... which he played some part in making happen:
If the question is how I personally feel about the situation, I am mixed: Hillary Clinton and the network around her imprisoned one of our alleged sources for 35 years, Chelsea Manning, tortured her according to the United Nations, in order to implicate me personally. According to our publications Hillary Clinton was the chief proponent and the architect of the war against Libya. It is clear that she pursued this war as a staging effort for her Presidential bid. It wasn't even a war for an ideological purpose. This war ended up producing the refugee crisis in Europe, changing the political colour of Europe, killing more than 40,000 people within a year in Libya, while the arms from Libya went to Mali and other places, boosting or causing civil wars, including the Syrian catastrophe. If someone and their network behave like that, then there are consequences. Internal and external opponents are generated. Now there is a separate question on what Donald Trump means.
So, what does he think Trump means?
Hillary Clinton's election would have been a consolidation of power in the existing ruling class of the United States. Donald Trump is not a DC insider, he is part of the wealthy ruling elite of the United States, and he is gathering around him a spectrum of other rich people and several idiosyncratic personalities. They do not by themselves form an existing structure, so it is a weak structure which is displacing and destabilising the pre-existing central power network within DC. It is a new patronage structure which will evolve rapidly, but at the moment its looseness means there are opportunities for change in the United States: change for the worse and change for the better."
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72 comments:
I sorta agree with him. Does that meamn I am a bad person?
He leaves out the soap opera news media and Trump being able to defeat it.
That deprives soap opera women of an editorial voice, leaving them only with known imbecilic entertainment.
Which isn't much good any longer to free-ride on, if you're a democrat. You wanted the editorial voice.
Amadeus 48, I know what mean. Assange's analysis has merit. We do need people like him who operate outside standard game rules.
He's right that Trump presents an opportunity that may produce good and may produce evil. Probably some of both.
By the way, merry holidays, everyone! It's a special day for Christians. I'm still waiting for the boys to wake up.
"This war ended up producing the refugee crisis in Europe, changing the political colour of Europe, killing more than 40,000 people within a year in Libya, while the arms from Libya went to Mali and other places, boosting or causing civil wars, including the Syrian catastrophe."
Well that's weird...I have a sudden desire to rush out and buy some kind of knickknack with Hillary's image on it.
"I sorta agree with him."
So do I.
"Does that meamn I am a bad person?"
We sorta are.
A Trump presidency means the slow motion implosion of the MSM continues.
Assange is meticulous with his language. And he has assumed a role of the anti-propagandist force, and as such he relies on his being credited to be a truth teller. Interesting fellow. He could do well as a lawyer. But for now he is a modern John the Baptist figure.
Quite astute. I admit that such a calculation went into my vote. I was terrified of a provenly corrupt candidate with a broad pre-existing network in government.
traditionalguy said...
"...But for now he is a modern John the Baptist figure."
Interesting view. I'll be thinking about that one.
I am Laslo.
We've been playing with a marked deck for so long.
Nice to have a Wild Card thrown in.
I am Laslo.
For the life of me I don't understand why all of Europe isn't in a complete uproar over this refugee invasion. It was completely avoidable if Barack and Hillary were competent.
The two of them fundamentally changed Europe forever. Barack also worked some magic here.
Hillary Clinton and the network around her imprisoned one of our alleged sources for 35 years, Chelsea Manning, tortured her according to the United Nations, in order to implicate me personally.
35 years?
Quaestor, the way that statement was structured leaves open the possibility that the individual whom Assange claims has been imprisoned for 35 years need not be Manning.
Merry Christmas!
Manning received a 35 year sentence. Whether he serves all 35 years is another matter.
Manning is 29, so that struck me as odd too. I think Assange means that the sentence was for 35 years. Researching this is somewhat hampered since I am travelling and much of what I am finding is rendering in Spanish.
" . . tortured her according to the United Nations, in order to implicate me personally."
I heard that they make him parade around in women's clothes and a wig. Some day the fascists who did this to Manning will be made to pay. They'll be the first against the wall when the revolution comes.
".....change for the worse and change for the better..."
Incisive.
"David Begley said...
For the life of me I don't understand why all of Europe isn't in a complete uproar over this refugee invasion. It was completely avoidable if Barack and Hillary were competent.
The two of them fundamentally changed Europe forever. Barack also worked some magic here."
Euro leaders like Merkel are also complicit. They have committed sovereign suicide. A lesson for us.
why is such clarity about clinton so rare?
Remarkable testimony. Remarkable man.
I am going to lean into Hope for the Good, with mr. Assange a perfect example of 21st Century Promise.
2017 began already, the clock is ticking gently into the future.
may wisdom, strength and loving-kindness bless each and every One this day.
(Thank you, Lord, for this excellent idea, this nation. Thank you, Lord, for this moment now.)
I have mixed feelings about Assange and his motives, however he is correct that Trump has destabilized both parties in the US. "Traditional" Republicans have been displaced and the entire Democratic party structure is in turmoil. Though many of Trump's nominees are from the " rich ruling class" most of them got there by their own efforts which is certainly different from the Clinton crew who are essentially parasites on the body politic. I think "idiosyncratic" is an excellent word for describing the future Trump administration. I don't think that is a bad thing.
"traditionalguy said...
'...But for now he is a modern John the Baptist figure.'
Interesting view. I'll be thinking about that one.
I am Laslo."
Agreed. Then again, I don't remember John saying the one who's coming could be good, could be bad. Anyway, let's meet him after a cold bath. It'll sharpen the senses.
I'm pretty sure that in the fullness of time Assange will come to the opinion that the problems of the world and his own personal problems are the fault of President Trump.......You can claim with some justification that Bush, Clinton, Obama, Sykes-Picot et al. adopted policies that made thngs worse, but somewhere along the line I would appreciate mention of the mistakes made by Saddam, Qaddafi, Assad, Nasser, Farouk et al........I just don't see how you can interact with such leaders and walk away with a happy meal.
In some ways Assange is a kindred spirit with Trump in that he is not afraid to say things that others dare not speak. I've always felt that Libya was a prequel to Hillary's presidential campaign (complete with the "we came, we saw, he died" quote) but this viewpoint was kind of verboten in the establishment media.
I have a newfound respect for Assange.
Meade to Amadeus 48:
"I sorta agree with him."
So do I.
So do I
"Does that meamn I am a bad person?"
We sorta are.
Of course we are . We're deplorables.
Merry Christmas everybody. And thanks to our hostess for all her work in providing another year of hang-out space at Café Deplorable.
I agree with him and I'm a good person.
I'd like to think Assange is [as Athouse claims to be] 'cruelly neutral'. Right now he's one of the most believable sources we have.
Assange is right about Hillary, but like a stopped clock is right twice a day. Bernie also had some cogent criticisms of Hillary (when he wasn't backing off like a scared rabbit), but his own ideas were even loonier. I suspect Assange is similar, and he will want to undermine Trump as well.
Something wrong with me, that I kinda like Assange now. How'd that happen?
"Quaestor, the way that statement was structured leaves open the possibility that the individual whom Assange claims has been imprisoned for 35 years need not be Manning."
It's badly worded. What he means is that the prison sentence given to Manning is 35 years. The sentence was imposed 3 years ago.
"...there are opportunities for change in the United States: change for the worse and change for the better."
This is also my hope and my fear.
But I was convinced Hillary was a sure thing. And not for the better.
Though many of Trump's nominees are from the " rich ruling class" most of them got there by their own efforts which is certainly different from the Clinton crew who are essentially parasites on the body politic.
I completely agree.
I became convinced of Codevella's thesis about the Ruling Class six years ago and nothing has changed my mind.
Romney was my hope for change but he was too timid in his campaign.
Trump is anything but timid. Will he be competent ?
So far he looks good but he must have better impulse control. Kellyanne is his superego, I think.
I am hopeful, which I was not a year ago.
Merry Christmas. It has been a good year.
Selective news meet selective leaker.
It's like listening to a static-broken broadcast. But still, as he says, we do have a chance on this snowy Christmas morning.
Merry Christmas all.
i agree with assange, but still think trump will be very bad for this country. i hope i'm wrong.
Assange is European. His vision does not include a full fledged Andrew Jackson populist. That is a phenomenon exclusive to the rebellious USA.
Jackson would do whatever he saw as a victory over Europeans and any Americans working for them over his own people. He hated British arrogance trying to own the North American land. After that victory, he would be satisfied. America First summed up Old Hickory .
"America First summed up Old Hickory ."
He made some serious mistakes, one of which was closing the US Bank. Trump understands finance better.
The Democrats may commit institutional suicide fighting him.
There are hundreds of thousands of non-US citizens' opinion of the Trump Presidency that are more cogent to the political and economic interests of the American people than Julian Assange's.
The ruling class tried to jamb Hillary down America's throat, but we hacked her up like a hair ball.
Bob Boyd, "jam" and "hocked". Sorry. QA in me.
'...But for now he is a modern John the Baptist figure.'
Which would cast Hillary as Salome, doing the dance of the seven pants suits.
I agree with the ‘sort ofs’. The American people need an alternative to msm information control. The goose stepping and falling on your sword for the sake of a political party makes me want to retch. Having been a longtime independent and more libertarian, the created power structure of each party leaves me cold. We need to be rid of career politicians, create a vibrancy that gives voice back to the people.
Not a particular Trump fan and have doubts about his administrations ability to shore up and strengthen the flagging economy, control and reverse the soaring national debt and fix the foreign relations mess. Things move in cycles. I suspect we are in for a very rough ride.
Assange is pretty much the only media figure nowadays powerful enough to have both a complete understanding of U.S. politics and a completely independent relationship to it. And WikiLeaks is the only thing keeping any currently semi-stable world/global order from being blown to smithereens and descending back into the stone age.
"But for now he is a modern John the Baptist figure."
Which would cast Hillary as Salome, doing the dance of the seven pants suits.
I see Hillary more as Herodia. Huma might be Salome.
Assange seems close to the mark on both counts, Hillary and Trump.
Bob Ellison said...
"Bob Boyd, "jam" and "hocked". Sorry. QA in me."
You're right about Jam. Sorry. Carpenter in me.
But as to hacked/hocked, I've heard people say both "hock a loogie" and "hack a loogie", but hack is much more common where I live. A "hacking cough" is also a common phrase. I think either works equally well. There was no doubt about what I meant.
Merry Christmas, Bob!
@Lemondog: We need to be rid of career politicians, create a vibrancy that gives voice back to the people.
A necessary, but not sufficient, condition for that is to reduce the power of Government. The Citizenry must be more self-reliant, less willing to outsource their decisions.
Curious George: "Euro leaders like Merkel are also complicit. They have committed sovereign suicide. A lesson for us"
The secular left is utterly incapable of recognizing or dealing with the desire of the islamists to establish the caliphate.
The number of instances where the EU/National political leaders are outlawing Christian expressions in the public square while allowing the islamists to do what they wish are too numerous to mention here.
The secular surrender to the islamists in Europe is already far along. No wonder the jihadis feel so emboldened. How could they not? The European secular left is basically telling the jihadis that their beliefs regarding islam superiority over Christianity is true and accepted by the would be dhimmi's.
@Michael K Great link. Thanks. Accurate analysis and anticipation of the "populist" movement that brought us Trump. Thomas Sowell makes the same points about the ruling class in his "Vision of the Anointed" with extensive examples. Change is very discomforting. I will be very disappointed if Trump is not the agent of change we think he is.
I see Hillary more as Herodias. Huma might be Salome.
Spot on. The idea of Hillary doing any sort of dance is too hideous to contemplate.
'...But for now he is a modern John the Baptist figure.'
Which would cast Hillary as Salome, doing the dance of the seven pants suits.
Very bad visual here. I wish I could get it out of my head.
Drago states: The secular surrender to the islamists in Europe is already far along. No wonder the jihadis feel so emboldened. How could they not? The European secular left is basically telling the jihadis that their beliefs regarding islam superiority over Christianity is true and accepted by the would be dhimmi's.
The only good thing about Europe's failure is that we can learn how to avoid it here.
Assange literally nailed it with the part linking the Libya war and Clinton's presidential campaign. The interview where in which she dropped the line about how "we came, we saw, he died" had campaign ad, audience tested phraseology written all over it. I have often wondered how long it took her staff throwing around ideas prior to the interview before they came up with that. The only reason it never got traction in this campaign was because the Libya war had already turned into a fiasco by the time she was officially running again- ironically, it was the Republicans that got to use the phrase, and against her.
The rest of the Assange quote is also quite insightful- Trump is a disruptive force, and that can be good or bad depending on the course of events.
As I wrote here several months back- Assange is doing God's work. It is a pity you can't get journalists in the US to do this any longer- all they want to do is fellate whatever Democrat wants it.
MichaelK,
Yes, I have often found myself rereading that essay, or thinking about it, this past year and a half. Probably Codevilla's very best.
Tcrosse et al, let's hope that Mr Assange keeps his head.
tcrosse said...
I see Hillary more as Herodias. Huma might be Salome.
Spot on. The idea of Hillary doing any sort of dance is too hideous to contemplate.
*********
OTOH, I would look forward with great anticipation to Melania doing the Dance of Seven Veils, with maybe an eighth encore, IYKWIS...
And Obama was her Puppet in Chief?
"Probably Codevilla's very best."
