[Peace-discuss] Assange designated an " enemy of the State "

Sun Sep 30 23:37:16 UTC 2012

This Niu statement  is errant nonsense. Governments can do good and better and do bad and worse (on either national or local levels). Governments are organizing instruments of societies.

Roads (infrastructure), schools, health services, regulatory rules, etc. , etc. are not opposed to "the interests of the people". However, Tolstoi may have a point in speaking of wars between national entities, or I suppose, even local entities.

On Sep 30, 2012, at 5:27 PM, E. Wayne Johnson wrote:

All government is fundamentally diametrically opposed to the interests of the people.  - Niu.

In all history there is no war which was not hatched by the governments, the governments alone, independent of the interests of the people, to whom war is always pernicious even when successful.
The government assures the people that they are in danger from the invasion of another nation, or from foes in their midst, and that the only way to escape this danger is by the slavish obedience of the people to their government. This fact is seen most prominently during revolutions and dictatorships, but it exists always and everywhere that the power of the government exists. Every government explains its existence, and justifies its deeds of violence, by the argument that if it did not exist the condition of things would be very much worse. After assuring the people of its danger the government subordinates it to control, and when in this condition compels it to attack some other nation. And thus the assurance of the government is corroborated in the eyes of the people, as to the danger of attack from other nations.   - Tolstoi.

On 9/30/2012 10:17 PM, David Johnson wrote:

----- Original Message -----
From: David Johnson<mailto:dlj725 at hughes.net>
To: david johnson<mailto:dlj725 at hughes.net>
Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2012 9:09 AM

<Mail Attachment.gif><http://antiwar.com/>
<Mail Attachment.jpeg>

<Mail Attachment.jpeg><http://news.antiwar.com/>

<Mail Attachment.gif><http://scotthortonshow.com/>

Declassified Documents Reveal US Military Designated Assange ‘Enemy of State’<http://news.antiwar.com/2012/09/26/declassified-documents-reveal-us-military-designated-assange-enemy-of-state/>
This is the same designation held by al-Qaeda, and it means that Assange could be killed or detained without trial
by John Glaser, September 26, 2012
Print This<http://news.antiwar.com/2012/09/26/declassified-documents-reveal-us-military-designated-assange-enemy-of-state/print/> | Share This<http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20>

Newly declassified documents have revealed that the US military designated WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange an enemy of the state<http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/us-calls-assange-enemy-of-state-20120927-26m7s.html>, who can be killed or detained without trial.

<Mail Attachment.jpeg>The documents were released under a Freedom of Information Act request for an investigation into a US Air Force cyber analyst who allegedly expressed support for WikiLeaks and attended pro-Assange demonstrations.

The investigation, the documents reveal, was meant to determine whether this analyst, who had a top-secret security clearance, had given classified information to WikiLeaks supporters, who the documents describe as an “anti-US and/or anti-military group.”

The documents allege this suspect may have been “communicating with the enemy, 104-D,” an article in the US Uniform Code of Military Justice that prohibits military personnel from “communicating, corresponding or holding intercourse with the enemy,” the same designation held by al-Qaeda.

Assange’s US attorney, Michael Ratner, claims this designation has very dangerous implications and could be interpreted as a green light to kill or detain Assange without charge or trial.

“It appears that Julian Assange and WikiLeaks are the ‘enemy.’ An enemy is dealt with under the laws of war, which could include killing, capturing, detaining without trial, etc.,” Ratner warned.

WikiLeaks is nothing more than a publishing platform and Julian Assange is properly understood as a journalist. For the US military to designate him in the same class as al-Qaeda militants is the greatest affront to first amendment press freedoms in a very long time.

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