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Julian Assange takes refuge in Ecuador's London Embassy (photo: bbwbryant / flickr)
As you likely already know, Ecuador — after a night in which British authorities threatened to storm the Ecuadorean Embassy in order to kidnap Julian Assange, who has sought sanctuary there for two months — has granted the asylum petition of the WikiLeaks founder, much to the consternation of US officialdom and its mouthpieces.
Here’s the New York Times’ hit piece on the decision. I challenge you, dear reader, to go over this piece and see if any mention is made of the following key and pertinent facts:
– Ecuador invited Sweden to come to the Embassy and interview Assange, or to talk with him via teleconferencing, which is something the Swedish justice system is set up to do routinely. The Swedes refused.
– Ecuador tried to get Sweden to guarantee they would not extradite Assange to the US to face espionage charges. The Swedes refused.
– Assange himself has offered to go to Sweden immediately if they would guarantee that he would not be extradited to the US on espionage charges. The Swedes refused.
Interestingly (hat tip to Teddy Partridge), even as the NYT ignores these key facts, and even as the Associated Press claims without evidence that Americans are “outraged” by Ecuador’s granting Assange asylum, a poll conducted by the Washington Post shows so far a three-to-one approval for Ecuador’s decision. Looks like a lot of folks have found a way (perhaps this way?) to get the news the NYT and WaPo won’t tell them.
81 Comments
Well done. Readers unclear about problems with the accusations against Assange, like I was, might want to read Naomi Wolff’s article about it:
http://markcrispinmiller.com/2011/02/eight-big-problems-with-the-case-against-assange-must-read-by-naomi-wolf/
Thanks for the report. I really wonder about the number of “outraged” Americans. Alot of us like to see justice, which includes acting according to law & treaties and upholding human rights, etc.
Might makes right.
Guessing U.K. will retrieve Assange. Who’s going to stop them
I love Ecuador, ever since they told the US to pound sand instead of granting them a military base….looks like there is still some semblance of freedom in this hemisphere
uk public might be fed up with their pm being america’s sock puppet, maybe their outrage will help
Tweeted. Recommended.
In the meantime, John Corzine has been given asylum in the US:
FROM:http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/08/15/no-criminal-case-is-likely-in-loss-at-mf-global/
Score another one for the Obanksta regime.
Maybe but I doubt it. U.K. public will forget about Assange 2 weeks after it happens. It helps that austerity creates a shock that diverts U.K. citizens’ attentions away from most other matters.
We figured that one out right away.
The grey lady lied about WMD.
When did they regain their credibility ?
The NYT has been a USG mouthpiece for a long time. I’ve been reading several books on U.S. history, and there are some priceless examples of NYT doing that going way back.
So despite all the negative Main Stream Media news, despite calls for Julian to be hanged by Fox News and the Right Wing Blogs the Lefty Media can influence the American public 3 to 1 on an issue which is not of much interest to the regular voter.
Granted we do have the facts on our side. We did have time to make a case for Julian ( the MSM does better when there is less time for us to check their facts and if an issue is resolved before we can reach people).
This is a milestone for the Lefty Blogs before we rallied people against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but again we had facts however those wars touched everyone through higher gas prices and we have had 10+ years to keep rallying people.
I am impressed :)
England is a our sock puppet but just what levers are we using on Sweden to get them to be our puppets?
Great article, except for one bit of foolishness. The Washington Post “poll” is an online survey. It’s gone up to five to one in favor of asylum now, but that’s because FDL linked to it, so we FDL readers can go vote yes, and since only a few hundred have voted, it’s not significant.
In any case, even if 90% of Americans wanted to string Assange up they’d still be wrong.
I think the UK government has as much interest in seeing Julian Assange crushed as does the US government.
It’s true that a lot Americans care about Human Rights.
But, I have to wonder that many of the people you speak to may be in a special caring interest category.
When I’m at the grocery store or at the park and I ask random people, strangers what they think about the oh, say the Asstrange affair, of FISA, or say, How ’bout that Governor of Arizona banning medical or educational rights for children of illegal immegrants, they look at me like I have 4 heads. They don’t know what I’m talking about. That’s been my experience with talking to plain, regular folks.
I can’t say whether they are some or most, but I’ve seen reports that what used to be the minority and now the majority now only where I live specifically, but in all of Cali, and other places too.
