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Vin LoPresti's avatar

Last evening, when I first saw reports, I shouted "yes", then laughed / cried simultaneously. Finally, I screamed "F-you, American 'justice' system'" for forcing yet another plea bargain from yet another innocent. How could a government, a system, stewing in its history of grotesque injustices ever hope to produce a just outcome satisfying to anyone except those whose moral compass lives in a toilet. Nevertheless, I breathe easier this morning, Julian because you do.

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Realist's avatar

Those we have allowed to control the United States are the most evil little fucks on the planet.

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Courageous Lion's avatar

Exactly. Isn't it great to be living in the most terroristic country in the world? That terrorizes the rest of the world as well as the citizens of this very country.

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Sam's avatar

And half the country cheers on the evil global hegemon and thinks that it’s actually spreading freedom and democracy instead of seeing its worldwide barbarism.

I checked to see what the shitlibs thought about Assange being released. They are absolutely livid about it and want him back in Belmarsh.

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Courageous Lion's avatar

WTF is wrong with those people?

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AJF's avatar

Yes...we allow and it's time (past time) we say NO MORE!!

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Klaus Hubbertz's avatar

Please mention them in clear letters !!!

Or do you fear for your life ??? ...

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Realist's avatar

"Please mention them in clear letters !!!

Or do you fear for your life ??? ..."

I do not fear for my life. Knowing their names is not necessary if you know where they reside. And here is where they reside: CIA, FBI, DOJ, NSA, DOS, and DOD. These agencies must be destroyed and rebuilt to comply with the Constitution.

But my preference would be a meritocracy.

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Courageous Lion's avatar

Who is "them"? And I don't fear for my life. Haven't since I was about 12.

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Klaus Hubbertz's avatar

My request is directed to the Realist because it's him who wrote :

{...Those we have allowed to control the US...}, NOT you ...

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russian_bot's avatar

Yeah, but you forgot to copyright the thread from that level on. Next time don't be this sloppy.

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martin's avatar

who gets off the hook when the scapegoat is identified?

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Klaus Hubbertz's avatar

The big-wigs, who else ??? ...

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martin's avatar

i'd rather think it's kinda systemic. it probably is correct to remove those mastering it (the big-wigs, if you please) to prevent further harm, imo, but if you don't eliminate the structure, new ones will get infected.

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Courageous Lion's avatar

Wow, Vin, I sat here and read this and had the same reaction and I'm a resident of the DISunited States. There is no "justice system" in the US. Hasn't been for years. I was friend of a man who lost his 13 year old son and his wife to the JUST US system. He passed this past May.

https://www.courageouslion.us/p/sammy-used-to-love-homegrown-green

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Vin LoPresti's avatar

Sad story. We may as well find some fresh dogshit to coat our shoes before we proceed to dance on a printed copy of the Bill of Rights, the only document that really matters in distinguishing the US from that dogshit.

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Deena Stryker's avatar

Huh?

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russian_bot's avatar

James Whitman's "Hitler's American Model: The United States and the Making of Nazi Race Law" highlights the depravity of the US law system. It focuses on race laws but could be extrapolated to other areas.

https://archive.org/details/whitman-james-q-hitlers-american-model-the-united-states-and-the/page/n3/mode/2up

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Karen's avatar

Totally agree Vin.

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Who D. Who's avatar

My thoughts exactly, Vinny.

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Feral Finster's avatar

I wonder what the real motivation is here...

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bill wolfe's avatar

Biden didn't want extradition to bring the debate on press freedom during the runup to the election. Period. Biden is a scumbag. He escapes accountability.

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Realist's avatar

"Biden is a scumbag. He escapes accountability."

Yes, Biden is a scumbag. As I like to say, he was born a fucking idiot, and now he is braindead.

But make no mistake, those who control the United States are much worse than a scumbag...they are evil personified.

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Literally Mussolini's avatar

1. I say the same about Biden. Aging never had much to work on under that skull.

2. I also say the same about those who control the US.

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Deena Stryker's avatar

It doesn't matter who the face belngs to.....

