World Socialist Web Site
3 December 2010
The American state, its spokesmen in the mass media, and its allies around the world are engaged in an international campaign of vilification and persecution against WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange.
This campaign has nothing to do with any supposed crime he has committed, since he has committed none. He is the target of an international manhunt for his role in lifting the lid on the lies and criminal operations of imperialist powers the world over—above all, in the United States.
The same mafia-type criminality is now being deployed with full force against WikiLeaks and Private Bradley Manning, who is charged with leaking some of the documents. In the US, politicians of both parties are united in their determination to see Assange arrested. The Obama administration has branded the leakers, as well as WikiLeaks, “criminals,” with the US attorney general pledged to “close the gap” by inventing a pseudo-legal basis for prosecution if one does not exist at present.
Former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and ex-military officials have demanded the death penalty for Manning, while Sarah Palin has insisted that WikiLeaks be branded a terrorist organization.
Washington’s junior partners abroad have been equally adamant in their attack. Tom Flanagan, a former adviser to the Canadian prime minister, declared that Assange should be “assassinated,” that Obama should “put out a contract and maybe use a drone or something.” And the fact that Assange is a citizen of Australia did not prevent Julia Gillard, the prime minister of that country, from declaring, without any evidence, that Assange’s actions were “illegal,” while placing her government at the service of the US witch-hunt.
Assange faces the immediate threat of arrest on the basis of trumped-up charges in Sweden. On Thursday, Swedish authorities obtained a new arrest warrant on alleged sexual misconduct charges—invariably, and falsely, described in the mass media as “rape.” The charges were initially considered so specious that the prosecutor ordered them dropped. This decision was reversed, however, and Sweden on Thursday submitted a warrant to Interpol. Police in Britain—where Assange is believed to be located—have pledged his arrest, which could happen as early as today.
There can be no doubt that the charges leveled against Assange in Sweden are only a convenient pretext to seek his detention.
Indeed, among the more revealing documents posted so far by WikiLeaks is one from the US ambassador to Sweden, who notes that Sweden’s close ties to the United States military “give the lie to the official policy” of non-participation in military alliances. In what has begun to emerge as a theme in the released cables from the US State Department, the ambassador warns that these ties should not be revealed because this would “open up the government to domestic criticism.”
The documents obtained by WikiLeaks—only a small fraction of which have been released so far—help expose what is a permanent conspiracy against the democratic rights of the world’s population: from covering up US bombings of civilians in Yemen, to working behind the scenes to obstruct the prosecution of CIA agents guilty of torture, to spying on UN officials in violation of international treaties.
Those who are leading the campaign against WikiLeaks are themselves responsible for horrific atrocities. In the face of allegations from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that WikiLeaks had placed lives in danger, Assange gave an appropriate response in an interview with Time magazine. WikiLeaks, he noted, “has never caused an individual … to come to any sort of physical harm or to be wrongly imprisoned and so on. That is a record compared to the organizations that we are trying to expose who have literally been involved in the deaths of hundreds or thousands or, potentially over the course of many years, millions.”
This criminality continues, now under the Obama administration. One document released by WikiLeaks that has been virtually ignored in the media is particularly revealing. In the spring of 2009, the Obama administration, in alliance with top figures in the Republican Party, intervened to pressure the Spanish government to derail an investigation into torture carried out by the Bush administration.
At one point, a representative of the US embassy, together with former chairman of the Republican Party Mel Martinez, met with the acting Spanish Foreign Minister to insist that “the prosecutions would not be understood or accepted in the US and would have an enormous impact” on US-Spanish relations. The prosecutions were quickly scuttled.
If the actions of WikiLeaks have helped reveal, in real time, the lies of the American government, they have also exposed the role of the chief propagators of these lies: the American media. For decades, the US government has cultivated the media to the point where it engages in self-censorship as a matter of course, where it does not even blush to declare itself “embedded” with this or that military unit or other state body.
The major newspapers regularly clear major articles with the White House and the Pentagon, delaying stories that could be politically harmful. Now, what is supposedly a central obligation of the media—to expose government secrets and provide information to the population—is treated by the media itself as if it were a criminal enterprise.
The mainstream media has long been concerned in particular about the potential of the Internet to allow people to access information unfiltered through official channels. There can be no doubt that the WikiLeaks revelations will provide further impetus to the campaign by the US government to assert greater control over online networks.
