ARREST OF ASSANGE AN EGREGIOUS ASSAULT ON PRESS FREEDOM, BASIC LIBERTIES
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION APRIL 12-14, 2019) — A shocking assault on freedom or a stalwart action for justice?
THE PLANET says the first.
Ecuador’s decision to hand over Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to British authorities violates precious First Amendment freedoms. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo justified the move, calling Wikileaks a “non-state hostile intelligence service” that interfered with the internal affairs of various governments. Of course, by Pompeo’s totalitarian definition, we could brand every investigative media outlet the same way.
That includes THE PLANET, since lifting the veil of secrecy behind government at any level, including municipal, is always seen by government as somehow “traitorous.” How dare journalists in an open society exercise the audacity of making known what often-corrupt officials wish to keep secret? We expect such an official response from closed regimes such as the PDRNK, banana republics, and African-style military dictatorships. We had better not expect that, or even support that, in and from the United States of Amnesia.
Pompeo’s characterization of Wikileaks as a “hostile intelligence service” stands as pure nonsense. Wikileaks is a journal, a media outlet, a member of the press. Assange is, before all else in his professional life, a writer, journalist, editor, and publisher. For the United States to support the British government’s invitational invasion of the Ecuadorian embassy in London stains everything for which this republic allegedly stands.
This move has been in the making for seven years. Lenin Moreno, Ecuador’s president, had to be nervous when Wikileaks began uncovering evidence suggesting an offshore corruption scandal involving him and key associates. Moreno, concurrently, began courting favor with Washington. Sensible, since we are Ecuador’s biggest trade partner. Amid this intrigue of a perfect storm, you could sense authorities straining for any excuse to purge Assange. It apparently came in January 2019 after Wikileaks published Vatican-related documents. The Pope showers with Irish Spring on a Rope, or some such.
Will Assange be extradited to the United States? Moreno said and the British government confirmed they had reached a deal where Assange could not be extradited to any country that supports torture or the death penalty. The two countries said their written agreement specifically includes the United States. How well that pact holds up in face of what is to be certain and enormous U.S. diplomatic pressure remains to be seen. THE PLANET hopes the two countries live up to their word.
———- ooo ———-
Wikileaks landed on the Big Time map when in 2010 it published 250,000 secret U.S. diplomatic cables that embarrassed the government and roiled relations with key allies. It also released hundreds of thousands of military documents from the war with Iraq. The documents revealed the truth behind administration lies used by the Bush II and Obama regimes to prop up this country’s involvement in the fetid swamps of Iraq and Afghanistan from which we have still not extricated. Countless trillions of dollars and nearly 17 years later, our soldiers die and companies and officials go on making fortunes.
Edward Snowden, the former contractor for the National Security Agency and current fugitive from justice for his own role in standing for transparency in the face of official dissolution, called the arrest of Assange “a dark moment for press freedom.” Through a spokesperson for its foreign ministry, Russia chided the U.S. for its support of the move: “The hand of ‘democracy’ is strangling freedom.” Putin must live for days like this.
Assange’s legal team said “Journalists around the world should be deeply troubled by these unprecedented criminal charges.” We are. Who’s next? Where does it end?
Speaking of secrecy, one of the most interesting and revealing aspects of this story involves the admission of the U.S. government that it did, in fact, have a secret extradition warrant prepared for Assange all along. Assange claimed this to be true in the face of vehement U.S. denials. So who was telling the truth? Who was lying?
Forgive THE PLANET‘s naiveté for believing that “God bless America” should be better than this. For believing that we should be the exemplar for “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” For holding fast to the ideals that bid the Founding Fathers to throw off the yoke of colonialism, turn their back on a monarchy and dare invent a new form of government that would allow the freedom than can come only then the governed give their consent.
God help Julian Assange. We stand with him.
Have a great weekend, everybody.
————————————————————————————————-
“Social media is the sewer of the internet” — Lady Gaga
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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As the old adage goes: “Love your country, but fear your government”!
The U.S.A.’s #1 non-farm export is military weapons and related technologies. The U.S.A. has a “war machine” and a “military industrial complex” that runs our economy.
We are a militaristic nation that polices the World to keep us safe and secure from hostile forces. What would the World be like without the U.S.A.? Our nation’s finest hour was the defeat of totalitarianism when we won World War 2.
I am for Freedom of the Press and a strong Fourth Estate. I also believe the government should be open and accountable to the people.
– Jonathan Melle
We need a war machine to keep us safe
We saved Europe and the world from 2 World Wars, and South Korea from North Korea. And yet there are scumbags in the gov’t saying our country isn’t so great. I challenge everyone to find a country that has a perfect history.
https://metro.co.uk/2019/04/11/julian-assange-smeared-poo-embassy-walls-says-ecuadorian-minister-9169870/
Interesting case but he sounds nutty.
The responsibility of journalist is to aggitate goverment,look for whats hidden and expose it.Corporations bought media to control the message.Corporations cut news departments.Corporations see journalist as the enemy of their power and wealth so they bought them.I believe love him or hate him we need to come down on the side of exposing power no matter how its done.Journalist are being murdered in Saudi and Russia and being destroyed by the bully pulpit in this country by President Trump.His demonizing of media is the most dangerous thing he does.By the way Trump is succeeding.
Murrow reported yesterday on The Planet that Trump approval raring was 53%, let’s get th facts straight on that one,because it is not. Fake news .
