Why is Julian Assange/WikiLeaks persecuted by the US and other Western democracies? – G. Ardavanis (Ph.D.)

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Western governments rarely use direct force in western nations when there is a concept of a free press. Instead, as Noam Chomsky demonstrates in his famous work ”The Engineering of Consent,” which belongs in this category, they practice concealment and public perception manipulation. Assange fought for the public’s right to information through his work with WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks contributed to maintaining the integrity of the government by disseminating information that is both authentic and of general interest.

Since its inception, the media has played a crucial role in providing necessary checks and balances on governmental power. The US’s founding fathers were naturally skeptical of the government. Thomas Jefferson once remarked that he would choose the press above the government if given a choice. So, the media was created to serve as a watchdog. Sadly, the media is no longer doing its job since business interests have taken over. The corporate media has evolved into a power stenographer. They lie and mislead the public rather than seeking the truth and opposing authority.

When western governments criticize Julian Assange/WikiLeaks and stir up controversy, they are simply distracting attention away from the fact that the mainstream media has failed and that they are not upholding the obligation of a free press. WikiLeaks’ actions are not revolutionary. It adheres to the custom of a free press.

By creating scientific journalism, Julian Assange/WikiLeaks broke new ground. WikiLeaks discloses whole archives, just as scientists publishing academic articles are compelled to provide all the information they need to get their conclusions (after going through a rigorous harm minimization process to redact information that brings imminent harm). They provide a system of journalistic accountability by giving regular people a way to verify the assertions of journalists independently. Therefore, with WikiLeaks, the source of legitimacy formerly attributed to journalists’ “objectivity” (which influenced their editorial choices) is now attributed to the source papers. People can verify the accuracy of the reporting independently; they are not required to believe journalists.

WikiLeaks gave the general public a way to claim their history. Julian Assange/WikiLeaks liberated people from a stolen past that perpetuates the wrongdoings of the past by opening their archives. Leaked documents provide a fresh perspective on the past and bring back marginalized and repressed viewpoints.

Varied cultures—including China, India, Japan, the US, and France—have different notions about what freedom of expression should entail. Still, for Americans, the right to free speech and expression was born out of a revolutionary rejection of Britain. Their initial message of liberation to the British was that they were free.

Although WikiLeaks is a global journalism organization, I perceive a strong connection between their work and the inspiration from the US throughout its Revolutionary War against Great Britain. People’s desire for individual liberty was this motive. What happened in the US at the time was historically noteworthy, and its effects are crucial for the US and the entire globe. The US’s separation from King George III changed the course of history. It allowed society to depart from monarchy and establish the rule of law.

As one of the principal drafters of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson proclaimed that “All men are created equal” and that they are granted certain unalienable rights, including “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Even now, people are still motivated by those remarks.

Of course, as history has demonstrated, the founding fathers of the US were not without fault. The slaughter of aboriginal people, the enslavement of black people, and the oppression of women were examples of their duplicity and contradictions. But I’d like to assume that the 56 signers of this declaration, who risked their lives and means of support to secure America’s independence, shared its principles. I want to think those weren’t lies in what was said. I see them as promises, and I think Jefferson intended to build a society that upholds them.

Julian Assange helped the world to understand the hidden power within the US and its history thanks to the documents published by WikiLeaks. The release of the collateral murder video, the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the illegal detention at Guantanamo Bay demonstrated how America had evolved into a world power that was continuing its dark history of ethnic cleansing and cultural eradication while claiming to be fighting terrorism in the oil-rich Middle East. We could see how America had abandoned its own beliefs.

Julian Assange/WikiLeaks helped make society more democratic and free by enabling regular people to participate in history. We can understand why Julian has been imprisoned, subjected to torture, and subjected to political persecution when we correctly understand the significance of WikiLeaks. We can see why Mike Pompeo, the former Secretary of State under Donald Trump and a former head of the CIA, referred to WikiLeaks as “a non-state hostile intelligence service” and declared war on the information-sharing platform.

We can comprehend why the CIA planned to assassinate Julian Assange and why, as Julian’s defense demonstrated, the CIA spied on Julian when he was inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and during his private communications with his lawyers. Then, perhaps, people will understand what Julian’s extradition case means and why we must do everything we can to oppose it.

 Georgios Ardavanis – 09/02/2023

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