I spent the last week at the UN, trying to ram home some truths about the Assange case as input to the UN’s Periodic Review (every 7 years) of the UK’s human rights record, in terms of its compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
I had a very short opportunity to address the UN Committee on Human Rights, which is a body of elected experts. In such a short time frame you have to go with just a couple of points. I am open to criticism of my selection, but I maintain that this was much plainer speaking than is generally heard. The reasons for this are interesting.
There are fora like this where registered NGOs can make their point. Human rights is quite an industry in Geneva, where literally hundreds of NGO reps live and roam the UN buildings. The favoured NGOs are those with ECOSOC registration status. The delegates of UNESCO status NGOs have blue passes and extremely free access throughout, at any time.
But UNESCO status is granted by a committee of member states – and is difficult to get. It is therefore unsurprising that a high proportion of NGOs are not real NGOs at all. They are astroturf; fake NGOs paid to whitewash the record of their governments. I did not understand this at first until I attended (as a dry run for the UK) the meetings of the Human Rights Committee for the Egyptian periodic review. Several Egyptian NGOs, one after the other, told us what a great respect for human rights the Egyptian dictatorship has. (It has, incidentally, just sentenced another group of opposition figures to death, after murdering Egypt’s only ever freely elected President.)
Even well-known western NGOs tend to pull their punches at the UN because, bluntly, almost all of them receive large amounts of funding from Western governments. While theoretically this is funding to attack the human rights record of the western governments’ designated enemies, it is a concomitant that the NGOs are reluctant seriously to bite the hand that feeds them.
Consider these facts: firstly, no important whistleblower has ever subsequently found employment with an established NGO. A great many have tried.
Secondly, had I not been there, nobody would have mentioned Julian Assange in the periodic review of the UK’s human rights record.
Money talks in the UN itself too. The US and Western powers contribute a very high proportion of the UN budget. There is a reason why I attended a commemoration ceremony in Geneva for UN staff killed in Gaza, where none of the senior UN staff dared to mention who killed them.
Also of course the NATO powers and allies are disproportionately represented in key staff positions.
The UN Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, an Austrian, has been disgustingly pusillanimous on Gaza and has done nothing on Assange. I spoke with a member of his staff who regurgitated to me a number of detailed US prosecution talking points on Assange which are simply factually incorrect. They have been thoroughly briefed.
Staff are visibly afraid to take on the UK/US interest. I met a number of UN staff who were happy to chat away until I brought up Assange; then they quite literally physically recoiled, in some cases took an actual step back, and always discovered they had pressing business elsewhere.
After the Human Rights Committee meeting with NGOs, the committee then met with the UK government representatives to discuss their concerns. One member of the committee, Rodrigo Carasco of Costa Rica, decided he would raise the case of Julian Assange, based on the briefing which we had supplied. A full elected member of the committee, Carasco is also the former Costa Rican Ambassador to the United Nations.
Carasco was put on the speakers’ list and he informed the committee what he was going to raise. Come the meeting with the UK delegation, Amb. Carasco was astonished when the Chair simply skipped over him in the speaking list and did not call him. He caught the Chair’s eye several times as the meeting progressed but still was not called, then it wound up and the Chair went to the UK delegation to respond to the bland and generic points which had been raised.
In this short video, when it first cuts away from the Chair you can see the white-haired Amb. Carasco rising from his seat to remonstrate with her. She then disappears off the next shot while they had a pretty pointed exchange. I am sorry it is off camera; you will have to take my word for it.
My conclusion from this is that the UK and US are currently very sensitive to international criticism over Assange, and that rather than be discouraged we need to keep pushing. As both the US and UK are becoming international pariah states over Gaza, we need to remind the world of their long established crimes.
————————————————
Forgive me for pointing out that my ability to provide this coverage is entirely dependent on your kind voluntary subscriptions which keep this blog going. This post is free for anybody to reproduce or republish, including in translation. You are still very welcome to read without subscribing.
Unlike our adversaries including the Integrity Initiative, the 77th Brigade, Bellingcat, the Atlantic Council and hundreds of other warmongering propaganda operations, this blog has no source of state, corporate or institutional finance whatsoever. It runs entirely on voluntary subscriptions from its readers – many of whom do not necessarily agree with every article, but welcome the alternative voice, insider information and debate.
Subscriptions to keep this blog going are gratefully received.
Choose subscription amount from dropdown box:
PayPal address for one-off donations: [email protected]
Alternatively by bank transfer or standing order:
Account name
MURRAY CJ
Account number 3 2 1 5 0 9 6 2
Sort code 6 0 – 4 0 – 0 5
IBAN GB98NWBK60400532150962
BIC NWBKGB2L
Bank address Natwest, PO Box 414, 38 Strand, London, WC2H 5JB
Bitcoin: bc1q3sdm60rshynxtvfnkhhqjn83vk3e3nyw78cjx9
Ethereum/ERC-20: 0x764a6054783e86C321Cb8208442477d24834861a
And on the other hand, it means that we have to be skeptical about “UN” “concerns” about “human rights” in countries currently in active disfavor of the West. All that propaganda and influence power is turned from whitewashing and sweeping-under-the-rug to exaggerating or even inventing issues. If those commissions operate based on NGO lobbying rather than investigations performed directly then it’s simply a garbage in, garbage out pointlessness.
Craig, thank you for being there and raising these important points.
I second that
The UN is no longer fit for purpose and a complete waste of time. Especially as the head quarters are in New York. Time for two blocs to emerge, the west versus the rest. At least that would be more honest.
Bit like the British judiciary, a circus set up to give the appearance of law and the protection of rights, a complete sham, bought and sold by the USA and its lapdogs.
We are ruled by imbeciles, happy deceitfully pretending they hold the moral high ground. There is clearly little sacred these elites wouldn’t corrupt and undermine if it meant denying geopolitical rivals that moral high ground.
The problem with all these corrupted international organisations obviously ultimately stems from their funding model, whereby the US is the largest donor: one third of the collective UN budget and the UN HQ host country. This funding, along the US belief, ‘he who pays the piper calls the tune,’ a view quietly accepted by many permanent UN staffers, who hold that to be not a wholly unreasonable expectation, when considering the alternative is layoffs and program cuts.
