By Christopher Hitchens
"In my most recent book, I reprint some words from a British Embassy cable, sent from Baghdad to the Foreign Office in 1976. The subject is Iraq's new leader. His quiet coup d'etat is reassuringly described as "the first smooth transfer of power since 1958."
Read More (Slate)
124 comments:
Help pay for Julian's rubbers!
Its sad to see Mr Hitchens fall into the typical, anti free speech view.
I'm not sure he's anti-free speech here. Rather, he's encouraging Assange to have the courage of his own convictions. It's well-documented that Assange has developed an extensive network for dissemination of material. So his personal direction seems less than necessary for its operation going forward. Rather, he should take his battle to the next level-- public confrontation. If Assange is truly a serious person, rather than a narcissitic sociopath interested ultimately only in his personal self-preservation, he should turn himself in and wage a truly courageous battle.
If Assange is truly a serious person, rather than a narcissitic [sic] sociopath interested ultimately only in his personal self-preservation
Decent false dilemma.
Any Orwell fan oughta support the leaks which show just how Orwellian/Machiavellian the leaders truly are.
The problem is the leaders, not the leakers.
To the self-righteous idiot X above:
Mr. Assange is already taking it to the next level but certainly not by putting on the martyr crown voluntarily. So he should turn himself in and wage a truly courageous battle, like turn himself in to the criminals who publicly call for his assasination, who behind the scenes work to make up bogus rape charges, pressure Interpol, Amazon, Paypal and every country to hunt him down??
Sure, his trial would be in the best tradition of McCarthyism and the stalinist show trials in Moscow from 1936-38. Hitchens has some nerve to call out Assange for something Hitchens obviously was too cowardly himself!
I used to love Hitchens but he has become a sad reactionary old man who is now a drumbeater for the neo-con warmongers, the US oligarchy, supporting their criminal oil wars for US hegemony worldwide. Defending war criminals like Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney who send the sons of good American people to die as cannon fodder in some desert while their own sons are busy studying law in Harvard and getting laid!
Mr. Assange exposed US war crimes (and many crimes of other states) but Hitchens prefers obviously the public only learns of these crimes in 30 years (if ever!) when the outrage will be not much and when the fallen US soldiers are long (hopefully - who knows which war comes next) buried.
What Mr. Assange/WikiLeaks did is not illegal under US law (and Assange is neither an US citizen nor is Wikileaks in US jurisdiction) and the fucking Obama administration knows it so why not attack or prosecute the Times, the Guardian or Spiegel magazine? Hitchens first cites the Espionage Act then goes on to admit that yes it doesn't apply to WikiLeaks anyway. It's Bradley Manning who is accused of leaking the documents so they have to try to prosecute him. And until he is found guilty he must be presumed innocent.
I could dissect Hitchens lousy rambling article further but others have already done this in the Slate comments and exposed Hitchens hypocrisy!
Shame on you Hitchens!
X,
Turn himself over to whom? The idiot lynch mob who call for him to be killed?
Wikileaks hasn't broken any laws, so it's not clear what you or Hitchens mean by 'turning oneself in'?
"Wikileaks hasn't broken any laws, so it's not clear what you or Hitchens mean by 'turning oneself in'?"
Dim false dilemma.
Assange should turn himself into Swedish authorities. He has been accused of sexual misconduct there, and should answer the charges. Many think the charges are trumped up and designed to discredit him for his leaking activities. If that is the case, his defense ought to be able to show it. Distrust of the American justice system is perhaps forgivable. But the US has not charged him with anything. Sweden, which is generally regarded as a good global citizen, has charged him. He should answer the charges.
How do you know that the US isn't pressuring Sweden to go after Assange?
How could I? But, as I said, Sweden has a quite good reputation regarding international law and human rights. Assange's paranoia is certainly justified, but its returns are diminishing.
Assange's paranoia is certainly justified
Indeed.
Not sure what "indeed" is supposed to mean, but it strikes me that if Assange's life is truly threatened by the US, a high profile surrender to Swedish authorities is his best protection. That way, he can defend himself, expose the charges as fradulent (if in fact they are), and request asylum, either from Sweden or another sympathetic country. The longer he's in hiding, the easier he'll be to "disappear". As I said, his paranoia is not serving him well at this point.
"How do you know that the US isn't pressuring Sweden to go after Assange?"
Idiot misses the point by a continent's width.
it strikes me that if Assange's life is truly threatened by the US, a high profile surrender to Swedish authorities is his best protection.
Your concern is truly touching given that nothing ever happens to people in captivity.
