This is an excerpt from the upcoming mega-article “Debunking All The Assange Smears”, which is still under construction. I’m putting together a comprehensive list of all the major smears and disinfo that’s being circulated about Julian Assange, and refuting those arguments with the help of information brought to me by my readers and social media followers. Keep a lookout for the full article; it should be out soon, and it’s gonna be good. If you have any articles, tweets or short videos you’ve found which do a good job of refuting a specific Assange smear, please send them to me at admin@caitlinjohnstone.com, along with any smears you”d like to have more help addressing.
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Smear 4: “He’s a Russian agent.”
Not even the US government alleges that WikiLeaks knowingly coordinated with the Kremlin in the 2016 publication of Democratic Party emails; the Robert Mueller Special Counsel alleged only that Guccifer 2.0 was the source of those emails and that Guccifer 2.0 was a persona covertly operated by Russian conspirators. The narrative that Assange worked for or knowingly conspired with the Russian government is a hallucination of the demented Russia hysteria which has infected all corners of mainstream political discourse. There is no evidence for it whatsoever, and anyone making this claim should be corrected and dismissed.
But we don’t even need to concede that much. To this day we have been presented with exactly zero hard evidence of the US government’s narrative about Russian hackers, and in a post-Iraq invasion world there’s no good reason to go pretending that we have. We’ve seen assertions from opaque government agencies and their allied firms within the US-centralized power alliance, but assertions are not evidence. We’ve seen indictments from Mueller, but indictments are assertions and assertions are not evidence. This doesn’t mean that Russia would never use hackers to interfere in world political affairs or that Vladimir Putin is some sort of virtuous girl scout, it just means that in a post-Iraq invasion world, only herd-minded human livestock believe the unsubstantiated assertions of opaque and unaccountable government agencies about governments who are oppositional to those same government agencies.
If the public can’t see the evidence, then as far as the public is concerned there is no evidence. Invisible evidence is not evidence, no matter how many government officials assure us it exists.
The only reason the majority believes that Russia is known to have interfered in America’s 2016 election is because news outlets have been repeatedly referring to this narrative as an established and proven fact, over and over and over again, day after day, for years. People take this repetition as a substitute for proof due to a glitch in human psychology known as the illusory truth effect, a phenomenon which causes our brains to tend to interpret things we’ve heard before as known truths. But assertions are not the same as known truths.
For his part, Julian Assange has stated unequivocally that he knows for a fact that the Russian government was not WikiLeaks’ source for the emails, telling Fox News in January 2017 that “our source is not the Russian government or any state party.” You may be as skeptical or as trusting in his claim as you like, but the fact of the matter is that no evidence has ever been made public which contradicts him. Any claim that he’s lying is therefore unsubstantiated.
This is the best argument there is. A lot of people like to bring up the fact that there are many experts who dispute the Russian hacking narrative, saying there’s evidence that the DNC download happened via local thumb drive and not remote exfiltration, but in my opinion that’s generally poor argumentation when you’re disputing the narrative about WikiLeaks’ source. It’s a poor tactic because it shifts the burden of proof onto you, making yourself into the claimant and then forcing you to defend complicated claims about data transfer rates and so on which most people viewing the argument won’t understand, even if you do. There’s no reason to self-own like that and put yourself in a position of playing defense when you can just go on the offense with anyone claiming to know that Russia was WikiLeaks’ source and just say “Prove your claim,” then poke holes in their arguments.
There is no evidence that Assange ever provided any assistance to the Russian government, knowingly or unknowingly. In fact, WikiLeaks has published hundreds of thousands of documents pertaining to Russia, has made critical comments about the Russian government and defended dissident Russian activists, and in 2017 published an entire trove called the Spy Files Russia exposing Russian surveillance practices.
Of course, the only reason this smear is coming up lately is because people want to believe that the recent imprisonment of Julian Assange has anything to do with the 2016 WikiLeaks email publications. It isn’t just the propagandized rank-and-file who are making this false claim all over the internet, but Democratic Party leaders like House Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Center for American Progress president Neera Tanden. As we should all be aware by now, Assange’s completely illegitimate arrest in fact had nothing whatsoever to do with 2016 or Russia, but with the 2010 Manning leaks exposing US war crimes. Anyone claiming otherwise is simply informing you that they are brainwashed by Russia conspiracy theories and have no interest in changing that character flaw.