Not hollow threats either; the US is already in arrears due to Congress capping contributions, and they have previously cut or completely withheld funding due to political dissatisfaction regarding UN decisions they view as inimical to default US foreign policy interests, mainly those vis-à-vis Israel. The hostile Trump administration viewed the UN with suspicion, seeing it as pushing a ‘globalist agenda’ and cut funding for various programs. The Biden administration views the UN more positively and initially resumed funding, but again paused funding for UNRWA in 2024, following Israeli allegations that UNRWA employees participated in the October 7 attacks. Allegations that have since been shown to be baseless, as Israel has provided no evidence, despite repeated requests from govts and the EU.
Goose, I doubt if they are imbeciles. I believe they are intelligent and self-interested people who don’t care in the least about their nations or the citizens they are supposed to represent. The British, French, and German governments at least are essentially gangs of criminals who have hijacked their nations and who operate purely in the interests of their masters in Washington.
The puzzling thing to my mind is why laws about treason and its punishment seem to have become dead letters.
Tom Welsh
Chomsky has it right I think.
Without The Nation State and its State (as in taxing and the fee paying of its populace) then so called Capitalism would have to resort to its own devices.
They would fall at the first hurdle without the States back up.
See currently the State of the States – it’s pitiful and scary at the same time because the people who are paying for all this either have no idea what’s going on or worse choose to ignore it.
A bit like a cat encouraging you to buy Central heating so that they can stay warm but you pay for it – not the cat.
p.s. I am a cat lover.
Tom Welsh: in my view, the UN should do less; better, reduce its programs and implement a different funding model.
It should obviously be free of biased and corrupt officialdom, and scrupulously independent. That’d involve moving its headquarters to a more neutral country, one where politicians and spooks operate with more integrity – e.g. Norway or Switzerland. Though the US would likely pull out altogether, if they can’t exercise behind-the-scenes control.
The Katharine Gun revelations about the spying and blackmail operation led by the US and UK prior to the Iraq votes, should’ve been enough to precipitate real change. Increasingly, the UN, OPCW, IAEA etc. are seen as tools of the US, furthering their global hegemony by providing ‘international’ cover for known US positions. It’s so myopic undermining the perceived objectivity of these international organisations – that’s what I was getting at, as in imbecilic behaviour.
You mean the Norway that helped USA blow up Nord Stream and is in general one of the most rabid and russophobic NATO members completely infiltrated by CIA puppets? That one? Do check nationality of current, insanely warmongering NATO secretary general – they are just slightly below Kiev regime on “neutral” scale. Switzerland too, tore up its neutrality and reputation by joining NATO economic war on Russia, sorry, they used to be neutral once, like Sweden, but now it’s just yet another US puppet, mild as it might be. They were, after all, completely infiltrated by CIA Gladio far right terrorist network, why do you think it’s any different today?
Mr V – i agree
Nobody outside of Europe regards those as neutral countries. Norway abetted Washington’s terror attack on Nord Stream while the rest of Europe either applauded or has remained totally silent. That reaction to having its economy and living standards degraded had already clarified for the rest of the world what Europe is, well before its support for the slaughter and mass starvation in Gaza.
Goose
You forgot to mention that the Biden administration (along with virtually every other western government) paused funding to UNWRA when the sole recipients of that aid were enduring famine.
It was done without hesitation within hours of the world’s highest court ruling genocide is plausibly being inflicted on the sole recipients of UNWRA aid.
Easy to forget.
Your short speech was very punchy. Good points.
Julian Assange spoke about the problem you are describing (22 July 2013)
He was asked: What has been your biggest disappointment?
He answered: Learning that even intelligent people can be cowards and that courage is a much rarer attribute than intelligence.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/event/article-2368613/Julian-Assange-Worst-thing-anyones-said-That-I-mean-cat-turned-psychotic.html
Great stuff Craig. Thanks for all you do, and for your courage in standing up.
Craig needs a manager so he can concentrate on what does best so I hope he has got one.
Bravo, Craig. You are an inspiration.
What hideous people.
God bless you for standing up for something! Tired of these cowards spending their entire lives on their knees.
Thanks for bringing these important points to those paid by wester mammon, in servitude to narcissists wrapped up in tribal ignorance of those who forever fall for their ruses of democracy.
You have deservedly justified my monthly ablution to truth being spoken. I very much hope that your subscriptions will rise so you are able to do this important task in the eloquent and to-the-point manner you choose to do it in.
You paint a bleak picture of the UN, where basically cash is king and virtually no UN rep wants to rock that boat. It doesn’t look good for Assange, when most of the UN reps recoil in fear when his name is mentioned.
It sounds to me that the UN needs some reforming, sooner than later.
“You paint a bleak picture of the UN, where basically cash is king…”
That’s essentially a US infection, which has been spreading far and wide across the world ever since 1776. There are major outbreaks in UK and Israel, but the disease is becoming endemic.
As a rough rule of thumb, speak about honour, duty, loyalty, and decency. The more people giggle, the worse it is.
Now the Western countries could not pride themselves in having democracy, freedom of speech and the rule of law.
They could not speak down to the people from THE other countries about the rule of law.
In the UK our lords and masters are the worst anti-democratic establishment you could find.
The reason for this perception – my perception – is because our establishment lies.
Well done Craig.. it’s worse at the UN than I had thought. Such rancid people there.
Thank for your Brave and Vital work
Lowkey remembers one truth activist they managed to kill:
‘Lowkey EXPOSES The Dark History Behind Israel’s Murder of Rachel Corrie’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLwdJeWlAaU (DDN 8 mins)
And just in case you missed it at the time, as I did:
‘Palestinian town of Jericho names street after US soldier who set himself on fire’
Aaron Bushnell, who died last month, ‘sacrificed everything’ for Palestinians, says mayor of Jericho
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/10/palestinian-town-of-jericho-names-street-after-us-airman-who-set-himself-on-fire
And this excellent article on Counterpunch takes a comprehensive look at all the Israeli black propaganda lies and fabrications:
‘Smoke and Mirrors: How Israeli Agitprop Lies Become Fact’
That coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the US mass media is distorted by a bias in favor of Israel is hardly news to people more or less in command of their faculties. But events since October 7 have brought to light examples that go well beyond the usual daily distortions to outright lying—lies that rival those of the WMD fabrications used to justify the US invasion of Iraq.
NB The article was posted a couple of days ago, and Australia has since restored its funding to UNRWA.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2024/03/15/smoke-mirrors-how-israeli-agitprop-lies-become-fact/
And yet, still, you are not even a Socialist…and the reason is obvious:
“I have to confess I have never shared the romantic view of the working classes, and have always found them in reality more likely to follow the doctrines of Nigel Farage than those of John MacLean. But George Galloway is imbued in a native democratic socialist tradition. He is a descendant of the Chartists. You cannot get more British nor more ardent a democrat than George Galloway.”
from: https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2024/03/the-panic-of-the-ruling-class/
In the light of this article I am wondering how the UN has treated its own commissioned Nils Melzer report published in 2022. As a reminder here is an extract from one of his articles.