“Tugg”
You sir continue with your fake news. We all know who you are, an anti-Trumper who has been wrong on almost every issue you bring up on this blog.
3 days ago Trump was at 53% on the Rasmussen poll. That’s a fact.
Thanks for the fact-check, Mr. Fritz.
Was 53% on April 9, but then dropped to 49% on April 12. But follow for yourself with the running graph down below here:
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/trump_administration/prez_track_apr12
Is there anything that can be done replacing the morning drove program on T B R and bring music back.
If Stooge gets gratus from Theatre and Arts types venues like free passes to attend some shows, isn’t that a form of gratus and illegal by f c c standards or license agreementsconcerning the school sponsored airways?
It is a form of grease, but it is not illegal. It does guarantee, however, fawning praise for anything such Theater and Arts-type venues produce, regardless of quality. Full disclosure: THE PLANET has accepted these gratuities, but the difference is we can’t be bought. We call it as we seen it. If the show is a dog, we produce leash.
Excellent take on the stooge. My dog barks at the back of his head when he is at on.
Thanks Dan. Press freedom has been under attack for years and is always resented by government; especially ours these days as the “enemy of the people” label is tossed around dangerously cavalierly and people buy into it. Those freedoms need to be defended by EVERYONE for us to continue our grand experiment.
And BTW, I disagree with your Lady Gaga quote. Sewers may be smelly and disgusting, but at least they serve an extremely productive purpose…unlike social media!
Actually, has the press ever been freer in this country?
Free to lie, to twist, to bias, to cheat, to lie, to twist, to bias.
The Nancy-Pansies are all whining now because they are losing and folks are finally coming around to seeing their lying, twisting, . . .
Because they think they’re better than everyone else, as they sit ensconced in their parochial cocoon of privilege and comfort.
Truth is that the press/media have for long time fallen into a dereliction of duty and an overwhelming bias that they can’t seem to extricate themselves from.
They can’t take the criticism, the shedding of light on their dark practices.
How many “journalists” has Trump silenced, imprisoned, killed, exiled?
To the contrary, has any president granted the media more access?
They and their leftist friends are just a bunch crybabies who can’t handle any criticism.
And they all belie their supposedly superior educations (not) attained at so-called good schools.
And I might add, what really frosts the press is that he doesn’t roll over and take their lies. He actually fights back, calls them out, and keeps going. MAGA
Very refreshing.
There should be a press accountability review board. Keep publishing lies, financial penalties and loss of press privileges. Next stop for the drummed out reporters…McDonalds
Ah yes Trumpy, there’s an idea that just reeks of freedom! Let’s be sure to have the government review stories for veracity and put their stamp of approval on them. I have seen not a single paper, news outlet or reporter be sued for libel yet. Everything published about this nimrod has been true. His supporters, such as yourself, just dont care!
MR G
Yes. Everyone should keep in mind that essential point: The information is true. No one sued for libel. Truth will out.
MR G
With you all the way on these comments.
He spilled the beans on the Clinton Crime Cartel.
Imagine how much dirt he has on them hidden to protect himself from “Arkancide”.
Publishing classified gov’t info is a crime and the 1st amendment does not apply. So Dan, I’m sure you’ve got nothing to worry about. I’ve never seen anything you write qualify as classified, unless you’ve got some secret life going on.
And quoting Snowden and Russia? Really? Your argument would be more believable if you quoted Michael Cohen than those 2.
LW
U.S. authorities are not going after JA for publishing classified information but for a vaguely defined allegation of “computer crime.” They’re claiming Assange assisted Manning in trying to crack the military’s password. Manning denies that and has said she takes full responsibility alone for passing along the information. Speaks volumes, because it would help her case to claim JA helped her. The government knows that journalists and publishers can safely publish TRUE information. They also can protect their sources. They can’t assist sources in the commission of a crime to obtain the information in the first place. Thus, the government knows it can’t go after Assange because of the First Amendment. They have cleverly avoided that “inconvenience” by trumping up charges of electronic crime (pun intended). As for quoting Snowden and Russia, yes. If the information is true, the source doesn’t matter.
Dan,
Your analysis is woefully incorrect unless allegations of rape and molestation are protected under the First Amendment.
Let’s look at the timeline
August 2010 – The Swedish Prosecutor’s Office first issues an arrest warrant for Mr Assange. It says there are two separate allegations – one of rape and one of molestation.
Mr Assange says the claims are “without basis”
December 2010 – Mr Assange is arrested in London and bailed at the second attempt
May 2012 – The UK’s Supreme Court rules he should be extradited to Sweden to face questioning over the allegations
June 2012 – Mr Assange enters the Ecuadorean embassy in London
August 2012 – Ecuador grants asylum to Mr Assange, saying there are fears his human rights might be violated if he is extradited
He is currently being held in the U.K. on the warrant issued in 2012 for him skipping bail.
Sweden is in the process of possibly reinstating the rape charges.
The USA is readying criminal computer trespass and hacking charges which are not protected under the First Amendment. You can’t actively participate in a crime to receive information and “publish it”.
Nothing above has anything to do with the First Amendment. Further Mr. Assange is not a U.S. citizen, his website and servers are not located in the USA.
None of any of this has anything, nor had anything to do with the First Amendment.
One other note:
Chelsea Manning’s sentence was commuted by Barack Obama. If these new charges are proven true, it certainly doesn’t help her “case” as she could be charged with NEW crimes for which she has no immunity.
So it is absolutely doesn’t “help her case” to admit to new crimes she hasn’t been prosecuted for.