The smearer may claim “Well, he toes the Kremlin line!” When you ask them to explain what that means, they’ll tell you it means that WikiLeaks speaks out against western interventionist and war propaganda narratives like Trump’s bombing of Syria, or their criticism of the establishment Russia narrative which tries to incriminate WikiLeaks itself. That’s not “toeing the Kremlin line,” that’s being anti-interventionist and defending yourself from smears. Nobody who’s viewed their 2010 video Collateral Murder will doubt that criticism of the US war machine is built into the DNA of WikiLeaks, and is central to its need to exist in the first place.
In reality, anyone who opposes western interventionism will see themselves tarred as Russian agents if they achieve a high enough profile, and right-wing empire sycophants were fond of doing so years before the brainwashed Maddow Muppets joined them. Russia, like many sovereign nations, opposes western interventionism for its own reasons, so anyone sufficiently dedicated to their own mental contortions can point at a critic of western imperialism and say “Look! They oppose this subject, and so does Russia! They’re the same thing!” In reality a westerner opposing western interventionism is highly unlikely to have any particular loyalty to Russia, and opposes western interventionism not to protect their own geopolitical agendas as Moscow does, but because western interventionism is consistently evil, deceitful and disastrous.
The smearer may claim, “Well he had a show on RT in 2012!” So? What other network would air a TV program hosted by Julian Assange? Name one. I’ll wait. If you can’t name one, consider the possibility that Assange’s appearances on RT were due to the fact that western mass media have completely deplatformed all antiwar voices and all criticism of the political status quo, a fact they could choose to change any time and steal RT’s entire audience and all their talent. The fact that they choose not to shows that they’re not worried about RT, they’re worried about dissident thinkers like Assange.
In reality, Assange’s 2012 show “The World Tomorrow” was produced separately from RT and only picked up for airing by that network, in exactly the same way as Larry King’s show has been picked up and aired by RT. Nobody who isn’t wearing a tinfoil pussyhat believes that Larry King is a Russian agent, and indeed King is adamant and vocal about the fact that he doesn’t work for RT and takes no instruction from them.
The only people claiming that Assange is a Russian agent are those who are unhappy with the things that WikiLeaks publications have exposed, whether that be US war crimes or the corrupt manipulations of Democratic Party leaders. It’s a completely unfounded smear and should be treated as such.
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To be continued! Keep a lookout for the full mega-article, “Debunking All The Assange Smears”, which I’m working on furiously and which will be out shortly.
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56 responses to “Debunking The “Assange Is A Russian Agent” Smears”
Somewhere someone asked about Mr. Assange’s betrayal by Ecuador; here is a good link to that:
https://stephenlendman.org/2019/04/ecuador-fascist-police-state-under-lenin-moreno/
I managed to get into the sleazy Clinton Foundation today. Where so much of American money has been stashed away for the fam. clintonfoundation.org Tried to give them heaps. It will be on deaf ears. I have no ill feelings towards Chelsea Clinton, the major director. I just remember years ago when Chelsea was being interviewed, she shut down about questions about her parents???
There are none so hopelessly enslaved, as those who falsely believe they are free. The truth has been kept from the depth of their minds by masters who rule them with lies. They feed them on falsehoods till wrong looks like right in their eyes.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.” (Voltaire)
I forgot to put the Goethe quote in quotation marks.
I want to share a comment from another site I found interesting:
In the case of the 2016 election, in fact the Russians favored Mrs. Clinton because she was, in the words of my Russian translator, “nache”. Ours. They owned her or thought they did because they knew her conduct and that of her allies, in connection with the uranium transfer was criminal as well as politically toxic.
In point of fact, the Neo-Cons and Liberals generally have completely screwed our foreign policy in connection with the Russians and history, if there is any left, will judge the actors harshly.
The Russians may have a competitive market advantage in selling Natural Gas to Europe; the South ocean access has historically been under Russian control; competitive market advantage does not justify the pain and cost of engaging in a war with Russia.
We have no legitimate basis on which to consider war with the Russians. From a competitive point of view, they have significant internal problems that should likely keep them from being competitive in any setting other than military.
Russia should be viewed as a potential ally, not an enemy.