The WikiLeaks web site has already been the target of repeated denial of service attacks, of suspicious origin. In an attempt to get WikiLeaks back online, the organization rented servers from Amazon. On Wednesday, Amazon blocked WikiLeaks from using its servers, apparently under pressure from US officials and staff members of Democrat turned Independent Senator Joseph Lieberman, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.
The state persecution of Assange—enthusiastically backed by the mass media—is one expression of a far-reaching decay of democracy in the United States and internationally. World governments, led by the United States, are carrying out deeply unpopular policies—the multi-trillion dollar bailout of financial institutions, relentless demands for social austerity and the expanding war and global plunder.
The constant proclamations about the need for secrecy, which WikiLeaks has violated by publishing government documents, arises fundamentally from the irreconcilable conflict between the social interests that these governments represent and the needs and aspirations of the vast majority of the population.
The persecution of Assange in an effort to silence this exposure is not simply a threat to one individual. The methods employed against WikiLeaks will be used against all opposition to the policies of the corporate and financial aristocracy.
The World Socialist Web Site demands an immediate halt to the campaign against WikiLeaks and Julian Assange. All the documents WikiLeaks has in its possession should be released for the world to see.
In the final analysis, the hysterical witch-hunt against Assange and WikiLeaks is not any sign of strength on the part of the American ruling elite and its state, but rather of fear and weakness. Intensely conscious of the crisis and instability of the political and economic system, they fear that revelations of state crimes will only fuel the inevitable eruption of mass working class opposition to their reactionary policies in the US and around the world. It is this emerging movement of social struggles on a global scale that must undertake an implacable defense of Assange, WikiLeaks and all those who seek to drag the crimes and conspiracies of imperialism into the light of day.
afrospear.wordpress.com 
Self righteous always bothers me.
I doubt that Assange had bothered to read all of the documents and wouldn’t know what to look for that would put any US citizen in harms way. I am thinking that if ever the military has used that communication system.
He has the resources to hide, his defense and I suspect, had a not too altruistic reason to start that site. The poor fool who got those documents from the consulate will not have a dime for his defense and will swing in the wind. The military has no problem making one an example.
Hathor, how many people have the US military and corporate mercenaries killed in Iraq? Afghanistan? How does the “potential” loss of life from Wikileaks’ revelations compare to the ACTUAL slaughter perpetrated by the people that Assange has exposed?
Your argument is the one that THEY put out to critique Assange, when their monstrous deeds have destroyed the lives of millions. All you have to see is the videotape of the of US helicopter gunships murdering innocent, defenseless Iraqis, while proclaiming on “tape” that they were under attack and that the men were armed to the teeth – with cameras?!
Wikileaks has embarrassed the United States government powers. I know they didn’t expect some kind of backlash for that!
Backlash is not even the word but if you accept the good, be prepared for the bad and the ugly. Right?
I’m looking forward to the day when Assange and Wikileaks exposes the state secrets of Putin, Medvedev and the Russian state in general. Also those of China and Iran. I wonder (but we all know) what type of backlash or prosecution he will face from these regimes … and what the World Socialist Web Site will demand then!?
In the same vein, I am also interested in what the World Socialist Web Site has demanded from the Russian state in regards to all the journalists who have been killed by them, as well as the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko? How about their demands from the Iranian state in regards to the last presidential election?
Thanks for “putting us up on game” (in the words of Lupe) about the the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko, did you know about the assassination of Anna Stepanovna Politkovskaya too?
I have not read the documents, so I can’t comment if our knowledge has been improved for us to be better citizens or would advance the cause of human rights, but I certainly don’t think that Assange is in any better moral position than I am.
I also don’t think I am in the position to say whose death is more precious, either.
The major point I wanted to make, was that I don’t think Julian Assange is the martyr that he is made to appear, but having been in the military, I am most certain that if it is who they suspect, the Private will pay greatly. There may not be any legal violation by Assange. I don’t know if the person whose did the leaking, actually realized the gravity of doing so. There are different expectations of those in the military and a variety of offenses he can be prosecuted for, besides treason.
Is what has been found out worth destroying that one soldiers life. As far as what you say, it is nothing new. Your diatribe has been repeated so many times, long before Wikileaks.
Private Manning is just a pawn, as well as all those who feel that what Assange is doing is of any real/substantial value. So he has exposed that the American government is corrupt, hypocritical, lies, operates in it’s own self interest and is culpable in the death of innocents. Really!? Who knew!? Is this suppose to be a new revelation!? If he really wants to impress me, start exposing the state secrets of Russia, Iran and China!