If you would like I can provide you with the chat logs with alias identification showing that Manning and Assange did in fact conspire to hack a password on a protected government database.
This makes it doubly bad for Manning in that not only does the information indicate she’s on the hook for previously uncharged crimes, she has the potential to be found guilty of lying to investigators.
So contrary to your assertion that it would be good “for her case” by admitting Assange helped her, it would be extremely detrimental to do so.
That said, after a barely hour long interrogation by US authorities in the U.K. it’s clear Assange will roll over on anyone and everyone involved. The concept of “protecting ones sources” is not something Mr. Assange really cares about when weighed against his personal freedom.
PROXY
Yes, Manning did not help herself with the comments, but it testifies to the strength of her convictions. Seems upright to me, and courageous. There are more ways than one who help one’s cause besides the legal aspects. As for the chat logs, I have seen and read them. They show Assange and Manning communicating on trying to get the password, but Assange is careful not to aid her in the effort. I also disagree with your assertion of Assange not caring about protecting his sources. Protection of sources is an absolute, moral imperative for journalists and investigative reporters. I have been through the experience of being pressured to reveal sources. No dice. Ever. Never. Appreciate your comments. They “add to the discussion.”
Excellent post and points, ProxyDate.
Helps if you look things up, y’all.
This reporter is a big fan and supporter of the Planet and often states in this space that he is the “only journalist in Berkshire County.”
But I’m sure he doesn’t mind a bit of correction to his hyperbole, some of which we grant for literary and rhetorical effect.
ERM
We don’t mind at all. In fact, we rather enjoy it. We do need correction from time to time, and we rely on thoughtful critics such as yourself to provide it.
As we have replied elsewhere, don’t get thrown by the surface distractions of the assault investigation that was launched against Mr. Assange. That’s the sideshow issue used as a pretext to nail him. Why? Because free press rights, which Britain also upholds, provide protection — something governments would rather do without, you realize. It’s irrelevant that JA is not a U.S. citizen or the location of his websites and servers. First Amendment protections reach outward, not inward. We have, for example, supported efforts across the globe ensuring the free press.
Dan you seem to be of the cult of personality. A fanboi of sorts.youve having fallen prey to the “Cosby Syndrome”, Cosby didn’t molest those kids because he was a celebrity. Assange didn’t rape those women because he is a “journalist”.
The rape case and molestation case is not a “distraction” or some sort of fake thing, considering the genetic evidence along with the evidence of date rape dugs collected from the scene and the photo evidence of the assault, Assange did well to hide out.
As a seeker of the truth, I say let him have his day in criminal court for the assault.
Will Assange roll over? His lawyer has already made requests to discuss deals with US authorities. The problem is he’s negotiating from a weak position as his supposed “poison pill” data dump has already been turned over to the US govt, he has very little to bargain with.
As to the argument of the 1st Amendment, it extends out to citizens of the US and jurisdictions of the US. Nothing more. If it did, then citizens of any country could claim protections of their most favored jurisdictions and most favorite rights. A simple test, does the 2nd Amendment apply to citizens of Australia living in Great Britain? No? Then neither does the 1st.
One can make claims for the wish for a free press but the limits of that free press are constrained by national
sovereignty, citizenship, and jurisdiction.
But to be very clear, none of the cases pending or past have anything to do with free speech or the first amendment. They are criminal rape cases, computer trespass, and bail jumping.
As to Manning she is only trying to stay out of jail, the chat logs clearly show her and Assange discussing how to crack the data base, Assange offer and does send a rainbow table to Manning to facilitate the hacking
PROXY
Thanks for the thoughtful criticism. You might want to revise the last sentence in your first paragraph, which declares something not known to be true. As far as the law is concerned, there was no rape. Nothing was ever proven. No such was ever formally charged. In fact, the charges were dropped. They have not been restored. They likely will not be brought up again, unless the U.S. government’s prosecution fails. The extradition will take years, particularly if Julian appeals to the highest court. Will JA roll over. Unlikely. He does seem to be in a weak position, as you say, but then again, we don’t know what he’s still holding back. There are rumors he and Wiki are still sitting on dynamite. Regarding 1st Amendment, 1st Amendment freedoms are so much legalities as moral beliefs, what this country holds (or should hold) true. Historically, we have on the whole defended press freedom around the world and have argued for the rights of journalists in foreign countries to report freely and without coercion. Also, your comparison of 2nd Amendment to the 1st is worse than apples and oranges, again, owing to the moral aspect of the 1st, the key element of which is “freedom” and all its implications. And if you are going to say 1st Amendment rights do not apply to Assange because he is Australian, then by what right does the U.S. government support the forcible removal of a foreign journalist from a foreign embassy for publishing true information. Constitutional lawyers will point out same. We agree that there is no such thing to absolute freedom, including absolute freedom of the press. Concerns of national interest factor into the equations, without a doubt. But that’s where government jumps the rail. Claiming “national security” (particularly after 9/11 and the disastrous “Patriot Act,” Big Brother is no doubt at work. Assange isn’t being tried for his true “crime,” which is embarrassing the U.S. government with the truth of the information behind its diplomatic and military lies (with respect to Iraq and Afghanistan, in particular). He’s being tried for a trumped up computer deal. There are no criminal rape cases. He did jump bail and was declared guilty by a British judge. The bail jumping provides a solid pretext to hold him — in Britain. For bail jumping. Nothing else. As to Manning, I thought she was back in jail for refusing to testify before a grand jury. As for Assange helping her hack, she denies it. Assange denies it, though it depends on what constitutes hacking, in a legal sense. As a journalist, I have never helped a source do anything illegal, but I have encouraged sources to do what they feel is necessary as dictated by conscience, to supply truthful information. For example, as a hypothetical, if a source in the D.A.’s office violates an internal order NOT to leak ANY information about cases, policy, office politics, procedure, or how the waste baskets are emptied, and if that source wishes to furnish me with information, and I judge the source to be credible and the information to be true, I will likely accept the information for possible publication. Am I “facilitating” the “hacking” of any official source who wishes to reveal truthful information to me after I have made it known generally to all sources of all offices that THE PLANET is always ready to listen? Try getting a guilty finding on that one!
