The Guardian hit a new low in Amelia Hill’s report on Julian Assange’s appearance at the Oxford Union. Hill moved beyond propaganda to downright lies.
This is easy to show. Read through Hill’s “report”. Then zip to 20 minutes and 55 seconds of the recording of Assange speaking at the event Hill misreports, and simply listen to the applause from the Oxford Union after Assange stops speaking.
Just that hearty applause is sufficient to show that the entire thrust and argument of Amelia Hill’s article moves beyong distortion or misreprentation – in themselves dreadful sins in a journalist – and into the field of outright lies. Her entire piece is intended to give the impression that the event was a failure and the audience were hostile to Assange. That is completely untrue.
Much of what Hill wrote is not journalism at all. What does this actually mean?
“His critics were reasoned, those who queued for over an hour in the snow to hear him speak were thoughtful. It was Julian Assange – the man at the centre of controversy – who refused to be gracious.”
Hill manages to quote five full sentences of the organiser of the anti-Assange demonstration (which I counted at 37 people) while giving us not one single sentence of Assange’s twenty minute address. Nor a single sentence of Tom Fingar, the senior US security official who was receiving the Sam Adams award. Even more remarkably, all three students Hill could find to interview were hostile to Assange. In a hall of 450 students who applauded Assange enthusiastically and many of whom crowded round to shake my hand after the event, Hill was apparently unable to find a single person who did not share the Rusbridger line on Julian Assange.
Hill is not a journalist – she is a pathetic grovelling lickspittle who should be deeply, deeply ashamed.
Here is the answer to the question about cyber-terrorism of which Amelia Hill writes:
“A question about cyber-terrorism was greeted with verbose warmth”
As you can see, Assange’s answer is serious, detailed, thoughtful and not patronising to the student. Hill’s characterisation – again without giving a word of Assange’s actual answer – is not one that could genuinely be maintained. Can anybody – and I mean this as a real question – can anybody look at that answer and believe that “Verbose warmth” is a fair and reasonable way to communicate what had been said to an audience who had not seen it? Or is it just an appalling piece of hostile propaganda by Hill?
The night before Assange’s contribution at the union, John Bolton had been there as guest speaker. John Bolton is a war criminal whose actions deliberately and directly contributed to the launching of an illegal war which killed hundreds of thousands of people. Yet there had not been one single Oxford student picketing the hosting of John Bolton, and Amelia Hill did not turn up to vilify him. My main contribution to the Sam Adams event was to point to this as an example of the way people are manipulated by the mainstream media into adopting seriously warped moral values.
Amelia Hill is one of the warpers, the distorters of reality. The Guardian calls her a “Special Investigative Correspondent.” She is actually a degraded purveyor of lies on behalf of the establishment. Sickening.
Oxford Union owns up it censored out the background video of Collateral Murder behind Assange during his speech at the Sam Adams awards on “legal advice”:
http://www.cherwell.org/news/world/2013/02/03/wikileaks-accuses-union-of-quotcensorshipquot
Really disgusting how the sick stalker is targetting Mary.
You’re a sinister poster Habbabkuk,
Sinister and ugly.
Here’s a weird thing.
I dont have a homophobic bone in me but i’d love the gay marriage shite to come unstuck simply to fuck the Govt up.
Sorry but there it is.
Does that make me a Nazi now?
WHERE IS WERRITY?!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2273022/Liam-Fox-return-Cabinet-help-stop-plots-Cameron.html
The headline says it all, apols for Heil link. Will Werrity be making the come-back we’ve all been secretly pining for?
Lordy but this Government is bent. It’s not even especially subtle.
How many humans have you shredded and burned today Monsieur Hollande?
Thirty jets targeted Islamist militants’ training and communication centres around Tessalit – a mountainous area near the Algerian border.
French President Francois Hollande has pledged to help rebuild Mali after the rebels who seized its north are beaten.
Kidal assault: French jets bomb northern Mali
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21314779
I should have said:
Thirty French jets bombed Kidal yesterday. Imagine the scream of the jets followed by the screams of the victims. The bombing must have been indiscriminate.
How many humans did you have you shredded and burned yesterday Monsieur Hollande?
Thirty jets targeted Islamist militants’ training and communication centres around Tessalit – a mountainous area near the Algerian border.
French President Francois Hollande has pledged to help rebuild Mali after the rebels who seized its north are beaten.
Kidal assault: French jets bomb northern Mali
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21314779
~~~
This is/was Kidal
http://maliwar.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/kidal.jpg
Population of Kidal: 11 642 people
http://www.tiptopglobe.com/big-photo/mali-2.jpg
Roderick Russell who sometimes posts here writes –
[..]
Recently some of the Guardian’s readers have voiced their surprise at its hostile attitude on so many of the issues that they believe a truly “liberal” paper should actually be supportive of – For example, the Guardian’s extraordinarily negative reporting on Wikileaks just says it all.