The purpose of Assange and the Wikileaks sagas is to fill space for the American 24 hour news cycle. We can see for ourselves that the only result these revelations have had is to give the cable news “talking heads” experts and politicians something to yap about… and of-course demands from The World Socialist Web Site. His revelations, which in fact aren’t anything new, has not and will not usher in any change in US policy or behaviours, nor will it improve human rights. In fact, they have already been eclipsed by Black Friday and Christmas commercials.
WoW! Cynical stuff here. I’m impressed.
It amazes me that folks who are lied to on the regular get upset with someone who exposes those lies. In fact they spout the lies which will be exposed tomorrow (“Lives lost because of revelations”) without a fig leaf of evidence.
Before the next poster calls for a donation to buy a rope we would do well to remember that “The United States is the greatest purveyor of violence in the World”. So let a thousand flowers of truth bloom.
“The United States is the greatest purveyor of violence in the World”
To think this, is to underestimate the evil in the world. It allows for new despots to replace the old ones, because one mistakes ideology with human vice.
There is not a dearth of individuals in this world who see perfection in their rule and will murder for it.
“The United States is the greatest purveyor of violence in the World”
Hathor, that is a direct quote from Dr. Martin Luther King in his Riverside Church speech in which he declared his opposition to the Vietnam war. The date: April 4th, 1967. A year to the day later, the greatest purveyor of violence in the world took its revenge.
He didn’t say ONLY, he said greatest, meaning, the most. If you see another country doing more dirt, please inform us.
When Martin Luther King Jr was alive PolPot’s dead hadn’t been discovered, the Congo hadn’t been fighting for the last 30 years, the Lord’s Resistance Army wasn’t in existence, the Hutu’s hadn’t slaughtered the Tusti’s, the Serbs hadn’t exerted its ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo.
If you are talking numbers, I think the US wouldn’t be number one and with the exception of the Congo, either the fallout from the Soviets Union or the influence of the Chinese created quite a few of those disasters.
I don’t think the Afghan police, Taliban, military or war lords hands are cleaner than the US.
None of us knows exactly what goes on in China or North Korea in the amount of human rights abuses.
When Dr. King was alive the US hadn’t been complicit in the murders of Bishop Romero and the subsequent suppression of Native demands for equality. The US hadn’t yet funded the genocidal death squads in Guatemala. The US hadn’t yet backed the murderous civil war in Angola. The US was then as it is now the world’s largest arms trader. Dr. King didn’t know these things but America’s propensity to violence was well established. Dr. King knew about what he spoke. You in your naivete would do well to check the record before criticizing Dr. King.
“You in your naivete would do well to check the record before criticizing Dr. King.”
Hathor was in no way being critical of Dr. King, neither is she being naive.
Dr. King died over 42 years ago, and although in many way things are the same, in many ways things are also different. 42 years of increased and shared knowledge and progress, like the internet, has given some of us a different perspective than being stuck in the world of 1968. The main reason there hasn’t been another Martin, or Malcolm for that matter, is that we like to fall back on their image, when it’s in our best interest of-course, instead of taking the responsibility of building upon what they died for… and making it relevant for today.
I have no problem with the statement: “The United States is the greatest purveyor of violence in the World”. Lots of truth in that perspective. But ask the same question of a Tutsi who’s family was massacred by Hutus, or Tibetans killed by the Chinese, or the Kurds in Iraq, or Armenians or South Koreans, and you would most likely receive a different answer of who they would claim to be “the greatest purveyor of violence in the World”. Is their perspective any less true?
I also have no issue with what Assange is doing, but he is no martyr and is doing it out of his own self interest. Transparency is good in the long term and now that he has opened that barn door, maybe other will follow his lead and exposed the state corruption of other nations like Russia, China, North Korea and Iran. However, Assange isn’t stupid. Free specch comes with consequences and he knows it’s better to expose the US and face these trumped up charges, than expose Russia or Iran, for today we’d be discussing his funeral arrangements.
Plus attacking the US is “chic” among western based pseudo-intellectuals and pseudo-revolutionaries. It still gives one “street cred”. However, I don’t see Sayeed2k or others like him taking to the street demanding prosecution of US government officials named in the Wikileaks. I don’t see Sayeed2k or others like him travelling to Afghanistan, Iraq, the Congo or even Haiti, to take up the fight to the death against American aggression, or better yet: “resist until you can no longer struggle against them”. That would mean leaving the comforts of America: the 300 plus channels, internet access, 3 square meals, shelter, Starbuck, Walmart… oh, and yes, free speech. That would mean getting involved beyond spouting rhetoric and engaging in an intellectual exercise.
