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The US Cries About War Crimes While Imprisoning A Journalist For Exposing Its War Crimes

caitlinjohnstone.substack.com

The US Cries About War Crimes While Imprisoning A Journalist For Exposing Its War Crimes

Caitlin Johnstone
Apr 20, 2022
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The US Cries About War Crimes While Imprisoning A Journalist For Exposing Its War Crimes

caitlinjohnstone.substack.com

Listen to a reading of this article:

❖

In what his lawyers have described as a “brief but significant moment in the case,” a British magistrates' court has signed off on Julian Assange's extradition to the United States, bringing the WikiLeaks founder one step closer to a US trial under the Espionage Act which threatens press freedoms worldwide.

The extradition case now goes to UK Home Secretary Priti Patel for approval, which will likely be forthcoming as Patel is a reliably loyal empire manager. After that point, Assange's legal team will be able to launch an appeal. 

This is happening at the same time the United States and the United Kingdom are loudly demanding accountability for alleged war crimes by the Russian military in Ukraine, which is interesting because attempting to bring accountability for war crimes is precisely why Julian Assange is in prison.

“He is a war criminal,” President Biden said of Vladimir Putin following allegations of war crimes in Bucha, Ukraine earlier this month. “I think it is a war crime. ... He should be held accountable.”

Twitter avatar for @AP
The Associated Press @AP
BREAKING: President Joe Biden calls for war crimes trial against Russian President Vladimir Putin, says he's seeking more sanctions after reported atrocities in Ukraine.
apne.wsBiden: Putin should face war crimes trial for Bucha killingsWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday called for Vladimir Putin to be tried for war crimes and said he’ll seek more sanctions against Russia after what he described as “outrageous” atrocities around Kyiv.
2:46 PM ∙ Apr 4, 2022
4,023Likes1,178Retweets
Twitter avatar for @wikileaks
WikiLeaks @wikileaks
12 years ago today Julian Assange published the Collateral Murder video detailing the gunning down of civilians, children & 2 @Reuters journalists Assange faces a 175 year sentence if extradited for revealing this and other war crimes
7:30 AM ∙ Apr 5, 2022
4,086Likes2,993Retweets

And that's all I'd like to say here today, really. That this discrepancy is very interesting.

I mean, can we take a moment to deeply appreciate the irony of this? Because it's so obscene and outrageous it's actually hard to take in unless you really let it absorb. The most powerful government in the world, which serves as the hub of the most powerful empire that has ever existed, is working to extradite a journalist for exposing its war crimes while simultaneously rending its garments over war crime allegations against another government.

I mean, damn. You would think a power structure that had recently been caught red-handed committing war crimes and is currently in the process of imprisoning a journalist for exposing those war crimes would at least have the sense not to yell too loudly about war crimes for a little while. But this is how confident the empire is in its ability to control the narrative.

Really take it in. Really digest it. The more you think about it, the freakier it gets. Not only is the empire persecuting a journalist for exposing its war crimes while at the same time demanding that others be held accountable for war crimes, it is also attacking the free press for reporting the truth about the powerful while at the very same time engaging in a massive propaganda operation which holds that it is involved in Ukraine to protect its freedom and democracy.

Twitter avatar for @caitoz
Caitlin Johnstone ⏳ @caitoz
Are people not tired of having their intelligence insulted like this?
Twitter avatar for @NikkiHaley
Nikki Haley @NikkiHaley
This isn't just a war for Ukraine, this is a war for freedom.
8:30 PM ∙ Apr 19, 2022
3,177Likes526Retweets

I mean, the gall. The absolute temerity. The balls on this empire, man.

I have said it before and I will say it again: Assange exposed many ugly realities about the powerful in his work with WikiLeaks, but everything that he has managed to expose thereafter simply by forcing them to prosecute him far surpasses the revelations in those publications.

If the highest form of journalism is exposing the darkest secrets of the most powerful people in the world, then Julian Assange is the highest form of journalist.

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The US Cries About War Crimes While Imprisoning A Journalist For Exposing Its War Crimes

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88 Comments
jamenta
Apr 20, 2022

"We are living in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so stupid people won't be offended." ~Unknown

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bigfatpop
Apr 20, 2022

When I think about it for more than a few moments, I go to a very dark place. I knew there was real evil in the world, but the stench from the rotting, zombie-like demons that have revealed themselves over the past two and a half years is overwhelming to my senses. I can't even explain it to the people around me, so, I've chosen silence and isolation.

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