“When I investigated Julian Assange’s case, I found irrefutable evidence of political persecution and arbitrary judicial decisions, as well as deliberate torture and ill-treatment. Yet the states responsible (the US, UK, Sweden and Ecuador) refused to cooperate with me in carrying out the investigative procedure required under international law”.
Despite his valiant efforts through report, book and other means it seems as if he was give short shrift by his own organisation as well as the states mentioned above. Of course in the case of the UK “it would would n’t it” fail to cooperate.
Thank you sir,
…for continued dedication to truth as observed, experienced, and understood. This original member, GREENPEACE, is well aware of issues national, international, planetary, being as recused as those you attest. Please do continue, inform, and with our gratitude. I might only make mention of Mike Benz revelations (Mike Benz is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Freedom Online and former State Department diplomat) on current level, Snowden revelations, “Censorship Industrial Complex”:
https://foundationforfreedomonline.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9Mm_AFpjPM
¡BRAVO!
Keep writing …
and thankyou.
The – by the US anti-war movement under-appreciated – John Kiriakou (and virtually unknown in Europe) in a text about the horrible conditions in US prisons.
“Assange & the Sickness of US Prisons”
https://consortiumnews.com/2024/03/13/john-kiriakou-assange-the-sickness-of-us-prisons/
“Many of us nervously await news from the High Court of England and Wales on the fate of Julian Assange, hoping against hope that he won’t be extradited to the United States. ”
And from his personal time in prison describing one prisoners experience, a man he calls “Bill”:
“(…)
I watched the failure of the prison medical system unfold in real time when I was incarcerated for blowing the whistle on the C.I.A.’s torture program.
I was friendly with a prisoner I’ll call Bill. Bill was 68 years old and doing 30 years for a non-violent organized crime conviction. He’d served more than half his sentence.
I saw him in the hall one day, doubled over in pain. He told me that he’d never before experienced back pain like this. I suggested that he go to sick call in the morning and ask for Tylenol, the go-to painkiller in U.S. prisons.
He did, but he got no relief.
A couple of weeks later, Bill was walking with a cane and in obvious distress. He told me again that his back pain was excruciating. He’d asked the medical unit for an X-ray, and he’d been denied. The physician’s assistant had just given him more Tylenol.
Two weeks later, Bill was in a wheelchair. I went to the chaplain and said that Bill was being denied medical care. He agreed to intervene. Bill was finally sent to an outside hospital for an MRI, which found stage 4 cancer of the spine.
Bill applied for compassionate release so he could die at home, surrounded by his family. The warden went to see him in his cell. Would Bill agree to sign a paper agreeing not to hold the prison responsible for failing to diagnose and treat his cancer? He refused.
Two weeks later, Bill died in his bunk in prison, alone.
The federal courts are involved, of course, as they always seem to be. But the situation never improves.
(…)”
– I remember an art film 20 years ago about an old man who has some minor health issue and goes to a hospital. The film is an excrutiating account about him sent from doctor to doctor, not being taken care of properly and without actual cause getting worse and worse. That is: a healthy man gets sicker and sicker in the hospital. And eventually dies. And the audience never really learns why.
Naturally, me being in Europe, this was not a film about the US. It was a film about Romania in the late 1990s.
But as reality makes clear the exact same film could have been made about “Bill” in the US.
(film title: “The Death Of Mr. Lazarescu”, even though a clichéed work it does make this one point.) –
Kiriakou then gets to the source of all this
“(…)
A big part of the problem is what Willamette University Law Professor Laura Applebaum calls Big Capital and its involvement in the prison medical care.
She notes that a 2020 Reuters investigation found that jails and prisons using contracted medical providers had mortality rates as much as 58 percent higher than prisons and jails that did not. Private companies like GEO Group, CoreCivic and Centurion Health make money by providing less medical care. They make a profit by spending less on medication.
(…)”
And as Chris Hedges today again reminded in a great piece:
https://scheerpost.com/2024/03/17/chris-hedges-joe-bidens-parting-gift-to-america-will-be-christian-fascism/
…the US prison system is the biggest in the world.
https://consortiumnews.com/2022/12/19/chris-hedges-teaching-the-gulag-archipelago-in-prison/
It is interesting: One could have thought that in all of Russia there was one prisoner only, Navalny.
Never would the West point at the countless other prisoners there. Or even tell their stories.
And even less would the MSM point out the ugly ugly truth about the “biggest democracy of the world” in terms of prisons.
(Not to speak of the US and capital punishment vs. RU, which is still holding on to the end of death row – I dearly hope this won´t change.)
Assange shall not be brought to the USA. It would be a declaration of bankruptcy from British side.
If they decide in favour of the CIA they may as well close Downing Street, the Houses of Parliament and abolish every newspaper in the country.
It would be a mockery of anything decent that Great Britain has produced culturally about human rights in the last 100 years.
AG there is a clip doing the rounds of rapper Ice Cube talking to Bill Maher whilst smoking a very large cigar whilst they are both sitting facing each other in big armchairs
In the clip Icecube states that the financial interests that created rap as a mainstream form of entertainment are the same as the financial interests that own American prisons, one created to serve the other. These financial interests have used the lyrics of rap, to keep the prisons full and massively profitable with the glorification of violence and material wealth being front and centre to most rapping outfits – he says rappers or rap groups that didn’t espouse these views in their work were heavily disfavoured. I think by 2000 rap had been captured and stuff after that is controlled
The evidence? He claims to know these people and they have admitted these facts personally to him!
Not all rappers fell for the psyop – This from Brand Nubian in 1994, the last verse of their “Gang Bang” track from their album “Everything is Everything”
“ Black man, don’t trust those lies
Cause the gangs is a bunch of dicks
This song is dedicated to all the original gangsters out there
You know what I’m saying
NRPD, NYPD, LAPD, state troopers
And all the PDs in Queens, FBI, CIA, DEA, TNT, ATN, INS, FEMA, Interpol
National Guard Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Secret Service,
and all the Rest of the Motherfuckin hogs out there rollin in the mud”
will
Thx, this is very interesting indeed.