Idiot misses the point by a continent's width.
At least I know the different between a steak and a roast!
More or less all irrelevant, now that the Australian Attorney General has stepped up and said that Assange will be granted the protections entitled to its citizens.
As Assange's attorney has made clear, if the authorities in Great Britain want to arrest him, they can. They know where he is. So, in any case, it's not up to Assange to turn himself him. They have the allegations from Sweden and the notice from Interpol. The ball's in the court of the authorities.
The reason for the delay likely has to do with the nature of the charges (incredibly suspect not to mention flimsy).
The New York observer reports: Assange to Meet with British police, Christopher Hitchens Nods Solemnly
http://www.observer.com/2010/media/assange-meet-police-christopher-hitchens-nods-solemnly
Bad Hitchens, today!
It's one thing to think that WikiLeaks might need to fall under some form of accountability and another to say he should ask to be arrested.
On what charge?
Hold on, we're just in the process of making one up!
Even Hitchens himself says the Swedish charges are trumped up so obviously Hitchens can't be calling on Assanga to turn himseld in to a Swede. Assanga's WikiLeaks don't fall under the Officail Secrets Act that Hitchens says he would have imperilled himseld with in an alternate reality. Assanga is not a US citizen so he can't be charged under the Espionage Act, I tink. (Although that's a strange one for Hitchens because he was always mocked the Schenck vs. United States ruling of "falsely crying fire in a crwoded theater") and besides, Assanga is only the conduit through which the Leaks, passed on by a soldier (who should definitely be courtmartialled) are published IN CONJUNCTION, I hasten to add, with the New York Times, Das Speigal, The Guardian and Las Pais and Le Monde who are presumably guilty of the same offenses and yet, I hasten to add, their rigth to publish (NYT's) the Pentagon Papers was upheld by the Supreme Court in New York Times vs. United States. etc...etc...
So just what he's blabbering on about here I don't know.
Remember when Hitchens talked about going to Czechoslovakia and he said, "Mustn't mention Kafka!"
Then when there the cops said, "You're under arrest!"
He said, "What for?"
They said, "We're not telling you!"
Then he said, "Damn, now I'm going to have to mention Kafka."
I think that Hitchens is being a bit Kafkaesqeu here. He wants Assanga locked up because he doesn't like Assanga but can't think of a charge.
Yeah, here we go:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/06/wikileaks-julian-assange-police
I have to say (and sorry to sound like some sort of Hitch sycophant), this is the first time I've truly disagreed with him.
I think Wikileaks have made a few bad moves recently, but I'm not sure if Hitch is looking at the broader picture here; if he is, he's certainly ignoring it for whatever reason. Try applying some of what he's written to the Salman Rushdie fatwa. It's not an entirely accurate analogy, but at the very least, there are high profile people baying for blood when so far, Assange's actions have not amounted to any actual harm.
You're blind to your love of the US, Hitchens.
Wikileaks is not targetting or exposing a specific or defined coverup. What would have fallen victim if not without wikileaks? who are benifitting from the leaks at the moment?
Answers to these questions are very weak and vague.
Asking what laws are broken is truly besides the question. The question is, put into view of a global world that's in a constant ideological conflict, are Western values and interests truly better off when it's naked, open, transparent?
I often find defenders of wikileaks showing an ignorance and naïveté of both world politics and what constitues a modern liberal democratic society. Let Assange speak out on this, what is his worldview?
Quite clearly Xionists, working on behalf of the NWO, are turning the screw. Also lizard people.
And also, whats keeping Assange from publishing those thousands of interal documents from the Chinese, russia, al'qaeda, hamas, hezbollah, turkey, iran, saudi arabia, dubai, pakistan, birma, venezuela, russia, fifa, bp, egypt, and yes also israel, karzai&co, etc etc.
Oh but we cant read/understand those, so I guess they're somewhat less interesting.
Asking what laws are broken is truly besides the question.
And yet the subject of Hitchens' piece.
HJ said...
"Asking what laws are broken is truly besides the question"
And yet the subject of Hitchens' piece.
December 7, 2010 2:52 PM
Hitchens' main point is that Assange should affirm his intentions and purposes, and the law can be a tool in this,
Why affirm? because by leaking such indiscriminately (from insignificant to possible terrorist targets) yet discriminately (main target seems to be mostly the interests of the US government), one makes oneself suspect to harboring some sort of resentment regarding the US or Western powers in general.
Hitchens' main point is that Assange should affirm his intentions and purposes, and the law can be a tool in this,
Don't be stupid! Who goes to the police when they want to announce their political agaenda? Hmmmm? Hmmmm?
