!!!Cue the Laughing Policeman!!!!
Exactly, Courtenay, exactly. It’s obnoxious and also deeply ironic. Sometimes, those with the worst attitudes are the sons and daughters of immigrants – I know some. They don’t see it, of course. It’s called, ‘pulling up the ladder’.
Is Sarkozy on coke, btw? Anyone know…? A French journalist once told me that – but perhaps he was being sarcastic.
Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Yah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
And on…