This is the video you mean I assume, its just 6 min.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUXZ1EYKmA8
I guess there are some studies out there on that – Mike Davis style – that would substantiate Ice´s arguments in ways that people could not discard them as conspiracy.
The new movie “American Fiction” in ironic ways takes on this in terms of literature production:
trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0MbLCpYJPA
And Gary Webb got probably killed for digging too deep in areas even more harmful to power than what Ice talks about.
Democracy Now on Gary Webb 1998 / 2004 / 2014:
1998 part 1 – Gary Webb alive talking to Amy Goodman (then DN! was still a radio station)
https://www.democracynow.org/1998/5/11/cia_crack_connection_reporter_releases_new
1998 part 2
https://www.democracynow.org/1998/5/15/cia_involvement_with_the_war_on
2004 same Gary Webb found dead:
“Investigative Reporter Gary Webb Who Linked CIA to Crack Sales Found Dead of Apparent Suicide”
https://www.democracynow.org/2004/12/13/investigative_reporter_gary_webb_who_linked
2014 the motion picture about him came out:
“Inside the Dark Alliance: Gary Webb on the CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion”
https://www.democracynow.org/2014/10/6/inside_the_dark_alliance_gary_webb
““Kill the Messenger” Resurrects Gary Webb, Journalist Maligned for Exposing CIA Ties to Crack Trade”
https://www.democracynow.org/2014/10/9/kill_the_messenger_resurrects_gary_webb
Yea thanks AG those two 1998 radio edits are solid gold – listening now
Here is the first verse of “Gang Bang” by Brand Nubian
“ Well, there’s mad gangs, but only one got control
Wherever they roam, from north pole to south pole
Ice cold with a vice hold on all crime
They gettin paid even if the shit is small time
All your dimes’ll get took, yo watch them sling them things
Cause they nothin but a gang of crooks
Gang Bang Gang Bang
Police ain’t nothing but a gang”
“I guess there are some studies out there on that – Mike Davis style – that would substantiate Ice´s arguments in ways that people could not discard them as conspiracy.”
Why would people discard conspiracy?
Either there is no such thing as a conspiracy or there is such a thing as a reasonable conspiracy theory. Who would want you to think otherwise?
That is a good point.
Why not call it by its real name.
“Conspiracy theory” is used, I think, most of the time in a denunciatory manner, or at least expressing much doubt.
However if e.g. the NYT reports on some issue about RU using WMDs in UKR and the article offers no reference but 2 unnamed US sources from the same origin e.g. you could refer to it as “conspiracy”.
As has been the case with the allegations that RU was to use WMDs in the fall of 2022.
But of course that NYT report would never be described as a conspiracy theory in public here.
In Germany e.g. among those who during the Covid time demonstrated against suppressing free assembly some people stated that the Covid vaccine meant that Bill Gates would inject tiny microchips into our bodies.
Now you might call that just nonsense. But usually the mass media call it too “conspiracy theory”. So they all are labelled conspiracy theory even though these examples totally differ.
re: Ice, I commented in regard to that MSM discourse. Not in regard to the fact or assumption itself.
– “Either there is no such thing as a conspiracy or there is such a thing as a reasonable conspiracy theory. Who would want you to think otherwise?”
Two groups want you to think otherwise; Establishment propagandists, and their unwitting helpers the conspiracy theorists.
The word ‘theory’ has two meanings. In common usage, ‘theory’ is used to mean allegation, suspicion, hypothesis, conjecture, speculation – anything suggested but unproven. In strict usage, ‘theory’ means a framework for understanding, eg. gravitational theory, music theory, the driving theory test etc. Religious creationists abuse this ambiguity to their advantage, saying “ah, but evolution is just a theory“. But the whole point of having a theory is that it can be disproved by any fact that contradicts it. Creationists do not have any such facts, no fossil rabbits have been found in the Precambrian, so they merely harp on about “just a theory”.
Conspiracy theory is a faulty, circular framework for (mis)understanding, which proposes the vast power of a purported conspiracy to prove the existence of said conspiracy; any lack of evidence, or contradictory evidence, is attributed to the omnipotence of the conspiracy. Consequently it cannot be disproved; it is untestable. Predictably, it results in absurdity, such as the Flat Earth conspiracy hypothesis, which proposes a hermetic conspiracy from ancient Greece to NASA.
But this genuine phenomenon of conspiracy theory provides invaluable cover when Establishment propagandists wish to ridicule evidence of real conspiracy. They too exploit the linguistic ambiguity; two cheeks of the same arse which between them produce bullshit.
“If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t need to worry about the answers”.
Clark you have a grasp of this conspiracy stuff so give me your opinion
In 2008 the super rich, in their desire to make more money, miscalculated and faced financial ruin – the grip these sociopaths have had on the planet since the 1800’s was threatened. They needed public money to keep them in manner in which they have become accustomed – humanity’s greatest detriment. Adam Smith called them “The Masters of Mankind” and described their central philosophy as “All for ourselves, nothing for anyone else”, which he called their “vile maxim”.
Drum roll – announcement – a new axiom had been discovered in economics “too big to fail”. According to classic economic theory, unfit, unwise or unlucky investors or concerns should go to the wall – but not these people. There are no free markets, there are just “their” markets.
Is market economics a conspiracy theory? It fails to explain the actual data and needs to import ad hoc, seemingly random axioms whenever a tiny group of wealth extremists feel the need for such measures.
I would call it a racket, with no more claim to be a framework for understanding than any other form of back-of-the-fag-packet speculating or superstitious mumbo-jumbo. What do you think?
Will moon, I know hardly any economic theory, but I am aware of economists and economic theory that contradict neoliberal economic dogma – as does classic economic theory, as you mentioned yourself. I think that “too big to fail” was a mass media meme, rather than any axiom of any economic school of thought.
So no, I don’t think economic theory is conspiracy theory; I think the mass media repeated “too big to fail” so often for the same reasons that mass media always supports “our” wars and “our” allies.
Are you willing to admit that a conspiracy has taken place regarding 2008?
I heard Bush Obama Blair Cameron all use the phrase as well as economic “experts”
You seem to be offering me a conspiracy theory regarding memes lol?!
I don’t think anyone has mentioned it (although I assume Craig himself will do so shortly);
‘Craig Murray selected to stand for Workers Party in Blackburn’
https://skwawkbox.org/2024/03/18/craig-murray-selected-to-stand-for-workers-party-in-blackburn/
Afterthought: I am of course assuming that Craig has been notified of the fact!
