Friday 22 June 2012
Make Music Not War
Via
Thursday 21 June 2012
Dur Dur Dur Dur Dur...
Back cover of 'Better Living Through Air Guitar' by Steven Appleby & George Mole (2005)
Wednesday 20 June 2012
Send this FoWL letter to the Ecuadorian Embassy in London
Friends of Wikileaks issue this urgent statement of support for Julian Assange's request for asylum with the Ecuadorian Embassy.
Send this letter to: eecugranbretania@mmrree.gob.ec
The context of Julian Assange’s house arrest and, now, extradition to Sweden cannot be disassociated from the backlash that been created by
his important and radical work with WikiLeaks. There are a numerous inconsistencies in this case that deserve our attention (www.justice4assange.com). Inconsistencies in due process relating to the issue of the EAW and Red Notice, the release by the Swedish Police of selective witness statements to tabloid press, the re-opening of the case by a second prosecutor in Sweden after a first prosecutor threw the case off, etc etc; all actions that permeate political interference and intent and which we believe are a reaction against WikiLeaks' work in promoting transparency and human rights through radical, independent, heroic journalism.
Swedish media are trying to assert that the reason Mr. Assange must be extradited now is because Swedish law dictates that someone must be on Swedish soil in order for formal charges to be laid. But it is also true under Swedish law that a prosecutor cannot take the decision to charge until the preliminary investigation and all questioning therein has been completed. In having already taken the decision to charge Mr. Assange, Marianne Ny is breaking Swedish law. It is intolerable that in a case such as this an investigating prosecutor would decide to charge before even hearing one side's version of events and is a contradiction of intent on behalf of the investigating prosecutor.
Some Mainstream Media have been expressing prejudicial intent. For example even today Tom McCarthy at the Guardian live Blog states "Julian Assange, who was to be extradited from UK to Sweden to face sexual crime charges, seeks asylum under UN charter" http://www.guardian.co.uk/
If he is extradited to Sweden, we know that he awaits incommunicado detention for an indefinite amount of time. For a man who has not been charged with any crime in any country, FoWL consider this arbitrary and unlawful detention and thus a violation of European Convention on Human Rights. Moreover, once he is extradited to Sweden, the danger of his further extradition to the USA looms. It has emerged through the release of internal emails by the US private intelligence service Stratfor that the USA have issued a sealed indictment against Mr. Assange over a year ago. There is also a secret Grand Jury against WikiLeaks going on at the moment, attempting to charge Mr. Assange under the Espionage Act, and his death has been called for by key US officials.
The situation deserves to be read in its entirety- a media organisation providing the means for the publication of whistle-blower media and an award-winning journalist with an ethos deeply anchored in human rights activism are being attacked for serving one of the most important functions in a democratic society - that of mapping the terrain so that we, as active and engaged citizens, can navigate democracy.
We have seen in the WikiLeaks revelations how international politics and diplomacy work. One story for the public, but the reality is very different. We understand this case as politicized and we see that Governments in Australia, Sweden, US as well in the UK, are hiding behind "judicial proceedings" trying in public to "wash their hands off" any responsibility but are acting in a political manner. Behind closed doors they plan, negotiate and agree on a political and diplomatic level the fate of a man whose work they view as damaging to their perceived interests. Bradley Manning's treatment is evident for all to see, his freedom taken his human right trampled upon. We bring forward into the open the claim that this is a political issue however it is disguised. Freedom for Information requests come back with very little information in most of the countries involved. We want this to stop. We want transparency in government dealings regarding this case.
To the Ecuadorian Embassy we say, we welcome your consideration of Mr. Assange's asylum request and urge you to accept. We appreciate the bravery your country will show in standing up to defend his human rights. The UK Government has failed to take a clear position on the plight of Julian Assange, despite there being clear concerns about the manner in which the European Arrest Warrant has been issued and executed and despite there being room for the UK Government to overturn the UK Supreme Court decision. We believe it is most imperative that the safety of Julian Assange and the vital work he engages in are protected.
Yours faithfully,
the Global FoWL (Friends of WikiLeaks)
(Disclaimer: FoWL are an independent collective of WikiLeaks supporters. Please note that we are not affiliated with WikiLeaks and consequently WikiLeaks cannot be held accountable for any of FoWL's statements or actions.)
(This is a copy of the original letter posted here: http://www.wikileaks-forum.
