James Campbell on Julian Assange:

Every now and again an event occurs that helps to clear up any doubts you might have had that Lefties see the world differently.

Most of us would probably assume progressive politicians would not want to be seen anywhere near a bloke who had skipped bail to avoid extradition over alleged sex crimes.

But if, like Julian Assange, you also happen to be a thorn in the side of the US government, different rules apply.

For some bizarre reason, the Australian government – your government – felt it was a good idea for Assange be accompanied on his journey home by not one but two former Labor politicians, Stephen Smith, our man in London, and the Ruddster himself, currently taking care of business in Washington until the commencement of the second Trump administration.

Assange, it must be remembered, took shelter in the Ecuadorean embassy in London after he lost his fight against extradition to Sweden where authorities wanted him for questioning over sexual assault allegations by two women.

That the US subsequently did seek his extradition on espionage charges does not change the fact the claim he needed to stay out of Sweden because he risked being sent to America was always absolute bullshit.

As one of his alleged victims pointed out to The Australian this weekend: “Sweden doesn’t have an extradition agreement with the US that the UK has.”

The way Assange was able to get otherwise sane people to repeat his nonsense shows the extent to which Leftoids will overlook anything as long as you share the right enemies.

The government’s embrace of the bloke is even harder to understand given there’s no real question he damaged Australia’s national security. As Peter Jennings, who at the time was a senior bureaucrat in Defence, wrote this week, Assange’s 2010 publication “of uncensored battlefield reports put our forces, indeed the whole of the international coalition in Afghanistan, and the many brave Afghans fighting with us, under serious risk”.

Bizarrely, however, there are still people who claim there’s no evidence Assange’s actions caused danger to anyone. Tell that to the family of Majid Jamali Fashi, a kickboxer hanged by Iran in 2012 after “confessing” to killing an Iranian nuclear scientist on behalf of Mossad.

In 2010, Fashi was arrested within days of WikiLeaks publishing a US diplomatic cable which related material from an Iranian source who described how “private martial arts clubs and their managers are under intense pressure to co-operate with Iranian intelligence and Revolutionary Guard organisations, both in training members and in working as ‘enforcers’ in repression of protests and politically motivated killings”.

Assange’s publication of this cable, written by a diplomat in Baku, Azerbaijan – who described the information as coming from “a licensed martial arts coach and trainer from Tabriz currently visiting Baku” – allegedly enabled Iranian authorities to identify Fashi as the source. If that was so, then Assange deserved everything he had coming to him from the US justice system, and it’s a damn shame our Prime Minister shielded him from it.

According to The Guardian’s Karen Middleton, “the deliberate and determined effort to secure Assange’s release involved many people – but prime ministerial advocacy was central to achieving it”.

Bizarrely, despite the fact he released a photo of himself on the phone with Assange, Middleton was in awe at Albanese’s restraint: “With all the accolades flowing, he must have been tempted to meet him off the plane and receive them in person. But he chose to stay away from the media circus surrounding his return.”

Fear not, though. Albo intends they will catch up “but he’ll gauge the response first”, Middleton reassured Guardian readers, who may have felt the nation’s leader wasn’t doing enough for their hero, adding: “That will determine how soon and whether he does it in public or in private.”

Lefties, they’re different I tell you, different.

Rather different tune from all the flogs clamouring over who saved the bloke.

Under-pressure WA senator Fatima Payman vows to continue fighting for her beliefsJoe SpagnoloThe West Australian
Sun, 30 June 2024 2:00AM

After a bruising week, WA senator Fatima Payman says she cannot promise Prime Minister Anthony Albanese or her Labor colleagues that she will not cross the floor again — even if it means jeopardising her political career.
Senator Payman admitted to The Sunday Times she had not had any contact with her WA and Federal colleagues since crossing the floor to support a motion recognising the State of Palestine, but said she was prepared to wear the repercussions of her actions in pursuit of what she believes to be right.
“It’s probably impacted our relationship,” she said.
“If the Caucus is upset with me, I don’t have control over their emotions and how they are letting this affect them.

