Literary award "ER" Nominee: Julian Assange, Washington vs humanity

 

Julian Assange - September 5 at 00:00

 

For almost a year, I go bound with an electronic bracelet. My life goes on under the strict control and supervision. Every day, I report to the police and have no right to leave. I'm under house arrest.

Envy and hatred some influential people, international corporations and nations can spoil my mood, but do not spoil the karma. I live an exile in East Anglia, in the estate of his good friend (the owner of London's Frontline Club journalism club Vaughan Smith. - "ER"). The main advantage of my solitary life - a walk in the forest, communing with nature. Today's brood saw fawns. This is a rare moment of bliss. My daily activities are still associated with risk and releases adrenaline that any other extreme sports pales in comparison. While ten years ago, I rode a motorcycle from Saigon to Hanoi, and I'm scared like. But so does my father in his sixties. He recently on a motorcycle came to me from London.


I have worked in about forty countries, lived in Cairo in 2007 (hence the current events in Egypt, so I was interested in), some countries have seen during the world tour in 1998-1999. Then drove to Russia, traveled to Siberia. Always loved Russian culture, but at the time I wanted to go as far away from Australia. I was engaged in the development of Internet security for several Russian companies, and it so happened that some took the time to pay the bills. I contacted them and asked to pay off finally. But these were small firms, they have been hit hard by the economic crisis and the fall of the ruble. We agreed that instead of the money they will invite me to Russia, Russian delicacies will feed and water the best Russian vodka. I arrived and was traveling for pleasure, enjoying the hospitality at the expense of unpaid bills. I remember in Peter cut off the hot water, as I explained, water supply nuclear plants. People with whom I stayed, smelled stronger - it was impossible to wash. In the end I went for the Trans-Siberian Railway to Siberia. My train was full of Chinese people, they carried contraband puppies in Manchuria. I was traveling in the same compartment with an American police officer. And late in the evening with the police, we have agreed that as soon as the train arrives at the Baikal, we torn out of the compartment directly to the lake, until the train stops. I'm up all night and drank with the chef of the restaurant car, who read a book about Russian James Bond (in the morning it seemed to me that the chef again took to reread the same book, but then I realized that this extension). And American shouted that it is time to hurry, the train is only three and a half minutes. I start his, and in spite of fatigue and a hangover, unable to overtake. I was terribly proud to have made ​​the U.S. police. I dived into the lake and started to drink water straight from the lake. When quenched his thirst, he turned and saw that the lake we ran down the hill and back have steeply. Ran for a long time until the train drew in step, closing the door and slowly drove away from the station, but still managed to hop on the last car.

In the same trip, I saw firsthand the results of privatization in Russia nineties - it was like after a nuclear war. Main-line electric locomotive pulling us, but in the area of seven hundred miles was no electricity: electricity company was privatized, and the railroad did not pay the bills. Then taken out of the diesel locomotive depot of strategic reserves in the event of nuclear war, and he pulled us over the de-energized miles.

I saw Siberian plants that rusted and falling apart. But the people were very friendly. Ordinary people, not government officials or business. It seemed to me that, despite the collapse of major government and public institutions, despite the bandit Moscow and St. Petersburg, the basic structure of Russian society and the relationship between the people at the local level is still functioning well.

Today, in my state of siege, it became more difficult to make new friends. People look at you through the lens of what is written in the media, and there are always a lot of distortion. But friends, associates, colleagues, that I had before the collision with the United States, almost all were my good friends. Although in the past year and a half of their good attitude towards me was subjected to very severe test of the Pentagon and the State Department.

Today, I am wary about certain subjects. And I do, and, even worse, my family - we all feel the pressure. My children were threatened, my mother was threatened. Constantly coming hostile letters and e-mail.

My mother once said, "You're doing so much for humanity. Remember, do not say thank you. " I replied: "I thank you for trying. Very important to me to deserve a strong and permanent place in the history of mankind, that what we are doing - alone and together, would be our sacred heritage of our history. "

I get satisfaction from the process of their work - more than on the result or public recognition. The very fact that I have created a system of "Wikileaks" and inspired many people to more active social position, certainly makes me happy. It's great.

My personal circumstances and really complicated. But I'm glad to see that the world is changing because of my actions, and in accordance with the values, which I believe are fighting for and who to promote. We have witnessed the civil seizure of Wall Street. This revolutionary movement is somewhat similar to the events in Tunisia and Egypt. U.S. is much more peaceful country and society there are much better regulated, but more joyful and amazing to see how civil protest is gaining momentum and there.

