For as long as Julian Assange has been in the Australian consciousness it has been clear to me he would end up as our Dreyfus if we were not careful. It was somehow thought this most revolutionary of bright and burning and egocentric intellects would passively accept his ludicrous fate, would be a pawn on the chessboard of nations and not a knight or a queen; a drama queen perhaps.
From Gillard’s first fool untruth, that what he had done was ‘illegal’, he has had the potential to blow up Australia’s politics. But no, it was imagined that though he was nearly Time’s Man of the Year and he was for a while as popular as Fred Hollows in Australia, and likely to be a Senator in any state he ran in, he was only a sideshow, and he would get five years in Sweden for ‘sex by surprise’ and be beaten to death in gaol when he was almost forgotten, and that would be that.
They did not reckon with the possibility that he had a mind of his own, or time to contemplate his imprisonment and waterboarding and secret Guantanamo trial and twenty years of appeals and execution by a far-distant American administration. Or his mistrust of all of us at home.
It would have been the work of a moment to extradite him here, to ‘answer certain questions’ about his possible treason and let him go, and, when Sweden wanted him, to ask Sweden to question him here.
It’s a process like racism, what’s happened. You believe a lesser human being will not jump off the roof and kill himself after years in Villawood, he will cop his infinite incarceration with oriental resignation, because that’s what they do, these lesser breeds, they obediently conform. And you believe a man of towering intellect who thinks himself the Einstein of current world politics, the Oppenheimer of this new information age, will cop like Oppenheimer his persecution and die meekly under torture if we ask him with British politeness to do so. That he will say ‘it’s a fair cop, guv’ and go quietly.
It is not so. He will fight for his life like any Primo Levi. And he will ‘overshadow’ in the headlines the rescue of Melinda Taylor, the Fairfax debacle, the success of the carbon tax, and all the goodwill the Government might have had.
And it’s a pity.
(The above piece was rejected by Unleashed on the grounds that it was ‘too brief’ and they had anyway another piece on Assange by a lawyer and it was, of course, impossible to print two pieces since it was of only passing interest and thank you.
I will think on these things.
Perhaps it might find paid publication in Ecuador)
Name:
I got ahead of you Bob, so I’ll repost this here in regards to Assange
http://maxkeiser.com/2012/06/19/watch-assange-interview-rafael-correa-assange-applied-political-asylum-equadors-embassy-london-today/
“It would have been the work of a moment to extradite him here, to ‘answer certain questions’ about his possible treason and let him go, and, when Sweden wanted him, to ask Sweden to question him here.”
No. it would have needed charges and a court order to extradite him to Australia. There is nothing much Australia could do in the circumstances.
Maybe we could have invaded Sweden. And on the way back, we could have stopped off in Bali and rescued Schapelle.
And what about that French guy who was framed for rape? We should offer him asylum in Australia.
We got Hicks home. And we will get Corby home. We got Habib home. And we will get Melinda home.
What is the problem with Assange?
Well, Bob. He has been accused of committing a crime in another country and is the subject of extradition proceedings in another country. He is in no different position to many other Australians who are accused of crimes in other countries.
We expect people who come to this country to obey our laws; Australians who go to other countries should be expected to obey the laws of that country and, if they don’t, they are liable for prosecution in that country.
This is the way it works and our obligations to those Australians caught in another country should be to provide diplomatic help, family access and, if necessary, financial assistance. This should be the case with all Australians in that difficulty, not just Assange.
What else can we do?
Note that I am passing no judgment whatsoever on whether Assange is guilty or innocent.
And while I have grave doubts about Corby’s innocence, she has domne more than enough time in rotten circumstances and should come home. Even if guilty, the smuggled drug was only dope, not heroin or another of the deadly drugs.
Fair enough?
Corby was accused of committing a crime in another country. And Hicks. And Habib. And Melinda Taylor. Yet we strove to get them off, and get them home.
Are you mad?
Or is there some other explanation?
Please answer this.
I have no problem with the Americans water-boarding Assange. I’ll also throw in Geoffery Robertson QC to be water-boarded as well! Both of them are sneaks and deserve whats coming to them.
For what crimes?
Say for what crimes.
Like water-boarding inocent people do you?
What kind of person are you?
I have a big problem with people who blithely assert their consent to the inflicting of torture on their fellow human beings.
Particularly non-entities whose contributions to the human zoo barely raise a ripple and who presume to play god with the brains of a turd-fly as they proceed to pass judgement on those who had the balls to act with courage and honesty in the full glare of public opprobrium.