“Ecuador’s decision to hand over Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to British authorities violates precious First Amendment freedoms.”
The First Amendment to the Ecuadorian constitution or the British consitution?
“Pompeo’s totalitarian definition,”
Really? Let’s throw words around.
“We expect such an official response from closed regimes such as the PDRNK, banana republics, and African-style military dictatorships. We had better not expect that, or even support that, in and from the United States of Amnesia.”
As I ask in another post today, has suppression of press freedom this actually happened here?
And, I think the City of Pittsfield qualifies as a banana republic.
“For the United States to support the British government’s invitational invasion of the Ecuadorian embassy in London stains everything for which this republic allegedly stands.”
The US does have an outstanding charge of conspiracy against the guy.
But why not extradite him to Sweden to stand trial for rape?
“This move has been in the making for seven years. Lenin Moreno, Ecuador’s president, had to be nervous when Wikileaks began uncovering evidence suggesting an offshore corruption scandal involving him and key associates.”
OK, now this is better. Right, why let the guy go now after seven years?
“Will Assange be extradited to the United States?”
Send him to Sweden.
The latter part of the Planet’s piece today makes more sense, except for the hyperbolic last paragraph.
Yesterday, Limbaugh played a clip from Michael Moore in 2010 praising WikiLeaks to the skies, but Rush noted that the Left then came to hate Wikileaks in 2016.
As with a lot of “journalism,” it depends on which side you’re on.
We love Comey, no, wait, we hate Comey, uh, now we love Comey, er, no, we hate Comey.
EDWARD
To address your points:
* The First Amendment freedoms are ours, not Britain’s or Ecuador’s. They apply in this case because of the revelation of the previous secret warrant issued by the U.S. against a member of the press for the crime of publishing (granted, embarrassing, but TRUE) information. No one has disputed the truth of what Wikileaks published. That’s key here.
* Throwing words around when a senior governmental official calls a publisher a seditious intelligence service? Seriously? I rest my case.
* True. The U.S. does have an outstanding warrant against JA.
* Send him to Sweden to “stand trial for rape?” JA was never charged in or by Sweden. He was investigated. No charges ever filed, and the case was dropped two years ago.
* Agree with you last point about “journalism” depending on what side you’re on. That’s why THE PLANET does not “take sides.” We examine evidence and go where the trail takes us.
* Suppression of press freedom has occurred.
1. Let us know when the US government suppresses First Amendment rights. I’ll be in the first row with my pitchfork.
2. The word “totalitarian” way over the top. Perhaps you’ve been having lunch with Timothy Snyder?
ERM
1. Get the tines on your pitchfork ready. We’ll need you at the front, standing along side of us. Suppression of First Amendment had been under way since 9/11/01, in subtle and not so subtle ways. The rise of journalism online has opened up a new area of prosecution. In 2012, THE PLANET can in the crossfires when a judge not only ordered the removal of writing on a controversial hit-and-run case. She also imposed an unheard of prior restraint, forbidding us to cover future developments. We mounted a defense, citing First Amendment protections. We won. “Suppression” means any attempt to squash, not just successful attempts.
2. Well, I don’t know who Mr. Snyder is, so “no” is the answer there. As for “totalitarian?” I grant that it was “over the top” but not “way over the top.” “Totalitarian” refers to governmental action that elevates the state over the individual, using coercive methods to assure conformity. Want “way over the top?” How about The Secretary of State’s characterization of a legitimate journal an a traitorous intelligence service? That was an indirect assault on free speech, free press, in other words, elevation of the state of the individual.
Appreciate the comments, though. Well presented, most worthy.
Swedish prosecutors dropped the rape investigation in 2017 because they were unable to proceed while he remained in the Ecuadorean embassy.
Assange also faced investigation for molestation and unlawful coercion, but these cases were dropped in 2015 because time had run out.
Prosecutors will now re-examine the rape case to decide whether to resume it before the statute of limitations runs out in August 2020.
Sweden does not have a similar law like some in the US that freezes the statute of limitations if a person flees a jurisdiction.
Good information. Sweden did drop the sexual assault charges. It’s not clear why. Was it because they couldn’t proceed, as you say? Or was it because the investigation showed there wasn’t enough evidence?
If it’s dropped, it’s dropped. They can’t chsnge their minds
The American political dysfunction is on full display with this guy. He made an enemy of Clinton for releasing the State Dept emails and then retailiated by leaking the election time emails. He interfered in the election, said he was gong to interfere in the election, He did, and yet the Democrats started this huge Russian investigation. Colluding with Chelsea Manning should have him deserving jail time. Tucked Carson and every other Fox watcher will love Assuange.
