"Bob Woodward SILENT About Julian Assange and the Attack On A Free Press!"
The Jimmy Dore Show (September 22, 2020)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b77oFFG7LXE
Jimmy Dore: "Hi, ladies and gentlemen. So friend of the Show, Matt Orfalea, who is credited with making Bernie's best-ever promotional video, which they then hired Matt Orfield to work on the Bernie campaign and then immediately fired him and threw him under the bus. He then got a medical problem that he didn't have money to fix, and Bernie Sanders doesn't give a fuck. Just so you know."
"Well, he cares. Matt Orfalea cares about Julian Assange, even if his political heroes don't. And he had an interview. He's done a great video by way. I'm going to send you a link, show you where to to check out Matt's work. And he had an interview with the former vice president of the New York Times. This guy [shows screenshot] he looks important. Sits around a board. You walk into a board meeting and he's there. . . . So here's what he had to say about Julian Assange and I think you'll find it interesting. Now remember, this comes from James Goodale, Vice Chair New York Times:
Matt Orfalea: "What is it that's had you 10 years ahead of the game warning about this very real, current case against Julian Assange?
James Goodale: "It's extraordinarily dangerous because it gives the government power to punish those who publish. And there has never been any such punishment in the history of this country. And so the principle is very important. The principle is being applied to an unpopular figure, unfortunately, but I think we all should realize that in important speech cases, and this is a case about speech, very often the speaker is not popular. That's the nature of the game. And we should forget about whether we like Assange or not, and focus on the fact that a very dangerious precedent can be set if Assange loses."
[2:26] Jimmy Dore: "Wow. Vice Chairman of the New York Times says that. So he understands that his business is threatened. Here's Hillary Clinton [shows screen shot of tweet]:
Matt Orfalea
"All people have the right to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas, through any media, and regardless of frontiers" -- Hillary Clinton
"So, let me bring in Matt Orfalea. You know him from the show. Matt, what do you want to say? Something about your conversation?
[2:56] Matt Orfalea: "Let me just comment on the James Goodale bit there. So he
is not only the former vice chair, former vice president of the New York Times, he was the general counsel of the New York Times during the famous free-press-threatening Pentagon Papers case. So if anyone knows anything about how much of a threat the Espionage Act is to the First Amendment, he knows.
Now Here's Hillary Clinton at the Newseum:
"Some countries have erected electronic barriers that prevent their people from accessing portions of the world's networks. They've expunged words, names, and phrases from search engine results. They have violated the privacy of citizens who engage in non-violent political speech. These actions contravene the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which tells us that all people have the right to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers
[4:08] Jimmy Dore: "They say this stuff. It means nothing. This is exactly what Chris Hedges says. This is exactly what Thomas Frank says in Listen, Liberal. They know all the words to democracy. They know all the words to the songs. And they say them. They pay fealty to democracy, and liberty, and freedom. They pay fealty to it. And then what does she do? She goes and murders hundreds of thousands of people, laughs about it and then says she wants to prosecute a journalist. After she says that. Not a journalist doing bad work. A journalist doing amazing work exposing war crimes. Oh, that's right. They're her war crimes.
[4:59] "That's right. She's a war criminal. I forgot. The people who are prosecuting Julian Assange are actual war criminals. We're not prosecuting war criminals. We're prosecuting journalists and everyone's still pretending that Trump is the guy threatening our democracy. This is bi-partisan. Not only is it bi-partisan, it's bi-country. It's tri-country. Australia's not doing a goddamn thing to help Julian Assange. The UK is doing this to him. And the United States is the [driving ringleader]. Do you really think we're the good guys still? Do you really think the "West" are the good guys? We're psychopathic murdering terrorists. No matter what Sam Harris tells you. Do not listen to that guy."
The United States are the terrorists. We are the terrorists. And we don't care about journalism. And we venerate people like this: a bonafide murdering psychopath. She's a psychopath, Hillary Clinton. She's a legit psychopath. Murderer. War criminal. Who laughs about it. And then pays fealty to journalism as she wants to kill him. Remember? She said, 'Why can't we drone bomb Julian Assange?' Why? Because he revealed my war crimes."
[6:39] Matt Orfalea: "So, some context for that one. This was the same year, just before. This was January 2010. A few months later, July 2010, is when Wikileaks started dropping big files on the Afghan and Iraq wars. And so, just a few months later after this speech where Hillary Clinton is talking about how, as she's shaming other countries for cracking down on websites and censoring the Internet, the U.S. government censored Wikileaksin government buildings, including the Library of Congress." At the same time that this information was availiable in the New York Times, in the Guradian, and news outlets all over the world, it was being censored by the U.S. government. Just a few months later after she's talking about how she's so much holier than these other countries."
[7:52] "Also, now she, not only did they censor Wikileaks, they orchestrated a banking blockade to prevent Wikileaks from getting donations. Again. Just a few months of her saying this bullshit. Then, today, Assange is being charged for exactly what Hillary Clinton said everybody has the right to do. . . . her words were . . . 'seek, recieve, and impart information and ideas. Through any media. And regardless of frontiers.' All people have those rights. That's what she just said and that is exactly what Assange is being charged with. Right now. Currently. And where is Hillary Clinton? Is she coming out to shame big, bad Donald Trump, which you know she's eager to do. In not every other situation, like she should, there are many situations where Hillary Clinton agrees with Donald Trump. and this is one of them."
