Once upon a time, there was a very bright little boy in Australia who grew up as stranger to conventional society. His mother went from husband to husband, from theater to cult, always on the eccentric margins, while the boys natural father was left behind. As an adolescent he found his own world in cyberspace, which offered a field for his insatiable curiosity. As he learned about that great world out there and its secrets, he developed his very own rigorous ethic: his vocation was to search for true facts and share them with the public. Living outside the usual social codes, his moral compass was uninhibited by the usual niceties. Truth was truth, deception was wrong, lies on the part of the powerful should be exposed.
The original sin of Julian Assange was the same as that of Galileo Galilei. Galileo sinned by revealing to the people things the elite already knew or at least surmised, but wished to keep secret from the masses, in order not to shake the peoples faith in the official truth. Assange did the same thing with the formation of WikiLeaks The official version of reality was challenged. All lies should be exposed. By far the most sensitive targets of his wide-ranging reality revelations were the lies, the hypocrisy, the inhuman brutality of the United States in its wars of global hegemony. To Assange, these things were simply wrong.
At first, WikiLeaks attracted a great deal of popular attention and even acclaim. Julian Assange became famous. He was a geek, but he didnt look like a geek. Tall, handsome, striking with his nearly white hair, Julian was something strange: a charismatic geek.
He arrived in Sweden with near superstar status. Swedish women contrived to get him into their beds. They bragged about having sex with Julian: he was a trophy lover. But the charismatic geek didnt know the social codes of the peculiar Swedish forms of virtuous promiscuity. This lacuna was exploited by his enemies in extravagantly unpredictable ways.
Julian Assange tried to straighten out what seemed to be a serious misunderstanding before leaving Sweden. But the Swedish side failed to make matters clear and he left for London.
In London, he was quickly taken up by the radical chic branch of the British upper class, the champagne and caviar humanitarians. The nave charismatic geek who didnt know the social codes no doubt thought he was among friends. He didnt belong to any political or social movement in the UK, he depended on the beautiful people who for a time found him an interesting outsider, one of their latest causes.
Julian Assange may have been socially nave, but he very acutely perceived what the imperial powers were working up against him. The totally unjustifiable demand for extradition to Sweden for questioning unjustifiable because they had declined to question him while he was there and then declined to question him in the UK appeared to Julian to be an obvious device to enable Sweden to extradite him to the United States, given the total obedience of post-Olof Palme Sweden to the wishes of Washington. Others didnt see this so clearly, except for the excellent President of Ecuador at the time, Rafael Correa. Correa offered Assange asylum in the tiny Ecuadorian embassy in London. Assange, unconventional, negligent of the codes, but with a clear view of the danger stalking him, jumped the bail set up for him and moved into the embassy.
This was the beginning of his alienation from the caviar humanitarians. At first the smart set defended him. Such glamorous personalities as Jemima Khan and Amal Amamuddin (not yet Clooney) initially defended him and then lost interest. He was not of their world. He did not know how to compromise, he was a geek after all, less and less charismatic as he faded in the shadows of the embassy of Ecuador. Its all very well to denounce lies and tell the truth, but one mustnt overdo it. Its delightful to have a cause when you have a solid social and financial background to fall back on, and when you know how to play the game so as to be in and out at the same time. Julian had none of those social graces. He was honest, intent, stubborn. He was incapable of hypocrisy, even in his own interest. He would not abjure, as Galileo did.
Such stubborn honesty on the part of someone who has nothing no family, no fortune, no social status, no political party, nothing but his stubborn devotion to truth is unbearable in a society based on lies. The media who profited from his scoops became the most zealous in denouncing him. No wonder: his honesty was a living reproach to the scribblers who had sold out all down the line, who get ahead by adding new touches to the mendacious "common narrative" required by the masters of their careers.
Lies were spread. Someone so honest must have hidden vices. He must be as bad as we are, or worse. The mob gathers. This man who knows the truth but not the social codes is an insult to us all, a freak, a monster, who must be destroyed.
The lynch mob is enormous. The media, politicians, even the judicial authorities. There are no loud shouts for blood but silent cruelty as the Anglo-American ruling Establishment shamelessly contrives to halt the last breath of the outsider who dared expose them for what they are.
