One would think that the actual fact of an indictment and extradition demand from the United States would put an end to that diversionary discourse, but unfortunately that smoke is still blowing, from all the same lips.
And most of that smoke is wafting out of the garbage fire fueled by one accelerant: "Assange is an a**hole."
At this point, there are two types of discourse about Julian Assange.
There's A: "Assange may be an a**hole, but that's irrelevant. The USG is not going to drag him here, prosecute him, and put him in prison for a very long time for being an a**hole. The USG is doing that to punish him for revealing embarrassing truths about its crimes, and to intimidate every other journalist who might think about doing that again. That's the only relevant issue here, and we are obliged to focus our energies on it and on preventing that from happening."
Then there's B (a position roundly skewered by C. J. Hopkins): "Assange is a real a**hole. He's a dirty, smelly-cat, skateboarding, sh*t-smearing rapist and Russian agent. Yeah, it may not be such a good idea for the USG to be prosecuting him, though it's such a minor charge and it's about hacking and not publishing secrets and not all that dangerous. And did I tell you what an a**hole he is?! In the context of what's going on, I really want to make sure to detail for you day after day what an a**hole he is. That's the important thing that you should know. He's such an a**hole. And don't forget Russian agent! Have I mentioned that he's an a**hole?"
These are two different discourses, which have, and are meant to have, opposite political effects. It's clear that people spreading each of these discourses spend their energy on, care about, and are doing different things, and really want their audience to care about and do different things. One group of people is defending Assange and encouraging its audience to defend him from USG prosecution; the other, while ostensibly distancing itself from the USG position, is in fact acting as the USG's amicus curiae, helping to prosecute Assange on "other" charges, and encouraging its audience not to be concerned about what happens to him. Let's not be fooled about this. Assange may be an a**hole, but the people spreading the latter discourse are definitely scumbags.
The lies and diversions will not stop. But I do want to deconstruct two of the favorite deceptive and irrelevant cinders that becloud the eyes of those hesitant to see themselves as accomplices of the USG's and the Trump administration's war on a free press.
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