Re Collusion hysteria – Dems have yet to explain the FISA on Carter Page. I’’m guessing Page was US intelligence (Annapolis and SOAS) would indicate that. Noy one reporter ever asked who paid his SOAS tuition. So the question would be was if he live US intelligence working for the Obama admin when he was claiming to be on the Trumo campaign. We will never learn that as that is some heavy deep state.
So, let’s see if my understanding aligns with known facts (fill-in gaps where needed):
a) Bradly (now Chelsea) Manning (shemale) downloaded multiple troves of government documents, then passed them along to WikiLeaks founder Julz Assange?
b) Most if not all of shemale’s downloaded documents were legend ‘Secret’ or ‘Classified’;
c) Shemale went to federal prison for downloading troves of Secret or Classified documents, before pardoned by former President Barack Obama, after s/he sued the government over its resistance to pay for a sex change operation;
d) while still an Army brat, shemale passed along those downloadable troves of government documents to Julz;
e) Julz, in return, received & published shemale’s stolen documents – on his WikiLeaks site;
f) Julz remained secluded in the Ecuadorian embassy until British authorities were permitted to serve a U.S. warrant on him;
f) Julz, now in British custody, awaits extradition to the U.S. where he’ll face federal charges;
g) Shemale remains free after serving only a few years in federal prison.
Now who’s more culpable; shemale or Julz?
Who do you think deserves more time in federal prison, shemale or Julz?
Once sentenced, should Julz employ shemale’s get-out-of-jail trump card to reduce his time in prison?
Could, or should, Julz become a Juliet?
BRIAN
Your points are pretty much factual, except to (f) (f2) and (g). (f) = British officials did not serve a U.S. warrant. They were granted permission to enter the embassy and arrest Assange for jumping bail in England seven years ago. (f2) = Technically, he is in jail in London on the bail-jumping charge. His lawyers say he will fight extradition, a process that could take years. Ecuador’s president, Lenin Moreno, said that a condition of allowing England to enter the embassy to take Assange was that he would not be extradited to any country supporting torture or the death penalty, including the U.S. England confirmed the existence of this deal. (g) = Manning is now back in jail after refusing to testify to a grand jury.
Assuange helped her break in. Leaking Battlefield reports is espionage. They are being treated with kid gloves, Chelsea is a pawn though. I though by your constant use of Shemale that you were talking about another person – not being a bigot. Chelsea should have took her pardon and kept her mouth shut. In 1950 this sort of action in the military would get you hung.
I don’t think Manning’s gender has any relevance to her current detention. Curious as to why Brian denigrates her gender so explicitly.
Agreed. It’s not part of the discussion.
Duly noted, Dan Valenti.
There is a great message to the press,be very careful of what you expose to the American public .I get it,millions get it.I still believe the unlikeable Assange and Manning should be treated as whistle blower and reporter of that information.Some can add their prejudice to their denial of their rights.
I remember reading somewhere that government information cannot be “classified” if that was done to hide criminal activity. The trouble is that if the administration at the time was involved in the crime, they do this.
It’s kind of like two kids saying “I’ll lie and you swear to it”
Unfortunately that’s been the state of our government. The best thing President Trump can do is declassify as much as possible. America and past administrations can be held accountable. America can own up and come clean. Then start with open and transparent governing.
I think that Assange did put American soldiers at risk. Our enemies were poring over the info trying to find anything to harm our solders. On the other hand, we live in an age where we have too much concentration of power and we have the far left in this country that wants to turn our system of government into a dictator. They call President Trump a dictator, but the system of socialism that they propose, would give government so much power over our lives and the system itself would be dictatorial over Americans.
In that type of environment, good reporters who could blow the whistle on corruption are invaluable, but unfortunately would be non-existent with the far left in control in this country since the majority of our liberal media is in bed with the far left, but there is thankfully a few independent sources they haven’t silenced yet and I would not want to see them led off in chains for speaking out.
I’m torn on this issue. Assange was wrong and the way he went about everything was wrong, but it’s not an easy decision.
i agree about wtbr,bootlicking went out with pay for play recording songs for radio airtime,disc jockeys made a fortune playing new tunes. You don’t see the Planet sucking up any favors,it’s a free blog with one require, t,civil dialogue. And I like the free for all friday,see what happens,so far, so good.
Mayor Tyer ran to make change and stated she could do more with less on a question from Bianchi.She did make a change as my realestate bill is up 25 percent and my water and sewar bill are up 300%.You wonder does she like Yon and McCandless need a simple arithmatiic class.Poor working class are sacrificing a small present or gift to their children so Yon and Tyler dont have to make hard choices.Taylor only opens her mouth to say the poor people of Pittsfield are cheap no good dopes.
The only way she could make change is at a Big Y register.
Taylor boots, tan and both hubbies are older and homely, but love playing Gosd with your money,that’s what narcissistic personality led people do,they don’t know any better. Stoogeon is a nobody, just forget about him.
Mr. Bill like gobsig people. He have poor judgement. So Sorry.
Yes, Tyer did state she could do more with less and nowit is less with more….and wasn’t that debate on Planet Valenti where it showed a TES movement begging like a kindergartener with is hand raised trying to coach Dan to call on him? Bad Mayors both.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—After Attorney General Barr suggested that the FBI and other agencies spied on Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, former FBI director James Comey fired back.
“We did not spy,” he told reporters as he stretched for his morning yoga class. “We just observed and reported secretly without the subject’s knowledge or consent.”