Doesn’t George Galloway oppose Scottish independence?
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/scottish-independence-george-galloway-s-stirring-speech-in-defence-of-the-union-9566418.html
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-56662415
I thought that Craig supports it?
You cant always get what you want 🎼
But you always get what you need 🎵 (plus donations and other perks)
GG is alive and well. He doesn’t need CM at this point…
I’m baffled and not English or Scottish so mebbe more so.
Was my question ill-informed or discourteous?
There seems to be a discordance between Galloway’s politics and Craig’s?
He addressed that question directly at the end of his interview with the Swiss guy. (1:38:00 mark)
https://www.youtube.com/live/-OeVXqAQXM0?si=2DAtRi_QQcxSJSsE
So what of discordance? It’s present in any party. If this story is true, I might have to get my boots on and help a little.
What happens in England does not mean to coincide or clash with the idea of an independent Scotland, imho.
After all these are two different countries, despite being tethered by robber barons and fear mongers.
JK: yes, but in the present circumstances it doesn’t matter that Craig and George differ on Scottish independence. The immediate priority for each of them is not Scotland or Brexit; they are presenting a united front to help the Palestinian cause and to steer Britain away from its neo-imperial adventures.
Thanks Coldish.
Clearer now but if Craig is elected, as most of us hope, would he not be in an impossible position?
He would be accused of placing the war in Palestine before Scotland’s independence?
A rational position but difficult to explain in 30 seconds….
Don’t forget the other benefits. Like parliamentary privilege, which provides immunity against various forms of prosecution.
JK Redux
Oh yes.
But a bit like the Yemenis, he would be doing a small bad thing (according to the MSM and other political shysters) in order to prevent a most terrible thing from occurring. Namely: wiping out the Palestinians under the utterly false pretext of wiping out Hamas.
Rochdale and elsewhere thank goodness may be under attack from the Tories and many parts of the Labour Party but that pales into insignificance as to what is happening in Gaza.
We can sort the re-opening of the Libraries and Youth Club out later.
A defeat for Israel and the USA and their pet poodle Great Britain would have it’s knock on effects across the Globe and even in the not very influential UK.
Ounces on the scale of victory.
Or as ASDA would say “Every Little Helps”
It really does.
I think Craig a few days ago linked to a statement from George Galloway, that Galloway has adopted a position of neutrality regarding Scottish independence. I think this may be Galloway’s response to the Speaker’s improper sabotage of the SNP’s ceasefire motion at Westminster.
So no, Craig would not be accused; supporting Palestine converges with supporting Scottish independence, because the Scottish people and the Scottish parliament oppose Westminster’s complicity in genocide.
Every Little Helps is Tesco’s slogan, Mark. The graffiti artist Banksy (who’s recently graced us with another al fresco artwork) did a skit on it over a decade ago as a critique of capitalism. You can buy a signed print for £30-45k:
https://www.myartbroker.com/artist-banksy/series-very-little-helps
But when will the next general erection take place ?
As John Lennon used to ask in his lifetime
Terrbul (sic) quiet here?
A Spaniard (dic) in the Works.
Re. your “what a great respect for human rights the Egyptian dictatorship has. (It has, incidentally, just sentenced another group of opposition figures to death, after murdering Egypt’s only ever freely elected President.)”:
Because you failed to link the allegations to their evidence, there’s no way to verify the truthfulness of your statement, nor even its meaning. For example: “just sentenced” is vague and thus nonconfirmable. “Egypt’s only ever freely elected President” fails to identify whom you are referring to, and is therefore sloppy and nonconfirmable; but, so far as I am aware, Mohammed Morsi was that person, and I am not aware of any evidence that he was “murdered.” I used to link to your articles as-if they were true, but increasingly your slovenliness and the occasional falsehoods I have discovered in them are causing me no longer to do so. You are increasingly often failing to meet minimal standards for citation-worthiness.
Please answer here and email me the URL so that I will get to see it.
Craig doesn’t usually monitor comments beyond a day or two so he may not see your post, but even Wikipedia seems to have what you are looking for:
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mohamed_Morsi&oldid=1204871751#Death
– “Critics of the Egyptian government blamed the conditions of the trial for Morsi’s death, saying that the conditions he was held under were the cause. Mohamed Sudan, a prominent Muslim Brotherhood member based in London, had described his death as “premeditated murder”.[191] Crispin Blunt, who had led a panel of British parliamentarians that had reviewed the conditions Morsi was held under in March 2018, said that, “We feared that if Dr. Morsi was not provided with urgent medical assistance, the damage to his health may be permanent and possibly terminal” and that “sadly, we have been proved right.”[192]“
Even if it could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the death of Alexis Navalny was attributable solely to the conditions in which he was held Western leaders and their media claque would hold that he had been murdered by Putin, not entirely without justification. If Julian Assange does in physically atrocious conditions then the actors alluded to will do no more than wring their hands at a tragic happenstance, as in the death of President Morsi, if they even deign to notice the fact. Clearly, the response all comes down to where the victim stands vis a vis with the perceived interests of the Western imperialists
many people believe Morsi’s death was effectively murder at the hands of the western-backed Egyptian dictatorship.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/mohamed-morsi-murder-dead-killed-erdogan-turkey-egypt-president-muslim-brotherhood-prison-a8965436.html
Craig is allowed to be of that opinion. the fact you disagree does not make you more trustworthy.
I am not saying that the death of Morsi was anything other than cold blooded murder. The point I am making is that even if his death was purely related to the physical conditions in which he was held and the recent death of Navalny, as well as the all too likely demise of Julian Assange, were attributable to this self same cause, Western leaders and their media backers are highly biased in condemning the death of the Russian dissident whilst being indifferent to the deaths of the other two
Clark
“Conspiracy theory is a faulty, circular framework for (mis)understanding, which proposes the vast power of a purported conspiracy to prove the existence of said conspiracy; any lack of evidence, or contradictory evidence, is attributed to the omnipotence of the conspiracy. Consequently it cannot be disproved; it is untestable.”
But what about theories which involve conspiracies but do not have any of these characteristics? Don’t they deserve a name of their own and shouldn’t that name be ‘conspiracy theory’ with the above described type of conspiracy theory given a new name which denotes it as a sub-set of the set of conspiracy theories?
“But the whole point of having a theory is that it can be disproved by any fact that contradicts it.”
How can you prove that a theory cannot be disproved?
If a theory cannot be disproved and we then decide to ignore it, aren’t we then treating it as having been disproved not just despite the impossibility of disproof, but because of it?