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Feral Finster's avatar

Maybe. Or concerns that Assange has a file of truly incriminating matter that he could release if sentenced.

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Cesare di Monte Calvi's avatar

For the regime and its sniveling weasel propaganda tools, he's now a convicted felon, guilty of espionage.

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The Revolution Continues's avatar

I was so angry at noon today when I caught the story on the local newscast... the little girl newsreader read the story so well about the "spy" who was a "convicted sex offender" and "stole US government secrets" that "cost lives of US agents".... Man, have they painted an even uglier picture of Assange than he had last year!

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Cesare di Monte Calvi's avatar

Monsters. They'll soon enter an escape velocity with their criminal madness.

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Jojo's avatar

The truth hurts?

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Jill Herendeen's avatar

its (picky me)

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Cesare di Monte Calvi's avatar

It's fixed 😀

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bill wolfe's avatar

Doubtful that Assange would have held that card for so long if he had it.

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Feral Finster's avatar

I wonder myself.

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Kieran Jaegar's avatar

Unless it's a kamikaze move.

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Michael's avatar

Yep, that’s it because RFK was going to trounce him on this issue. US gov never does anything out of altruism or fairness

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John Corstvet's avatar

Yes of course Biden is a scumbag but nowhere near as bad as the MAGA/Evangelical/Catholic fascist theocracy.

THERE ARE NO OTHER CHOICES!

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Sam's avatar

Lol…next year will tell us that you are better off than 4 years ago.

Pssst…we weren’t at the brink of nuclear annihilation like we are under Biden.

Lesser evil voting is still voting for evil.

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russian_bot's avatar

And you see no problem with that. You win the doofus of the day so far.

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Siham Karami's avatar

Jill Stein is running and has an entirely different agenda, although she has zero chance of winning. It would be a protest vote against the status quo. Which if a whole lot of ppl did it might shake things up a bit. Neither Biden nor Trump will do us any good. Trump WAS uncontainable and his lack of shame meant they couldn’t blackmail him. And he stopped a military operation at the last minute once, on a whim, or maybe to spite them. Biden is up to his neck in being nothing more than a tool for Zionists.

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Feral Finster's avatar

We hear that same nonsense trotted out every four years., even as Team D advocates open genocide.

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martin's avatar

anything other than those two is fine, imo.

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djean111's avatar

The election in November. Even if the number of folks who know or care about Assange is small, Biden/Dems need to try and scrape up any votes they can. Also, I will not be surprised in the least if there is not a way being implemented to allow undocumented - illegals - to vote.

Julian Assange is free, unless the US is just being duplicitous, but, IMO, he will never be safe. In fact, when I saw the first "Assange is Free!" headline, my first thought was that he was free from existing on this earth. That he had had a major stroke or something. I don't trust the US or the Australian government in this one little bit.

I confess I would not be surprised in the least if The Debate was cancelled due to Important National Security Issues that need Biden's close attention.

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Feral Finster's avatar

But would freeing Assange get anyone to vote for Biden. I'm not about to.

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djean111's avatar

Oh, of course not! Me either. Maybe it is just a case of the Dems not wanting this issue to be brought up during the never-ending campaign bullshit extravaganza.

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Jill Herendeen's avatar

It doesn't matter who anyone votes for, as they have zero control over who their vote gets tallied for. Those who vote only lend credibility to the ongoing farce.

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John Corstvet's avatar

I most sure as hell will vote for Biden. The election in November is not a popularity contest. It is a contest between awful and horrible. We don’t need the American Taliban running our country. MAGA has matured since they were in the White House last time.

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jamenta's avatar

The "lesser of two evils" argument, is stale and immoral.

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russian_bot's avatar

The system doesn't care as long as it's effective. And it is - the doofus demonstrated it.

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jamenta's avatar

yep

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Indu Abeysekara's avatar

Hello jamenta, I was just about to write to John Corstvet to say that lesser of two evils is still evil , when I saw your response.