By the way, speaking of doing something concrete, does Sayeed2k even have a blog page or website where he proposes any new ideas or solutions? I would love to visit it as he certainly doesn’t propose any here.
Sayeed2K,
I am not criticizing Dr King because I do not agree with him, I have slightly different perspective, because I’ve survived him.
I do know what has happened in South and Central America and what the Soviets were doing also. I am aware of all the other proxy fights, between the US and Soviets and I am certainly aware of the Indian Wars, the systematic slaughter or their food supply and slavery.
I also think Dr. King was trying to make a point, because I do not think that he would have given the Chinese and Russians a pass or played moral relativism as you and thefreeslave are doing.
IF WIKILEAK HAD PUBLISHED SECRET DOCUMENTS FROM IRAN, NORTH KOREA, RUSSIA OR CHINA THE WESTERN GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE LAUDED THEM. IF THESE COUNTRIES HAD TRIED TO GEAT MR. ASSANGE ARESTED THE SAME WESTERN GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE SHED CROCODILE TEARS ON HOW THESE GOVERNMENTS ARE TRYING TO SUPRESS FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND VOICES OF DISSENT.
Asa, what is up with you? Ain’t nobody giving the Chinese or Russians a free pass – but do we live there? Because I don’t mention the Russians in this post I’ve got their back or the Chinese or Iran?! Is Stanley Crouch running this blog now or what?
Trying to be “chic” or “pseudo-revolutionary” or get “street cred?!” That’s some deep analysis. And of course, those of us who love Malcolm and Martin are simply, co-opting their image, as opposed to being guided by their example in what we do. Thanks, brother.
And trying to “make a martyr of Assange”? What does that have to do with the “facts” that he has brought to light?
Condemning Sayeed2k and for what? Cuz he makes sense? Nobody said the US is the only purveyor of violence and nobody is arguing that the Chinese, the North Koreans, the Hutu’s haven’t perpetrated atrocities. Nobody says our pain is worse or better than theirs. Where the fuck did you read anyone here SAYING anything like that?
We all suffer, we are all the same. Yes, we agree. I concern myself withthe States, however, because I LIVE here; when I move to Russia, I’ll talk about Russia.
You spout nothing but rhetoric here, Asa. This place is here for us to COMMUNICATE – not fuck with each other. And we should be communicating about that which we know most about.
Now, there are a LOT of people who don’t know anything about Wikileaks and I believe its important to share what it is they have been trying to do. But, as soon as the post dropped, you pissed on it. Now, in my opinion, there is far more to learn about the real world from Wikileaks and their saga, than from all of the half-wit, incognegro Project 21 mouthpieces that have shown up on this blog in these last few months. But maybe I’m tripping.
And when are you shipping out to Iran, or Russia or Africa; when are you leaving the comfort of your first world domicile? I mean, what the fuck are you talking about? As for getting in the street and protesting – are you? Have you ever? What are you risking? Please shame us all by telling us what sacrifices you have made to the cause – “unselfishly”. Please tutor us all in real revolutionary behavior. I feel so pseudo- right now I could shit my britches.
Lubagakene, I think you’re taking this all a little too personal. In fact, I wasn’t even thinking of you in my comments as I was replying to Sayeed2k’s comment to Hathor. However, just because I don’t agree with you or Sayeed2k on this issue, and have my own opinion, isn’t a personal attack on you. If you are personally offended, that’s on you, not me. I can only control what I say, not if it offends you… and I can live with that. Mi dash mi cawn, mi nu call no fowl…
You need to dial it down a bit and get a grip. Battling me is a waste of your energy. You should know me by now. I’m not intimidated by personal attacks, since unlike you, I take none of this personally.
“Is Stanley Crouch running this blog now or what?”
I don’t know what that means, but i’ll say yes he is… lol!
The measure of a person’s success is not his acclaim, but the length of time his work lives on after he is gone.
“Live for yourself, you will live in vain.
Live for others, you will live again.”
— Bob Marley and the Wailers
Asa,
What you said is an assault on the intellect which I couldn’t disagree with more and one that I take personally, if “personally” means that I care and express myself with feeling. It ain’t like because you say it, I believe it. What’s disturbing is that you may actually believe these things that you are saying.