Pathetic behaviour, blogging this nasty shit from the anonymity of your toilet seat.
As Bob asked, what kind of a person are you, that you could suggest torturing these individuals? Unbalanced, I’d suggest.
On no level can one compare ol ‘surprise rape’ Assange to Primo Michele Levi. Levi was a beautiful author, thinker and survivor of Auschwitz. On what possible level could a comparison be made between the two save perhaps they are both men.
They both revealed the truth about the world as it was in their time.
If I was to accept that proposition (I don’t), it is interesting to note you so readily draw an analogy between a man who suffered immeasurably harm at the hands of the Nazis in a deathcamp and went on to explore this through writings and communications with others, and the other (Mr ‘Tap on the Shoulder Lightly’ Assange) who became the holder of the ‘truth’ as a result of an act of treachery by Private Bradley Manning. Reveals more about you Herr Ellis, and I am not sure it is a refelction of the poor esteem you hold Levi in, or the misguided esteem you hold Assange in.
No, Assange explored the evil of the world, and with some of his findings caused the Arab Spring. I hold Levi to be one of the ten great writers of the twentieth century.
There is no such thing as ‘surprise rape’. Sex with a sleeping girl you have wakefully porked the night before is nothing like rape, or two billion husbands are guilty of it and should go to gaol in Sweden for it.
What races am I, an olive-skinned Australian with Scottish, Jewish and Indian ancestors, supposed to be prejudiced against?
Name one.
I could be wrong here Bob, but I was always brought up to believe yes means yes, no means no, and unconscious silence (albeit you may protest) does not constitute an affirmative reply. Some may argue she was playing hard to get by sleeping, but I don’t think it would stand up in Court. As for surprise rape I think it could be achieved (albeit the surprise is momentary) where a man penetrates a women who has not consented and is not conscious – thereby committing the act of rape, and her being surprised. Capisce?
As for your question, ‘Foreign Workers’ of any colour or desciption are apaprently on your list Bob.
No, I offered work to the Bakhtiyaris in order to secure their passage here. What are you talking about?
The women who cooked up the rape charge were, it turns out, plotting his destruction nine months before. They belonged to a right wing party. One was the ‘sex by surprise ‘ girl, the other the arresting prosecutor.
Please answer this, or apologise to Assange whom you have libelled in this publication lest I ban you.
The same Bakhtiayri brothers who apologised to the government and felt they were used as pawns by refugee activists? You are to be commended then as you tried to do something for them, as opposed to those who surrounded them and used them.
I was and still am involved in a large amount of pro-bono advice for individuals, particularly the downtrodden or the recently arrived.
That may be the case about the women at the centre of the Assange scandal, but it does not change the fact that you have not answered my point about the very real possibility, albeit fleetingly, of ‘surprise rape’. Do you agree it could occur? As for Assange he has no dramas libelling countless individuals – why should I offer him a similar courtesy (noting he has yet to be declared innocent by a court of law).
There is no such thing as ‘surprise rape’, it is your coinage. There is rape, which is always a surprise, and there is ‘sex by surprise’, an unproveable crime in Swedish law.
If you do not apologise I will ban you.
‘Unprovable’ is a strong statement my learned friend. Maybe the Swedish burden of proof is different, but I suspect it could in fact be proven as a matter of course. Further may I be so bold as to enquire what am I actually apologising for Herr Ellis? Surely not offending Assange. He is a big boy, and has some hardhitting legal counsel(in addition to Robert ‘the predictions are 100% right, 7% of the time’ Ellis QC). If however it is any offence I have caused you in questioning your blind, unrelenting and borderline irrational defence of the accused (surprise)rapist Assange who in your mind is the equivalent of Primo Levi, the muse of the Arab Spring and ladies man only second to DSK, than I humbly request that you accept my apology.
Thank you.
“The women who cooked up the rape charge were, it turns out, plotting his destruction nine months before. They belonged to a right wing party”.
They belonged to a right wing party? Do the world a favour Bob. Give us a reference for thiswill you?
“Sex with a sleeping girl you have wakefully porked the night before is nothing like rape”
Keeo that view handy Bob, but also be ready to pout your money out there if it ever resulted in a comnplaint – you will need it to defend yourself in Sweden OR here.
There is no such crime here or in the UK. That is why he is being taken to Sweden.
“There is no such crime here…”
I have news for you Bob…
What is your news?
It’s a suprise. He’ll let you know when you’re nodding off.
I can’t get excited about Assange, he has had good lawyers and been entertained by Cathy Lette…or have her puns been more of a punishment as Shaun Micallef thinks…
I would not put him a same story as Primo Levy…now there you have a man and a half.
