“… And oft is seen the wicked prize itself
Buys out the law.”
(Hamlet, act 3, sc. 3)
Comment. Julian Assange is a prisoner in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Meanwhile governmental agencies from various “democratic” countries are deploying a vast array of resources to destroy Wikileaks and to arrest its founder, the said Julian Assange.
A man who, along with Bradley Manning, should be granted the Nobel Peace prize – at least in the opinion of the thinking section of the populace. Bradley Manning is he who leaked to the world the video where American soldiers in a helicopter over Baghdad massacre 12 civilians, including children, while laughing and calling them “mother-f….ing bas…..ds”.
In London, British police in protective uniform stand around the clock on the steps of the Ecuadorian embassy. All this a few feet away from Harrods, the iconic store symbolic of obscene wealth, where the elite goes to eat, as well as to purchase jewels worth millions, or islands or other sundry items of flashy consumption.
From Scotland Yard’s own declarations the cost of blockading the Ecuadorian Embassy since Jan 31, 2013 when Assange took refuge, has been 4.5 million dollars, so far.
But why such pertinacious perseverance in arresting an innocent man by the US of A? (The trumped-up charges of a sexual assault in Sweden are as believable as the weapons of mass destructions in Iraq – and the US imperial cabal is obviously behind the exercise.)
Discounting the self-humiliating connivance of the corporate media, Wikileaks did not breach any “national security”. Rather, it breached the sense of self-righteousness of the imperialist cabal, by exposing the criminal nature of various operations, orwellianly described as “regime change”, “nation building”, “making the world safe for democracy”, “protecting human rights” and sundry other comical turns of phrase.
As well as exposing the sordid and pompous worthlessness of some politicians. The various leaked embassy reports often show the creeping contempt of politicians and diplomats for each other – contempt disguised under a veneer of mutual flattery and obsequiousness.
Typical, for example is the report of the American ambassador in Italy on Berlusconi, the farcical ex-prime minister, just condemned to 4 years in prison for fiscal and tax fraud. In the document the ambassador reports on his request to Berlusconi to send Italian troops to Afghanistan to build the equally orwellian “coalition of the willing”.
“He likes to feel important and sought after – says the ambassador – when I asked him to send 2,000 troops to Afghanistan, he answered by saying that he will send 4,000.”
This is the real damage of Wikileaks – to expose a relatively narrow class of individuals who, all in all, debase the dignity of what used to be called conscience. Simultaneously, Wikileaks has brought under the eyes of those who want to see the evident sordidness of a political system that calls itself “democratic”
But the narrow class of the imperialist cabal is perhaps unduly worried about being exposed. The ignorance and indifference of the masses are immense. For example, it was reported in a recent article that, based on a sample of people interviewed in the aftermath of the Boston bombing, of those who at least had heard of the name before, the majority thought that Chechnya was the Czech Republic…
Besides, a useful prejudice which has obtained the sanction of time and precedent produces the effect of truth. One such prejudice is that the state “protects” its citizens from the “aggression” of evil foreigners “envious of the liberties” that the citizens supposedly enjoy.
But returning to Wikileaks, one other most instructive document is a report from the US ambassador in Venezuela on how to overthrow the Chavez government. The document is long and available on line. Here only the highlights are given.
The Chavez regime, writes the ambassador, is “undemocratic”. The USAID/OTI – that is the United States Agency for International Development / Office of Transition Initiatives (nomen omen!) – and the embassy will “focus on strengthening democratic institutions and spaces through non-partisan cooperation with many sectors of Venezuelan society” (translation, pump millions of $ into creating “spontaneous” groups inimical to the elected government, to create disruption, acts of sabotage and similar).
The ambassador goes on and I quote,
“The strategy is:
1) Strengthening Democratic Institutions,
2) Penetrating Chavez’ Political Base,
3) Dividing Chavismo,
4) Protecting Vital US business, and
5) Isolating Chavez internationally. “
Could not be clearer. But let’s continue,
“OTI has supported over 300 Venezuelan civil society organizations with technical assistance, capacity building, connecting them with each other and international movements, and with financial support upwards of $15 million”
The operative words here are “capacity building”, that translated means, “buying with money what not long ago was called treason”. We know only too well how in venal minds the slightest hope of personal emolument outweighs any consideration of public advantage or private principle.
It gets even better,
“OTI supports the Freedom House (FH) “Right to Defend Human Rights” program with $1.1 million. Simultaneously through Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI), OTI has also provided 22 grants to human rights organizations, totaling several millions. FH provides training and technical assistance to 15 different smaller and regional human rights organizations on how to research, document, and create resistance through a specialized software and proven techniques.”
“…..The FH exchanges allowed Venezuelan human rights organizations to visit Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica, and Washington DC to educate their peers regarding the human rights situation. Also, DAI has brought dozens of international leaders to Venezuela, university professors, NGO members, and political leaders to participate in workshops and seminars, who then return to their countries with a better understanding of the Venezuelan reality and as stronger advocates for the Venezuelan opposition.” (Translation, offer of paid trip and vacation to corruptible intelligentsia in exchange for the endorsement of US terrorism and subversive activities.)
Among other initiatives there was the (of course all US paid) dispatch of various individuals to selected poor area and distribute “contributions” suggesting that all will become less poor when Chavez’ government is swept away. This under the rubric “Dividing Chavismo”.
… And so on – all in an effort to obtain from the influence of corruption the obedience that, otherwise, could only be obtained by a military aggression and invasion.
Clearly, notwithstanding the millions invested the ambassador did not succeed. And maybe, just maybe, as some contend, Chavez had to be “isolated” by other means. After all hyper-Christian Pastor Pat Robertson advocated his assassination on corporate national television.
Most of us – at least those who have the temerity of independent thought – already knew, suspected or sensed the sordid, corrupt and disgusting double dealing of imperialist politics.
But Wikileaks has made it impossible to deny it – even by those who, clouded by prejudice or ignorance, refuse even to be perplexed by the fictional stories propounded by the corporate media.
Hence the hatred for Assange, in the face of the boiling undercurrent of disgust at his persecution.
Which does not mean that the imperialist cabal will not continue and even strengthen its determination (like the cartoon character laughing with glee at his prospect of world domination).
After all the imperialists have a long history of immunity in “contaminating their fingers with base bribes” (Julius Caesar) and of “setting the seeds and roots of shame and iniquity.” (Pericles)
In the play. Meditation of the king, torn by the remorse for the killing of his brother – money may buy justice but not soothe the pangs of conscience. Notwithstanding his crime, he appears more human than many of today’s “democratic” rulers.
Image Source: www.republicreport.org