“This is an important issue to me — fighting for justice, equality and freedom is something I hold very dearly.
“I can’t afford to be silent on this matter.”
The 29-year-old defied party ranks on Tuesday when she crossed the floor — the first time any Labor politician has done so since 1998, and sparking a political firestorm in the process.
In Federal Labor, no one ever goes against “The Family” — not publicly anyway, with an expectation all follow the “all for one, and one for all” mantra in the public domain.
Party rules for candidates state: “If elected to Parliamentary Office I will, on all questions before the Parliament, vote as a majority of the Parliamentary Labor Party may decide at a properly constituted caucus meeting.”
So Senator Payman’s move to cross the floor to vote with the Greens and crossbench senators Lidia Thorpe and David Pocock, left Prime Minister Anthony Albanese red-faced and left many of her colleagues seething.
Several Labor sources spoken to by The Sunday Times were scathing of Senator Payman’s actions, with calls for her to be expelled from the party.
“She should be expelled,” a source said.
“It is a long-held rule of the party and the foundation upon which it is built that the party acts collectively and that decisions are made at party level at the expense of individual views.
“If you do disagree with that view, you have two options — suck it up or resign.”
Another Labor source claimed the Senator’s preselection in four years’ time would now be in jeopardy because of her actions.
“There is a lot of anger towards her,” a Labor source said.
“Her colleagues are really angry at her.
“It might be tough for her to be preselected (again).
“If she continues to vote against the party, there is no way back for her.”
Mr Albanese hauled Senator Payman into his Parliament House office to tell her she could not attend any Labor Caucus meetings this week as punishment for her actions. Several Labor sources believed he should have been tougher.
Senator Payman said she respected Mr Albanese, but admitted their meeting was tough.
“It was very similar to being taken to the principal’s office for a telling-off,” she said of the experience.
“I told the Prime Minister I literally made my mind up (to vote with Greens and independents) on the floor (of the Senate).
“I had spent the whole day, thinking, reflecting, praying.
“I knew this (decision) was above me.
“It wasn’t a self-indulgent act.
“I understood that by me crossing (the floor) this could mean I’d be expelled from the party.
“So I was conscious of the fact that my membership could be terminated.”
Mr Albanese made clear this week he expected Senator Payman to toe the line.
“We expect that people will participate in our caucus process and comply,” he said.
Even so, Senator Payman remains unrepentant about her stance.

“It’s probably impacted our relationship,” [Senator Payman] said.

“If the Caucus is upset with me, I don’t have control over their emotions and how they are letting this affect them.

Commits political adultery, and then says,

“It’s not me, it’s you.”

I did predict this lady was going to be big trouble for the ALP.

Woolworths, apparently, thinx lotza shoppers suffer from short term memory loss ..a month ago they raised the price of Home brand tinned cat food from $1.65 to $1.85 425g tin ..
This week they have reduced the same cat food via one of their “locked down saver price” specials from $1.85 to $1.65 …

“I think he has the capacity,” Marles says when asked if Joe Biden has what it takes for the next four years.

He is, of course, lying.

What’s interesting is he either doesn’t realise or doesn’t care that he looks like an idiot.

Mind you, he also things Senator Payman is true blue Labor.

Perhaps Marles is as dim-witted as he looks.

The American public should know exactly how incapable their CinC is.

Which brings us to the question, do enough Americans fear/hate Trump so much that they’re prepared to come out en masse and vote for Biden?

Absent a substantial turnout, I don’t think any Democrat ballot shenanigans being planned would have plausibility.

“We’ve had diverse views in the caucus from various people, various perspectives on the table. But I think we need to embrace that diversity of views.”

Putting my Nietzschean hat on for a moment…

The call for diversity is but a masked will to power.

Once power is achieved, diversity is out the window (sometimes literally).

$40 billion a year ain'[t “meagre” .. FFS!

With Australia increasingly recognising Indigenous land claims, now the climate battle often involves First Nations people.
Armed with relatively meagre resources, they’re usually represented by legal charities and supported by philanthropists — and facing off with multi-billion-dollar fossil fuel companies or governments.

Roger at 10:36.

Absent a substantial turnout, I don’t think any Democrat ballot shenanigans being planned would have plausibility.

Now you’ve hit on why the Dimocrats are in panic.
This isn’t a forced binary choice.
Option 3 is to stay home.
I don’t see too many people pounding on the door of a polling station to vote for “Err What’s My Name Again” if Friday was any example of his best tub-thumping rev up.

The Thursday debate merely followed election tradition and had barely any impact on Americans, who have to acknowledge the reality that neither candidate can bring vitality to a stagnant US political scene, Chinese observers said on Friday.

Hahahahaha, XI is up for reelection this year?

Note: This isn’t the first time the Demons have hidden their candidates physical failings.

FDR.

He was diagnosed with poliomyelitis and underwent years of therapy, including hydrotherapy at Warm Springs, Georgia. Roosevelt remained paralyzed from the waist down and relied on a wheelchair and leg braces for mobility, which he took efforts to conceal in public.

It was never spoken about in the media at the time and when in front of the camera they hid his impairment with various tricks.

The Jan 6 protestors were charged under 18 U.S. Code § 1512 – Tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant
(c)Whoever corruptly—(1)alters, destroys, mutilates, or conceals a record, document, or other object, or attempts to do so, with the intent to impair the object’s integrity or availability for use in an official proceeding; or
(2)otherwise obstructs, influences, or impedes any official proceeding, or attempts to do so,
shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.

SCOTUS has over turned this. Federal prosecutors have threatened to introduce new charges and seek higher sentences if appeals based on the SCOTUS Judgment are made and upheld.

One remembers shrillary destroying her computer when it was under subpoena by Mueller.

“Really? I didn’t know that. You’re telling me for the first time.”

Could be that you simply forgot until you were reminded.

Australians are constantly being made aware of these choices in our procurement program.

Actually, we chose French subs first for some inexplicable reason and when it finally became obvious it wasn’t the best choice, we moved on. So, no it doesn’t show anything you’re trying to suggest. It actually shows the exact opposite.

It’s been the global hegemon for the last thirty years, of course its going to be far and away the largest arms exporter.

You don’t say.

NW Pacific presents no strategic problem to the US?

Nope, it doesn’t.