It’s not a question of who excites you. It’s a question of guilt and innocence, and a good man being wrongly tortured to death for a crime against a country he doesn’t belong to.
…do the Swedish women, the complainants of rape and sexual assault matter, do they too have rights?
It’s not a question of their rights, of course they have them. The whole matter stinks. One the niece of a Nato commander. Etc etc. The whole background of the matter.
The whole process aimed at Assange with the cost and expense and politics over a matter of a very loose if not unprovable he said she said case. Instigated by the legal forces of a nation. On whose behalf or reason?
It’s all been said before, thousands of matters of assault and sexual, drugs and bashing etc inter nation in Europe and the UK gets bypassed and overlooked and not on any nation’s political legal house’s radar. Just the soccer season alone would fill the courts for a week but the whole globe is supposed to stop and be in a rage over a very dubious matter.
The soccer seasons would produce matter better left out of burdening the public with because much of it would be so distasteful and some of it too sick and violent to fill people’s lives and days with.
Except for those Journo’s who know nothing in the world matters more than their lives, security and prominence of course.
What about those people’s rights? But this petty matter in comparison to the whole bag to chose from, of a political and legal hit on Julian gets legs.
Not anyone associated with the massive girl or child smuggling and abducting going on’s .
The whole matter stinks and the whole public from top to bottom should fear the heights capabilities for the victimisation.
I may tend to the old fashioned and be labelled as naive for saying so, but I think that the principle of upholding people’s right to know the truth is far more important than the person who acts as messenger.
It has been clear for some time that events around Assange had been influenced by a singular political motive. The idea that governments should not be made to suffer the embarrassment of having their dirty little secrets exposed is simultaneously conversant with the notion that those in power assume the right to usurp democracy. The need to get Assange is driven by the notion that their authority is ultimately maintained with a credible threat of force.
The contents of the cables are said to be nothing. Whether they are or not the fact remains that they have to say that because they have no intention whatsoever of publishing the guilty.
What occurs in the meantime is a feat of misdirection unworthy of a children’s party magic trick.
What’s the big deal? 80% of the world still thinks Assange is part of higher authorities and institutions plans for one World govt and domination. Domination like all have suffered in the past with corruption and witch hunt examples being made of people with no comeback through law. Often just out of sadism. By corrupt malpractice and vicious, self righteous highbrow authoritarianism.
Just like Nazi’s.
We’ve had it here, it’s still here and hanging around.
It’s one thing for a country to be whipped into a frenzy by a warlike act of aggression and it’s another for individuals to whip up a warlike frenzy on just one individual. Or is it?
Whose plans is he upsetting? Can they come forward and please explain why and what they’re on about or perhaps what they are up to?
The US is the more open and Hollywood advertised tyrant home of institution hoodlums and dollar corruption and all ruling conservative trades worldwide have a reputation for major brutality ,greed and oppression. Tyranny over citizens.
America and all the self righteous, bullying, ruling heights globally want- on their terms of course- and claim to aim for what Julian and Manning helped along.
I’m smelling hypocrisy here in big doses. So what is Julian gong to get bashed for? To hide what the heights are up to or so no one thinks the heights have a puppy named Julian?
Or is it to be one world or one better world done in the minority heights favour. Well known world wide for viciousness,dodging responsibility and stuffing themselves.
So citizen Julian is butting in here. Perhaps we all should or perhaps the holier than thou above us all could take a chill pill.
Julian and manning have put corruption and tyrants on their toes worldwide in a very short time with no war. Including workplace bullies and office tyrants.
No wonder America is shocked or does an intelligence ilk worldwide or over empowered political parties think they have rights on how and what tricks should and when be pulled on the people?
Julian and Manning sure stole their fire and the world is a lot closer and in relaxing in a much greater percentage.
Whoever has a problem with that has my attention.
They aren’t heroes. They are human beings and deserve to be treated as such. They are you and me. Their fate is ours for speaking up.
I’ll tell you’s about it one day.
Jim you are as mad as a cut snake but I thorough enjoyed this.
“And he will ‘overshadow’ in the headlines the rescue of Melinda Taylor, the Fairfax debacle, the success of the carbon tax, and all the goodwill the Government might have had.”
Right on que perhaps for the situations?
It’s late, can’t sleep, I’ll put up a wafer of history.