“See, I’ve never considered that spying,” he added as he formed the “downward dog” pose. “That’s just kind of secret watching. It’s definitely not the same thing. When you spy, you watch someone without their knowledge. When you secret-watch, you just kind of secretly watch them.”
“If we redefined spying to include all secret watching, we would have to include all the watching of American citizens on a daily basis as spying, and that probably wouldn’t be good for our public image.”
He then asked reporters if they would take a picture of him looking pensively up at the trees.
As Comey was sipping his namaste green smoothie he added,
“You see, it’s the same, ‘cept difernt.”
Everyone enjoy the weekend everybody – dodge all the pot holes, A holes and B holes
https://www.iberkshires.com/story/59676/100-Days-An-Interview-With-District-Attorney-Andrea-Harrington.html
Northampton swept their streets 3 weeks ago. I am always impressed when any city has well painted lines.There is not 1 road in Pittsfierld where you can distinguish the lines in the road.We keep hiring more and more people for schools and it shows up as a unmaintained city.The schools fall apart because the city needs more people not more math coaches .Taylor and Yon keep taking our police money.We need a smaller school budgets.Tyer Yon and Elias Taylor and Cameron are overseeing a failed city school system.Not one school committee person recognizes Herberg schools verbal violence of the teachers.These kids need to be removed to mom and dad’s house because they are disrupting the majority from time on learning.Taylor is another 1%we spending the money of a bottom 50%er
The weather in NH is three weeks ahead of the Berkshires. Because of our elevation winter lingers here. Guess why our early corn comes from the pioneer valley. Pull your head out of your butt,
This is incredible from your column 4/9/19 Pat, recommended a book called “The history of the Future”, “about a brilliant young man who was destroyed by the far left because he dared to go to a Trump rally. He is a liberal who was curious about President Trump, but his sin was unforgivable by the far left. The will destroy even their own if they do not march in lock step. “ Two days ago the author Blake J. Harris’ book ranked in at 33,000 from Amazon. After her recommendation the book is all the way up to #3. Let’s see if we can push it up to #1 Thank you Pat!!
More bad news for the Clinton Crime Cartel
https://www.judicialwatch.org/video-update/tom-fittons-video-weekly-update-april-12-2019/?utm_source=deployer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly+update&utm_term=members&utm_content=20190413014318
It’s longer than most liberals can focus/stay coherent….
Tom Fitton, American Patriot. Great info, Trapper.
Another complete and total lie pushed by the feminist progressives and of course they want more money to fix bad parenting. Perhaps an Eagle reporter should ask where this number is derived from. This is not true, at all. Do not believe for a moment that this is a true number. Like the fake rape news, these are mere allegations with no basis in fact require at all. These are simply reports to the Department of Children and Families. Why doesn’t The Eagle try asking how many actual bona fide child crime victims in a month instead. These liberals are always lying and using fuzzy math. Sounds like the same math used for Harrington’s manufactured crisis.
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/pittsfields-step-up-for-kids-event-laced-with-a-desire-to-eliminate-abuse,570369
Everyone who even suspects abuse is required to report, therefore, there can be multiple reports on one single case. This article and anyone involved represents an outrageously FALSE report and disgusting publicity stunt. These are children. Shame.
I actually chuckled that they used the word ‘laced’ in their headline.
AH needs to feed the moonbat social workers that have too much fee time and vote for her. I don’t she would look too closely into the lefty weirdos thiugh. The left want to keep Pittsfield a welfare state as it is job security and keeps the vast amount of ineffective social workers in business. A plus and a minus is that the Supreme Court gives huge freedoms to parents to raise their children. For the bad – kids we are joking a cult – for the good – you don’t have to follow her agenda.
For those arguing about trumps latest approval rating it is 44 as of today. Rasmussen pole is a cherry pick pole for trump and adobes was also way off.
Except it isn’t. It is globally accepted as the most accurate and was the most accurate in the 2016 elections. Try again
Brady? I’ll say 95 percent of Americans never heard of Rasmussen? You agree?
Toilet,
If you’ve never heard of Rasmussen, then you have no idea of what you are talking about when it comes to politics.
Brody. And if you have never heard of Rasmussen you are woefully uninformed
Beautiful picture of the Mayor with the underprivelidged kids in our community in front of city hall. We must continue to support our Mayor and c c with high tax rates and water rates rates to assure that our children are taken care of,and that includes parent-less children and dead beat parents, children,we must feed them as the parents are feeding themselves with your tax dollars,maga.
Well expressed.
Yes that was a quaint photo-op with Mayor Tyer showing her motherly compassion and parenting skills.
Is she a real life mother ? If so, where does she send her own kids to school ? Don’t know, Just asking.
Hi, I’m Julian Assange.
I give private information on corporations and government, TO YOU FOR FREE, and the media calls me a criminal.
Hi, I’m Mark Zuckerberg.
I give YOUR private information to corporations and government, for MONEY, and the media called me Man of the year
Not mine Dan, from a really good meme….
Thanks for sharing. THE PLANET also gives information on companies and government, FOR FREE. We have had the opportunity many times to commercialize this site. We have and will continue to refuse that (we won’t even call it a) temptation.
More good stuff coming of Russia/Mueller probe.
Lets see THE WHOLE THING D-rats!!!!
D-Rats running for cover:
https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2019/04/11/devin-nunes-alleging-potential-violations-russia-probe/
Dan,
How is your new website, comment filter, working?
