The US government has won its appeal against a lower British court’s rejection of its extradition request to prosecute Julian Assange for journalistic activity under the Espionage Act. Rather than going free, the WikiLeaks founder will continue to languish in Belmarsh Prison where he has already spent over two and a half years despite having been convicted of no crime.
“As a result, that extradition request will now be sent to British Home Secretary Prita Patel, who technically must approve all extradition requests but, given the U.K. Government’s long-time subservience to the U.S. security state, is all but certain to rubber-stamp it,” writes Glenn Greenwald. “Assange’s representatives, including his fiancee Stella Morris, have vowed to appeal the ruling, but today’s victory for the U.S. means that Assange’s freedom, if it ever comes, is further away than ever: not months but years even under the best of circumstances.”
“Mark this day as fascism casts off its disguises,” tweeted journalist John Pilger of the ruling.
Media freedom plays an indispensable role in informing the public, holding governments accountable, and telling stories that otherwise would not be told. The U.S. will continue to stand up for the brave and necessary work of journalists around the world. #SummitForDemocracy pic.twitter.com/ilitbdzSd1
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) December 8, 2021
This ruling which allows the US to continue working to extradite a journalist for exposing US war crimes comes on the final day of Washington’s so-called “Summit for Democracy“, where the US Secretary of State made a grandiose show about how press freedom “plays an indispensable role in informing the public, holding governments accountable, and telling stories that otherwise would not be told” and said “The U.S. will continue to stand up for the brave and necessary work of journalists around the world.”
This ruling also comes on UN Human Rights Day.
This ruling comes on the same day as two journalists formally received the Nobel Peace Prizes they’d been rewarded and demanded protections for journalists in their acceptance speech.
This ruling comes as the US government pledges hundreds of millions of dollars in support for “independent media” around the world in coordination with British state media.
This ruling comes after it was revealed that the CIA drew up plans to kidnap and assassinate Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy after the 2017 Vault 7 releases embarrassed the agency.
This ruling comes after it was revealed that CIA proxies spied on Assange and his lawyers at the Ecuadorian embassy, thereby making a fair trial in the United States impossible.
This ruling comes after it was revealed that the US prosecution relied on false testimony from a diagnosed sociopath and convicted child molester.
This ruling comes after recent investigative reports on civilian-slaughtering US airstrikes reminded us why it’s so important for the press to be able to conduct critical natsec journalism on the most powerful military force ever assembled.
The High Court has ruled that Julian #Assange can be extradited to the US. "How can it be fair, how can it be right, how can it be possible, to extradite Julian to the very country which plotted to kill him?" said Stella Moris. Mark this day as fascism casts off its disguises.
— John Pilger (@johnpilger) December 10, 2021
The facts are in and the case is closed: the US and its allies do not care about press freedoms beyond the extent that they can be used to conduct propaganda. The way journalists who offend the powerful are dealt with by the US government and the way they are dealt with by the Saudi monarchy differ only in terms of speed and messiness.
The masks are crumbling. Even when he is silenced, immobilized, locked up and hidden from public view, Julian Assange continues to shine a light on the abusive mechanisms of power. He is arguably exposing them more now than ever before.
As fascism casts off its disguises, it becomes more and more important to highlight the hypocrisy, fraudulence and depravity of the people who rule our world.
_____________________________
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33 responses to “As Fascism Casts Off Its Disguises”
So now he has suffered a stroke. This just confirms my suspicion that Mr. Assange will never be allowed to make it to a courtroom.
“As fascism casts off its disguises, it becomes more and more important to highlight the hypocrisy, fraudulence and depravity of the people who rule our world.”
Thank you Caitlin Johnstone for doing so for years and having the courage and fortitude to continue!
I bow my head in despair as civilisation poisons itself to extinction, whilst standing on the cliff of a nuclear holocaust and now the end of justice and democracy. The fascists have won and are now sending Christmas cards of their heavily armed families. I can not look my grandchildren in the eye anymore and pretend the future is theirs. It has been stolen by mentally retarded white supremacist who will take us all down with them.
