Wednesday 15 December 2010

Wikileaks - Big brother's big brother


UPDATE: Swedish prosecutors have lost their High Court appeal against bail granted to the Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

The greatest threat to society is ignorance. I see this posing a massive threat against us regarding data retention directive (DLD in Norwegian), and with freedom of press and freedom of expression regarding Wikileaks and Julian Assange.

On a weekly basis I talk to people who ask me questions regarding both subjects. And I am shocked by their lack of knowledge. Wake up and smell the coffee, sweetheart...the government has been oppressing you since the day you were born.

I don't enjoy destroying their illusions. If people don't start waking up, they will unknowingly ruin my freedom. These people are drones, and waking up to reality is deeply uncomfortable. Democracy is constantly evolving, and if you don't participate it will evolve into something you really don't want it to. Use that freedom of expression to make sure you remain a free human being.

Use it or loose it.

I am growing tired of debating with ignorant people. If I can access the information, then so can you. The government prefer you to stay stupid and ignorant, we see it in the states where the education system has left the country on the break of total destruction. And in Norway education is not prioritized, the politicians want you working, not educated. Work, make them money, stay dumb. If that does not work, they will start censoring the news papers, the radio, they will twist and distort your information claiming it's for your own good. As with data retention.

Mass surveillance is for our own safety. They are doing this to protect us from terrorists, predators, Pirate Bay and other «serious crime». They are creating an enemy, whom we did not fear at all, mind you. This is information you willingly pass on to the next person. Spreading misinformation like a virus. You recognize China as a supressed country, but fail to see the same prosess at work at home. Res publica. Look it up.

Wikileaks is to me the best example of how this prosses works. Wikileaks has revealed serious war crimes, human rights violations, and corruption spread out over a 4 year period. From human rights violations in Guantanamo Bay, corruption in Kenya, opening up church of scientology, corruption on Iceland, the collateral murder video, the Granai airstrike, the Afghan was diaries, not to mention the diplomatic cables that made governments over the world have a total fit. The list goes on.

Now the US are censoring it's newspapers, students are instructed not to read about wikileaks, library of congress are censoring the material, MasterCard, Visa and Paypal refuse to offer their service to Wikileaks, (that was dealt with) hindering you and me to spend our money the way we want to, claiming Wikileaks is engaged in illegal activities. (Paypal lied and you can read all about that here.) (And let's never forget Bradly Manning.) Yet in spite of all this, wikileaks has not been convicted of any crime. Wikileaks is the messanger, and operates as a media organisation in collaberation with important media such as Guardian, Der Spiegel and New York Times. Yet these are not being persecuted for publishing the same material as Wikileaks. Nor has any other media covering the leaks from across the globe. This is freedom of press. We demonize other countires for censoring people such as Salman Rushdie and Liu Xiaobo, yet we prosecute our own freedom fighters. And we still like to believe we are fully democratic in the west.

Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks is, as we speak, in solitary confinement. He has not been charged with any crime, he has very restriced rights, he is being watched 24/7. Because 2 Swedish girls accused him of rape. I don't see the personal life of Assange to be relevant, but with all the misconseptions I see it as important to sort some facts out.

Assange had consensual sex with Anna Ardin while living in her flat for a few days. She invited Assange to Stockholm to speak at a seminar hosted by The Brotherhood Movement, and was briefly appointed his press secretary during his visit. Ardin tweeted <--this the same day, and the day after, the alleged rape. (Since deleted) Ardin explains how wonderfull it was to hang out with "the coolest people in the world". Wilèn who attended the seminar, more or less stalked Assange.

This ^tweet, her now only listed tweet, is dated desember 12th 2010: "I'm so sick of everything that's happening, will it never end? Want to tell the theoreticians that "the other one" was equally pushy". I have deep sympathies with genuine rape victims as I know a few, but not with Ardin. If you are worried about STD, you go to the doctor, not the cops. This whole thing was a matter between Ardin and Assange, not for the public eye and certainly not for the cops. If your date don't call you the next day, take it up with your girlfriends, not a lawyer.

Please read more about the details here, here and here and last but not least: here. (Last link is in swedish, please use google translate if needed) The rape charges were dropped the same day, as there were no evidence of rape. Then the charge were changed to «sex by surprise». (In Sweden having consecual sex without condom is apparently rape, not listed here.) Assange offered to come in for questioning while in Sweden, but this was denied. He did stay 1 month longer than planned in order to get the questioning done. Denied. He was told he was free to leave the country. 3 months later he is wanted by the Interpol for questioning in Sweden. (Read Wolf's thoughts on the state pimping feminism here) I agree whole heartedy with Wolf in what Ardin and Wilèn are doing, is a grave insult to rape victims all over the world.