I see my posts, maybe 1/3, flagged for review. I this the norm and “random” as The Planet stated?
Problem being, when they do get posted, they are long buried and forgotten in a morASS of posts.
I understand the need.
Keep up the good work and have a Happy Easter!
MAD
It’s working well, as advertised. The assignations are random, we assure you. There’s no perfect system on interactive journalism for (a) allowing comments and (b) keeping the same from degenerating into Topix. We apologize for any inconvenience and encourage you and all to keep tuning in to our work.
“Dershowitz: ‘No Constitutional Difference’ Between WikiLeaks And New York Times”
“If the New York Times, in 1971, could lawfully publish the Pentagon Papers knowing they included classified documents stolen by Rand Corporation military analyst Daniel Ellsberg from our federal government, then indeed WikiLeaks was entitled, under the First Amendment, to publish classified material that Assange knew was stolen by former United States Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning from our federal government.”
https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2019/04/12/dershowitz-no-constitutional-difference-between-wikileaks-and-new-york-times/
Nothing that Mr Assange is being charged with has anything to do with the First Amendment.
If The NY Times actively aided in stealing the Pentagon Papers, the debate would be closer to being the same.
Mr Assange just published leaked documents
from transvestite Manning who made those available from the pentagon, got that?
NYTs did the same with leaked information, 1971.
Do You understand? Been past grade school?
Proxy will say he is a lawyer but clearly not a practicing one
A$$#^t,
The whole Dan day today is ABOUT 1ST AMENDMENT!
Got that?
PROXY
That is correct, but the reason for it is that U.S. officials, who are behind this, realize that the First Amendment offers protection for Assange and Wikileaks. They could not win a prosecution. That necessitated the fabrication of a “reason” to nab him. Enter the game of connect the dots. 1. Ecuador president gets nervous as Wikileaks publishes embarrassing information of offshore corruption. 2. Ecuador cozies up to U.S. under new president Lenin Morales. 3. Brits have an outstanding warrant against Assange for jumping bail. 4. U.S. pressures both Ecuador and the Brits to ‘get ‘er done.” 5. He gets hauled out of the embassy, forcibly, on the bail charges. 6. U.S. reveals secret warrant charging Assange with computer crimes — as you say, nothing to the with the First Amendment … on the surface. Beneath, EVERYTHING to do with it.
The 1st amendment does give anyone the right to hack into a government computer.
True. Manning did not have this right. She did it, admitted it, and sent the information to a news outlet. Lots of harm, but no foul.
If this posts, it will be < 50% "filtering/review" of my posts today, if it is held for review, I'm down to 40%.
Today it seems ~50% of posts are being flagged for review
MAD
Look, it’s like having to run the security gauntlet before boarding an airplane. Sign of the times, my good man. We would prefer having NO filters, NO oversight, and ABSOLUTE freedom to post ANYTHING. With the internet, that’s like inviting terrorists to a seat in the First Class section. The filters are in place, they’re staying, and within that, THE PLANET pledges to keep the dialogue as free as possible. No other local or regional media outlet can touch us in that area.
This editorial ran in the print BB on Thurs. but not online. Was it removed? Why?
OUR OPINION
Address sex assault, domestic violence by looking forward
The numbers are sobering. Protection orders filed by abused women were 36 percent higher in Berkshire County than the state average last year. The Elizabeth Freeman Center, a Pittsfield-based nonprofit which works at the front lines of the abuse crisis in the Berkshires, receives about 800 referrals annually from the Pittsfield Police Department alone. Domestic and sexual violence adversely impacts individuals and families throughout the county.
On Tuesday, District Attorney Andrea Harrington chose the Freeman Center to announce a new effort to combat these crimes. This was the fulfillment of a campaign promise last fall by Ms. Harrington, who was joined at the Freeman Center by representatives of law enforcement, victim advocates and other elected and appointed officials (Eagle, Wednesday).
Part of this campaign is educational and preventive, with the district attorney providing training for law enforcement and advocates in recognizing signs of sexual exploitation and sex trafficking. The latter is an under-the-radar crime that was brought to light with the high profile arrest of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft for solicitation at a Florida establishment authorities believe engaged in sex trafficking. The DA’s office will seek to educate communities about the signs of domestic abuse so there is an opportunity to intervene before violence erupts.
The DA’s office will now begin tracking sexual assault cases when a complaint is made rather than when charges are filed. This could give law enforcement a head start in heading off an escalation in violence, but a complaint, of course, is not equivalent to a conviction.
More worrisome is the creation of a team within the District Attorney’s Office that will investigate 15 years of unindicted sexual cases with the intention of prosecution.
As a campaign promise from Ms. Harrington, this was a transparently political attempt to malign her opponent, Paul Caccaviello, who was involved with sexual assault cases as top assistant to District Attorney David Capeless. As policy, it is even worse. There is no demonstrable evidence that there was a past failure to prosecute. It is also not clear that the DA’s office will consider whether or not the alleged victims in these cases want to be forced to relive them when the cases are reopened. If Ms. Harrington and her team insist on going forward with this review we urge them to do so with caution and discretion.
For reasons of shame and isolation, the extent of sexual and domestic violence in the Berkshires can be underestimated, said Freeman Center Executive Director Janis Broderick on Tuesday. “We in the Berkshires should know that violence happens here — that it happens a lot,” continued Ms. Broderick, who cited the murders of six Berkshire women by husbands or former boyfriends over the past four years. District Attorney Harrington classifies last month’s murder-suicide in Sheffield as the seventh.