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jamenta's avatar

These guys will just keep repeating whatever political talking points they've been given. It's really not about helping the American people - it's more about helping themselves Indu. Washington DC has become a revolving door of corruption and sociopathy.

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Feral Finster's avatar

However you justify voting for genocide.

Own it.

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Susan Pagac's avatar

Well if it’s just a contest between awful and horrible … is there an actual contest there? Awful and horrible are both terrible, right? So, then, why will you “sure as hell” vote for Biden? Given that the two are the same, as you just stated, why not just eeny meeny mo??in fact, I see a choice at the polls only between awful and horrible, I’m going to get so pissed, I’ll be of a mind to do something else entirely …

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The Revolution Continues's avatar

Vote your conscience if you don't support the genocide in Gaza or endless wars for resource grabs. Vote for Dr. Jill Stein. https://jillstein2024.com

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bill wolfe's avatar

No, of course not. The political point is that Biden and the National Security State evaded a huge liability.

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minecritter's avatar

Maybe no one would change their vote to Biden in gratitude, but it might stop more people from finding out what Biden (and Trump) did to Assange. I'm imagining large protests in the U.S. that may now not happen, maybe millions of Joe Rogan listeners tuning in for the first time to hear about election stuff and maybe Rogan won't be talking about it close to the election now.

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Michael's avatar

I think RFK will become a threat in the election and press freedom and political driven censorship is a main issue in his platform. There’s plenty left leaning voters who might swing back to Biden if they see a bit of give there just to avoid Trump.

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Realist's avatar

"I think RFK will become a threat in the election and press freedom and political driven censorship is a main issue in his platform."

There will be no threats to the Deep State in this 'election'...that is not allowed.

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Michael's avatar

Sadly, this is likely. No such thing as grass roots candidates. This includes ‘big government Jill Stein’ who’s entire platform would give this shit show MORE POWER over us.

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russian_bot's avatar

"Sadly, this is likely." - as in 100% likely. Some likely it is!

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martin's avatar

i do think it is safe to vote for her though. you'd be opposing the genocide (if you care about that) and she won't win either. (they already have total power over you, btw.)

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Realist's avatar

As I have said before, the electoral system is not a solution.

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djean111's avatar

No, it is not. It is a corrupt money-laundering carnival sideshow, with a tent full of politicians selling their favors in the back. The barking never ends. I look at the election process as totally separate from what actually happens to us.

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JennyStokes's avatar

US elections?

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Feral Finster's avatar

I doubt it. 99% of Americans either don't know, don't care or are all for burning the witch.

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djean111's avatar

Biden does not have much else good to run on. And I do not think that the US is done with Assange, it is not in our government's nature to do much of anything good. Julian may be riding across the river with a scorpion. Hate to be so cynical, but cannot help it.

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bill wolfe's avatar

One of the major planks in Biden's campaign is the Trump threat to democracy. They emphasize Trump's vindictive abuse of the Prosecutorial power, politicization of the judicial system, and attacks on a free press.

Had Assange been extradited and prosecuted in a Virginia Court (in DC media backyard), a high profile trial would have totally undermined their core campaign message and exposed the extreme Hypocrisy of the Biden administration.

They cut the deal to avoid all that.

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Marianna Chambless's avatar

I think you make a good point. Also, they may be thinking that this action will bring back into the fold some disenchanted Dems. It might have worked for me if we had not had a hand in the Ukraine war, the genocide in Gaza, and the moves toward censoring speech that didn't sit well with the administration and its minions.

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martin's avatar

it might indeed provide a few 'disenchantment'-fakers the little nudge excuse for what they were gonna do anyway, indeed.

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Michael's avatar

He’s probably too far gone mentally to be a threat but they’re evil so yes they’ll probably just murder him. They’ll send Killary Clinton

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pyrrhus's avatar

Killary wanted to drone Assange, which the Obama cabinet thought was pretty weird...