We wondered if our experiences might help explain some of the contradictions between what so many readers expect from the Guardian, and what is actually being delivered. Of course it’s well known that in the UK there is collusion between the mainstream media in general and power. But, our personal experiences with the Guardian also suggest another answer – the Guardian is too close to British intelligence.
[..]
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/01/28/1182880/-The-Guardian-in-America-Icon-of-the-left-or-too-close-to-British-Intelligence
Hat tip to Scrabble on Medialens for this.
‘5 Broken Cameras
New Wave Films have offered us a special discount on the DVD of the Oscar nominated documentary 5 Broken Cameras, a Palestinian farmer’s chronicle of his nonviolent resistance to the actions of the Israeli army in Bi’lin.
At the check-out enter the special promotional code 5BC and the DVD price will be reduced from £10 to £7.
Offer ends 28th February. Free P&P for UK customers.
http://www.vivaverve.com/product.php/219/2/5_broken_cameras ‘
I also recommend this very moving film which I saw at the Palestinian Film Festival at the Barbican a few years back. It is on VivaVerve’s list.
‘The Time That Remains is a semi-autobiographical film, in four episodes, about a family, my family, from 1948 until recent times.
The film is inspired by my father’s private diaries, starting from when he was a resistance fighter in 1948, and by my mother’s letters to family members who were forced to leave the country.
Combined with my intimate memories of them and with them, the film attempts to portray the daily life of those Palestinians who remained and were labelled “Israeli-Arabs”, living as a minority in their own homeland.’ Elia Suleiman
The film is at once a heart-breaking testament to his family, a lesson from history, and a poignant, subversively funny delight.
http://www.vivaverve.com/product.php/110/9/the_time_that_remains
Guano.
The haves and the have nots, what we are told is what we must have and we are also told what we must not do.
Yet we are constantly bombarded with thr Daily de-sanitizing news with depictions of wrong doing and violence.
We have here some issues on the make up of society and the liberals cannot see that we need coaching, cajoling into beings that pretense into a modern society with values.
Look up the word grace and tell me if that is not what we are missing.
Probably Craig will have read the book, and listened in, but in case he might have missed it, last weeks Radio 4 Book at Bedtime was Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan by William Dalrymple, about the first Afghan War (1839-), a bit of a comedy of errors. That unfortunate Burnes chap gets a mention or three and without wanting to spoil the plot, he comes a cropper.
Jives at 01h14 :
” I don’t have a homophobic bone in my body but I’d love the gay marriage shite to come instuck simply to fuck the Govt. up”
I’m sure that the gays and lesbians would agree with you.
Your post reveals the degree of unreasoned hate shown by some of you.
You, Jives, are a truly stupid person. This blog would be better pace without the likes of you.
Doug Scorgie wrote at 17h43 on 3 February ;
“I have no doubt that Assad and his military have committed crimes but I doubt they amount to more than those committed by the rebels and the western false-flag attacks on civilian targets”
I’m sure Doug would wish to add to the balance sheet the various human rights crimes carried out by Assad the Father and Assad the Son over the period of rule of the family firm.
“They should all of course be held to account”
At last! Thank you and well done, Resident Dissident, for obtaining this admission! He took his time making it.
********
PS to Resident Dissident : be careful, boyo. You’ve already been called a troll, a turd and a Forum Spy. Before long they’ll be calling you a Habbabkuk!
“Niger has confirmed that French special forces are protecting one of the country’s biggest uranium mines.
“French company Areva plays a major part in mining in Niger – the world’s fifth-largest producer of uranium.
“Areva gets much of its uranium from the two mines it operates in the country, at Arlit and Imouraren.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21318043
LastBlueBell, thanks for those fascinating facts. It is hard for us non-Swedish speakers to get details about the general public’s faith in the Swedish political and judicial system. We know there are shady goings on. Anything that has the expertise of Karl Rove backing it is hardly likely to be a paragon of honesty and openness.
Brendan, thanks for the Fox comeback link. Have you noticed how slyly the Atlantic Bridge schoolmates are re-assembling at the top. Chris Grayling, with no legal background, is our new Justice Secretary.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2012/sep/04/chris-grayling-justice-secretary-non-lawyer
And now Fox. You cannot get more sly than Fox.
Doug Scorgie, thanks for the Nigerian link to France’s control of uranium in Nigeria through the Areva company. Although we have not heard anything about it on MSM the alternative press is convinced that uranium is the real reason for France’s intrusion into Mali. Again Areva is at the forefront.
http://newsjunkiepost.com/2013/01/14/mali-frances-neo-colonial-war-for-uranium/
As far as I can see there is one politician speaking out against Areva. Laurent Louis is a member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and a great credit to his electorate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkzXTgslFNE&feature=player_embedded#
Look, I bouught this chocolate chip muffin but didn’t feel like eating it while we were talking; would you like to share it?