The focus on these crimes, from education to prevention to prosecution, by the district attorney is appropriate and welcome. That focus, however, should go forward rater than be diluted by efforts to look backward based on now irrelevant campaign pledges.
the online Left Winged Parrot is censored and monitored if you use it like Orwells 1984,
and my cat started using the rug when I lined her box with a print version of LWP/BB.
The crunchy feelly DA should focus on crime not grandstanding.
I see violent crime going up Mz Harrington, too bad most mASSachusetts citizens can’t carry to protect themselves in pizzsfield
Hillary states that Barr Is doing Trumps bidding.
Hillary is such a phony. After her husband got Loretta Lynch to let Hillary off the hook for her crimes. The meeting on the tarmac with Loretta Lynch and Bill Clinton and just days afterward, Hillary is cleared of any crimes?!?
spying on Trump run out of Barrys whitehouse
https://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/in-the-news/tom-fitton-spying-on-trump-was-run-out-of-obama-white-house/?utm_source=deployer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekend+playback&utm_term=members&utm_content=20190413173227
This is as bad, if not worse, than Watergate.
And more Clinton Crime Cartel:
https://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-uncovers-cover-up-discussions-in-latest-production-of-clinton-email-documents/
Judicial Watch announced today that it uncovered 422 pages of FBI documents showing evidence of “cover-up” discussions related to the Clinton email system within Platte River Networks, one of the vendors who managed the Clinton email system. The documents also show Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG) Charles McCullough forwarding “concerns” about classified information in former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s emails.
The new documents uncovered by Judicial Watch also contain Clinton’s 2009 classified information Non-Disclosure Agreement bearing her signature.
“An October 2016 Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:16-cv-02046)) forced the release of the new FBI documents. Judicial Watch lawsuit filed after the Justice Department failed to comply with a July 7, 2016, FOIA request seeking:…..”
Trap you’re becoming the art of the blog,calm down.
Keep at it, MT – I enjoy your posts.
M T remember the good old, day night gas price fluctuations? Now that was a pittance compared to the 50% you blog here. Dan is very fair.
Is there a more famous racist than the lying Don Trump?
Woodrow Wilson ? Al Sharpton? Senator Fulbright?
You are a fool. Trump is no racist. But read the quote below.
Frankly, I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don’t want to have too many of. Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/ruth_bader_ginsburg_411487
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnO6ai0Ktro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMTBHU-oQdg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTxWXKSWh1g
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal hit a snag when it lost the support of another freshman representative, Ilhan Omar. Omar had been an enthusiastic supporter of the Green New Deal and wanted to save the earth, but then she noticed something very disturbing when looking at a map of the earth: Earth is the planet on which Israel resides.
“You’ve been hypnotized by the Jews!” Omar accused a surprised Ocasio-Cortez. Omar then ripped up a copy of the Green New Deal. “This is just a plot to help Israel keep existing! Did AIPAC pay you off?”
Ocasio-Cortez was very apologetic, saying she hadn’t considered how her plan would affect Israel. She then vowed to change her plan so it might save the whole planet except where Israel resides.
“This is, like, a learning process,” Ocasio-Cortez later told reporters. “When I made the Green New Deal, I thought weather like storms and earthquakes were all caused by climate change, but now I’ve learned from Representative Omar that lots of that is actually from Jewish-controlled weather machines. So for the next version of the Green New Deal we will have to keep that in mind.”
Does anyone know who I might send a check to in order for a illegal immigrant to buy a bus ticket to Springfield Mass.?
Springfield is a sanctuary city. Let’s start a fund to buy them bus tickets to Springfield.
ALERT /IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!
The genie is out of the bottle……..Assange gets it all out
download this stuff before it’s bleachbotted ASAP
Want to see the REAL H-BEAST, search clinton
https://file.wikileaks.org/file/
read /download before its gone
https://file.wikileaks.org/file/
3rd post on this one, 1st got caught up in Dan’s server robot
Assange has dumped a plethora od Wikileaks.
Get it while you can.
Liberals search clinton for the real H-Beast
https://file.wikileaks.org/file/
The State of ma.gave me 3 times the tax refund that Don Trump did.The Trump return stayed the same as it was under Obama.The socialist state of Ma.was great.
Don’t spend it all in one pot shop.
Buy a 6 pack .
So you’re happy that the State over taxed you during the year and gave you some of your money back?
You have to understand how regressives work,they lip service the voter and tell them they are getting a tax cut and Wall Street smiles with a wink and a nod. Trump is hosing you guys but Glenn Beck,Sean,Rush,Alex Jones,Fox news saying nothing.When you keep repeating socialism it means your doing regressive media 24/7
You keep talking as of you understand Economivs. Hint, you don’t
How did Louisianins do on the Federal Tax Returns?I hear they got nothing new.
Got to admit that I was disturbed by the story in the BB today about the judge who disclaimed the opinion of a Lanesborough police office who “has been recognized as the county’s lone drug recognition expert”.
Here we go again. Another slap in the face to police. The Jussie Smollet case in Chicago isn’t the only outrage in our criminal justice system.
These judges have to go!
We have one officer qualified to judge stoned drivers (now disqualified according to Judge Tyne) and soon to be 4 of the 18 open dispensaries to handle the crush of customers in the state. That’s over 25% of the open shops and less than 2% of the population. Huh.
The DA’s and the Judges are the problem.