For example:
You’re gonna tell Sayeed2k to take a hike, or prove his mettle by snatching a pebble from your hand; meanwhile, you’re going to promote Project 21’s stupidity? You’re going to tell him and/or anyone who thinks like him to “do more that spout rhetoric”, jump on a plane to a war zone, etc??
You’re going to accuse this man, straight out of the box, of being a phony, fake-revolutionary?
I mean, how do you get a pass on that stuff – and when are you flying to Karachi?
I’m responding to the illogic that I perceive in your comments; I’m not trying to “intimidate” you or anyone else. If you feel that way, that’s on you.
I’m trying to understand why you lay the gauntlet down with someone who seems to have good sense and seems sincere, and yet allow others with far less originality (as if inviting niggas back on the plantation is original) a ghetto pass – when they publicly consort with the enemies of black people and encourage us to do the same.
I’m not battling you; I’m trying to figure out who kidnapped Asa.
“Think tank” means, “think”, “talk”, “discuss”, “debate”. All I can say is I’m trying.
You have the ability to express yourself in this space and I’ll do the same. This space is large enough for both Project 21 and World Socialist Web and for those who want to express their opposition to both. As you state: “This place is here for us to COMMUNICATE – not fuck with each other.” But to “fuck with eack other” for you means to COMMUNICATE one’s opposition, take a different perspective than yours and ask the difficult questions about one’s responsibility. “It ain’t like because you say it, I believe it”… back at you.
No one kidnapped me. You’ve stayed put and I’ve moved on. I’ve moved on to bringing opposing perspectives like Project 21, as well as a religious perspective, without fear to this space, although I know it’s not popular. But when was this a popularity contest!? Variety is the spice of life and you should know that I have ALWAYS been about variety. I’ve moved on to digging deeper and challenging… and hope to be challenged myself… on what is held to be conventional wisdom, such as statements like: “The United States is the greatest purveyor of violence in the World”. AND yes I’ve moved on to asking: what concrete things are we actually doing… instead of spouting what I hold to be pseudo-revolutionary rhetoric, which hasn’t gotten us anywhere as a people!
I choose my words carefully. I expect some will be offended… but I’m ok with that! You have to break eggs to make an omelete and it’s time someone shakes this muthafuckah up! I’ve moved on to the place where I’ve no fear in doing any of this and being cast here as some sort of traitor, uncle tom, house negro, etc., because I actually “think”, “talk”, “discuss” and “debate” and most importantly “question”… without being concerned about validating feelings, so we can all just get along.
I think Hathor expressed it best in this statement to you: “Your diatribe has been repeated so many times, long before Wikileaks.” It’s time you moved on to something new. All I can say is I’m trying.
HOT DAYUM!!!!!
THE SPEARS ARE FLYING OVER HERE, OVER HEEEERRRE!!!!
Let me get my popcorn and watch what happens next.
People who are serious about understanding Dr. King (or any historical figure) whether you agree or disagree with him read what he says and avoid guessing what point he was trying to make.
You try to justify your critique by saying that you have survived King which allows you a different perspective. This statement says absolutely nothing because we all have survived Dr. King. The obvious route to take in this argument would be to disprove that the USA is the greatest purveyor of violence which you know very well cannot be done. The Soviets, Russia, China, Iran, Iraq Al Quaeda are all pikers when compared to the USA. So you Hathor and Asagnba are left using vitriolic attacks and name calling as a smokescreen and a distraction from this (for you) uncomfortable truth
Sayeed2K,
I don’t see where you have proved that the US the greatest purveyor of violence.
In the twentieth century the Soviets imprisoned, tortured and murdered more people than the populations in any of the South American States. Did you want citations? You didn’t provide any citation for your statement, other than Dr. Kings.
The blog comment section isn’t a research journal, but I do think you should do more research if you dare say I do not know of what I speak.
I don’t considered it my job to make the US the most immoral place or entity on earth. As a citizen I consider that I should do what I can in the political system in opposition to things I disprove, vote for the representatives I want, to exercise my vote, even when I write in myself and let my representatives know when there is something I don’t like. When I was young I was in the streets to protest the injustices of racism and Jim Crow.
I consider myself a person as capable as Dr. King to access the world. I am sure if he were arguing with me, that he would produce actual examples as to why he took a certain viewpoint. As a Christian minister, he often spoke in parables. He was a philosopher and minister not a political scientist. The moral of a story is not always about facts.
To ASA:
I do not have a blog but maybe next year I should start one. Since the time I have stopped lurking, I don’t recall saying that you or anyone else was an Uncle Tom/race traitor etc. Do you? I am not above doing that but have not found it necessary in this space.
I have challenged the usefulness of conservatism as an ideology for African people. In fact I have identified it as the ideology of our enemies. I expected a vigorous fact based defense of conservatism. Instead of a lot whining and assumptions.
@Sayedd2k,
“I don’t recall saying that you or anyone else was an Uncle Tom/race traitor etc. Do you?”
I never said or meant to imply that you specifically referred to anyone… me included… by any of these names. It was a general statement on my part.
“I have challenged the usefulness of conservatism as an ideology for African people. In fact I have identified it as the ideology of our enemies.”
All ideologies need to be challenged, as all ideologies have been used by our enemies against us.
“I expected a vigorous fact based defense of conservatism. Instead of a lot whining and assumptions.”
Next year when you start your own blog, you can outlaw what you consider “whining and assumptions” in your space…lol!
Hathor : You didn’t provide any citation for your statement, other than Dr. Kings.’
The Russians maintained an empire and there is little doubt that it took violence to maintain it. The Soviet Union fell apart partly because Russians lost the stomach for the level of violence needed to keep it together.
The United States maintains the world’s largest army, has more military bases around the world than any other nation, The US has the world’s largest arsenal of conventional weapons, enough nuclear stockpiles to destroy the world several times over. The United States is the only nation to use nuclear weapons against other human beings. The United States assisted Iraq when it used biological weapons against Iran and Kurdish rebels.
Dr. was aware that America also used violence to order the world in its image. America is an older, larger empire composed of neo colonies in Latin America, Africa and Asia, an internal colony in its inner cities and the Southern portion of the USA and protectorates in Europe and the Middle East. Up until the late 90’s Latin American heads of State who opposed US policy or initiated domestic policy at odds with American investors in their country were routinely assassinated or deposed. Arbenz in Guatemala, Allende in Chile,Trujillo in the Domincan Republic and Aristide (overthrown twice) just to name a few. Students and heads of labor unions, socialist and communist were tortured or killed by military men more often than not trained at the School of the Americas. Guatemala ‘s Truth and Reconciliation Commission documented the deaths of thousands of Mayan Indians at the hands of US trained death squads. Thousands were murdered in Chile as a result of the US sponsored coup against Salvador Allende. Tens of thousands dissapeared in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Brazil during the US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger sponsored “Operation Condor”.
If we move on to Africa we observe the same pattern. Patrice Lumuumba oposes US policy and he is deposed and murdered by the CIA and replaced with a US backed kleptocrat. Kwame Nkrumah was also overthrown and replaced by a gaggle of pro US client dictators. Africa’s development was set back by the continual meddling in its affairs by the US.
I suppose the Chechnya War is non-violent. Afghanistan was un-winnable, not that the propensity for violence had diminished.
The number of nuclear weapons after a certain number is inconsequential. To destroy the whole world would only take less than a hundred hydrogen bombs. If America had not destroyed the Nazi nuclear resources, the Nazi’s would have used more bombs and they had the delivery systems (rockets). After the war both the Soviets and America got its fair share of scientist from the Nazi war machine.
The places you named I alluded to in my comments and you totally dismiss those and the violent adventurism of other countries.
The places you named I alluded to in my comments
Although you conceede that you are aware of the abuses I mention. clearly you have not considered the implications of those acts.
I outlined the pattern of violence and intimidation used by the USA against weaker nations to demonstrate that it was systematic and an integral part of US foreign policy. It was not an abberation and it continues to this day as Wikkileaks shows the Obama Administration colluding with coup leaders in Honduras. I also outline the cases so that we can compare the violence of the USA with that of other hegemonic nations. The number of assassinations of heads of state that the US exceeds that of all other hegemonic powers. It is arguable that the US was complicit in the killing of more catholic clergy during the 1980’s than any other nation. This figure includes Bishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador. The USA was directly responsible for the overthrow of more democratically elected governments than either the Chinese or the Russians combined.
“and you totally dismiss those and the violent adventurism of other countries.”
Read my post, I simply agree with Dr. King that the USA uses more violence than all the others. Sells more arms than any other nation and routinely threatens nations that it disagrees with.
The number of nuclear weapons after a certain number is inconsequential.
Agreed! Which is why the continued maintenance and upgrade of the present stocks by the USA is evidence of nothing less than blood lust.