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bill wolfe's avatar

The NY Times editorialized in support of the First Amendment. Their corporate Counsel in the Times V. Sullivan Supreme Court case wrote an Op-Ed in The NY Times about the threat to press freedom. An Assange extradition would have forced the corporate media to walk the talk. The elites would have been smoked out. The Dems would have appeared to be as vindictive and abusive of prosecutorial power as they correctly accuse Trump of being. It would have recalled the Hillary emails (benefiting Trump) and rehashed the collateral murder video.

Biden and the Dems and the National Security State wanted nothing of all this.

So, in this case, despite the ignorance and Hillary hostility to Assange, the 1% could have effectively made this a public debate.

And the spooks and media lapdogs can declare victory too a a result of the guilt plea.

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bill wolfe's avatar

The Assange supporters in the UK can not acknowledge this reality, because to do so would expose the fact that their strategy was dead wrong. Their legal advocacy actually undermined and sold out the First Amendment. They ignored Assange's US First Amendment protections because of the conditions imposed by the UK Courts during the extradition litigation. Had Assange agreed that he had US First Amendment protections, he would have been extradited. The Assange legal team threw the First Amendment under the bus as a legal tactic in the UK litigation.

They should have battled on First Amendment grounds and mounted a political campaign in the US targeting Biden. Total failure and Joe Lauria at CN knows that (he even blocked me from commenting along these lines).

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Who D. Who's avatar

Excellent, informative posts. Thanks for that.

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bill wolfe's avatar

Correction - I meant the Pentagon papers Supreme Court decision (1973) not Times v. Sullivan

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RAYMOND FRISTROM's avatar

I resemble that remark. Happy he is out .He will be watched by our illustrious for the people gov.

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bill wolfe's avatar

Good point. I was thinking about the US election. Biden doesn't know or care about how badly Europe is splitting, but the Assange case could impact those elections.

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Dr.Who's avatar

I wonder if Trump wins and Pompeo is back, if he’ll target JA as a free man.

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Feral Finster's avatar

Pompeo would be sufficient but not necessary for this.

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Starry Gordon's avatar

I was thinking exactly the same thing. I suppose it will come out eventually. In the matter of the details, we already know generally what the US ruling class is and does; further information along those lines is, in a sense, redundant.

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The Revolution Continues's avatar

Yeah, that was my first thought too, besides being happy he was able to get beyond those prison walls for once in five years.

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pyrrhus's avatar

Probably to give Trump a black eye in the debate...

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John Corstvet's avatar

Worldwide public pressure.

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Feral Finster's avatar

If the US cared about worldwide public pressure, the US would have fled Israel a long time ago.

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Klonda56's avatar

My heart goes out to Assange for having to endure this sacrifice. There is no justice when he pays this personal cost for real journalism, while stenographers and imperial court jesters get rich.

I salute his legal team for getting even this horrible outcome. They have worked hard and deserve praise.

However, this outcome is a defeat for whistleblowing, journalism and with it transparency and democracy.

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Gpcus's avatar

Beware! While we , collectively, "take this one small victory in stride with a quick “thank you” to the heavens and get back to work", the empire ghouls are already busy taking their triumphal stadium lap, surrounded by their court of obsequious bootlickers, aka "the press", in a feat of jubilation, paeans and panegyrics - and spin - to celebrate JA admission of guilt, and to underline the superiority and fairness of the US legal system and of western democracy in general

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bill wolfe's avatar

EXACTLY.

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Dx's avatar
Jun 25Edited

that's why only a quick thank you and then back to work...

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The Revolution Continues's avatar

Exactly. We need to keep the public aware of what is actually going on--not what the powers-that-be want them to think is going on. We owe it to Julian and to each other not to fall back asleep and think all's well when we know deep down it sure ain't!

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Mike Fish's avatar

Color me jaded, and hated, and hateful.