BBC misleading again:
“All organised opposition is banned in Cuba and all candidates for elections have been selected by the ruling Communist Party or its affiliated associations.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-21318208
To deconstruct this:
“All organised opposition is banned in Cuba…”
Cuba does not have a multi-party system. No political organisation is allowed to campaign (Not even the state communist party).
“…all candidates for elections have been selected by the ruling Communist Party or its affiliated associations.”
Any Cuban over 16 can put themselves forward to be elected by the local constituents; they are not selected in advance by the communist party or anyone else.
Elections in Cuba have two phases:
1. election of delegates to the Municipal Assembly, and
2. election of deputies to the Provincial and National Assemblies.
Candidates for municipal assemblies are nominated on an individual basis at local levels by the local population at nomination assemblies.[6]
Candidates for provincial assemblies and the National Assembly are nominated by the municipal assemblies from lists compiled by national, provincial and municipal candidacy commissions.[6]
Anyone older than 16 other than those mentally incapacitated, imprisoned, or deprived of their political rights can vote and be nominated to these posts.[6]
Municipal candidates must be at least 16 years old.[6] No political parties (including the Communist Party of Cuba) are permitted to campaign. All elections take place by secret ballot.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elections_in_Cuba#Electoral_system
This is not a political system I support but it is at least a type of democracy and not a dictatorship as the western main stream media portray ad infinitum.
It just occurred to me : we have seen Assad the Father, we are now experiencing Assad the Son….and Allah willing, we might soon welcome Assad the Unholy Ghost.
By bye Bashir!
“As far as I can see there is one politician speaking out against Areva.Laurent Louis is a member of the Begian Chamber of Representatives AND A GREAT CREDIT TO HIS ELECTORATE” (emphasis added)
Ah, John Goss, the perils of posting from a position of insufficient knowledge!
Note the followng from the Belgian Wikipedia (my translation) :
“…he decided in February 2010 to leave the Mouvement reformateur (nb – this is an established Belgian political party) and join the People’s Party which had been formed three months previously.
At the general election of June 2010 he only obtained 1345 preference votes. He was nevertheless elected thanks to the “apparentement” mechanism (nb – this is a peculiar feature of the Belgian electoral system) which worked to the detriment of the CDH (nb – this is another established Belgian political party)and so became the first deputy of the People’s Party to sit in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives.
In February 2011, Laurent Louis formed the Mouvement libéral démocrate and became its president…”
And, by the way, in January 2013 he dissolved the party he’d formed just inder a year previously.
So much for his magnificent electorate (all 1345 preference votes)!
Mary
Obviously those jets would not be targetting friendly paid-up Al-CIAda people. They would be targetting the people who were victims of Al-CIAda violence but still refused to shout ‘vive la France’ at the arrival of the neo-colonials. i.e. the people who have opinions of their own. You are right to extend your sympathy to them as this will help to continue their cause in spite of being spat on by Al CIAda and shot up by French Liberte.
Maybe that should read ‘cut up’ by Al-CIAda
Well done, John Goss. You’re in good company. Max Keiser has noticed this young man, Laurent Louis too.
As you know, Max knows hoe the system works from the inside.
http://maxkeiser.com/2013/01/27/belgian-mp-laurent-louis-drops-the-f-bomb-in-parliament-about-the-neo-colonial-adventures-for-which-media-provides-propaganda-cover/
The comments below are very supportive as well.
Look at the old complacent farts behind him as he speaks. He’s very much a voice of his generation.
Remember Patrice Lumumba, first legally elected Prime Minister of the Congo, murdered by the West and replaced by a savage dictator.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrice_Lumumba
The Belgian Congo, as was, was probably the most vicious example of Western colonial brutality, all for their immense resources. It inspired a British consul Sir Roger Casement to support Republicanism in Ireland and was also the inspiration for Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.
John Goss
‘You cannot get more sly than Fox.’
What about Geoff Hoon?
Hunhe pleads guilty and resigns as MP. Pity he strung it out for so long. He has involved the state in large legal costs.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/liberaldemocrats/9847152/Chris-Huhne-quits-as-he-faces-jail-after-pleading-guilty-to-perverting-course-of-justice.html
Huhne.
Was looking for that video of Hoon attempting to sell himself to an undercover lobbying form, and came across this old fart on the make:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5i1b_v9NxU
Two Hoons
Doesn’t take them long to go for each other’s throats.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/liberaldemocrats/9847054/Chris-Huhne-Tories-seek-revenge-in-Eastleigh-by-election.html
Coalition? What a farce. They are ALL opportunists.
“Ah, John Goss, the perils of posting from a position of insufficient knowledge!”
Habbakuk, I bow to your superlative skills in this respect.
I have always called him Buff-Hoon David. This is a very short extract of his Cab for Hire episode.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/video/2010/mar/24/politicians-for-hire-dispatches