Diana Johnstone is the author of Fools Crusade: Yugoslavia, NATO, and Western Delusions. Her new book is Queen of Chaos: the Misadventures of Hillary Clinton. The memoirs of Diana Johnstones father Paul H. Johnstone, From MAD to Madness, was published by Clarity Press, with her commentary. She can be reached at diana.johnstone@wanadoo.fr.
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The Lynching of the Charismatic Geek - Antiwar.com
- UK ruling on Assange extradition resets the game. What happens next? - Al Jazeera English - May 25th, 2024
- Assange Won a Victory, but the Fight Isn't Over - Jacobin magazine - May 25th, 2024
- Why Wikileaks' Julian Assange faces US extradition demand - BBC - May 25th, 2024
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- The Assange Case: A Flicker of Hope in the UK High Court - CounterPunch - May 25th, 2024
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- WikiLeaks founder Assange wins right to appeal against an extradition order to the US - The Associated Press - May 25th, 2024
- Julian Assange can appeal his extradition to the U.S., a British court has ruled - NPR - May 25th, 2024
- Julian Assange can appeal extradition to the US, UK court rules - CNN - May 25th, 2024
- UK: 'Positive news' for defenders of press freedom as Assange granted permission to appeal - Amnesty International - May 25th, 2024
- Julian Assange wins right to appeal against extradition: how did we get here and what happens next? - The Guardian - May 25th, 2024
- Timeline of the Assange legal saga over extradition to the US on espionage charges - The Associated Press - May 25th, 2024
- CPJ welcomes UK High Court decision to hear Julian Assange appeal - Committee to Protect Journalists - May 25th, 2024
- Julian Assange's Extradition Appeal Hearing: What Could Happen? - The New York Times - May 25th, 2024
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- The Guardian view on Julian Assange: time to dial this process down - The Guardian - May 25th, 2024
- UK dispatch: WikiLeaks founder Assange allowed to appeal extradition to US as hundreds gather outside High Court - JURIST - May 25th, 2024
- WikiLeaks' Julian Assange Can Appeal His Extradition to the US, British Court Says - WIRED - May 25th, 2024
- Julian Assange faces judgment day in years-long fight to stay out of US court - The Hill - May 25th, 2024
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- The case against Julian Assange has been a cruel folly. His right to appeal is a small step towards justice - The Guardian - May 25th, 2024
- Explained: The case against WikiLeaks Julian Assange, who can now appeal his extradition to the US - The Indian Express - May 25th, 2024
- Watch: Outside High Court as Julian Assange wins bid to appeal US extradition - The Independent - May 25th, 2024
- Wikileaks Assange Gets Another Shot at Extradition Appeal - Bloomberg - May 25th, 2024
- Assange wins High Court bid to appeal against extradition to US over spying charges - The Independent - May 25th, 2024
- End the punishment: On Julian Assange - The Hindu - May 25th, 2024
- U.K. High Court Grants Julian Assange the Right to Appeal U.S. Extradition - Democracy Now! - May 25th, 2024
- Julian Assange wins right to appeal extradition to United States - UPI News - May 25th, 2024
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- Julian Assange's Wife Urges Joe Biden to Drop Pursuit of Husband as he Wins Right to Appeal US Extradition Byline ... - Byline Times - May 25th, 2024
- Julian Assange Extradition Ruling: Everything We Know About WikiLeaks Case - Newsweek - May 25th, 2024
- Julian Assange Has Secured a Rare Legal Victory, But Press Freedom Still Hangs in the Balance - The Wire - May 25th, 2024
- Julian Assange can appeal extradition to the US, London High Court rules - The Register - May 25th, 2024
- Julian Assange Can Appeal Against Extradition To The U.S., London Court Rules - HuffPost - May 25th, 2024
- British court says Julian Assange can appeal his extradition to the US over espionage charges - Salon - May 25th, 2024
- There is a way out of the Assange legal quagmire the US should drop the case - The Guardian - May 25th, 2024
- London court says Assange can appeal extradition to the US - Euronews - May 25th, 2024
- Timeline of the Julian Assange legal saga as he makes a final bid ... - PBS - May 15th, 2024