Situations like this is where spooks like the late Jeffry Epstein earn their keep. Whoever sat as judges on that British appeals court knew their entire careers hung in the balance if they did not submit to American demands that Australian citizen Julian Assange be extradited to the United States so he can be tried for “treason” and “spying” because he published facts gathered by others on international venues about American war crimes and political skullduggery. Those judges knew, and the entire British government knew, that they would be ruined with the disclosure of incriminating secrets, or even contrived lies if necessary, compiled by our freedom-loving patriot spooks if they did not play ball with Uncle Sam. Now they are probably all in line for a nice fat gratuity in thanks for their service to the Empire.
Fascism is the defense mechanism of a system in crisis. This system is thrashing around in front of us in its death throes. Julian Assange showed us how sick it really is. Unfortunately dying systems can still cause a lot of damage before they expire.
“The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it’s profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater.”
― Frank Zappa
The day Julian is extradited to the US I will be leaving my phone at home and I will be committing mayhem. I encourage everyone to do the same.
–
The disclaimer – Mayhem can be interpreted in many ways.
The day he is extradited to the US will mark the end of British democracy, such as it still is.
It will also mark the day that the USA finally took the wraps of its Fascism, and confirmed that it really is just as bad, probably worse, than its two favourite enemies, Russia and China.
It will also be a very sad day for millions of people around the world who have been following Julian’s persecution and torture for so long.
And it will be a truly tragic day for his family, his partner and his children.
I hope people can organise a global event of some sort, even if just a minute of silence – to honour a person who has been viciously singled out by an evil and corrupt state for revealing its dirty secrets.
“This ruling comes after it was revealed” that there was no common law, national or international, left. “This ruling comes after it was revealed” that basically, other than a very few remaining standing, every country (and citizen) in the world is under the whims of one sole power (whose lawlessness knows no end). “This ruling comes after it was revealed” that no one, worldwide, will receive protections as a journalist – unless the said journalism is exact stenography of one sole Deep State “This ruling comes after it was revealed” that, should anyone, worldwide, deviate from what has been made clear, there are no ends left on this earth which will not be taken to silence, torture, and/or imprison such violators.
https://seaclearly.com/2020/11/21/the-times-they-are-a-changin
The only ‘disguise’ Fascism has ever worn is a suit and a tie.
They are all easily recognisable by their constantly shifting eyes, their mealy mouths, their haughty arrogance, their grasping hands and the stench of corruption that surrounds them.
Plus they spend all day online ranting about 5G/mark of the beast/Fauci gestapo.
You got it Honeybunch.
Dem 5Gs are comin for you.
Well said. Very well said…
Excellent post!
So good I donated some Bitcoin. However, the fee was practically the same as the donation! In fact, I only occasionally donate because Bitcoin fees are so high. If you would simply post a DASH cryptocurrency receipt address QR code alongside your Bitcoin QR code I would contribute regularly.
I have requested this before to no avail and hope you take me up on it. See dash.org for details.
Peace.
crucified for practicing journalism the way it should be practiced. power hates truth.
I’d like to add that the New York Times published a lot of the same stuff that Wikileaks published and was never in danger of getting into trouble for it. Also, Trump persecuted Assange just like Biden.
If there is anyone, in this world, who still believes anything – when it comes to Julian Assange and press freedom – what any official spokesperson, speaking on behalf of the U.S. ‘government’ (the UK ‘legal’ system for example, par excellence) says, they need to have their head examined, especially if that guarantee emanates from the mouth of the likes of a groupie, toady, who happens, at this particular time, to be the Secretary of State, Anthony (keep the blinders on for those not permitted to see or hear the truth) Blinken, the head operative mouthpiece, for the regime of the clandestine state, worldwide.
This is speech freedom in action! Is it worth a hill of beans, when their – the one-tenth of one percent’s material interests are on the line?
…..5G……the formula that drove it and is continuing to drive it….home…to the heart….land ….between the ears….5G is eternal in amerikkka…julian is the judas…..who must be sacrificed…..5G….gimme, god, guns, gold, and glory……
Obviously the US government is a Terrorist organization.
yep. biggest one in the world. it’s sickening how every mainstream news outlet I’ve seen particpates in this fraud so eagerly, if only by their silence.