When truth telling is considered a crime against the state, when heroes like Julian Assange are not supported and protected by society at large, when journalists who speak truth to power are rounded up and imprisoned or killed due to exposing corruption, life in a free country has ceased to exist.
The common man and the powerful politician have one thing in common. Both are afraid of the truth, and seek to avoid it at all costs. It is only the thinking individual who dares to confront the truth, and spread it without fear. -Gary D. Barnett
Cait, Thank you for all you do.
A suggestion: We all might benefit from reading some https://georgelakoff.com/ on framing issues. He is a cognitive linguist. His “framing” thesis is, in its simplest form, that when we repeat an opposing frame as part of an argument to debunk it, what we really do unintentionally is to reinforce it.
For example: The April 16th post heading “Ten tips for arguing against Assange smears” is good in that it frames against smears without repeating them. The graphic is not. Assange haters see that as reinforcing “Hell yeah, about time ‘Murica put a cork in that commie SOB”.
This post (April 17), reinforces the Assange smears in two ways. (1) It pictures Assange with Putin within his head, and (2) The heading also reinforces the frame that “Assange is a Russian agent”. Those are both precisely the opposite of the intent. The lead frame in the post also reinforces the smear. “He’s a Russian agent”.
It can be devilishly hard to debunk opposing frames (smears) without repeating and reinforcing them. Lakoff provides insight into how what we communicate often contradicts our intent as well as techniques for creating positive framing that makes our points effectively.
Thank you again for what you are doing.
Good points.
The only thing coming out of Washington is lies and confusion. The MSM is the same. The simple truth is avoided like the plague. People like Assange, Manning, or Snowden who dare to speak the truth are treated like criminals.
The American people are being systematically lied to, and they don’t have a clue that it is happening. There is no awake and intelligent public to prevent what is unfolding. The worst kind of criminals are in charge of our government, media, and military. The sleeping masses are making their way down the dark mountain to the hellish outcome that awaits them.
“These grand and fatal movements toward death: the grandeur
of the mass
Makes pity a fool, the tearing pity
For the atoms of the mass, the persons, the victims, makes it
seem monstrous
To admire the tragic beauty they build.
It is beautiful as a river flowing or a slowly gathering
Glacier on a high mountain rock-face,
Bound to plow down a forest, or as frost in November,
The gold and flaming death-dance for leaves,
Or a girl in the night of her spent maidenhood, bleeding and
kissing.
I would burn my right hand in a slow fire
To change the future … I should do foolishly. The beauty
of modern
Man is not in the persons but in the
Disastrous rhythm, the heavy and mobile masses, the dance of the
Dream-led masses down the dark mountain.”
Robinson Jeffers
I love this site. Every time I”m feeling blue or down in the dumps I come here for a good belly laugh.
Despite ANY evidence to the contrary….save for the heroic Assange’s personal guarantee….Seth Rich COULD have been the source of the Wikileaks info. You and the Aussie magician are not saying he is because that would paint you into a corner so you like ‘ol Jullian, you hem and haw and never ever risk what little journalistic cred you have and come down firmly in the middle of six of one and a half dozen of the other. Great job.
So instead of simply denying that the Russians were the source he pawns it off on the dead guy. Facts can be checked. IP addresses can be cross referenced. A little detective shoe leather and that story goes down faster than the fat kid on the teeter totter. I mean hey, what are they gonna do subpoena the dead guy? Oh yeah Julian’s a fucking genius cause nobody will ever know…..and in a hot minute ol’ Caitlin’s gonna run with that “fact” and it will be around the world before the truth has a chance to put his pants on.
Pretty fancy dancing for a two-bit troll, Brian!
Actually six bit but coming from the likes of you the “two bit” moniker I’ll wear like a badge of honor. But…..to your point. I ask the most rudimentary questions of evidence, authorship, and logic and all of a sudden I’m a troll? Perhaps you need to flex that intellectual muscle a little more often so tough question ……which I haven’t even started to ask…..those tough question don’t irritate you so.