- New Blog Article on ThinkCareBelieve: The Future of Free Speech Hangs on Important UK Court Decision For Julian ... - Yahoo Finance - May 15th, 2024
- WikiLeaks founder's fate will be known in just 7 days - Pearls and Irritations - May 15th, 2024
- Julian Assange: Final UK legal challenge to stop WikiLeaks' founder's ... - May 15th, 2024
- Julian Assange Extradition Decision: What to Know - The New York Times - April 28th, 2024
- Julian Assanges mission was to change the world - but at what cost? - CNN - April 28th, 2024
- Irish Nobel Peace Prize winner calls on Joe Biden to release Julian Assange in letter handed to U.S. Consulate - Radio Habana Cuba - April 28th, 2024
- Justice Department Reportedly in Discussions With Julian Assange Over Potential Plea Deal - The New York Sun - March 21st, 2024
- Julian Assange could plead guilty to lesser offence to avoid extradition to US - The Telegraph - March 21st, 2024
- WSJ: The Justice Department reportedly is negotiating a deal that would set Assange free - Voz Media - March 21st, 2024
- Minute by minute - The Guardian - March 21st, 2024
- Julian Assange's legal team sees 'no indication' of resolution in extradition case - SBS News - March 21st, 2024
- Last Days of Julian Assange in the United States - Consortium News - March 21st, 2024
- Assange in plea deal talks - Pearls and Irritations - March 21st, 2024
- UK/US: Time to end prosecution of Julian Assange, UN expert says - Pearls and Irritations - March 13th, 2024
- Julian Assange's brother will attend the State of the Union address as Rep. Thomas Massie's guest - Reason - March 13th, 2024
- Assange, Phillips, and the End of Rights - The American Conservative - March 13th, 2024
- Julian Assange: Australian politicians call for release of WikiLeaks ... - February 17th, 2024
- Australian lawmakers approve motion calling for release of Julian Assange - The Associated Press - February 17th, 2024
- Artist says he'll destroy $45M worth of Rembrandt, Picasso and Warhol masterpieces if Julian Assange dies in prison - CBS News - February 17th, 2024
- Julian Assange: Australian politicians call for release of WikiLeaks founder - BBC.com - February 17th, 2024
- 'Devastating': wife of imprisoned journalist Julian Assange mourns death of Alexei Navalny - Pearls and Irritations - February 17th, 2024
- Law professors to DOJ: Drop Assange prosecution - Freedom of the Press Foundation - February 17th, 2024
- Julian Assange "Will Die" If Extradited To US, Says His Wife - The St. Kitts-Nevis Observer - February 17th, 2024
- Russian Artist Threatens to Dissolve $45 M. of Artworks by Picasso, Rembrandt if Julian Assange Dies in Prison - ARTnews - February 17th, 2024
- The International Court of Justice has made it difficult for the public to view the Assange extradition hearing - Boing Boing - February 17th, 2024
- US will 'throw the book' at Julian Assange if extradited - MSN - February 17th, 2024
- Australia approves motion urging Britain to return Julian Assange - UPI News - February 17th, 2024
- On eve of British hearings, Assange's brother Gabriel Shipton speaks out: This is Julian's last chance in the UK courts - WSWS - February 17th, 2024
- Days Before Extradition Hearing, Australian Parliament Tells US to Drop Assange Case - Common Dreams - February 17th, 2024
- Rule of Law and Raison d'Etat: Julian Assange Must be Released - CounterPunch - February 17th, 2024
- Australian Parliament Approves Motion Calling for Release of Julian Assange - Democracy Now! - February 17th, 2024
- Julian Assange extradition appeal verdict to be revealed in few days - Al Mayadeen English - February 17th, 2024
- 'Julian Assange Is Not Superhuman What Is Being Done to Him Is Unworthy of Any Democracy' Byline Times - Byline Times - February 17th, 2024
- Julian Assange 'will die' if extradited to US, wife warns - The Independent - February 17th, 2024
- Julian Assange 'will die' if extradited to US, his wife warns - Evening Standard - February 17th, 2024
- The fate of the free press is in your hands: join the Assange protest next week - Morning Star Online - February 17th, 2024
- Julian Assange 'will die' if extradited to US, wife warns - Yahoo News Australia - February 17th, 2024
- Julian Assange: law professors warn of threat to US constitution - Law Gazette - February 17th, 2024
- PETER HITCHENS: We all have an interest in saving Julian Assange - Daily Mail - February 17th, 2024
- Julian Assange 'will die' if extradited to US, his wife warns - MSN - February 17th, 2024