The devil does not forgive nor forget. It still alive and well in America. It’s a tradition for those in power in Anglo-American cultures to expose and to humiliate those who attempt to expose their evil schemes. It’s a pity. Assange’s homeland if asked by America would sent gladly executioners and torturers to show subservience and obedience. It’s not by chance his fellow citizens are worldwide champions consuming alcohol. Only drinking a lot to live there in an eternal hang over to cover up any decency and good.
“Without a Free Press, there can be No Democracy”
Thomas Jefferson
You know, the guy who gave Thomas Paine Sanctuary.
How far we have fallen.
Thank you Cait. Your last paragraph says it all:
As fascism casts off its disguises, it becomes more and more important to highlight the hypocrisy, fraudulence and depravity of the people who rule our world.
Three words: Disgusting and dangerous.
The guy’s not even a US citizen. Shades of Salman Rushdie. Suddenly wondering how many foreign laws I’ve transgressed these past 67 years and when – now that I live in Europe – my transgressions will catch up with me?
If editor and publisher Julian Assange was for example dictator Augusto Pinochet and had tortured and murdered thousands of people, he would have walked free by order of the UK Government, as it was under Tony Blair.
However, in this persecution, since this political prisoner is the only party who has always defended the law and human rights, now the criminals in power are trying real hard to either imprison him for life or suicide him.
High Court of Justice… So there goes the last remaining faith in the Establishment. As legendary Australian journalist John Pilger, quoted here by Caitlin Johnstone, has also mentioned in other stronger words, the mask of all of them is completely removed now. Just corruption in full display.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and all kinds of filth.”
— Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 23:27)
Mahatma Gandhi to bastards in power: It Is Time You Left
Anything, we un-ironically pronounce as a Summit of Democracy, simply HAS to be a crude, intentionally blatant celebration of Fascist amalgamation of brainwashed “nations,” who’s terrified, indentured, craven peons buy into media’s große Lüge.
https://www.resilience.org/stories/2021-12-05/technology-that-empowers-the-individual-can-threaten-all-of-us/
https://www.postcarbon.org/publications/shale-reality-check-2021/
https://mronline.org/2021/12/08/cornel-west-on-frantz-fanon-one-of-the-great-revolutionary-intellectuals-of-the-20th-century/
https://www.thecity.nyc/2021/12/9/22827171/de-blasio-shielding-covid-death-data-investigation-call
This decision is an atrocity. One among many atrocities committed by the governments of the United States and the UK (its puppet). As an American, I am ashamed and furious. I well know that I live in a country that has fallen into fascism in front of the eyes of the world. A country that still has the gall to pretend to stand for freedom of speech and the press. A country that, on the same day it holds a bogus world “Summit for Democracy”, condemns a man who exposed its crimes to further abuse and torture. I feel like puking. We must go into the streets with this. I hope that enough people in this country realize what all of this is going to mean for all of us.
I could not agree more.You took the words right out of my mouth with your mention of the “Summit for Democracy ” where they all get to pat each other on the back . The politics of the world have truly become dystopian .
Indeed. American governance is nothing but terrible theatre in the service of despotism. Anyone with eyes and a brain stem can see this, and those who refuse to either have a severe cognitive disorder or are on the take as part of this vast conspiracy themselves.
~
It would seem that the best outcome Mr. Assange can ever hope to achieve is to some future day, after the yoke of totalitarianism has been cast aside by our successors, be considered an heroic defender of free speech and truth-to-power advocacy alongside Sir Thomas Moore in the history of Western society. I fear what TPTB have planned for the rest of his lifetime is nothing short of a hell on earth, as he is made to join the ranks of Obama’s “tortured folks.”
A sad day for journalism indeed .Julian Assange will end up spending his projected sentence of 175 years in a British jail. This speaks volumes about British law that is drenched in politics dictated by the US , not to mention the circus parliamentary system of the UK .
It is a sad day for all of us, everywhere. The fact that this persecution, this atrocity, is allowed to continue means extreme danger for all of us.
Most News pretends to “make people think” or mediate an imaginary “national conversation” while giving lip-service to speaking “truth to power” or whatever the hot slogan de jour is.
You get a guy who actually does what actual journalism is supposed to do, and gives people hard stuff they really should be thinking about and talking about — they’re definitely gonna destroy him.
The level of doublethink asked of common people these days is harsher and harsher. I imagine the cognitive burden is likely getting hard for a lot of people to bear.
Well said