Send this letter to: eecugranbretania@mmrree.gob.ec
The context of Julian Assange’s house arrest and, now, extradition to Sweden cannot be disassociated from the backlash that been created by
his important and radical work with WikiLeaks. There are a numerous inconsistencies in this case that deserve our attention (www.justice4assange.com). Inconsistencies in due process relating to the issue of the EAW and Red Notice, the release by the Swedish Police of selective witness statements to tabloid press, the re-opening of the case by a second prosecutor in Sweden after a first prosecutor threw the case off, etc etc; all actions that permeate political interference and intent and which we believe are a reaction against WikiLeaks' work in promoting transparency and human rights through radical, independent, heroic journalism.
Swedish media are trying to assert that the reason Mr. Assange must be extradited now is because Swedish law dictates that someone must be on Swedish soil in order for formal charges to be laid. But it is also true under Swedish law that a prosecutor cannot take the decision to charge until the preliminary investigation and all questioning therein has been completed. In having already taken the decision to charge Mr. Assange, Marianne Ny is breaking Swedish law. It is intolerable that in a case such as this an investigating prosecutor would decide to charge before even hearing one side's version of events and is a contradiction of intent on behalf of the investigating prosecutor.
Some Mainstream Media have been expressing prejudicial intent. For example even today Tom McCarthy at the Guardian live Blog states "Julian Assange, who was to be extradited from UK to Sweden to face sexual crime charges, seeks asylum under UN charter" http://www.guardian.co.uk/
If he is extradited to Sweden, we know that he awaits incommunicado detention for an indefinite amount of time. For a man who has not been charged with any crime in any country, FoWL consider this arbitrary and unlawful detention and thus a violation of European Convention on Human Rights. Moreover, once he is extradited to Sweden, the danger of his further extradition to the USA looms. It has emerged through the release of internal emails by the US private intelligence service Stratfor that the USA have issued a sealed indictment against Mr. Assange over a year ago. There is also a secret Grand Jury against WikiLeaks going on at the moment, attempting to charge Mr. Assange under the Espionage Act, and his death has been called for by key US officials.
The situation deserves to be read in its entirety- a media organisation providing the means for the publication of whistle-blower media and an award-winning journalist with an ethos deeply anchored in human rights activism are being attacked for serving one of the most important functions in a democratic society - that of mapping the terrain so that we, as active and engaged citizens, can navigate democracy.
We have seen in the WikiLeaks revelations how international politics and diplomacy work. One story for the public, but the reality is very different. We understand this case as politicized and we see that Governments in Australia, Sweden, US as well in the UK, are hiding behind "judicial proceedings" trying in public to "wash their hands off" any responsibility but are acting in a political manner. Behind closed doors they plan, negotiate and agree on a political and diplomatic level the fate of a man whose work they view as damaging to their perceived interests. Bradley Manning's treatment is evident for all to see, his freedom taken his human right trampled upon. We bring forward into the open the claim that this is a political issue however it is disguised. Freedom for Information requests come back with very little information in most of the countries involved. We want this to stop. We want transparency in government dealings regarding this case.
To the Ecuadorian Embassy we say, we welcome your consideration of Mr. Assange's asylum request and urge you to accept. We appreciate the bravery your country will show in standing up to defend his human rights. The UK Government has failed to take a clear position on the plight of Julian Assange, despite there being clear concerns about the manner in which the European Arrest Warrant has been issued and executed and despite there being room for the UK Government to overturn the UK Supreme Court decision. We believe it is most imperative that the safety of Julian Assange and the vital work he engages in are protected.
Yours faithfully,
the Global FoWL (Friends of WikiLeaks)
(Disclaimer: FoWL are an independent collective of WikiLeaks supporters. Please note that we are not affiliated with WikiLeaks and consequently WikiLeaks cannot be held accountable for any of FoWL's statements or actions.)
(This is a copy of the original letter posted here: http://www.wikileaks-forum.
I just wrote to the Ecuador Embassy in support of Julian #Assange's attempt to seek asylum - please write! ecugranbretania@mmrree.gob.ec
Fuxake!!!
huzzah! RT @MrDenmore: So Murdoch will now control the entire pay TV industry and 70% of metro print; Rinehart the rest (plus Channel 10
Constant Forward Movement: Taylor Parkes On Can's Lost Tapes
Can 'The Lost Tapes' | Spoon Records (Review)
Messer, Scissors, Fork and Light
Sunn 0)))
Describing their music doesn't go far to dispel this impression - for much of their Koko gig they cycled through three or four ultra low chords at a pace so sluggish that each change sounded like a rock face collapsing into the sea.
There are no drums. The music has no propulsion aside from the crowds willing it on. The tension builds incrementally until you feel they have to change chord or the place'll vibrate itself apart.
Slower and heavier music may be possible but it'd be hard to say how...
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