Tell me Copeland– what is it about this whole scenario that fills you with gaiety [as if I don’t know]? Is it the young dead man that you besmirch–is it the fact that Assange gets taken down because he opened the window to the machinations of the state whose orders come from Israel [that’s right Israel is in this up to their/your eyeballs–per Bibi’s recent demands]. Or is it because of the naivety of the general public– who do not know about the Red Mayifa [Robert Friedman–another dead guy]–that you and I know about–these thugs are all also Zionist Jews [seems to hand in hand]. So anyway Cope–don’t want to put words in that foul mouth of yours–what do you have–lay it out for us–something beyond the not so subtle criticism!
Gary…
A lot to unpack here and I already had lunch so I don’t need to be chasing all your political rabbits down every hole. I don’t know where you’re from but yes, young men get gunned in every (for those sensitive to such profanity) in every f*****g city in America. Particularly the bigger ones. Sadly, it’s one of the only things Americans do really well. Kill each other. Want to do everyone a favor? Go sick Julian on the NRA, really…. I’m begging you. The notion…..that somehow A) HRC and her minions (living in one of the cities renowned for its violence) are immune to the slaughter or B) because he was killed it means that 1)he was the leaker and 2) they…whoever the f**k “they” is…they killed him. It’s just so intellectually and logically bankrupt I’d cry but it’s so silly I’d just like to pat you on the back for the good chuckle.
In the video the journalist holds his feet to the fire…..and like pouring salt on a slug Julian writhes and wiggles and tries to dodge being pinned down to….of all things….the truth. Then he says well we’ve got our sources who tell us different. He’s even burning a little shoe leather himself or so he says with his own investigation. Lemme tell ya Garys ol’ buddy….if Assange’s team is anything like the team the President* sent to see if Obama was actually a citizen might I take a break and offer you this opportunity to go f*** yourself. Because as of yet…well, Obama is still a citizen and Julian’s crack team have yet to bust open this sure to be a Caitlan Johnstone worthy exclusive.
This trip into the world of logic is one I fear you don’t often take. I’m going to let go of your hand now. I’ve held it far too long. Let this soak in and I’ll come back to talk about Julian. The rest with Bibi and Zionist and dogs and cats living together you can keep it all….
You think you are exceedingly clever-you are not- you start by stating “there’s a lot to unpack” but then don’t. You then just ridicule he other person in a manner reminiscent of my early childhood in the schoolyard, along the lines of nyah nyah so there”.
Thanks for the response– but what was it you were trying to say…? Yes, young men get f*****g killed in every city…?
You use to many metaphors dude–just come out and say it–if you can…we’ll understand…
As far as the cats dogs and pigs–Bibi is all yours brother–you both seem to speak with the same tongue.
This link is for Copeland–this is what he’s really pissed-of about–but couldn’t quite bring himself to fess-up–or is incapable of articulating his position: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/51474.htm
Assange’s Wikileaks dump exposed the treachery of Israel an tier sadistic treatment and slaughter of the Palestinians.
Mr. Assange has given his life in a struggle in which many millions before him have suffered and died. He is not a ” journalist ” but a revolutionary and a true human being. – T.P. Wilkinson
Well said Ron.
That was said by T.P. Wilkinson!! The article ” Phoenix in Knightsbridge: the Daylight Seizure of Assange ” can be found here:
https://www.blackagendareport.com/phoenix-knightsbridge-daylight-seizure-assange
Hmmm, why does the link for “the Spy files Russia” not work? I can’t get to it via Google either.
It’s frustrating that Caitlin wants us to concentrate on debunking myths-or more accurately scurrilous lies- about Assange to find on here comments about Jesus and Notre Damme and so on. CONCENTRATE!
Dear Ms Johnstone after I read this article the first thing that popped into my mind was that you should have this to ponder:
https://www.blackagendareport.com/freedom-rider-resistance-silent-julian-assange
Excellent link Ron!
Thank You Mike K!! I’m an old man now so I do not have to spend every day trying to earn a living. I love the internet!! I get view points from all over and communicate all over. The government does not like me because yes they can kill me but they will never break my spirit or my integrity. I am extremely disappointed in our government at all levels; some politicians are so evil they make Satan look good!!
Some people have made a comparison between the arrest of Mr Assange and the arrest of Jesus.
A lot a things happening in this Holy Week. The fire at Notre Dame could be accidental but how can we be sure?