I’ve seen mention, but in passing, that Sweden’s gone all neocon & neolib overnight, like the rest of western Europe. Those 1%ers have to stick together.
Don’t hold me to that though.
As I recall, Sweden has been a big player in extraordinary rendition.
Ray McGovern on RT-tv now:
Caesar (U.S.) has spoken, and the empire’s satraps overseas must do what the emperor wants.
I think sometimes that many Americans have a pollyannish view of Europe because of its far stronger social safety net and other domestic programs.
In fact, nations like the UK and France in particular have been, and still are, frequently as ruthless and violent in pursuing their foreign policy objectives as the US.
I like your title: “What the New York Times Won’t Tell You….”. It would make a nice blog specialty. Just think one could be well informed daily with just an email of “What the nyt won’t tell you….” Same for Wapo. Dean Baker does it nicely by himself. And Media Matters…also and too.
But I think a blog dedicated to the individual shit sheet could get some traction, be something people could look forward to and daily embarrass the owners. Daily embarrassment. Oh I like that better “The NYT/WAPO Embarrasment Daily” Who knows NPR might want to be included.
Western Europe won’t have better social safety nets for much longer. Austerity!
Libya was a Sarkozy project; neocolonialism. (Hmmm, how’d that work out for him.)
It was at 76% before I ever saw it, much less linked to it. I should have grabbed a screen shot.
Remember, this is the WaPo, where conservative trolls generally rule the comments sections. That they haven’t been able to swamp an online WaPo poll is quite telling.
I wouldn’t give the NYT that much eyeball time. Birdcage liner might be the most it’s worth. I use it for fire starter.
Funny NYT story. I’m at supermarket to buy a few items. I picked up a dead tree copy to read while waiting for my friend. Sitting on the bench on the other side of the checkout, I read the first sentence on the first page right column story and started chuckling out loud. The other little old lady on the other end of the bench, who was reading the local rag, asked me what was so funny. I read her the sentence and she chuckled too. Most featured sentence that day couldn’t even pass the giggle test of two little old ladies.
Thanks PW.
“…uk public might be fed up with their pm being america’s sock puppet,…”
I looked at a BBC article on this last night and this reflects the prevailing sentiment in the comments following the article.
Sweden is going NeoCon how sad I loved their socialist policies.
If Government Propaganda can’t pass the giggle test then it has lost the people’s respect and ability to influence people.
The NYT and MSM I feel are examples of how the government outsourced propaganda to the public sector.
The thing is for Propaganda to work it must be believable or it is ignored. If its not believable repeating it only makes people ignore it more or get angry.
I really think I need to read about Soviet Propaganda right before the fall of the USSR.
Yes. I know not much, but I enjoy the recent spate of English-lang translations of Swedish (and all Scandanavian) crime fiction. It’s not just Stieg Larssen who points out rather definitely the Nazi/fascist “past” of the various nations, but that facism is once again on the rise – or if you will – neocon/neoliberalism.
The average Scandanavian citizen may not like it, but it appears that most of those countries are lap-dogs or sock-puppets of the Imperialistic Yew-Ess-Aay.
OR: the 1% sticks together & sticks up the you-know-what of the 99%.
Does that mean that the man who killed all of those people may be more “main stream” than we think?
It’s the silent majority. They are enraged, but won’t say it.
Indeed. Let us not forget that European nations have centuries of imperialistic domination & ruthlessness ahead of lil ole USA. It’s “nice” to hold their better social safety nets in high regard, but austerity is on the rise for our “cousins” across the pond.
I hope that poll is right. But even if it is for the moment do you suppose the MSM and the PTB will allow that to stand for very long. Nice we got the momentary bump though.
I had a rather lengthy talk with someone at a gym (in CA) recently. He commented at length about how – for most of his life (I guesstimate he was late 50s/early 60s) – he was “clueless” about politics, government, yadda yadda.
This person said that it was only in the past decade that he started “waking up” (his words) to what was going on. Sadly I could tell from his still polite conversation that he listened to Rush a lot. When I asked him about that, he was surprised that I had figured that out.
So it’s quite true that the vast vast majority of citizens are completely *clueless* about most everything that this nation is doing.
