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posted by janrinok on Monday October 28 2019, @09:15PM   Printer-friendly
from the evil-is-what-evil-does dept.

Craig Murray of Information Clearing House writes about his observation at Westminster Magistrates Court:

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/52433.htm

Before I get on to the blatant lack of fair process, the first thing I must note was 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. He has a pronounced limp I have never seen before. Since his arrest he has lost over 15 kg in weight.

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. I will come to the important content of his statement at the end of proceedings in due course, but his difficulty in making it was very evident; it was a real struggle for him to articulate the words and focus his train of thought.

Until yesterday I had always been quietly sceptical of those who claimed that Julian's treatment amounted to torture – even of Nils Melzer, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture – and sceptical of those who suggested he may be subject to debilitating drug treatments. But having attended the trials in Uzbekistan of several victims of extreme torture, and having worked with survivors from Sierra Leone and elsewhere, I can tell you that yesterday changed my mind entirely and Julian exhibited exactly the symptoms of a torture victim brought blinking into the light, particularly in terms of disorientation, confusion, and the real struggle to assert free will through the fog of learned helplessness.

I had been even more sceptical of those who claimed, as a senior member of his legal team did to me on Sunday night, that they were worried that Julian might not live to the end of the extradition process. I now find myself not only believing it, but haunted by the thought. Everybody in that court yesterday saw that one of the greatest journalists and most important dissidents of our times is being tortured to death by the state, before our eyes. To see my friend, the most articulate man, the fastest thinker, I have ever known, reduced to that shambling and incoherent wreck, was unbearable. Yet the agents of the state, particularly the callous magistrate Vanessa Baraitser, were not just prepared but eager to be a part of this bloodsport. She actually told him that if he were incapable of following proceedings, then his lawyers could explain what had happened to him later. The question of why a man who, by the very charges against him, was acknowledged to be highly intelligent and competent, had been reduced by the state to somebody incapable of following court proceedings, gave her not a millisecond of concern.

Now tell me some fine arguments justifying the legality and justness of such person destruction methodics, I wish to hear them.
 


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  • (Score: 4, Touché) by RamiK on Monday October 28 2019, @09:55PM (20 children)

    by RamiK (1813) on Monday October 28 2019, @09:55PM (#912980)

    Well, as far as kangaroo courts in tyrannical regimes goes, he still got a full set of teeth, finger nails, appendages, eye balls, nose, genitalia, family members with the aforementioned body parts that are still in one piece that have (yet) to be raped, a lawyer and a public trialexecution.

    That's like, about the same as China and only half way to Boko Haram. So you see, still leaders of the free world.

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  • (Score: 4, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 28 2019, @10:39PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 28 2019, @10:39PM (#912997)

    half way to Boko Haram

    Yeah, he is a whiter shade of pale...

    • (Score: 2) by TheGratefulNet on Tuesday October 29 2019, @12:45AM

      by TheGratefulNet (659) on Tuesday October 29 2019, @12:45AM (#913056)

      I had that exact reply typed in.

      I'm guessing more than just myself, too.

      --
      "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Gaaark on Monday October 28 2019, @10:55PM (6 children)

    by Gaaark (41) on Monday October 28 2019, @10:55PM (#913006) Journal

    And JFK had the protection of the Secret Service against a lone shooter....no...wait, a bunch of shooters, but there was no conspiracy and there were multiple shooters at that one spot but they weren't acting together and Oswald was the killer even though he had a shite rifle and couldn't hit a brick wall let alone a moving target and there was no government cover up....wait, there was, but there was only one shooter...wait, there WERE multiple shooters but Oswald was NOT a patsy, but wait, the police allowed him to be killed before there could be ANY kind of investigation but there is no cover up and no conspiracy and you can trust the US government.......

    .....and the US government had NOTHING to do with Assange being tortured and probably poisoned... You can trust the US government...

    /...oh wait, you can't:
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/05/cia-long-history-kill-leaders-around-the-world-north-korea [theguardian.com]

    https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/17/opinions/us-assassination-attempt-maier/index.html [cnn.com]

    The US wants I'm gone: maybe a little quid pro quo got him gone..... Just..maybe. Nah; CERTAINLY!

    --
    --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
    • (Score: 3, Informative) by RamiK on Tuesday October 29 2019, @12:12AM (5 children)

      by RamiK (1813) on Tuesday October 29 2019, @12:12AM (#913041)

      Dude, I get sarcasm doesn't pass well through the written word, but I've just suggested the US conduct in this kangaroo-trial to be more befitting that of China and that it's just short of Boko Haram by virtue of not yet chopping and/or raping Assange and his relatives. If most read it as commendations rather than condemnation, it's probably too late.

