Julian Assange
A brief thought on a polemical issue
Much of what passes for journalism today involves exposing the secrets of the powerful and the policymakers. But in fact, the powerful commit their crimes—such as wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam—in plain sight. The story of such wars, and the economic interests that drove them, can be found in published books and articles, possibly supported by interviews with those involved. True journalists would dig out the story in these publicly available sources and explain it to the people. A good journalist can make clear the crimes of the powerful without violating national security laws, which are based on the need of governments to engage in espionage and to debate policy behind closed doors.
At the same time, in spite of Julian Assange’s false assumptions and alleged personal defects, the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese…