Author Topic: The west has just become a giant banana republic  (Read 2130 times)

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Offline AmericanPatriot

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The west has just become a giant banana republic
« on: August 16, 2012, 11:50:49 AM »
Just read this in a newsletter I get, "The Sovereign Man"
www.sovereignman.com
Quote
Date: August 16, 2012
Reporting From: Carthage, Tunisia

Wikileaksfounder Julian Assange has made an admirable habit of enraging westerngovernments over the last few years, particularly the United States.

 Most notably, his release of classified diplomatic documents in 2010 provedruthlessly embarrassing, shining a spotlight on the absurd, petty little worldof international relations.

 Ever since, the US government has done everything it can to stop him. Short ofassassination. They shut down his website, but mirror sites instantly poppedup. They sought legal action, but their efforts have been impeded by thebureaucratic deftness of his attorneys. They froze his bank accounts... butdonations have poured in from all over the world.

 Along the way, Uncle Sam co-opted a number of allied nations to set asidetheir principles for the sake of US interests--

Switzerland rolled over immediately and shuttered Assange's bank accounts.

 Australia (his home country) has remained conspicuously silent on the matter,raising not a single word of protest in his defense. One high ranking Aussiepolitician even publicly suggested that Assange should be killed.

 Sweden has happily played along, trumping up dubious allegations about Assangeand issuing an international arrest warrant.

 And now there's the UK, where Assange has been based. The British governmentlocated and arrested him, yet after his legal team was able to secure bail anddelay extradition, Assange sought refuge at the Ecuadoran embassy in London.He's been living there for two months in violation of his bail.

 Assange knows that, if extradited to Sweden, he'll be shipped off to face thedeath penalty in the US... so the stakes are clearly high. He even petitionedEcuador's president Rafael Correa for political asylum, and just hours ago,Correa agreed.

 Swarms of British police have now descended on the Ecuadoran embassy inLondon. This, on the heels of the British Foreign Ministry issuing a warningletter to Ecuador's government threatening to "take actions in order toarrest Mr. Assange in the current premises of the [Ecuadoran] embassy."

 Such a move would be appalling, to say the least.

 Embassies are hallowed sovereign ground, not to be trespassed. Ever. This isthe most sacrosanct, fundamental, inviolable principle of internationalrelations, explicitly codified in both the Vienna Convention on DiplomaticRelations (1961) and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963).

 Article 27 of the latter, for example, states that "the receiving State[the UK in this case] shall, even in case of armed conflict, respect andprotect the consular premises, together with the property of the consular postand the consular archives."

 International law seems pretty obvious here. Yet British police stand ready tostorm the embassy, arrest Assange, and tear down decades of diplomaticprecedent.

 In a way this is almost poetic. Assange is the man who exposed westerndiplomacy for the fraud that it is. That he would be sent to his death by anegregious violation of its most fundamental principle seems strangelyappropriate.

 Regardless, the whole affair is perhaps the foulest example that westerngovernments will ignore their own laws, or selectively apply them, wheneverthey see fit.

 Legal precedent means nothing. Rule of law means nothing. Free speech meansnothing. Their own treaties mean nothing. It's unbelievable. Anyone in the westwho honestly thinks he's still living in a free society is either a fool orcompletely out of touch.

 If that seems too radical an idea, consider that ECUADOR is now the onlynation which stands to defend freedom and human rights against an assault fromthe United States, the United Kingdom, and their spineless allies.

The west has just become a giant bananarepublic. Have you hit your breaking point yet? If not now... when?

Online IronDioPriest

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Re: The west has just become a giant banana republic
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2012, 01:26:01 PM »
My wife has a job opportunity in Anchorage. If we have to deal with a world crumbling around our ears, the thought of dealing with it somewhere far, far away that is still America-like and where we can go about daily life in large pretending that we are free - that has some appeal.
"A strict observance of the written laws is doubtless one of the high duties of a good citizen, but it is not the highest. The laws of necessity, of self-preservation, of saving our country when in danger, are of higher obligation. To lose our country by a scrupulous adherence to written law, would be to lose the law itself, with life, liberty, property and all those who are enjoying them with us; thus absurdly sacrificing the end to the means."

- Thomas Jefferson

Offline Libertas

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Re: The west has just become a giant banana republic
« Reply #2 on: August 16, 2012, 02:19:09 PM »
The rule of law is dying all around us.  I don't like Julian or the air of do-gooder he cloaks himself in (especially when people are put in jeopardy and even killed as a result of his noble leaks), but sovereign laws should be respected, period.

Thought about Alaska too IDP, but it has its own natural challenges (weather, earthquakes, glaciers, floods, landslides and poor growing season) and structural challenges (not a lot of economic opportunity, still subject to state interference) and demographic challenges (men out number women!).

Perhaps some of those are not a concern, if looking for a place to disappear and live off the land, maybe that will work though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Proenneke

http://www.amazon.com/Alaska-DVD-Package-Dick-Proenneke/dp/B0009PS422

Alaska, Silence & Solitude

I'm game.  Not sure how long I'll last, but heck, I can think of worse places/ways to go!
We are now where The Founders were when they faced despotism.

Offline Alphabet Soup

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Re: The west has just become a giant banana republic
« Reply #3 on: August 16, 2012, 07:20:13 PM »
Quote
If that seems too radical an idea, consider that ECUADOR is now the onlynation which stands to defend freedom and human rights against an assault fromthe United States, the United Kingdom, and their spineless allies.

That's one way of putting it. Another is that ecuador is harboring a terrorist and shooting itself in the foot for now and forever. I say we withdraw, let them all get cozy and relaxed and then provide assange some acupuncture - .308 style.

charlesoakwood

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Re: The west has just become a giant banana republic
« Reply #4 on: August 16, 2012, 09:56:18 PM »

Alaska is a thought.  Trade with Japan could be as easy as with
the lower 48 an it's remoteness will be very difficult for the minions.
If TSHTF Alaska has natural resources that would insure trade with
surviving countries.

Edit: As far as natural inclimintations, think of them as untested wine.

Offline Weisshaupt

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Re: The west has just become a giant banana republic
« Reply #5 on: August 17, 2012, 01:19:30 AM »

Alaska is a thought.  Trade with Japan could be as easy as with
the lower 48 an it's remoteness will be very difficult for the minions.
If TSHTF Alaska has natural resources that would insure trade with
surviving countries.

Edit: As far as natural inclimintations, think of them as untested wine.


With the fall of the US, won't Russia want to take Alaska for itself?
If the US Really goes,  there are going to be massive power shifts as the other would-be bullies move into the fill the void -- the only thing slowing them down will be their own economic issues.

Offline Predator Don

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Re: The west has just become a giant banana republic
« Reply #6 on: August 17, 2012, 07:24:49 AM »
I'll stay right where I am. If the USA falls. I'm as safe on the land I know as opposed to something I don't. I can bury myself in the hills just as easily.
I'm not always engulfed in scandals, but when I am, I make sure I blame others.

Offline AmericanPatriot

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Re: The west has just become a giant banana republic
« Reply #7 on: August 17, 2012, 07:55:58 AM »
Soup, I'm not so sure which is the terrorist anymore.

Offline Alphabet Soup

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Re: The west has just become a giant banana republic
« Reply #8 on: August 17, 2012, 06:14:36 PM »
Soup, I'm not so sure which is the terrorist anymore.

I hear ya, although in this case the enemy of my enemy is still my enemy. assange is America's enemy and needs to take a dirt nap.

Offline Weisshaupt

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Re: The west has just become a giant banana republic
« Reply #9 on: August 17, 2012, 06:44:56 PM »
Soup, I'm not so sure which is the terrorist anymore.

I hear ya, although in this case the enemy of my enemy is still my enemy. assange is America's enemy and needs to take a dirt nap.
In a world where the American govt has become America's enemy, its hard to know what to think.

Offline Libertas

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Re: The west has just become a giant banana republic
« Reply #10 on: August 19, 2012, 06:11:38 PM »
Soup, I'm not so sure which is the terrorist anymore.

I hear ya, although in this case the enemy of my enemy is still my enemy. assange is America's enemy and needs to take a dirt nap.

These calls to release Manning are pathetic too, he needs a sudden stop after a short drop.  If Julian gets his melon canoed from a mile off I'd not lose any sleep over it.
We are now where The Founders were when they faced despotism.