American Espionage Act of 1917 and Julian Assange

UPDATE on March 10, Julian Assange is concerned about getting "extradited to the United States" under the unconstitutional Espionage Act of 1917-1918.  The American Rosenbergs were executed under the enforcement of this act on falsified charges. I guess the government executed the Rosenbergs to give people one more reason to fear the Russians as well as give the country a vivid lesson in how to avoid becoming a scapegoat by having ideas contrary to those in power. Not that the Russian officials weren't as crazy as the American officials. Just different approaches to enforcements against the freedom and rights of individuals. Not that the Rosenbergs gave anything to anyone or wanted America to become Russia. In the newsclip from Democracy Now!, Joe Biden accuses Julian Assange of being "closer to a high-tech terrorist" than was Daniel Ellsberg, who exposed the Pentagon Papers. What an odd statement to make. Daniel Ellsberg became a hero of the American people for his expose. I think we have to stand behind Julian Assange's expose in order to support the free speech of journalists.

We have to ask ourselves the questions that get evoked by Biden's accusations? What does the accusation mean in context of democracy? Free speech?  Modern governance?  Should a vice president use the word terrorism with such confidence? Should anyone in or out of government? What effects do his words have on the general population? On those who want transparency in government? In those who promote democracy? Promote free speech? Peace? We have to ask the hard questions, the ones that make us uncomfortable.

I'm not so sure the government can ethically demand secrecy under the name of national security or wars each time it gets embarrassed or angry or feels threatened by an act of free speech. But those are its buzz words during our lifetime. War. Terrorism. War. Terrorism. War. Terrorism. In engaging in a constant war on terror, the government has assumed the right to be right on any subject in the name of national security.  Voicing such accusations against acts of free speech journalism is poor global leadership. It shows a lack of political wisdom. We have to move on from the habit of bullying one another into submission or obedience.

The monarchies in the past stated there existed a natural order that must never be questioned or disrupted. Of course, the kings and queens and nobles were at the top of the ruling order and determined their own privileges that included most of the money and land. What was in it for them? I mean psychologically as well as socially? We have to begin looking at all the facets of the questions and our own answers.

Colbert has the right idea in making fun of the international manhunt against Assange.

Here's the Democracy Now! video again on the latest on this situation.

Here's a series of videos again on Daniel Ellsberg's website.