I'm sure today's events determine the choice of the future for all mankind.

On the one hand, the world may come to a worldwide totalitarian government under the control of transnational power elites, acting solely in its own interests and those who see themselves as a separate nation. On the other - we could build a society consisting of a small nation-states controlled by their national forces and interests.

In this situation, I see my mission is to create, to invent, to create some platforms that will continue to bring together experts.

As a teenager, I was involved in the creation of network systems in Australia. We came up with a cryptographic system that allowed people to speak freely on the web without harassment from the authorities.

This period of my life, we Syulett Dreyfus thirteen years ago, wrote the book "Underground." It is fully documented, based on my experience with the international computer underground and additional investigations carried out specifically for the book. At that time I was under criminal investigation in Australia and could not put his name on the cover of the first edition - I would be arrested. Then the books were already with my name.

Today, my main activity - it wikileaks.org. "Wikileaks" - a twenty people in the state and thousands network associates with specific assignments in different parts of the world. All of our funds are replenished my royalties for public performances and donations of ordinary people who believe in us and share our ideas. A bit like a collection of donations in the Orthodox Church. Average annual contribution of about thirty dollars, but there are also more substantial contributions.

Washington is a massive attack on the account "Wikileaks". "Visa", "MasterCard", "Peypal", "Bank of America" ​​combined efforts gave us the economic blockade. They also blocked my personal account. Under the guise of concern for national security, the United States exert political pressure on these transnational companies. Washington inhibits the activity of the resource by all possible means.

"WikiLeaks" do not pay their informants. Information on resource flows through the classical scheme of wiki-resource. In principle, we do not mind having to pay informants, but we strictly adhere to an anonymous source. If we were paying, it would be easy to trace the movement of money and it would facilitate the disclosure of sources.
But it does not affect the accuracy of the information published on the "WikiLeaks". Over the past five years we have not made ​​public any false, erroneous, false messages. All material is tested and retested. We have the best reputation among all media projects in the world. So far we have been able to thwart any attempts of disinformation.

Often I meet with people in person, on which we are preparing material for publication. Last year, for example, I had dinner in Oslo with Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. In the homeland of Abraham recently freed after six years in prison on charges of sodomy. In Malaysia, it is a criminal offense. We had reason to believe that the case against him was fabricated. And since he has served, and again entered politics, immediately there was a second deal with the same charges by the Malaysian government. Later, we published information from Singapore intelligence, which reports to Americans about the case. This information is unlikely to help Anwar Ibrahim. Out of it - unless, of course, believe the Singaporean intelligence - should the charges on new business were likely to be correct. Anwar, of course, was upset because of the consequences of publication, but did not try to dissuade me from making public, and did not stay in the grievance.

I also talked to one of the U.S. soldiers firing on lighted video from Baghdad. Griffin MakKod contacted us a few days after the publication of this material. As a result of our conversation, and his numerous interviews about service in Iraq, he became very well-known figure in the U.S.. According to the stories Griffin even made ​​a movie about U.S. soldiers shooting civilians. By the way, the four men from his unit refused further military service, citing the pangs of conscience.

I often think and dream about what I will do in the first place, if I become free. So the prisoners in jail, after years of gruel, fantasize about their first luxury meal free. I can not say for sure what I'll do when the shake myself. Even if we win now in the court of the Swedish case and the Supreme Court of England let me go - it's not the end of history. U.S. also demand my extradition on charges of espionage.

Maybe I'll go skiing on Mount Kilimanjaro. Maybe I will make a film about the "Wikileaks" like "The Social Network" about the creator of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg. True, I was interested in this topic and I can say that in fact it was not so, as shown in the movie. Films are often very far in his interpretation of the facts and real history. And this is a distortion and mythologizing of the real figures and events, I find the parallels with my own life. Here lies the answer to why I did not approve any of the Hollywood projects about the "Wikileaks". Their creators opportunists. And I want to make a true story. Even already agreed with one of the producers. So there will be only one Hollywood movie with my participation and blessing. But I did not say a word about this project - no one director, nor any name, this will be announced in due time, and in two years we'll see it on the screen.

But that's exactly right now, if I fall short respite at liberty, I know what I want. In my real life, there is no place of spontaneity, and if I'll be free, the main luxury is getting rid of the hated strap and the ability to do what I want - when I want it, spontaneously, do not plan in advance, as they please.

Sooner or later I'll be back in Moscow and meet with friends.


Column "was published in the magazine "Russian Pioneer» № 24 .

Translated

Original in Russian:  http://ruspioner.ru/project/m/single/19/single_job/1964