In my estimation, justice looks like all of the bozos and brutal bastards, who participated in the abuse of Assange, being confined to Belmarsh for the rest of their wretched lives.

And, no club fed/med.

For these creeps every single day should be dreadful, until they’re dead.

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Longtrail's avatar

We are kindred spirits. It's a pleasure!

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Sam's avatar

And all of them in Julian's old cell with 1 hour a day out of it.

Justice.

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Cesare di Monte Calvi's avatar

And yet, you are still being kind towards those unimaginable evil psychopath ghouls.

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Mike Fish's avatar

Maybe.

In my (somewhat similar) experience, there can be experiences that can make death seem like welcome relief.

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Cesare di Monte Calvi's avatar

You misunderstood me. Death would be a blessing for those macabre monsters. I'd prefer to employ some medieval measures against them, while their skin is being excoriated forever. The amount of evil they're imposing on humanity is unspeakable.

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Mike Fish's avatar

I am so very sorry about the misunderstanding.

I will title your response

“nice dreams”.

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bill wolfe's avatar

Caitlin - a pardon is essentially the same as a plea deal. It accepts guilt.

The just resolution would have been for Biden to revoke the indictment and extradition request, hold a press conference to apologize and emphasize the importance of press freedom to democracy. He could even blame Trump for the indictment.

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Longtrail's avatar

FJB became fearful of the House when they introduced HR-934. Stay on your congressperson's ass and make it pass! See Caitie, poetry!

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bill wolfe's avatar

For those who want a link, it's H. Res 934:

https://legiscan.com/US/text/HR934/id/2863450

(even stopped clocks are right twice a day)

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Longtrail's avatar

Thanks for the link Although I've read it and contacted my rep I'm not letting up.

The bill is redundant because of the First Amendment. It applies to journalists in general. Nonetheless it must be law.

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bill wolfe's avatar

Resolutions are not signed by the President and do NOT have the force of law:

https://www.senate.gov/legislative/common/briefing/leg_laws_acts.htm#:~:text=Simple%20resolutions%20do%20not%20require,have%20the%20force%20of%20law.

Passage will do nothing from a legal perspective.

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Marianna Chambless's avatar

That would have probably garnered him lots of Democrats returning to the fold.

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Howard Pearce - Libertarian's avatar

Unfortunately IMHO the REAL REASON for Assange's release is the upcoming election for Biden.

I was disappointed Caitlin did not include that as a valid possibility

That also ex0lains why he was allowed to plea guilty but go home free, too, IMHO

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Jill Herendeen's avatar

Well...Julian's ability to "go home free" may mean that the CIA can get rid of him in their own sweet time w/out embarrassing the UK.

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Howard Pearce - Libertarian's avatar

I guess that is plausible

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Jades’ Radical Candor's avatar

Though its small weight lifted in the whole scheme of things i breathe easy this morning for Julian and Stella , because for them it’s as though the weight of the world has been rolled away .

I’m gonna take a minute and try to relish just a very small bit of the relief they must be experiencing….

I’m so jaded now , I keep holding my breath and waiting for the other shoe to drop… but whatever the agenda is behind this sudden course alteration , they have some semblance of freedom now ….. and yes , while justice hasn’t been fully served; I hope they live out the rest of their days finding small moments of vindication along the way…

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Bill Hull's avatar

Thank you, Caitlin, for these thoughts - I concur 100%. When I read about Julian Assange being released from prison last night, it was quite a pleasant surprise!

Regarding the "plea bargain" - here in the United States of America, people charged with a crime are guaranteed a trial by a jury of their peers, but only a tiny percentage actually stand trial. Many are coerced into a plea bargain - even when they had done nothing wrong.

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jamenta's avatar

Yes, no idea how anyone would consider the system the US now has "Justice". Oh, they can't spend more money to fix the American judicial system - but they can spend billions on genocide and a provoked war in Ukraine ... And trillion dollars a year on the most expensive military in the world that can do diddley squat in a real war.

