Yet another journalist has been chained as the U.S. government attempts to silence his work. On the morning of October 25, a SWAT team surrounded Max Blumenthal’s house, threatened to arrest him, shackled him for 5 hours, and forbade him to contact his lawyers, effectively keeping from outside communication for over 24 hours, and eventually jailed him.
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| D.C. Venezuelan Embassy under siege |
Originally, a warrant had been issued for his arrest in connection with his and other journalists’ coverage of the attempt by the US to take over the Venezuelan Washington embassy, an action strictly proscribed by international law, in connection with its clumsy coup attempt to elevate unknown Juan Guidó to the presidency and to effect “regime change” in Venezuela, a country among other Latin American countries which has embraced the Bolivarian Revolution.
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| Greyzone jounalist Max Blumenthal |
Kevin Gosztola writing for
Shadow Proof raises the interesting point that Blumenthal was arrested
literally hours after The Grayzone published an article on USAID paying the salaries of Guaidó’s team as
they lobbied the US government.
“I am firmly convinced that this case is part
of a wider campaign of political persecution using the legal system to shut
down our factual investigative journalism about the coup against Venezuela and
the wider policy of economic warfare and regime change waged by the Trump
administration,” Blumenthal stated.Following the persecution of Kiriakou, Sterling, Chelsea Manning., Snowden, and Assange, Blumenthal’s arrest is the latest assault on individuals determined to practice true journalism in contrast to regularly salaried people in the employ of the stenographic media: state organs such as the New York Times, and the Guardian among others, who take dictation directly from governmental sources.
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| Sacred apes of disinformation |
In more recent developments
in the US-lapdog UK, which following US interests, is actively supporting the extradition
of Assange to a lifetime imprisonment by the US, journalist Craig Murray in a
recently published book, In
Defense of Julian Assange, describes the recent procedural irregularities
in Julian Assange’s recent extradition proceedings before Judge Vanessa Baraitser. I quote in
detail because there is no link:
“I was deeply shaken…by
Julian’s condition. I was badly shocked by just how much weight my friend has
lost, by the speed his hair has receded, and by the appearance of premature and
vastly accelerated ageing….But his physical appearance was not as shocking as
his mental deterioration. When asked to give his name and date of birth, he struggled visibly over several seconds to
recall both….It was a real struggle for him to articulate the words and focus
his trend of thought.
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| Julian Asssange Drugged? |
“Until yesterday I had always
been skeptical of those [claiming] his treatment amounted to torture.
But…Julian exhibited exactly the symptoms of a torture victim…in terms of
disorientation, confusion, and the real struggle to asset free will thorough the
fog of learned helplessness….
“To see my friend, the most
articulate man, the fastest thinker I have ever known, reduced to that
shambling and incoherent wreck, was unbearable….
“The charge against Julian is
very specific; conspiring with Chelsea Manning to publish the Iraq War logs,
the Afghanistan was logs, and the State Department cables….The purpose of
yesterday’s hearing was…to detemine the timetable for the extradition
proceedings. …
“James Lewis, QC, stated the
government…opposed any delay being given for the defense, and strongly opposed any separate consideration of the
question of whether the charge was a political offence excluded by the
extradition treaty. Baraister stated categorically that the date…could not
be changed.
“What happened next was very
instructive. There were five
representative of the US government present, seated at desks behind the lawyers
in court. The prosecution lawyers immediately
went into huddle with the US representatives, then went outside the courtroom
with them, to decide how to respond on the dates.
In summary, Murray reports, “Baraitser...capped
it all by saying that the Feb. hearing will be held, not at the comparatively
open and accessible Westminster Magistrates Court where we were, but at
Belmarsh Magistrates Court, the grim high security facility used for
preliminary legal processing of terrorists, attached to the maximum security
prison where Assange is being held (in 23/7 solitary]. There are only six seats for the public even
in the largest court at Belmarsh, and
the object is plainly to evade public scrutiny and make sure that Baraitser is
not exposed in public again to a genuine account of her proceedings, like
this one you are reading.”