And since when did it become neceassary to go to court or whereever to alieve suspicions of your politics or to discover how resentful you might be? This is stoooooooopid! Stooooopid! Stoooooooopid!
Ha ha! And I mean just how dumb would someone have to be to believe that Hitchens has a good point. "Oooh, I don't know what your website wants to do so why not go to the nice policeman over there and ask to be arrested that way you can explain it to the judge! i think you will find it a very accommodating tool to explain your agenda!"
Holy Cow! What's wong with people!
So Assange took Hitchen's advice and turned himself in. Hitch does it again.
Such literalistic misinterpretation requires skill, are you autistic?
no, you are stoopid
"Such literalistic misinterpretation requires skill, are you autistic?
no, you are stoopid"
Literealistic misinterpretation of whaaaat?
To whom are you addressing your remarks?
Hitchens's piece is just weird.
"Such literalistic misinterpretation requires skill, are you autistic?"
Hey! There is only one autistic literalist in the 99th percentile for misinterpretation around here, and that's FGFM. And, no, it doesn't require any skill. It's pathological.
So Assange took Hitchen's advice and turned himself in. Hitch does it again.
Decent declares victory!
It's pathological.
Says the man who stubbornly argues that a roast is a steak.
Says the man who thinks that there is a part of a cow's anatomy called "a pot roast". Moo.
Says the man who thinks that there is a part of a cow's anatomy called "a pot roast".
Whatever you say, "Chuck."
I say incorrigible idiot.
What's your beef, Decent?
Idiot misses the point by a continent's width.
Hail Atlantis!
I'm still waiting to hear what Assange's point is. That governments have secrets? International diplomacy requires subversive tactics and public statements?
This just in!!
Decent plays dumb.
I like the latest "sensational discolsure". NATO has plans to defend the Baltic states and Poland from potential Russian aggression. Shocking! Thank God wonderful Assange and his associates have revealed this.
Since I'm a slobbering fanyboy of that Australian wuss Julian Assange, I won't wear a condom anymore either. If Jewel, or any of the other flanks, steaks and roasts I keep on the side, try to get me to wear one, I'll slap them around a little. Decent tenderizing!
How exactly is Assange a "wuss," meat man?
http://sowhyiswikileaksagoodthingagain.com/
Real men fuck meat.
Direct your complaints to my assistant, Mr. Portnoy.
That was liver, antisemite.
That was liver, antisemite. [sic]
Decent J'accuse!
"Decent J'accuse [sic]"
Indeed.
Decent indeed!
Receiving and dispensing of stolen information is not about free speech, it's about stealing, which wouldn't be so bad if it were from China or Russia, but doing so from the U.S. strikes at crippling the greatest force for Liberalism in the world. Aside from this, Hitchens reminds us that classified information isn't always accurate, and is sometimes deliberately watered down or entirely false.
"the U.S. [is the] greatest force for Liberalism in the world."
Tell it to Ollie Kamm, you lunatic.
http://www.youtube.com/user/nyomythus
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." George Orwell
"Receiving and dispensing of stolen information is not about free speech, it's about stealing,"
Okay, now what has Assanga been arrested for? Rape. Nuttin to do wit stealing or dispensing info. Now, what laws in the US ahs he broken. errrrrr...none!
Now, do you think tht the ediotrs of New York TImes and Guradian need to be arrested too? On trupmed up irrelevant charges so that they can use the law as a tool to explain what their thoughts are about Western powers and the level of resentment they harbor towards it? Hmmmm? Hmmmm?
Aside from this, Hitchens reminds us ...
"And Jesus said..."
I wish I was a cheap flank steak, and I wish Julian Assange was me!
What the Cappleman! I am Julian Assange! No need for meat! I'm going to fuck myself!
@nyomythus
Another blabbering hypocrite. So you're one of these advocates of Western values who cries endlessly about American children who were killed on 9/11 but sleeps peacefully knowing US war heros are protecting your freedom by murdering Iraqi children! After all these little sandniggers will grow up to be suicide bombers anyways, right?
Remember that heroic US pilot: "it's their fault for bringing their kids to a battle", of course thanks to Mr. Manning and WikiLeaks the hole world could see that there was no battle, only cold blooded murder which the defenders of democracy&freedom like to call collateral damage, a textbook Orwellian euphemism if I've ever heard one.
That's Operation Iraqi Freedom for you. Self-righteous hypocrites like you don't like it when their heros are exposed for all to see! You prefer axis of evil doublespeak so you can go to bed thinking you're one of the good guys.