As you say, such things as the Flat Earth theory provide invaluable cover when Establishment propagandists wish to ridicule evidence of real conspiracy. That being so and given ease and cheapness of spraying the internet with such things, what are the chances that those who benefit from the existence of such theories are the ones who created them (as well as the current usage of the term ‘conspiracy theory’)?
The scientific method assumes that everything that is true is provable but is that assumption disprovable?
I blame Karl Popper.
I am exited about quantum physics, and there are some who have a ‘hunch’ that communication faster than the speed of light is theoretically possible. Does that make this scientific approach conspiritual?
When scientists determining a percentage probability due to x y or z, are they engaging in conspiracy theories?
Just nudging minds.
I wonder. Too.. Their Reach is Shocking…Threatening Everyone on Earth.. And it’s far worse than you all think.
I also wonder why my reply to Clark was deleted
—
[ Mod: What reply? There’s no record of a comment from you having reached the server today, apart from this query you’ve just posted. The Activity Log shows your previous action on this blog was performed 3 days ago, at 12:39. ]
“ it’s far worse than you all think.”
Brian I do a lot of thinking and some of it is extremely dark. I don’t share it here because Mr Murray, my host has other fish to fry and I would not wish to abuse his hospitality
Oh Sorry Mods I was sure I sent It ..My Bad
Oh Sorry Mods I was sure I sent It ..My Bad
“The scientific method assumes that everything that is true is provable but is that assumption disprovable?” Not really. Newton’s Laws are a specific example. They were used for centuries before it started to become apparent that something didn’t add up at velocities approaching the speed of light. Relativity added complexity but seems to have sorted those issues while the simpler Newtonian laws remain plenty accurate enough for 99.99 plus percent of calculations. So we know Newton wasn’t quite right but for all we know, Einstein might not be either in some other or more extreme situation. When it comes to less hard “sciences”: sociology, politics, even medicine, theories are always going to come with qualifiers such as “usually” so even a number of counterexamples can’t disprove them. What counts then is whether they remain true enough to be useful.
Regards conspiracies, of course people conspire to do all kinds of things, and have done so thoughout history. That ‘conspiracy theory’ (or theorist) has become a pejorative term is extremely handy for powerful people/governents/organisations, who use it to crush dissent and shut down debate.
As I pointed out here before, the CIA conspired to assassinate JFK, and the same ‘shadow government’, ‘deep state’ or whatever you want to call them are running things in America (and beyond) right now.
It’s all very well to deride those with unorthodox views as “unwitting helpers of Establishment propagandists”, but that’s throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The fact is, conspiracies *do* exist. Those who disparage all discussion about possible conspiracies are the real helpers of Establishment propagandists.
Yes, utter idiocy like ‘flat Earth’ and other crap may have been cynically promulgated by the Establishment itself, for the specific reason of tarring all possible conspiracies as obviously false.
But if the truth is that a conspiracy has happened, then it’s the truth and should be able to be stated openly, without censorship.
I’m not deriding all those with unorthodox views as “unwitting helpers of Establishment propagandists”; only conspiracy theorists. You’ve missed the point, and the two different uses of the word ‘theory’. Without the depressingly common mode of thought called conspiracy theory, Establishment propagandists would have a much harder job deriding plausible allegations of conspiracy. Conspiracy is easier to get away with because conspiracy theorists cry wolf so much.
Is Zionist control of Western media a conspiracy or a conspiracy theory?
it’s an oversimplification which includes examples of each.
I don’t see this oversimplification. In late October, a kind person gave me their old ipad! It came with a feature called Apple News – some sort of sophisticated aggregator I eagerly began to scroll through the lists of articles to find some mainstream news sources on Palestine – I gave up after scrolling through thousands of items. Palestine was not mentioned once
Conspiracy or conspiracy theory?
” Without the depressingly common mode of thought called conspiracy theory, Establishment propagandists would have a much harder job deriding plausible allegations of conspiracy.”
Yes they would, which would give them a motive to generate fake conspiracy theories.
That’s meta-conspiracy theory 🙂 I’d post a link, but it’d break moderation rules 😀
I don’t accept the term “fake conspiracy theories”, just as I reject the term “a conspiracy theory”. Whether the Establishment condemn, endorse or even promote the allegation isn’t the point. In the way of thinking called conspiracy theory, suspicion of incredible feats by barely specified shady actors usually trumps critical thinking, and anything that disrupts critical thinking serves the establishment.
When one is in a conceptual dead-end one even tolerates the “lunatic fringe” surely?
I believe we are in that benighted place, the “lunatic fringe” is not the issue. You may choose to disagree but even classic “ science” recognise theoretical advance can be viewed as taking place in two stages – the Context of Discovery and Context of Justification. Discovery is exemplified by individuals who are considered outliers to the current paradigm, often facing supression, ridicule etc. – theory is judged by how it “satisfies” observed phenomena – science is the servant of the senses not the master of them.
Johnny Conspiranoid
I love a good Conspiracy Theory as much as anyone.
Some I’ll nod sagely to and think yes!
Some I’ll think – not bad so far and then say no (Lizards).
But most conspiracy Theories come from the MSM and other overpaid liars that frequent the airwaves and the internet cables (there is a Conspiracy Theory that the internet has no physical existence and it’s all around us like an Omnipresent God who knows all) and the main reason why Conspiracy Theories exist is because most people (quite rightly) don’t trust the above and politicians to tell the truth.
Or even have good go at looking at it.
I won’t knock any Conspiracy Theorists in general as at least they have given it a go with the things they are discussing or arguing about unlike the MSM and politicians.
For example during this attack on Gaza and Palestine The Guardian has been very closed for comments. As if there is nothing to discuss. Except the health of Princess Kate as that is in the National/Public interest.
The BBC sniffily don’t speculate but are happy to speculate on the scum lower orders press speculation.
Not a Royal Watcher but it’s not exactly the apex of entertainment or News. No Guardian comments on Kate, I will bet (sorry, speculate).
To me, the term ‘conspiracy theory’ is superfluous to requirements.
If someone tells you something which is obviously untrue (eg flat earth), the term “bollocks” suffices and has no censorious overtones.
By accepting the use of the term ‘conspiracy theory’, you’re playing into the hands of the mind manipulators (who do indeed come up with much bollocks).
Mr Mark what have you got against lizards?