Sadder still, though, are friends & acquaintances who FIRMLY wish to keep their heads in the sand and NOT KNOW. I do have a number of friends who actually *tell* me to shut up (well, they’re a tad more polite but not much) when I begin to list *exactly how* Obama has carried forward the Bush Admin. Do. Not. Want. To. Know.
I don’t think so. The UK has a functioning Left and an independent intellectual class.
The town I’m in is a little unusual wrt items like propaganda. Bet my experience wouldn’t be repeated in most other places. Still, a random senior woman I didn’t know at the supermarket! Ya gotta wonder.
I’m in the same boat. Fortunately, I’ve retired and don’t have to go through those fruitless discussions with so-called ‘liberals’ any more.
Are you talking about the Norwegian who killed all those kids at a camp last summer?
Again, my knowledge is limited mainly to reading contemporary Scandanavian crime fiction. Those novels, though, indicate a LOT of mounting tension in the predominently white homogeneous populations, as more and more foreigners immigrate from foreign cultures. Plus, the fall of the Iron Curtain has resulted (apparently nearly everywhere) in higher rates of crime, violence, gun & drug running.
So, yes, I suppose Mr. Breivik, while on the rightwing extremist edge, is somewhat representative of a trend, sad to say.
I try to avoid them at all costs. Several of my supposedly “liberal” friends and I have agreed to just not discuss politics anymore… sadly *exactly* like how my conservative friends and I have ALSO agreed not to discuss politics anymore. I find both “camps” do not truck in any sort of reality. Conservatives blather nonsense about Obama’s birth certificate or raising THEIR taxes. Liberals blather about how Obama is allegedly “saving” the world from perdition.
It’s is both very discouraging and very frightening how easily authoritarians are manipulated.
For some reason, I just can’t visualize eCAHN as a little old lady.
Nevertheless, good point. I used to see the news and get mad about the inaccuracies. These days I am much more prone to laugh and dismiss.
That is true, and in the day when they were hegemonic powers like the US has been since 1945, they did the same sort of thing. But they can’t any more, and are better off for it. Informed public opinion has always been more important in Europe than in the United States (at least since the 1890s). There are brakes on actions that you can’t read in their Constitutions but that are real. They are more immune to demagogy than the US. Germany was a special and tragic case, brought on by the defeat and Revolution at the end of World War I, and the crippling economic provisions of the Versailles Treaty. Americans are very much like Germans in that they follow orders. I was in the Denver Airport last week, and was the only one I could see who opted out from the full body scan. Everyone else just took their shoes off and got radiated like sheep.
A dictator who seizes power in the US with the backing of the 1 percent and the military will be able to do pretty much as he or she pleases. Pockets of resistance will be easily crushed and everyone else will go about their normal lives. I knew a woman who grew up in Saddam’s Baghdad and lived through the Gulf War bombings. She came from a well-off family and said that as long as you kept your head down you were safe. It was prudent to keep a picture of the Dictator in your living room in case of a visit by the secret police, but unless they were really after you, you were safe.
I figured out the other day that it wouldn’t take many 0.01%ers to buy Harvard. Its endowment, for example, is only $25 billion (down from $35 in 2007, heh). Could get a mortgage from one of the TBTF banks for the physical plant.
Prolly ditto U.K., though Oxbridge bldgs are prolly on national register, so couldn’t buy those. Cameron would go along with that for enough pocket liner.
Simply to buy the universities, fire the faculty you don’t like, hire ones who will do your bidding, wouldn’t take a lot of money. Gotta make sure the pols are in your pocket first, though, so they don’t object.
Corps are already a good way along in buying universities.
This was an mental exercise to try to guess what they’ll do next. As cynical as I’ve tried to be, I’ve been too whimpy to figure out how much worse it has gotten in so short a time.
I listened to World BBC this morning and the reporting was exceptionally fair. People there are well-informed if they want to be, and it’s easier for them than over here.
I have a long time very best friend, and we have finally gotten to the we do not discuss it stage. We were always courteous, but on very different sides. And she is such a nice woman. But we just evolved to the point of avoiding the topic; we have been agreeing for awhile that things are not going well, however.
I used to enjoy the NYT, even though I knew a lot of it was inaccurate. It used to still have some good articles and better coverage than anything else in Team USA. These days?? I cannot be bothered to throw away my hard earned dollah$ on the NYT. I’d rather buy my rather useless local nooz paper. At least the reports on local stuff are more accurate, and it doesn’t cost that much.