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bill wolfe's avatar

Afran may be correct technically, but he is dead wrong politically and in the real world. This is a huge defeat, and there is no accountability for persecution and total violation of First Amendment press freedoms and control by the National Security State (CIA). The press is chilled and intimidated.

Biden should have revoked the Trump indictment. Even Obama refused to indict based on First Amendment issues.

Joe Lauria's judgment on Assange has been very poor - he's too close to Julian (human compassion) to see the ugly reality here.

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Michael's avatar

It’s not because anyone with half a brain knows the admission of guilt was with a gun pointed at him. If he died in prison, would that really have changed anything?

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bill wolfe's avatar

I argue that he should have accepted extradition and fought a First Amendment legal and political battle in the US, focused on and attacking Biden. Legally, the Pentagon Papers Supreme Court precedent on the First Amendment was strong. Politically, I'm confident that Biden would have revoked the indictment, and for exactly the same reasons he cut the deal.

Regardless, it's better to fight that fight on principle and lose, then cut a deal. And, even if he lost, Trump likely to be re-elected and a pardon would be very possible.

But the Assange people can't even discuss these issues, because they would suggest that their UK baed legal strategy - which they fought for YEARS - was totally wrong.

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Marianna Chambless's avatar

That would have been heroic, and very risky. Assange has endured enough, I wouldn't put anything past the U.S. were he actually here, in their clutches. He needs to be free, and to be with people who love and care for him. No, the battle is not over, other brave souls will have to continue it.

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Cesare di Monte Calvi's avatar

"In any given year, 98% of criminal cases in the federal courts end with a plea bargain — a practice that prizes efficiency over fairness and innocence, according to a new report from the American Bar Association."

Just another coercive approach of the criminal regime. Their modus operandi.

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jamenta's avatar

Which means the American justice system is in decline along with the rest of the country - in almost every aspect.

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Jill Herendeen's avatar

But that's OK, bcuz those who own American jails can get rich incarcerating ppl. (Doesn't matter if they were guilty or not.)

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jamenta's avatar

I think you've figured it out Jill! It's about the Moola!

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Jill Herendeen's avatar

OF COURSE it's about moola. (And power--pardon any redundancy.) Think the evil Empire would be having wars all over the world if it weren't PROFITABLE? Let's find out! Let's a) make THE RICH pay ALL the taxes, and b) nationalize the entire Military Industrial Complex, so THE RICH can't profit from their ownership of it. Then we'll find out how badly they need to "police" the world.

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jamenta's avatar

I second the motion! Hear Hear!

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Anthony Dunn's avatar

Superb analysis & opinion. Thanks, Caitlin.

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DLehman's avatar

Brilliantly articulated, Caitlin. This is not the free world when journalists are jailed without due process for exposing governments.. leave something for Satan!!

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Michael's avatar

Instead of my ‘free assange’ t-shirt I will wear my ‘Justice for Julian’ one

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James P Hannley's avatar

I shared your post on Facebook with the caption "He really is free! But justice has not been done." and Facebook summarily removed it for violatong community standards. They said it was spam. I have shared your articles before in the very same way and never had any trouble from them.

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emu's avatar

'Why did it happen

It looks like you've tried to get likes, follows, shares, or views on your video in a misleading way.'

that's what fb automatically states as reason for deleting this post.

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Patrick Powers's avatar

The "reasons" they give are always BS. They remove whatever the gvt. tells them to remove.

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Denise Ellenberger's avatar

I postet your brillant thoughts, Caitlin, but Meta removed my substack post within minutes. I keep trying.

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Andrea Cherez's avatar

FB immediately removed my post of Caitlin’s blog, but this post is still there -

“Assange is finally free, but is our press?

“Justice would look like formal apologies to Assange and his family from the editorial boards of all the mainstream press outlets which manufactured consent for his vicious persecution — including and especially The Guardian — and the complete destruction of the reputations of every unscrupulous presstitute who helped smear him over the years…” See Caitlin Johnstone’s blog on Substack for more.”

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