...Hitchens reminds us...: The Pentagon never denied the authenticity of the documents or indicated past releases were inaccurate.
To the ones here who are claiming WikiLeaks only publishes US documents or ask what Mr. Assanges intentions are: There is this thing called Google. If you'd get off your lazy asses and read the mission statement and about the history of WL and all the journalistic awards they've received so far you wouldn't have to ask embarrassing questions. But I guess that's too much to ask from people with short attention span, so go back watching 4 minutes Foxnews bits and delude yourself into believing that you're informed.
Henry
Mr Hitchens demonstrates that even a bright mind like his can succumb to the very failings that he repudiates in his writings, namely misinformed, unempirical and contradictory claims regarding emotive issues. Coming from a man who, rightly I believe, condemned the insane and murderous fatwas against Rushdie, his latest on Assagne seemed like a reckless attempt to accommodate the facts to suit his views rather than the opposite. Moreover, to assign adjectives such as "magalomaniac" without proof is an insult to the standard of objectivity that we demand of a person like Hitchens. I am disappointed that a champion of reason could be so reckless in his deliberations.
an insult to the standard of objectivity that we demand of a person like Hitchens.
It is to laugh.
Writing a novel of fiction "should" not put real people in harms way, I can see a difference immediately without saying anything more.
Writing a novel of fiction "should" not put real people in harms way, I can see a difference immediately without saying anything more.
Clearly! When it comes to facts, that's when things should be prosecutable! Right?
Writing a novel of fiction "should" not put real people in harms way, I can see a difference immediately without saying anything more.
Reminds me of those Niger yellowcake stories that Hitchens endorsed!
---
#
Getting to the bottom of the "yellowcake" story. - By Christopher ...
An alleged Wissam al-Zahawie takes to the Fray to defend himself; Hitchens responds here. Need convincing that the Niger/Iraq yellowcake connection ...
www.slate.com/id/2146475/
#
Whoops—Iraq was trying to buy uranium in Niger. - By Christopher ...
Plame's Lame Game. What Ambassador Joseph Wilson and his wife forgot to tell ...
www.slate.com/id/2103795/
#
But Iraq did try to buy uranium in Niger. - By Christopher ...
By Christopher HitchensPosted Monday, April 10, 2006, at 4:43 PM ET ...
www.slate.com/id/2139609/
FGFM - don't you have your own website where you can post all this drivel? No. One. Cares.
Concern noted, Decent! Go to the Glorious Uptown Barber Shop! It is not run by a Nigerian! It is run by me and my meat girlfriend Jewel!But I'm lazy and untalented, and Jewel just sits there rotting, so no one looks at the site! So I go to other sites to troll and stalk! Glorious Hitchhunt! What the Cappleman! Indeed! Contribute to Assange's condom fund!
FGFM - don't you have your own website where you can post all this drivel? No. One. Cares.
Suck. On. This.
"Liberty, if it means anything, is the right to tell people what they don't want to hear." - George Orwell
Concern noted, Decent!
Duly noted.
Orwell made a list!
Why then does Hitchenswatch ban people?
Hey fgfm,
You know, it's not like we deny you the freedom to speak.
It's just that your brain produces only shit, so please just flush yourself.
thanks in advance sweetie
Why then does Hitchenswatch ban people?
Freedom of the Press belongs to the man who owns one.
It's just that your brain produces only shit, so please just flush yourself.
Decent sanitation engineer.
"Freedom of the Press belongs to the man who owns one."
Not even not funny. Just dull. Besides, it undermines the Orwell sentiment. But logic is not exactly your strong point. Cyberstalking teenage girls is your strong point.
But logic is not exactly your strong point.
Then tell me how to express logical intersection in terms of union and negation & how to express union in terms of intersection and negation. Decent propositional calculus!
Aw. Tis. Tick.
FGFM answers accusations of logical idiocy with a 40-yard non-sequitur. Incomplete.
FGFM answers accusations of logical idiocy with a 40-yard non-sequitur. Incomplete.
Stumped Decent.
The upside of FGFM's posts here is that when he's busy abusing the place, his dick gets a rest from the abuse he gives it the rest of the time. And how DECENT is that?
And how DECENT is that?
"[W]hen my cock talks, I listen." - Christopher Hitchens
And flank steaks tremble.
Steaks are typically broiled.
Not in your house, stud.
Broiled, grilled, pan-fried, etc., but not roasted!
I roasted a steak. At the end of the process, I had a roasted steak.
I staked a roast. At the end of the process, I had a staked roast.