I like to do the Jumble! ha ha much more educational than almost anything else.
When you are raising a family and trying to drain the debt swamp, politics is just not the only and maybe not even particularly important thing in your life. So you likely pick things up around the edges so to speak. My kids are like that. They tend to the left but they sure don’t follow all of it. I doubt they paid a lot of attention to this issue. Prolly think they,should just arrest him. But I will fill them in. They are what you would call Obamabots. Just the way it is.
Our government is more corrupt than most – the media is even worse for not informing citizens of how corrupt the government is – typical, dog chasing it’s tail.
When will American citizens decide that the system is rigged against them???
The government is the problem in many countries, including the US.
Our founding fathers are turning in their graves right now.
The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/aug/16/julian-assange-ecuador?CMP=twt_gu
Yes, indeedy. Just like it’s a falsehood that the media is “liberal,” it is now – and has been for quite some time – that tertiary institutions in the USA are “liberal.”
A friend of mine just discovered yesterday just how much the great Satan Monsanto OWNS UC Davis, which is a renowned Ag School. Sadly, I’d known about Monsanto’s ownership of UC Davis quite some time ago; not recent, that’s for sure.
That’s where all this crap “science” comes from, after all. The 1% buys the Univ and then dragoons them into writing what the 1% wants promulgated. Easy-peasy.
If the subject turns to politics, and I keep cool, or don’t change the subject, I try to interact by asking Qs. For example: other person sez gotta reduce the deficit; I ask why; other person says govt is like a household that’s spending beyond its means; I ask, hmmm, how did the USG get away with that for almost all its history.
Other person usually changes the topic.
The only question is what proportion of the Profs would sell out to the new owners. My guess is most of them, based on what happened at Yale when Kagan senior (the neocon father of the present Kagan) shut down the ‘soft sociological and historical side’ of the Yale School of Management, which was originally established to train public as well as private managers. My prof Bill Parker led the resistance to firing the half dozen young professors who had been hired on tenure-track appointments. He got it all the way to the Senate. It was surprising to me which Profs, some of them friends, let themselves get bought off by Kagan and company (Kagan I believe was then Dean). The President, who was an asshole pushed in by Cyrus Vance was also behind it. He got turfed out and replaced by Rick Levin, who was Parker’s protege, but the damage to the School was done. Most of the profs who voted sold out. They were literally bribed. One would expect the same at Harvard, which has made it a point of honour to hire academic whores.
That was my point, exactly. Its already in the middle of happening here, and like the destruction of the safety net, will accelerate in the next couple of years.
In Europe, starting with a bigger safety net and longer traditions in academia, they are rushing ahead at warp speed to win the race to the bottom.
Yep! I fly regularly & always opt for the pat-down. I’m sure you got the same bullshit LIE from your TSA gropinator about how the Chertoff-cash-cow-porno-rape-death-Xray machines used “only sound waves, no radiation, and they don’t take pictures.”
I just nod my head and say: commence the feel-up!
I’m usually the only one opting for the pat-down, unless someone “has to” because of, say, a pace maker or whatever.
Many sheeples have said to me: “well, this is what it takes to make us SAFE from terrorists.”
I gave up a long time ago trying to educate them to the fact that they were only be “terrorized” by “their” bought-off government.
I have done the “question” thing, myself, but my pals are on to me now, and they simply refuse to engage. I have rarely “argued” or gotten heated. Mainly, like you, I ask questions.
People don’t like even that. So we agree to disagree and cease the conversation. It’s very sad, esp that people are unwilling to even hear another point of view. The three monkeys with their hands over eyes, ears & mouth spring to mind.
You know whereof I speak. Thanks for the specific example. I’m stealing it from you, with your permission.
It is said, insultingly, of academia, that the fights are so fierce bc there’s so little to fight over.
In retrospect, all that righty blather was preemptive war against balanced media and intellectual traditions at universities. They called us out first so that when we said: back atcha; it would sound as weak as it is.
Yes and yes.
Just like the USA K-12 public school system is in a shambles, and yet, no one gives a fuck. Who cares????