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      • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Tuesday October 29 2019, @12:48AM (4 children)

        by Gaaark (41) on Tuesday October 29 2019, @12:48AM (#913058) Journal

        Sarcasm also doesn't pass well to the autistic.

        I apologize.

        --
        --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
        • (Score: 2) by RamiK on Tuesday October 29 2019, @11:16AM

          by RamiK (1813) on Tuesday October 29 2019, @11:16AM (#913221)

          Nah it was meant to be slightly ambiguous so by the time it's re-read you'd get the sarcasm in an Oh! moment so my poor delivery was likely to blame. Probably should have compromised on style and tone and went with "So you see, still leaders of the free world! WOOHOO!" or the likes.

          Well, spilled milk...

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        • (Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday October 29 2019, @11:34AM (2 children)

          by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday October 29 2019, @11:34AM (#913225) Journal
          Everyone is somewhere on the spectrum on the internet.
          • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Tuesday October 29 2019, @04:44PM (1 child)

            by Gaaark (41) on Tuesday October 29 2019, @04:44PM (#913324) Journal

            Spend some time with my son: and try to get some sleep. And sanity. And work done.

            ....and internetting done.

            Oh....and ...........kill me.
            :?

            --
            --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
            • (Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday October 30 2019, @01:37AM

              by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday October 30 2019, @01:37AM (#913524) Journal
              I have a friend in the same situation. Their son is 20 now.

              Inability to detect sarcasm is a universal problem on the internet. Autism is not.
  • (Score: 2) by jmichaelhudsondotnet on Tuesday October 29 2019, @02:50PM (10 children)

    by jmichaelhudsondotnet (8122) on Tuesday October 29 2019, @02:50PM (#913276) Journal

    leave it to a zionist to go full moral relativist

    Ramik believes everyone is just assholes and everything is dark grey, morality has no point etc.

    Zionists believe as long as someone has ever done it in the past history of the universe, they can do it too and it won't be that big of a deal.

    Or if that person isn't a zionist, it's open season.

    It is a way of thinking based on moving the goalposts(and borders), so it is basically the worst place to look for a moral compass.

    The only way this has happened is through corruption of the United States and the UK by israelis who have for decades wanted to undermine the UN and europe to the point they cannot stand in the way of their termination of the palestinians. China is taking a free ride at the same time, an actual genocide of uigurs and the 'never again' israelis are twiddling their thumbs, plotting more proxy wars.

    Any defense of assange would establish a precedent for the hundreds of actual palestinian children in israeli prison right now.

    Im a real american, I have watched this happen my entire adult life, this has been their plan all along. Israelis are destroying western civilization and their news media in our countries is blaming it on the refugees created by their expansion plans.

    Get it through your head. Israel is not an ally to anyone and we all have the same problem.

    • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday October 29 2019, @03:43PM (2 children)

      by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday October 29 2019, @03:43PM (#913300) Journal

      so it is basically the worst place to look for a moral compass.

      I've kinda wondered where you buy your compasses.

      • (Score: 2, Funny) by DECbot on Tuesday October 29 2019, @08:53PM (1 child)

        by DECbot (832) on Tuesday October 29 2019, @08:53PM (#913416) Journal

        Let me introduce you to WonderCompass! Do you ever get tired of your compass conforming to stereotypical norm of always pointing north? Tired of keeping lodestone or strong magnetic fields handy to keep your compass non-conforming? Then WonderCompass is the compass for you! Our patented algorithm driven needle is guaranteed to never conform. WonderCompass operates in two modes, the first mode it can be set to your heart's content. Whether it is the nearest cafe selling avocado toast or the girl your crushing on, WonderCompass will show the way. The second mode, WonderCompass can be set to never point the same direction twice. When you need a new direction in your life, WonderCompass can point the way. WonderCompass is available in your app store for your Apple or Android device! Let your compass set you free--to wherever you want to be!

        --
        cats~$ sudo chown -R us /home/base
        • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday October 29 2019, @09:09PM

          by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday October 29 2019, @09:09PM (#913425) Journal

          We've done it! We have reached apotheosis! We are wherever we want to be!

    • (Score: 2) by RamiK on Tuesday October 29 2019, @09:30PM

      by RamiK (1813) on Tuesday October 29 2019, @09:30PM (#913440)

      I don't know if I should be mortified or proud. One thing is clear, I can't stop laughing my ass off... :D

      My bad. [soylentnews.org]
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    • (Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday October 30 2019, @01:48AM (5 children)

      by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday October 30 2019, @01:48AM (#913528) Journal
      Now, we're tilting at Zionist windmills? First, it was the repeated, vague claims that some monstrous conspiracy (with the usual curious mix of hypercompetence and incompetence - where they can suppress thousands or millions of witnesses completely, but are helpless to do anything about a lone poster on the internet who easily sees through it all) was holding your message back and that's why people weren't paying attention.