If you read well the great Thomas More, you have to meditate on what he wrote 500 years ago in his masterpiece work “Utopia”:
“In fact, when I consider any social system that prevails in the modern world, I can’t, so help me God, see it as anything but a conspiracy of the rich to advance their own interests under the pretext of organizing society. They think up all sorts of tricks and dodges, first for keeping safe their ill-gotten gains, and then for exploiting the poor by buying their labor as cheaply as possible. Once the rich have decided that these tricks and dodges shall be officially recognized by society—which includes the poor as well as the rich—they acquire the force of law. Thus, an unscrupulous minority is led by its insatiable greed to monopolize what would have been enough to supply the needs of the whole population.”
Given that things work the same today (no improvement of course in the last 500 years), anything is possible because Thomas More told us that the ruling class will stop at nothing to cling to power.
So, it is sad but we cannot be sure of anything the ruling elite tells us. It is strange that the fire at Notre-Dame happens on the day the president of France was to give a speech to answer the protests in France.
At the same time, I heard that scientists will meet to know how to contain the threat of asteroids coming towards the earth. Is the ruling elite afraid of some divine judgement coming soon?
The famous prophecy of the popes by Saint Malachy of Ireland tells us that pope Francis is the last pope before Final Judgement and the end of the world.
For one, I have always believe this prophecy. Maybe the ruling elite believe it too.
After all, they are bright and educated people coming from the best schools. They must understand certain things, no doubt.
In the meantime, I will fervently pray the Rosary
There are already some false flag suspicions [http://aanirfan.blogspot.com/2019/04/notre-dame-false-flag.html] coming via a long established web publisher.
The bible end time story comes from many sources and source documents–most written 100% in consonants with no punctuation [essentially chants]–which were then “translated” by Masoreti Rabbis of the 9th, Century– creating the Hebrew Bible [I believe there’s also a Babylonian bible]–the source document for the christian Old Testament. So there’s a lot of human input–much of which was used to control the narrative and seize control.
it’s late in the game–but there is going to have to be a mass awakening–to prevail. Human’s are being devalued to the point– where for many–the best case scenario is surviving the the infamous ovens. Of course the game is all about psychology–and the will to win. Isn’t that not what epitomizes America–and if so–then it’s time for the citizenry to bring back the creed.
Thanks for the More quote. The truth about our society has been out there for thousands of years, and there have always been clear thinking people ho could see it. The question is whether we will find a way to get the rich off our back before it is too late for all of us?
Enjoy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1efOs0BsE0g
Caitlin,
I appreciate you efforts in this latest episode of the Trump reality social media show–and while Assange needs our support [what’s up with the Gore Vidal book in “plain sight”–Goldstein strikes again] it’s all just a distraction [did anyone from that helicopter crew face charges for wantonly murdering 12 unarmed people?].
The bigger issue is–why the distraction?–what are they [those who are actually in control] hiding? I just found out that the zionist-controlled UCSC burned 86,000 library books [science history technology] because they needed more room. This was secretly done at the behest of Zionist Chancellor, Blumenthal [the formed gentile Chancellor–unfortunately– decide to “jump” off a ten-story building in San Francisco]. It is reported that the administration plans on burning the remaining books– so that everything will be on line [“he who controls the past controls the future”].
Combine that with the rapid, incontestable [1996 FCC Telecommunications Act] and untested [non-thermal effects] deployment of 5G–despite numerous groups and municipalities worldwide– in protest [https://www.5gspaceappeal.org/the-appeal]–with the “internet of all things” a very small minority [let’s say 3%] could easily control the majority.
While again, I applaud your intent and efforts–I think it equally important to keep our eyes on the end-game–which I believe Max Igan captures very succinctly in this 28 minute video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=mK3ZV3Jw4Uo.
We are in “The Nameless War” and under siege. Despite our best attempts we cannot over-ride the over-riding narrative–we must–instead– expose the underlying agenda: Full Spectrum
Dominance!
Please pardon this old man!! I know that somewhere in this Mr. Assange discussion the tale of the money was mentioned!! This article can to my attention so I am passing it on to whomever is interested:
https://www.collective-evolution.com/2019/04/17/leaked-wikileaks-doc-reveals-us-military-use-of-imf-world-bank-as-unconventional-weapons/
In the meantime I tried to transfer a small sum to the “Julian Assange Free” account, the transfer bounced back, and Lloyds bank just informed me the account has been closed down after an internal review but refuse to tell me the reason…. Everyone has the right to legal assistance, it seems, but someone doesn’t even have the right to pay for his lawyers expenses…
Julian Assange on Seth Rich (2016)
One of my few disagreements with Julian and Wikileaks is this exchange… One of two possibilities are true:
.