There was a lengthy article in a recent local nooz paper about how most students in the Cal State Univ system find it *impossible* to graduate in under 5 years – and that’s if they’re lucky. The reason is that funding has been so deeply slashed to the public Univ system in CA, that classes & whole discplines have been slashed from the curriculum. Students find it nearly impossible to get their required courses in under 5 years. The 4 year degree is pretty much a thing of the past, which inhibits students from getting out and getting ft jobs.
Of course, the leters to the editor the next day were mostly from conservatives bending themselves into pretzels finding some way to *blame the students* for their inability to graduate within 4 years. It’s totally sad & frightening how easily citizens can be quickly pit against other groups on the 99%. The 1% just laughs their rich asses off, as they saunter to their nearest off-shore bank account.
I called the Ecuadorian Embassy in Washington this morning to praise the decision. Anyone else wanting to do so can call (202) 465-8120.
Reminds me of the travesty of the W lib’ry at SMU. It was never a liberal hot house, of course, but in the name of decency…at least the Divinity School was largely, not all, against the lib. Should be opening soon. W & library = oxymoron.
The slashing of funding to public univ is the other side of the coin to this. Only certain “hard” disciplines are permitted to remain in the curricula, and the profs had better toe the party line, or they’ll be out of a job.
Again: conservatives sit on the sidelines and clap and cheer bc it all fits into their Ayn Randian fantasy life.
Along with how many students have to work these days.
Yes. Well this is all part of the Master Plan that was thrashed out after Nixon. They determined then and there that this would be a fascist state, and they set about it in a very very thorough way. And, sad to say, have been inordinantly successful.
There IS no “organized left” in the USA anymore. Simply does not exist. As already discussed, most so-called “Democratic” voters are NOT liberal at all, not even that much for social issues anymore. Most are not full-bore “traditional Republicans…” because as we know, today’s “Republican” voter is mostly on the extreme rightwing fringe and some are definitely on the lunatic fringe (no snark).
Except for the special case with the first edition, autographed copy of My Pet Goat.
It’s really a luxury for a student not to work, esp these days. Reserved mainly for the spawn of the wealthy, who can afford to send their ankle-biters to private schools from K – Univ. The rest of the 99% can STFU and get a job.
That said, I worked all through my college & grad school years part-time at a variety of jobs. It was challenging bc I attended a very tough undergrad institution. However, I wasn’t struggling to get credits bc of lack of class offerings. It’s a whole different ballgame if you can’t get the classes you need to graduate.
I mentioned on a FDL thread a couple of weeks ago how difficult it is to convince most commenters how bad the reality is in the U.S., how much the 99ers are up against if they think they can change anything that’s this far gone. The person who responded said that if I found FDL regulars to be that way, I should go into the real world and see how comparatively enlightened people here are.
There is no left left. Besides the right having captured most institutions, the collapse of the Soviet Union was a large and very discrediting events for anything on the left side of the ledger.
I’m having a good time, esp learning specific examples from universities. So keep it up. I must perform some tasks now, but will be back later to read what you all have written.
Yes. Agree, too, that the “real world” is very very much more uneducated/unenlightened/what-have-you from the average commenter here. We may not always agree or even get along, but I think that the vast majority are both much more well-informed than the “average” citizen, plus curious enough and smart enough to attempt to get better info than what’s more “readily available” in the MSM.
more later…
You know, after giving this matter some serious thought … I know, who could imagine?
Well anyway, I have thought about this “situation”, a bit, and it occurs to me that there is one person who, if they were of a mind to do so, could immediately disarm the hostility of the moment and, at the same time, re-establish respect for international law and the Rule of Law, generally.
Now that person is NOT Julian Assange, nor is it anybody in Great Britain, nor is it anyone in Sweden.
Yep, ya guessed it! Good on yas!
Were Barack Obama of the mind to do so …he could immediately create an opening for reason to prevail.
Before everybody jumps all over me for suggesting that a Peace Prize-winner, all by his lonesome, could pull this off, I beg you to think about it … for at least three seconds …
Okay.
Now, if Obama WON’T do this, then are we permitted or not to ask why?
Perhaps some of those who say that Obama MUST win, could take a wee mo and explain just why Obama, who is the “best choice we have”, cannot do this?
I realize that many of you will say, “This is silly, everyone knows why Obama can’t do this!”