He has a very good one in the latest issue of Claremont Review of Books, which has replaced NR and TWS in my reading list.
His combination of Gramsci and Machiavelli is inspired.
Every form of progressivism bases itself on the claim of a special, “scientific,” knowledge of what is wrong with humanity and how to fix it. The formula is straightforward: the world is not as it should be because society’s basic, “structural” feature is ordered badly. Everything else is “superstructural,” meaning that it merely reflects society’s fundamental feature. For Marx and his followers that feature is conflict over the means of production in “present-day society.” From the dawn of time, this class warfare has led to “contradictions”: between types of work, town and country, oppressors or oppressed, and so on. The proletariat’s victory in that conflict will establish a new reality by crushing all contradictions out of existence. Other branches of progressivism point to a different structural problem. For Freudians it’s sexual maladjustment, for followers of Rousseau it’s social constraint, for positivists it is the insufficient application of scientific method, for others it is oppression of one race by another. Once control of society passes exclusively into the hands of the proper set of progressives, each sect’s contradictions must disappear as the basic structural problem is straightened out.
It's worth reading and the CRB is worth subscribing to. It and City Journal have replaced the lesser publications in my reading.
Every form of progressivism bases itself on the claim of a special, “scientific,” knowledge of what is wrong with humanity and how to fix it.
That's interesting. How about this:
Every form of conservatism bases itself on an especially ignorant claim regarding what is wrong with humanity as a self-justification for doing nothing about it.
Anyone who puts the word "inspired" in the same sentence as "Machiavelli" has a low opinion of ethically accountable government.
The secular surrender to the islamists in Europe is already far along.
I think that is unfair. Europeans do not think Muslims are superior. They have had a history of openness, but that does not mean they are surrendering. I have met many German young people who express horror at the number of Turks in Germany, and that was in 2001, before 911.
I think that is unfair. Europeans do not think Muslims are superior. They have had a history of openness, but that does not mean they are surrendering. I have met many German young people who express horror at the number of Turks in Germany, and that was in 2001, before 911.
HT, they are surrendering, horrified or not, because they aren't doing anything to stop it. They are like sheep to the slaughter.
"Petyr Baelish: It is my belief that a moment of chaos affords opportunities lost soon after.
Tywin Lannister: (impatiently) You say that as if you were the first man alive to think it. Yes, a crisis is an opportunity- what other brilliant insights have you brought me today?"
-https://en.m.wikiquote.org/wiki/Game_of_Thrones/Season_2
"Anyone who puts the word "inspired" in the same sentence as "Machiavelli" has a low opinion of ethically accountable government."
Anyone who does not understand Machiavelli does not understand the world.
It's OK. There are Republicans who understand reality. We'll take care of you.
"Government is like fire. It is an untrustworthy servant and a fearful master."
Anyone who does not understand Machiavelli does not understand the world.
It's OK. There are Republicans who understand reality. We'll take care of you.
Ok, Mr. Reality-loving Know-it-all. You tell me what Machiavelli has to do with ethical accountability. Talk about not understanding Machiavelli or reality!
I understand the Republican philosophy. They think the world is a nasty, brutish and horrible place and so they're here to make it nastier, more brutish and more horrible.
Thanks but no thanks. And funny how all the policies that tilted the EC vote to Trump had nothing to do with whatever the rest of the party was on board with.
Not even Jesus gets a standing ovation in church — especially Episcopal Church — so this Donald Trump must be really something.
An incisive epitaph for our times.
Hey, R&B! Merry Christmas!
"We came! We saw! He died!" Followed Blumenthal ' s advice in the famous email. This is the kind of advice that the Clinton Foundation paid him $10K a month for.
Merry Christmas, mockturtle!
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/419931/nr-exclusive-blumenthals-e-mail-hillary-spinning-qaddafis-fall-joel-gehrke
I don't like it, but Wikileaks is more likely to be correct in a story than most media outlets I can think of. They tend to back up their claims with hard evidence and not a lot of "Unnamed sources".
They actually PROVIDE the sources.
You tell me what Machiavelli has to do with ethical accountability
Hilarious. Government has NOTHING to do with "ethical accountability."
It is a necessary structure and should be kept to a minimum to accomplish its valid purposes.
"Ethical accountability" means it is doing what I want it to do.
You crack me up.
he is part of the wealthy ruling elite of the United States,
This is not true. To the extent there is a wealth based ruling class Trump is not part of it. To them he is a gauche outsider which is why the members of that class hate him so instinctively. The Trump experiment seems specifically designed to demonstrate whether a wealthy class rules or whether money and celebrity rule.
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