      Now, Zionists are allegedly exercising the usual levels of human hypocrisy and that's somehow destroying western civilization? Not buying it either.
      • (Score: 2) by jmichaelhudsondotnet on Wednesday October 30 2019, @05:34PM (4 children)

        by jmichaelhudsondotnet (8122) on Wednesday October 30 2019, @05:34PM (#913799) Journal

        Clearly with Assange there are a lot of bad actors and institutions making it this way.

        But in the United States right now anyone who is not capable of realizing the threat of the zionist lobby and centralization of tech admin and production in israel is really not worth my time to artue with. There are dozens and dozens of data points, trump is one of them.

        And it isnt just me, I am not the only one who sees it, I actually am only talking about it because a lot of other people arent doing their job.

        You do know that nbc and the new york times actually conspired to help Harvey Weinstein keep raping people right?

        is he just a 'normal case of white privilege' to you? Do you see anything degenerative to the United States about this, or the epstein event?

        Now there are 3 points, Weinstein, Epstein, Assange, does it look to you like things are going well for the rule of law, human rights and health of institutions? Do you see any patterns there if you think very hard?

        And do you have anything else you want to project onto me to suit your worldview, that youd like to throw at me from the safety of anonymity?

        And are you too a zionist? Please, share your analysis of the situation. I want to learn how wrong I am, how great things are going, how happy I should be for a foreign country to be freely bribing my government and threatening to call all of bernie sanders supporters nazis.

        • (Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday October 31 2019, @12:51AM (2 children)

          by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Thursday October 31 2019, @12:51AM (#913960) Journal

          But in the United States right now anyone who is not capable of realizing the threat of the zionist lobby and centralization of tech admin and production in israel is really not worth my time to artue with. There are dozens and dozens of data points, trump is one of them.

          I'm pretty capable. You're just not providing the evidence. Trump, for example, certainly is not such a data point.

          You do know that nbc and the new york times actually conspired to help Harvey Weinstein keep raping people right?

          His behavior is irrelevant to your expressed concern. Nor is such hypocritical alpha male behavior unique to a Zionist supported by parts of US media.

          Now there are 3 points, Weinstein, Epstein, Assange, does it look to you like things are going well for the rule of law, human rights and health of institutions? Do you see any patterns there if you think very hard?

          Not as evidence. And no, I don't see your alleged "patterns".

          And do you have anything else you want to project onto me to suit your worldview, that youd like to throw at me from the safety of anonymity?

          Aside from you exhibiting some of the same behavior you claim that your conspirators display - like blaming their enemies for their own actions?

          And are you too a zionist? Please, share your analysis of the situation. I want to learn how wrong I am, how great things are going, how happy I should be for a foreign country to be freely bribing my government and threatening to call all of bernie sanders supporters nazis.

          Things actually have settled down. There's no invasions of Israel anymore so on that narrow front things got better. Things are getting better worldwide. And Israel/Zionists are only of many players who manipulate US politics. It's not great, but it's not a conspiracy of a single group either.

          • (Score: 2) by jmichaelhudsondotnet on Thursday October 31 2019, @04:41PM (1 child)

            by jmichaelhudsondotnet (8122) on Thursday October 31 2019, @04:41PM (#914215) Journal

            The evidence at this point is self-evident, it is in the open, it is on SN headlines today with more NSO group bullshit.

            More hasbara bullshit in ITT thread, weinstein is just a standard alpha male, everybody infiltrates the US just like israel, everything is getting better, stole another 140 houses in east jerusalem just yesterday.

            gtfo if you arent getting paid to be ignorant you should consider it as a full time job, youre good at it

            • (Score: 1) by khallow on Friday November 01 2019, @12:10AM

              by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Friday November 01 2019, @12:10AM (#914393) Journal

              The evidence at this point is self-evident, it is in the open, it is on SN headlines today with more NSO group bullshit.

              I consider appeals to "self-evident" as signaling that you have extraordinarily weak support for your position. If it's "self-evident", then it's probably pretty damn obvious for any attempts at rational argument. That hasn't been happening.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 31 2019, @11:19PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 31 2019, @11:19PM (#914377)

          Man! There must be some kind of Hitler *Horcrux* nearby that's fucking up your head! Or is it, the *Ring*? To rule over all the others? You are definitely bonkers! Or a poorly disguised anti-Semite!