Overlooking and deliberately
ignoring that, according to Stuart Littlewood writing in the Oct. 26 Morning
Star, any “political charge” is strictly prohibited in extradition hearings,
the UK court plans to proceed full steam ahead.
Despite the US media having
fully exploited Assange’s courageous reporting, now he’s behind the eight ball,
the media has turned its back, perfectly willing to comply with the “official
story,” and hang him out to dry. Do not ever look to any established media for
loyalty, let along feelings of solidarity.
In Edward Snowden’s word,
in a world of total surveillance, “the citizen is no longer partner to government, but subject to government.” In
Snowden’s over
two-hour- long interview by Joe Rogan, there is more than ample evidence of
his mental clarity, ability to detail the most complex of issues, and none of
the adolescent, smelly sneaker profile evident in the New Yorker’s recent hit
piece, yet another example of the media deliberately vilifying true journalism,
and readiness to criminalize dissent.
The book jacket copy for In Defense of Julian Assange makes the
case that “It is critical now to build support for
Assange and prevent his delivery into the hands of the Trump administration.
That is the urgent purpose of this book. A wide range of distinguished
contributors…here set out the story of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks, the
importance of their work, and the dangers for us all in the persecution they
face.”
A truism applying to all true
journalists, including Max Blumenthal.
If Democracy is to be upheld, a free,
ungagged press is the first requisite. A campaign must be mounted at once, a
shaming campaign against all our compliant, complaisant, stenographic media. I
have approached Medea Benjamin on this issue, and so far await a response.
Petition US AG Wm. Barr to
dismiss charges against the anti-nuclear plowshares activists facing 25 years
at:
PGE’s negligence has killed
people, destroyed towns, an d is the caretaker of the Humboldt Bay nuclear site. It’s time for the state of California to take over at:
Urge Congress to pass the
Nuclear Weapons Abolition and Energy Conservation Act at:
Help Florida fully restore
voting eligibility for citizens returning from incarceration at:
Climate
Youth climate activists sit
in, demanding Green New Deal from Canadian parliament. 27 arrested.
15 Canadian Youth sue
government for failing to address climate change.
Offshore wind power said to
be able to produce more electricity than world uses.
Foreign
Fed up: People take to street
in all continents demanding humanized system.
Amid protestor pressure,
Lebanese PM Saad Hariri resigns.
After 1 million flood street,
Chile’s government announces serious changes.
President Alberto Fernandez
of Argentina meets outgoing conservative Pres. Macri in election shifting
Argentina’s economy to the Left.
Honduras opposition unites to
oust ruling US-backed drug cartel.
Right rejected in Colombia,
and Left leads in Uruguay’s second voting round.
Resistance
After ballpark event, Chicagoans surround #45 event
with booing, sound and fury.
Duke students protest Tzipi
Livni speech, aware of her history as former minister accused of war crimes.
Free Press supports Facebook
employees’ demands to stop spread of deceptive political ads.
Chicago teachers victorious
as they reach deal with Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Government
Former NRCC chair and
occasional Trump dissenter 19th House Republican to pass on
re-election.
Trump student loan official
resigns, says system is ‘broken,’ calls for cancelling all student debt.
Two leading economists point
out Medicare for All would give workers biggest take home pay boost in a
generation.
Trump administration walks back
proposal to restrict protest as united coalition of grassroots groups stops
regulations that would have made people pay for right to protest.
Court blocks North Carolina’s
GOP House map in victory over the worst gerrymander in modern history.
Federal judge blocks
Alabama’s near-total abortion ban.
Las Vegas Sheriff Lombardo
pulls out of 287g program, ending collaboration with ICE deportation factory,
and vows he’ll no longer detain people on ICE holds.
Nashville Sheriff ends ICE
rent-a-bed agreement.
Twitter CEO says twitter to
end paid political advertising. Vamos a ver.
D.C. Court of Appeals
requires environmental review for implementation of 5G.
Rep. Ro Khanna calls for PG
& E to become publicly owned.
Uighur bill marked up by the
House Committee.
Democrats vote to formalize
#45 impeachment inquiry, paving way for public hearings.
Former Republican congressman
wonders how Congress can read an eight-page impeachment resolution in only two days.
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