Assange has to this day not been charged with anything, and his lawyer has not been presented with any evidence. He has repeatedly offered to go in for questioning at the embassy in London or via video link, but this has again been denied. Assange gave the british police his contact information as soon as he arrived in England, and he turned him self in. Assange has been granted bail, but that was appealed by the UK authorities (!) And now we have to wait for another 24 hours to know the outcome of that. If he is released on bail, he will be kept in house arrest, he has to report everyday, he has to hand over his pass port and wear a electronic tracker. If he's not released on bail we are looking on months of appealing. What a massive waste of money.

We know the US are doing everything they can to extradite Assange and charge him with espionage, when he in fact wanted to involve the US government. But this request was denied. The US are sending shock waves through free press all over the world: Assange is not the criminal, the governments who committed the war crimes, the corruption, the human rights violations are the criminals. The same people who now want him dead. There has not been a single piece of evidence as to claim Wikileaks has put any lives at risk.

In his own words: "Every time WikiLeaks publishes the truth about abuses committed by US agencies, Australian politicians chant a provably false chorus with the State Department: "You'll risk lives! National security! You'll endanger troops!" Then they say there is nothing of importance in what WikiLeaks publishes. It can't be both. Which is it?"

In fact Assange is just letting you and me know whats really going on, putting his life on the line. Julian Assange is the Robin Hood of the information age. Wikileaks is opening up Governments. And you better be grateful enough to take that information and educate yourself any way you can.

This is historical, this is about internet freedom, and about press freedom. And you have to use these rights to maintain them.

On a brighter note: I want to point out that Wikileaks now have 2.194 mirror sites, and a massive support group across the globe. Assange had 382.o24 votes on Time's "Man of the year" (He didnt win, big surprise), more than 10 people offered large sums of money for his bail. Wikileaks has massive support with the people ( 1.371020 fans on Facebook), and functions as an inspiration for new similar organizations just starting up. Demonstrations has taken place is several countries. People are indeed waking up.

Finally I highly reccomend the Forbes interview for a good look into the mind of Assange and the workings of Wikileaks.

Tuesday 7 December 2010

Operation Payback - Anonymous Message About ACTA Laws, Internet Censorsh...


What happens when the governments of the world tries to take away our freedom? What happens when freedom fighters are being hunted down and arrested? The people fight back. The internet belongs to us. And the hackers are our soldiers. No blood, no killing. This is information war. This is payback time. It's on.

My deepest thanks and all my respect and support goes out to "Operation Payback" that shut down We will support you any way we can.


<-0-> 93 Thank you 93 <-0->

- Support Wikileaks -

From Operation Payback:

"Operation Payback (is a bitch), this is the Internet, we run this. An open message from Anonymous to the governments of the world and their legal leeches regarding the motivation of the cyber protests.

Corrupt governments of the world, we are anonymous. For some time now, voices have been crying out in unison against the new ACTA laws. The gross inadequacies of the new laws being passed internationally have been pointed out repeatedly. Our chief complaint is that such measures would restrict people's access to the internet.

In these modern times access to the internet is fast becoming a basic human right. Just like any other basic human right, we believe that it is wrong to infringe upon it. To threaten to cut people off from the global consciousness as you have is criminal and abhorrent. To move to censor content on the internet based on your own prejudice is at best laughably impossible, at worst, morally reprehensible.

The unjust restrictions you impose on us will meet with disaster and only strengthen our resolve to disobey and rebel against your tyranny. Such actions taken against you, and those you out source your malignant litigation too, are inevitable, unavoidable and unstoppable.

We Are Anonymous,

We Are Legion And Divided By Zero.

We Do Not Forgive Internet Censorship

And We Do Not Forget Free Speech.

We Are Over 9000,

Expect Us!"


Thursday 2 December 2010

Contest


Batcheeba will be giving away 3 CDs. So let's have a little contest. Take a picture you feel fits the title "Those Without Skin", and add it to fan photos on facebook (One photo per person). I will pick 3 winners and send them a copy of "A Collection Of Trails" . The competition will last until Saturday 12/12.

Enjoy.