Some of the very best “top people” in Britain are actually “12 foot interdimensional lizards” and those who aren’t have no problem cozying up to “draco-reptilians” lol
Other than that I acknowledge and broadly concur with your post
– “But what about theories which involve conspiracies but do not have any of these characteristics?”
Such hypotheses or allegations are not examples of conspiracy theory.
– “Don’t they deserve a name of their own and shouldn’t that name be ‘conspiracy theory’” etc.
Call them allegations of corruption, or even allegations of conspiracy. But conspiracy theory is already well named because, as a mode of thought, it resorts to conspiracy by default; whenever challenged it attributes greater abilities or more conspirators to the supposed conspiracy. Evidence missing? Oh, ‘they’ covered it up. Contradictory evidence? Oh, ‘they’ created it as a red herring. And so on, eg. “why are you challenging this? You must be one of them“.
There is no intellectually honest application for theories that can’t be disproved. However, they’re very useful to those who promote falsehood.
– “The scientific method assumes that everything that is true is provable…”
No it doesn’t; in fact, Gödel’s incompleteness theorem proves that there are definitely things that are true but which can’t be proved. Science works the other way around; theory which is currently accepted is that which hasn’t been disproved, despite all attempts so far.
Clark are you aware of any example where a conspiracy existed as a “conspiracy theory” and subsequently became a public acknowledged conspiracy? It might be useful if you could fit your description above to such a case
I am sure you don’t mean to deny the existence of shadowy coteries controlling public discourse – after all what is GCHQ and all these many thousands of “intelligence” operatives for or the fact that the media is controlled by a couple of morally void ancient multi-billionaires who are maximally creepy.
A silly example – a pair of sunglasses becomes available and when the consumer puts them on, reveal half of the global elite as “non-human intergalactic vampires”. (Actually the plot of “They Live”, a 1988 film by John Carpenter) Prior to this moment a few people know there is something very wrong with the world – wealth extremism, heavy repression from militarised police forces delivering massive violence to dissenters etc but until the glasses become available, all they have is inchoate “conspiracy theories”. The sunglasses allow the “conspiracy theory” to become emotionally actionable fact ie not a conspiracy theory and with a resolute leader, Nada, humanity revolts and destroys the disgusting space freaks and their human compradors
“ I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass… and I’m all out of bubblegum.”
Nada. They Live(1988) John Carpenter
ps oddly Carpenter’s description of the world in 1988 fits exactly with our world today , watching the film in 88 it seemed fantasy. – maybe without the aliens though until the sunglasses turn up we will never know lol!
– “…are you aware of any example where a conspiracy existed as a “conspiracy theory” and subsequently became a public acknowledged conspiracy?”
This sort of misses the point. Yes, there are and have been plenty of real conspiracies. Sometimes their effects are noticed in the world at large, and conspiracy theorists start doing what they do; spinning a fantastical, untestable yarn. Someone else exposes the conspiracy – maybe a whistleblower, maybe an investigative journalist – and fills in enough of the facts to make a testable or at least plausible case.
In fact many conspiracies get exposed before conspiracy theorists even notice, let alone spin their yarn – eg. Craig’s FOI Requests that exposed the Fox-Werritty-Gould-Mossad conspiracy to foment war with Iran. In contrast, conspiracy theory assertions rumble on for decades without any real evidence emerging, eg. “the Moon landings were faked”, which still makes appeal to perspective effects in photos and lack of understanding of radiation doses, as it has from its inception; not a single whistleblower, not a single document, over fifty years later.
Clark: “… not a single document, over fifty years later.”
Not a single moon landing either, over fifty years later.
These days, we can barely get a robotic lander to touch down intact, let alone the astronomically more difficult task of getting an entire crew there and back. Oh, for that lost 1960s technology!
Just saying….
So you are describing a pathology?
It seems to me pushing the properties of “classic conspiracy theory” is some kind of misdirection, whether intentional or not.There is no doubt in my mind that these assertions are probably true but who cares? We have all been meeting this type of flawed reasoning since we learnt to talk and read and write ie beginning school, so why has the controlling power in our societies suddenly decided that this a global geopolitical issue? Even the advent of the Internet can’t explain why it has become such a big deal IMO
I have never thought about the Moon landings – the subject is irrelevant to me – whether it happened or was shot by Stanley Kubrick. glenn_nl’s comment below for instance, has some content, you must grant yet I don’t care enough to examine it in detail. If had a friend who entertainingly could explain the “conspiracy” to me fine but otherwise no – not at all
To consider vaccination, I have a positive view historically of this activity, within a viable regulatory framework, which I don’t think is true at this time – following a process entrained twenty or thirty years ago, as wealth extremists began to control more and more national institutions until today when the process is complete, they control domestic and foreign policy. Their takeover of society has seen trust in authority contract, naturally so
The recent global medical event and subsequent responses has resulted in the possessors of extreme wealth see their wealth grow – as has every financial year since 1979 in the “enlightened” West. The biggest threat to the free flow of information are not “conspiracy theorists” but wealth extremists – if one can control and then collate this information one is a “Master of the Universe” as Tom Wolfe called them or as Adam Smith called them “the Masters of Mankind” with their vile maxim:
“All for ourselves, nothing for anyone else”
“There is no intellectually honest application for theories that can’t be disproved.”
” theory which is currently accepted is that which hasn’t been disproved, despite all attempts so far.”
How do you know whether a currently accepted theory can or cannot be disproved?
“Gödel’s incompleteness theorem proves that there are definitely things that are true but which can’t be proved.” I’m glad it does.
“whenever challenged it attributes greater abilities or more conspirators to the supposed conspiracy. Evidence missing? Oh, ‘they’ covered it up. Contradictory evidence? Oh, ‘they’ created it as a red herring. And so on, eg. “why are you challenging this? You must be one of them“.”
What is wrong with any of those things? Is it impossible for any of them to be true? If not then they cannot be used to refute a theory.
– “How do you know whether a currently accepted theory can or cannot be disproved?”
It has to make predictions that can be compared against reality. If its predictions can’t be tested, it’s useless, a WOMBAT, Waste Of Money, Brains and Time.
https://web.archive.org/web/20070407182624/http:/www.venganza.org/about/open-letter/
Johnny Conspiranoid, Popper’s “The Open Society And Its Enemies” looks like a complete joke today. I always thought it unconvincing but your mention of Popper brought the whole psyop back to mind.
Useful to the Establishment when opposing communism but completely vacuous today – a fantasy that the Establishment seized on to attack the collectivist approach to governance offered by communist and socialist theoreticians.
