Jullian Assange has been arrested following removal of asylum by the Ecuadorian Government

Wow! I am seeing the beginnings of self -awareness here...(a painful path we must all traverse...)

No. The sum total of human experience (since the beginning of time), distilled into reason-able law (which is an ongoing project) need not be synonymous with a self-interested 'ruling elite'.

 

One ring to rule them all.
I can just smell the liberty.

 

The ruling elite are not like other humans.
They truly care about us.
They print currency we need.
They know what's best, the've been doing God's work, as Jamie Dimon informed us.

 

Ah, the rub, a selfless elite who know what is best for all of us, even if it requires a few human sacrifices. What’s one or two million compared to the survival of the species.

 

Like reasoning that those responsible for most of the war, death and human misery on this planet are going to bring us together under a glorious liberty filled tent and kiss all of our boo boos away?

 

Taking anything to far is never a good thing
Much better to compromis and learn from Both sides

 

And what is the comprise between love and rape? Marriage to a monster? And if the concrete is too abstract to comprehend, let’s abstract it this way: and what is the compromise between life and death? A drooling zombie?

 

Ok, then he's being held due to the US extradition request, next the British need to determine if he's not extraditable because what he's accused of is not a crime in Britain.

 

So, if it were not for "international relations based on MAD" it would be possible to break into a US govt computer, steal classified info, and commit sex offenses in Sweden without getting into any trouble for it.
I don't know what kind of "international relations" you would like to see that would allow such a thing, or why you think such actions should be allowed.

 

International relations based on MAD explains why anyone would be at all interested in breaking into a US govt. computer (…..boring, get a life!)

International relations based on MAD are the antithesis of reason - in fact, such relations are … MAD.

 

Nuclear deterrence -NOT international relations, is based on "MAD". Take it from an actual professor of International Relations with years of experience, such relations are based on strategic interests, trade, custom and cultural affinities. For 2 of the nuclear powers recognized by the UN, "MAD" (the principle of unlimited nuclear response to such an attack) represented a deterrent to any use of these weapons and was effective. Though the principle did not apply to anything other than nuclear weapons use against the US or Russia (and maybe China).

 

You say, as a professor of international relations: "such relations are based on strategic interests, trade, custom and cultural affinities".....and on the concept of 'legal war' - which is why as many people have been killed in wars since 1946, as in WW2 itself.

The history of the enforced adoption of the veto in the UNSC is informative.

https://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre1946091800

And so poor reason - with its proposition of an international rules-based system, is still imprisoned by ancient custom.

Mad....

 

Assange has been sentenced to 50 weeks in a British jail - that means 25

According to everything I have heard this would normally have resulted in no time in prison, particularly as the original charges against him have been dropped. No doubt this is to give the US time to try and organise his extradition. Sorry to see the English courts have shown themselves to act on politics rather than justice.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2...ailed-for-50-weeks-for-breaching-bail-in-2012

 

I have several good friends who are British.

That said, and as the legal proceedings show, the British government is made up mostly of heathens.

 

Scotland and I think N Ireland have different judicial systems to England and Wales. This was England and Wales. I have been very impressed as to how they have refused again and again to deem criticism of Israel or involvement in BDS antisemitism or a crime as some other European States and the US has. It had given me hope that in England the Judiciary was a check and balance. However this suggests otherwise. The first Judge was without question prejudiced against him, not through any criminal information given to him but on prejudice built by his previous thinking of him. In that case he suggested that Assange would get a year and put for him to be seen in the Crown Court. By making the trial in the Crown Court the previous judge was making it a must that Assange would get at least 6 months as that is the least they give unless he was declared innocent which would be a bit hard. Had he been sent to a District court (I think that's what they're called in England) he could have got ten days or even had the case dismissed. When I later discovered that originally people had thought he would just get a telling off, that that would have been the usual punishment, that or maybe ten days in jail it looked like a set up.

However that being said, it is another argument as to whether he will be sent to the US.

 

MAD is not that bad. Without it we would have had WWIII by now and would be looking at WWIV.

 

Where did you get the idea that criticism of Israel or support or involvement in BDS is a crime in the US?

 

As a distant observer, it seems to me the British courts in this Assange matter are at about the same level they were in the days of Oliver Twist and the American Revolution.

I suspect they will deliver to the US whatever it wants, rule of law and justice be damned.

 

From various news sources?

A handful of states have passed legislation to that effect, though I think at least one of those has been deemed unconstitutional by a federal court.

Point is, such legislation forbidding support of BDS efforts DOES EXIST.

 

I think you've either misinterpreted something or have been misinformed. It's not a crime to support BDS. We have a First Amendment.

 

and it is on the First Amendment that it was tested in Texas. A woman lost her job for not agreeing not to support BDS

https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/26/texas-boycott-israel-bill/

Excuse source. Came first and I am tired. Your colleges and Universities are having a really hard time with this but anti BDS laws are widespread in the US. I think Texas was the first for it to be appealed on the first amendment. I heard Puerto Rico had to sign saying they would have nothing to do with BDS before they got aid.

Now, our Government tried this. They said that English and Wales councils could not be involved in BDS and they were taken to court when they decided they would anyway. The court ruled that they had every right to do so as we are a democracy and they have freedom to decide their political views. We don't have a first amendment but English courts have been good at being able to separate what is political and what is prejudice.

 

It is unbelievable. I think by law in England people are not supposed to give information after someone has been charged and before the trial is over. The reason for this being so as not to affect the judgement of the judge or jury. Obviously Assange has been news now for several years and these people had build up their personal prejudiced opinion of him based on what they felt about that. That is not what he was charged with. I have been wondering whether in fact under that law, he should not have been brought to court as it would appear that this would make it unlikely he could get a fair trial. Other people get off because of this. I think that was why Tommy Robinson was arrested. Those being charged could have argued that what he was coming out with made it unlikely they would get a fair trial. It certainly shows that that is a good law. Assange got a year not because of his crime but because of what I am assuming Etonians thought of his behaviour in the Ecuador Embassy.
.............. and yes our current Government will give to the US what it wants. It depends on whether that court is going to act like this one. I noticed someone arguing that as we do not have a first amendment it would do best arguing on the base of political freedoms.

 

So your argument that it is a crime to support BDS in the US is that the law was struck down and is invalid?

So...not a crime.

 

But the US, and some other governments, support MAD...or (non-nuclear) 'mad', which is in any case the legal destruction of life, and therefore an oxymoron, and the antithesis of rule of law.

National military-security complexes, grounded in the reptilian brain, still 'rule' the world. That's why Assange is in jail.

 

No it remains a crime in many states and had been for two years in Texas. This was the first appeal. What I said was correct. There are also punishments for firms following BDS. Your country does put loyalty to Israel above your first amendment. One person has fought it on the first amendment and won waiting appeal. It does not mean other people are not being harmed by this and by others similar. You should watch the Al Jazeera tapes on the Israeli Lobby in America