Yet, I’m not certain that everybody does.
At least the “reasons” why Obama cannot do this ought to be examined, don’t you think.
That way, we might actually be able to help him help … us.
Anyhoo, thank youse for the lend of your ears, and the hodge-podging of yer synapses.
DW
Interlectural compradors? How could meritocrats be anything else?
The fact that Barack Obama had sustained this witch hunt, instead of ending it, speaks volumes about his real political grounding.
United we stood (for warmongering) and divided we shall fall.
DW: he could certainly do it, but it would require a modest level of political courage, and that we have not seen since he raised his hand and took the oath.
All compradors know it’s cause of the terrists, silly. Have you been living in a cave?
Looking forward to seeing him being Bradley Manning’s cellmate at Gitmo.
Screw the NYTimes. It’s a rag and it’s been a rag for a very long time. The Old Gray Lady has morphed into The Old Gray Hag.
Why? Do you have any reasoning or logic behind that? Or is what Rush Limbaugh bellowed at you today?
I think Britain has allowed this situation to get out of hand. Instead of threatening JA they should have been putting pressure on Sweden to withdraw the international warrant. This has now gotten to a point where UK’s national ego is at stake. By backing down they will show that they are weak. The solution is to put pressure on Sweden. If U.S. wants Assange so badly, let them get him themselves, instead of having other countries do their dirty work for them. But the case has now entered another stage, and I don’t think this is to Britain’s advantage to be in the situation it has put itself on behalf of Sweden.
I think that European pols use the US card as domestic cover on occasion–
“look at what those crazy Americans want us to do. Well, but they’re an ally and a powerful country, so I guess we’ll give them a hand.”
All the while, those same pols have no objection whatsoever to the policy in question, and indeed view it in their nation’s “interest” as well.
But rather than admit that to their public, they play the US card. And just maybe, the voters ought not to elect dumbazzes who do that.
I know, I know–we shouldn’t elect them either.
Yes, I agree on most points, but would just like to quibble on a few, just for the heck of it i guess :)
1. The surveillance state has long been more present in Britain than here in the US, at least in terms of video surveillance, and their draconian anti-terror law–much like ours today–were in full swing in the 70s as a result of the troubles. I was in Dublin in 79 talking to my cousin and could not believe what the Brits could do legally in the UK–no right against self-incrimination, held indefinitely without charges, etc. (I was a new law school grad and assured everyone that could NEVER happen in the US–argh)
And certainly in the 60s at least, France and Germany were vicious about attacking their lefties with the full heft of state power.
2. Foreign policy–France has been doing dirty military and political work in its former colonies in west Africa for decades, mostly on its own, but probably with US intelligence assistance. But its military is capable of doing that.
Same with the UK–look at the Falklands. And Libya. And both are neck deep in the mideast, particularly in the Levant.
What a great idea. We should get a petition going thanking them for taking him in and send it to them.
…X 2
Fully endorsing this pov/point of inquiry/framing.
What is POTUS Obama (D/DINO/INC.INC/MIC) saying and doing?
What has POTUS Obama said or done since this WikiLeaks matter and JA’s connection(s) to WikiLeaks/B.Manning first surfaced?
Barack Obama could have actually exhibited a profile in moral,ethical and political courage/decency in view of the Iraq Slaughter Of Innocents we saw via Manning/Assange/WikiLeaks.
Barack Obama did not.
Obamapologists are willing to berate and mock the NYTs being that is easypleasy mudthrowing while not mentioning Obama fingerprints all over what has taken place here with JA,BM and WikiLeaks. Lets see Dbots/Obots apply the same measure(s) to Barack Obama. This is where the Obamapologists have little or no credibility at this point in mid 2012. Its all about cloaking Obama or employing misdirection to service their less than truthful,often clumsily worked D vs. R junk.
Thank you DWB — stay with it.
… I agree with this view and take tb … so lets re-elect Obama because if we don’t Obama has to retire to ease,comfort and $$$…
Just keeping up with what NPR doesn’t tell you would be a full time job. Matthew Murray (Mytwords) who ran the NPRCheck blog recently gave up (again) in despair and exhaustion. But, yes, a blog devoted to the embarrassment of NYT/NPR/WaPo would probably get some traction. You’d need a team of bloggers because there is just so much embarrassment out there.