1) Seth Rich was Wikileaks source for the DNC / Clinton emails, as Julian seems to suggest, or
.
2) Julian was merely suggesting this to provide cover for the person that did leak the email.
.
I cannot say which is accurate, but if Seth Rich did provide the emails I would have preferred Julian simply come out and say it (since revealing the source in this instance would have no further repercussions for him).
.
It is possible is that Julian wanted to make this suggestion, with its implicit threat, in order to create a bargaining chip for his freedom (which implies that Seth did leak the emails and was murdered).
.
My own personal belief is that Seth Rich was the source and murdered for that reason. But I could be wrong.
.
BTW Caitlin, absolutely love this line:
.
“If the public can’t see the evidence, then as far as the public is concerned there is no evidence. Invisible evidence is not evidence, no matter how many government officials assure us it exists.”
There seems to be little reason anyone should shoot Seth in the back, and not even steal his wallet – except if it was an political assassination. Occam’s razor really cuts out no other reasonable explanation.
Don’t know how this got tagged with my wife’s name, but it was by me – mike k
I don’t know if the truth in this matter has any chance of being accepted by all these anti-Assange, anti-Russian pro-Trump, Pro-Hillary factions .
According to the book ” SHATTERED” Hillary and her inner circle began planing the Russia/Trump/Assange Collusion story the day after the 2016 election.
Now it appears Trump has been cleared of any such accusations so this cabal created by Hillary Clinton has now pivoted to go after Russia and Assange and whomever else they don’t like.
Assange revealed how Hillary rigged the primaries but most Democrats simply do not believe this and believe it is a conspiracy theory invented by Bernie supporters and Progressives.
Meanwhile Maddow and the Mainstream Media and Trump and Hillary are now on the same side insisting Hillary lost because of Assange and Putin and the Progressives in the Democratic Party who according to Hillary and the DNC are all Russian/Wikileaks Bots???
So I see no way out of this .
The majority of Westerners want to believe this Conspiracy nonsense rather than accept that Hillary ran a rotten campaign and that many Americans are drawn naturally to a racist sexist Demagogue like Trump .
There now seems to be little daylight between Trump and Hillary and Maddow and their elitist friends.
So how do we get beyond this moment as the DNC is busily working to RIG the next Primaries and Convention in 2020 as they did in 2016 ???
BDS everything and anything associated by the Deep State and its agents on both sides of the isle.
the real left (vis a vis the neo-liberals and in-name-only socialists) and the real right (vis a vis the neo-conservatives) in France have formed the Assembly of the assemblies and in duscussions of the alternative government that serves and represents the people (aka 99%), have you heard?
As you state in your article, the only reason anyone believes that Russia interfered in America’s 2016 election is because news outlets have been repeatedly referring to this unsubstantiated rumor as an established and proven fact. No evidence has ever been made public which contradicts Julian Assange’s unequivocal assertion that he knows for a fact that the Russian government was not WikiLeaks’ source for the emails, telling Fox News in January 2017 that “our source is not the Russian government or any state party.”
This is of importance in a legal context because, in a court of law, unchallenged statements of alleged fact are treated as stipulated fact, something the court need not delve into and may rely on as fact since there is no disagreement between the parties as to the alleged fact. I would emphasize this point in your final compilation.
Good Job. I have seen you site being listed as a go-to site for Assange info. around the internet.
Anything new on Assange? Has he seen a Doctor? Does he have a Lawyer? Do we know anything???
Defend Assange Campaign (@DefendAssange) | Twitter
https://twitter.com/DefendAssange
Did I miss something, or does William Binney’s concrete refutation of the hacking accusations fail to get a mention. Sorry if I missed it. Nobody on earth knows more about this particular topic than Binney.