Half-caste bastard.
Fucking set theory, how does it work?
I have no idea.
Indeed.
Looks like FGFM's version of "Operation Payback". He's a genius. He's in the 99th percentile.
He's a genius. He's in the 99th percentile.
The 99th percentile ain't what it used to be. FGFM's writing is more Babbit than Babbage!
FGFM's writing is more Babbit [sic] than Babbage!
Says the babbler.
He's in the 99th percentile.
Consistently!
I'm suspicious of your indefatigability.
fuck it...I'm in the 99.5th percentile! I've a big dick too.
You'll always be in the first percentile in my book!
He thinks you're me! That's pretty funny. I thought I had inimitable style.
I must say that I am very dissapointed in Hitchens views on this too. Doesn't this have a "China" feel to it?
No, I have inimitable style.
Shut up, you fucking bore. Your shtick is stale.
I welcome your hatred.
You would, you stupid piece of shit.
What's the second derivative of a parabola?
Who's buried in Grant's tomb?
What's the second derivative of a parabola?
I used to find you annoying, FGFM, but you're starting to make me sad...I can't imagine you get laid regularly with lines like that.
I used to find you annoying, FGFM, but you're starting to make me sad...I can't imagine you get laid regularly with lines like that.
That was someone forging my signature, but I'll bet that you don't know the answer. And your concern about my sex life is touching, but your mom is taking good care of me!
What wit.
What wit.
Indeed. So, what's the second derivative of a parabola?
"Forging" his signature. On the internet. What a loon.
"Forging" his signature. On the internet. What a loon.
Literal Decent. That freshman calculus is a bear, isn't it?
Is your essential argument that since you know calculus your political and social observations aren't complete dogshit? Just wanna verify. It seems very...dumb.
Is your essential argument that since you know calculus your political and social observations aren't complete dogshit?
No, I'm just mocking the fact that you and your ilk don't know freshman calculus. I'm actually fairly weak in mathematics for a man in my position.
I heard Buffet struggles with matrices.
I heard Buffet [sic] struggles with matrices.
Maybe, I've never had to use them.
No that's clearly not what you are doing. You say it when someone points out that you have said or done a very stupid thing. Just be conscious of it, is all. It makes you look even stupider and weird too. Very off topic. If you can't defend what you say just say so or say nothing. Good job on the math though!!
You're weak in mathematics for man in your position? It's news to me that cyberstalking teenage girls usually requires a strong grasp of mathematics. I supposed it was more of a correlation than a cause. But it's great to know you're successfully overcoming your handicap.
It's news to me that cyberstalking teenage girls usually requires a strong grasp of mathematics.
I'm not cyberstalking any females, but that has nothing to do with mathematics in any event.
It makes you look even stupider and weird too.
Concern troll acts concerned.
"I'm not cyberstalking any females..."
Not anymore, maybe. But you have. Teenage females, at that. You are a lunatic.
Not anymore, maybe. But you have. Teenage females, at that. You are a lunatic.
Concern troll acts concerned.
1917, trotzki publishes the secret treaties of the tsarist era.
he hopes to outrage people and to end with arbitrary governments all over europe...
the state department documents are out, there is no turning back. governments can now only manage the fallout. and btw. the US looks better to me then it did before, it has a truely competent service. if the US gets its act together and secures it material in the future, then there will be no success like this anymore for assange.
but why attack assange on such a personal level, maniac etc. ?
and by calling his names and playing sigmund freund, you just look bad in the end, sorry to say mr hitchens.
PS when a 22 years old private in iraq was able to download 250000 docs on his lady gaga cd, imagine what professional agents in the service of russia and china are capable...
Well, what now? Assange has turned himself in and Hitchens is still writing pieces against him. Usually I agree with Hitch on everything except when it comes to the wars. I think this time he has truly dropped the ball.
In Hitchens' latest piece on Assange, he pretty much tells us that diplomacy is more important than free speech (it's ironic though since he left the UK for America because he was threatened by the UK government for exercising his free speech).
I've lost so much respect for Hitchens.
A challenging article, but I think I see what he's getting at. Some of us romantic fools believe that the truth stands on it's own, and that if you are so sure that you have the truth in your hands, you should be fearless to defend it, and take the punishment, if only for the satisfaction of vindication. I can understand his wish for truth to get on with it, already.
But they already put Julian in jail, and have tried to pin him with rape charges, and politicians have called for his death on national television - not to mention the example that's been made of Bradley Manning - I think that Julian has pretty good reasons to hide.
I wish you well, Christopher.
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