Laughably, over 30 years ago I met a considerable number of Popper acolytes who treated it like a holy book and would attempt to persuade me to consider it in the same light. – a work of universal genius that whose influence would be felt for a 1000 years – where I have heard that claim before?
One could argue that it prepared the way for the global panopticon that we now inhabit, policed by the tyrannies engendered by the wealth extremists who control our society
The foundation of the same name appears to practice political terrorism yet is swooned over by so many “democrats”
I like this exchange over “conspiracy”.
But it´s also funny – we now talk about Popper but it all started with Ice T and Rap music.
I guess Ice would laugh too
Ice Cube & Ice-T are different people AG:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Cube
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice-T
yeah…I have been more familiar with Cube
but considering that Ice-Tea is abstinent and Ice Cube may be not (?)
I got the impression that the clip is some sort of limited hangout. Bill Maher has baggage as regards the “intelligence” services and American “soft power” as to Ice Cube I reckon he is standard successful person material with all that the idea entails.
There are many rumours surrounding Death Row records and it’s principal “Suge” Knight. He is serving 28 years for manslaughter, convicted recently. A decade ago I came across some info that suggested he had ties to the “intelligence”. Death Row started the ball rolling in terms of rap
ATM there is a story that says Sean Combs known currently as P Diddy, has apparently been running a massive sexual bribery/coercion scheme. I have not read much detail but whatever has been going around this man is extremely sordid. He faces several lawsuits with disgusting and criminal details listed therein. Again rumours of links to “intelligence” are swirling around the whole affair
To finish, are you aware of rapper Kanye West, now known as “Ye”. Several months ago he appeared on Alex Jones with Nick Fuentes, some kind of modern “nazi” and apparently made some extreme “antisemitc” remarks concerning some people in “the biz” (the music Industry) that he had dealings with. On the Jones show he appeared with some kind of bag on his head, which covered his face, in order to protect his “image” – far out!
18 March: Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar “pressures Biden on Gaza”
20 March: Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar unexpectedly resigns.
https://time.com/6957873/varadkar-biden-speech-beau-gaza-israel-st-patricks-day/
Sanaa are you suggesting that these two events are related?
LOL
Sanaa
I was talking about Conspiracy Theories above.
I did fail to mention ‘coincidence’ as another part of people’s scepticism.
He won’t be getting an invite to The Whitehouse to meet ‘Irish Joe’ then.
Sinn Fein reps are turning up, I hear, and this is causing concern in Republican circles.
He’s probably lucky he ain’t fished out the Liffey some velvet morning in the near future
Bolton – “We know where you’re kids are”
From The Times this morning:
“Julian Assange could be freed as US prosecutors ‘consider lesser charges’”
The article goes on to say:
” … sources have told The Wall Street Journal that the 18-count indictment for releasing classified information could be downgraded to mishandling classified information — a misdemeanour offence.
The lesser charges could lead to the Australian-born Assange potentially entering his plea remotely, without setting foot in the US.”
The article is just a small item squirrelled away half way down the front of the Times home web page and there is little mention of this elsewhere that I have noticed but obviously could be news of profound significance.
A properly functioning legal system would have released Julian years ago, and against all the odds one would still hope to see a just resolution but perhaps this offers a means to bring the intolerable situation to an end.
Would Julian plead guilty to a lesser charge that would see him freed whilst clearly being one that he will regard himself as innocent of … ?
This entire experience remains an urgent and important lesson to us all.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/julian-assange-could-be-freed-as-us-prosecutors-consider-lesser-charges-pm50zb7c2
(Paywall)
Peter
That’s a good spot. Let’s hope something comes of it.
If the charge was ‘Offending the US’ government then most of the World and most Americans would be going to jail for a Million Years.
Typical America: A Serial Killer aged 80 now gets a 180 year sentence. His only contact with American Society is through a Ouija Board.
That’s punishment enough from a ‘Learned’ US judge.
Just to correct you, he is Rodrigo CaRRasco.
Today is a red letter day.
In the next hour (approx 10:30) The written judgement will be delivered.
I’ve put a bottla fizzy white wine on ice, just in case there is good news. I’ve also pulled a bottle of Macallan out of the cellar in case it goes the other way.
It really is an extraordinarily important judgement which might affect Journalism not only in the UK, but to some extent in the rest of the Western world too.
Essentially Assange lost his final appeal
“It is open to the United States of America and the Secretary of State to offer assurances
that would address each of those grounds: that Mr Assange is permitted to rely on the
First Amendment, that he is not prejudiced at trial (including sentence) by reason of
his nationality, that he is afforded the same First Amendment protections as a United
States citizen and that the death penalty is not imposed: paras 237 to 242.”
I can’t imagine that the US will not provide those assurances, so it is either the ECHR or deportation after 3 weeks
I wonder how much (or little) Assange play into Biden’s re-elecetion bid, does he want this to blow up before the election or will UK/US try to stall a possible extradition altogether and let Assange become stuck in the jail cell for good.
I don’t think that Biden’s reelection has any bearing here. If Assange is extradited it will be ages before he gets to trial.
Abu Agila Mas’ud has been set up for the Pan Am 103 bombing – its was a fairly typical DOJ operation, he was caught on on video welcoming Al Megrahi back at Tripoli airport and since then the DOJ, the pentagon and the CIA have been systematically falsifying evidence to implicate him. Anyway he was abducted to the US in Dem 2022 and his trial date has been set for May 2025.
I may have been slightly too negative in my initial reaction. The part about denying Assange the First Amendment protection might be interesting. The DOJ is corrupt and lawless, but it does have a mystifying set of opaque rules it obeys. For all we know it may be sitting on a legal opinion that states Assange’s actions are protected by the First Amendment and when confronted with the High Court demand may have to either drop the espionage charges or go through with the appeal. It sounds like the judgement had leaked before it was issued today and this might be behind the WSJ article saying the DOJ was contemplating offering the option of allowing Assange to plead to a misdemeanour charge and walk free.
The Americans are itching to get their hands on Assange so they can sentence him to a whole life sentence in some supermax shithole.
We know that he is already in an extremely poor state of physical health and realistically his life expectancy in such a prison would probably be a lot less than the decade or two that death row prisoners can expect prior to execution.
Therefore I think that they’ll have no problem in making a commitment to forgo the death penalty.
The other two conditions, no nationality prejudice and no avoidance of the First Amendment, will be similarly easy for them to thole.
I hope I’m being excessively pessimistic, but I fear that now he really is fucked.