It seems every time an article debunking a Russia myth mentions Putin it has to include a disclaimer. Caitlin has fallen in line with, ‘This doesn’t mean that … Vladimir Putin is some sort of virtuous girl scout …’. Putin’s governing and government have nothing to do with this argument, any more than Julian’s skate board or cat box have anything to do with his Wikileaks activities. I’m not pro- or anti-Russia/Putin, I’m just pro truth and I want these lies about JA to be shown for what they are. But to win an argument you have to stick to the topic and definitely do not bring in red herrings.
Great question! I actually added a take on this, but I forgot to transfer that bit over from the original mega-article. Here’s my take, which I have added to this article:
This is the best argument there is. A lot of people like to bring up the fact that there are many experts who dispute the Russian hacking narrative, saying there’s evidence that the DNC download happened via local thumb drive and not remote exfiltration, but in my opinion that’s generally poor argumentation when you’re disputing the narrative about WikiLeaks’ source. It’s a poor tactic because it shifts the burden of proof onto you, making yourself into the claimant and then forcing you to defend complicated claims about data transfer rates and so on which most people viewing the argument won’t understand, even if you do. There’s no reason to self-own like that and put yourself in a position of playing defense when you can just go on the offense with anyone claiming to know that Russia was WikiLeaks’ source and just say “Prove your claim,” then poke holes in their arguments.
Re: Caitlin Johnstone
Your missive Debunking the “Assange is a Russian Agent” Smears is spot on, and I couldn’t agree more with your stance that those of us who feel compelled to assist in this “debunking” will be much more successful if we put aside all other issues and opinions and focus on this very important task.
I did notice a very slight error in your text:
Anyway, thanks again for what you do…..and the way you do it!
As Usual,
EA
When Wikileaks was releasing the Democratic emails in chunks, for maximum effect in the closing days of the election campaign, RT was publishing a news story each day, as you might expect any critical MSM organisation to do. So they were checking the Wikileaks site regularly, to be the first with the news. One day they got the daily update BEFORE it was apparently up on Wikileaks site, indicating collusion, which the MSM DID pounce on.
But this ignores the fact that Wikileaks maintains multiple sites in lots of different countries, and that this update process takes some time to check and complete. Thus it is perfectly possible for RT to access the latest leaks, before the Wikileaks announcement is up on the main site.
It was also a fact that the Wikileaks domain name was at the time registered in Russia. It is currently registered in Paris. This was to ensure that the US couldn’t interfere with it. (It would be a good idea for this site too.) Having got a block of Russian IP addresses, they were allocated to computers around the world, including Norway, Iceland and Germany.
PARDON ME WHILE I YELL FROM THE TREE TOPS BUT… WHY THE HELL IS NOBODY TALKING ABOUT THE MASSIVE WIKI DUMP THAT JUST OCCURRED. I WAS SO EXCITED I COULD BARELY CONTAIN MYSELF BUT…
COMPLETE SILENCE ON EVERY FUCKING CORNER OF THE WORLD WIDE WEB THAT I COULD SEE?????
How about a URL? There’s nothing on the site that I can see.
BJ ? The Onion ? Yeah , this makes sense…….
https://www.theonion.com/suspicious-new-wikileaks-document-dump-exposes-how-awes-1834074661
Here she be…
https://dcdirtylaundry.com/bombshell-as-promised-assange-dumps-all-wikileaks-files-here-they-are/
I do not know if this is what what BJ is referring to or not:
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-campaign-planned-wikileaks-dump-tried-acquire-clinton-emails-mueller-n996081
https://file.wikileaks.org/file/
Thanks BJ!! I wonder just how many media outlets will ever check out anything on that list?
Ever try to convince a racist that a dark skinned person is just a human much like themselves? Rational argument is useless to persuade people to give up their prejudiced positions. You will only get them to dig in their heels more deeply. Maybe it is personally satisfying to get our ducks in a row, and prove that Assange is not what a large segment of the US population believes him to be, but it will not make a significant dent in the numbers of deluded maligners of someone doing his best to help them. Sorry about that – I really wish it was otherwise.
Yee of little human faith.
I may be only able to change what one person believes.
If that one person changes another, you may eventually have a significant dent.
I’ll try.
I am still hoping to find one person whose life long conditioning to accept the propaganda of the American press/government will collapse due to my reasoned arguments. I wonder how others are doing on this thankless and one time friends (now alienated) project?
Bravo!
and
Thank You!