Talk of Nazi’s here on another post. I’ve met three SS in the past. One got murdered. The other was a Chek, SS corporal. One of the finest men I’ve ever met in this country, caught up as a youth in hell and threat and fear. Nothing to hide. Been pissed with him many times. Told me things about the war better left from public ears. He was damaged from it at 18. The older I get the more I appreciate him. Met a Focke wolf/ Messerschmidt ace. Living here. Beautiful human being as wholesome as any Australian pilot or soldier. Instant family to be with. I used to work with Nicky Barr. I don’t know how he ever fit in a cockpit. Nicky and him both come to mind instantly I think of one of them.
(Shut up, Jim)
The guy that got murdered, I’ll try and leave out lots of details, was being hidden by a guy involved in drugs, export, and the whole Brisbane and Queensland crime scene of old decades. Including political.
Paintings hidden under others, European countries, strong ties to the Nordic countries.
People fear or are victimised, it makes organised gangs. A lot of crime had Nazi origins globally after the war and all the allied countries had their good share of own ratbags in the heights too and they were brave and more hide than paddy’s pigs.
(Please shut up)
They left a legacy. Conservative brutality on the populace does the same. Makes hate, fear, desperation and crime.
All the nations have suffered it.
That’s all a book long. Sleeping dogs.
An entire generation was brutalised and militarised by World War II and the all-encompassing demands of total war and the allies response to it.
We cannot be surprised if many who survived it had little respect for the laws and moral strictures of the countries they fled to.
On the other side of the coin, I knew Michael Pate the actor, and he once told me “I survived the War and the Japs shooting at me and trying to kill me, so everything since then has been a bonus and compared to that nothing else matters.”
A client once told me “We dodged machine gun fire escaping from Hungary in 1956, so we are not frightened of a few threatened lawsuits, or anything else they can throw at us now.”
An old mate had to have this dragged out of him : “I came face to face with a Japanese soldier in New Guinea; I am here today and he is not. I am not proud of that, and I still regret it, but then it was him or me.”
It must change how people look at things. The upside is that any combatants from WWII must now be 85 and over. Soon, of historical interest only.
Historical and political interest to the son of army no 11680.
To Verily Nostradamus:
Sex by surprise is unproveable because it depends on one person’s word against another’s. In this case the woman did not complain about the act at the time, when there would have been genetic matter in her for the police to examine, but weeks later, after she had behaved in a friendly manner towards Assange at public functions and continued to lodge him in her house. She then proved to belong to a right wing party opposed to wikileaks and to have colluded with the woman who arrested him, who belonged to the same party, to stalk and entrap him.
Okay so far? Guilty as charged, is he? Without a doubt?
Please answer this.
Bob I never once suggested Assange was guilt as charged, or that this was beyond reasonable doubt. I would like to see the trial play out as I believe in the course of justice. If he is innocent as you have proclaimed then you should welcome the case and opportunity to exonerate him.
I was simply engaging with you on a much favoured topic of yours being ‘sex by surprise’ or its more sinister cousin ‘surprise rape’. The upshot being, reading between the lines, you accept it could occur. That is all I wanted.
As for your theory. Now I can follow your rationale about the problems of it being one person’s word against the other, but so to is almost every rape case. Women are often shamed or afraid to report it to the police immediately (and as such the ‘genetic matter’ as you aptly put it has gone – often washed away as the poor victim tries to erase the memory of the act). To suggest that delay should derivate from the crime committed is I dare say incomprehensibly wrong.
As for Juan Assange (surely he must change his name to add legitimacy to his South American roots) I note he has now sought diplomatic immunity in the embassy of Ecuador. Putting aside the fact he is not a citizen of this country so such immunity or refuge is a fiction, you should rejoice in the fact he will soon be free to poke his way around South America and other countries with lax extradition laws. I expect to hear shortly of the great escapades of Don Juan Assange and his trusty sidekick DSK. Oh what fun they would have encountering sleeping girls everywhere.
“Sex by surprise is unproveable because it depends on one person’s word against another’s”
This ‘one word against another’s’ is the case in many rapes Bob, just to let you know. It doesn’t stop courts deciding on the credibility of the people and convictions or otherwise occur because of it.
And just what link is there to this ‘right wing party membership’ thing which has just arisen?
We are not aware of any US action. The one legal action he faces is of sexual assault in Sweden. Are you suggesting we should intervene with the Swedes to argue the Swedish government should intervene to withdraw that?. Bob Carr, World’s Best Foreign Minister, Wed 30 May 2012.
All from a region that legitimize’s and tolerates animal bordello’s and slaughters beyond capacity, whales for the blood lust in community ceremony. Spare us from the imbecilles for christ sake.