[9:07] Jimmy Dore: "Exactly right. So now, Bob Woodward, you have this video, The War on Press Freedom: Bob Woodward and Julian Assange. Now, Bob Woodward has been conspicuously silent on this issue, correct Matt?"
Matt Orfalea: "Yes, he hasn't said a word as far as I'm aware. Despite two books on the Trump administration now."
[9:34] Jimmy Dore: "So, here's a little part from your video:"
Bob Woodward: "Government has so much power, it's hidden. It's a very dangerous time."
Matt Orfalea's voice-over: "Despite the Trump administration's unprecedented attack on the freedom of the press, to my knowledge, Woodward has not commnented on the Assange case. Perhaps he's just afraid of upsetting his high-level US intelligence sources. But considering his journalism students may now end up in jail for following his advice, I think it would be appropriate for him to comment on the most important first amendment case in modern history."
Shows picture of U.S. Army Private Bradley Manning with a caption below that reads:
FAIR USE
Bob Woodard Teaches Investigative Journalism
MasterClass.com
Bob Woodward: "I'm busy, but not that busy. So I made "woodward b washpost.com" Push like you would push anybody else. You say 'come on let's talk. Let's tell the truth. Let's not be chicken shit about this. The best obtainable version of the truth takes priority over everything, political party, even having the same personal life. This is the time we're being tested. Let's not kid ourselves. This is the final exam for democracy.'
Matt Orfalea's voice-over: "Pleaes like and share this video."
[10:49] Jimmy Dore: "What the fuck?! What is he talking aobut? The Trump administration or ... He's not talking about Wikileaks? ... "
Matt Orfalea: "Well, yes, yes. This was from a 2018 master class in investigative journalism. Yeah, he was not talking about the Assange case, the biggest threat to democracy, as you just heard James Goodell and Daniel Ellsberg say. They fucking know and he fucking knows, too."
[11:15] Jimmy Dore: "He's such a coward."
Matt Orfalea: "I mean everything he said just could, you know, if you took everything he says, it could be applied to Assange. You know, there is nothing more important than, you know, verifiable information. That's Assange. That's what he's all about. And I'll say that part where he mentioned 'Let's not be chicken shit about this.' So, I'm referencing another clip earlier in the video where he is talking about how -- well first let me preface this by saying -- part of the prosecution's arguments against Assange, is that he encouraged his source, Chelsea Manning, and encouraged people to leak him information, simply by putting up a 'We Want Information' sign. Which all newspapers have. They say: 'If you have a story, you got some secret information, give it to us. We want it. So every news outlet does that. But part of the charge is, 'Oh, Assange encouraged his sources, so that's part of a conspiracy to obtain and disclose classified information. What used to be called a basic part of the news gathering process. And now they're saying this is a conspiracy, a criminal conspiracy to obain and disclose informtion."
[12:40] "Now, if Assange was incredibly passive as far as his dealings with Chelsea Manning. Then the most aggressive thing they can find is him saying something like 'Curious eyes never run dry.' That's the most aggressive thing they can find Assange saying to Manning. It's an incredibly passive line to hint: 'I would like some more information.' Now, let's contrast with Woodward, who says to his source -- and he was speaking to Deep Throat, the famous Watergate source -- he said: 'Let's not be chickenshit about this. I want the truth. Give it to me.' And he said, in his class . . ."
[13:39] Jimmy Dore: "So you're saying that he actually did encourage the source. He's doing what the government is accusing Julian Assange of doing, he actually did do that."
Matt Orfalea: "Yes. Not only did he encourage the source -- and 'encourage' is the word used in the indictment -- he freaking coerced his source. He said he was not a volunteer. Not only is he's admitting that he coerced his source into giving information which is what journalists do, not only that, but he's teaching -- in his master class in investigative journalism -- that that's what you do. That's what journalists do. He said you push like you would push anybody else. You say: 'Look. Let's not be chickenshit about this . I want the truth. Tell me what you know.' Which, by the way, is a famous line in the movie, All The President's Men, which was a celebrated academy-award-winning movie about the press and the importance of the press, and about Bob Woodward in his work investigating Watergate. This is a famous line, famous movie, that everyone adored. And now that fucking line that everyone fucking celebrates is now being criminalized. Not just the line, but the act of journalism."
[14:59] Jimmy Dore: "Even the people in the movie The Post have their head up their ass about Julian Assange and freedom of speech. I saw a panel and every fucking actor in that movie, including the director, has their head completely up their ass. And they're cowards. How you could make The Post and then be silent on Julian Assange, or misrepresent what it is. Ask Tom Hanks how he did it. Because he did it. Where is Tom Hanks, by the way on Julian Assange. Where is he at?"
[15:30] "Where is Hollywood. Why aren't they screaming. They all like to scream about cages and Donald Trump, even though Barack Obama built those cages and put those kids in them. They all like to scream about Donald Trump and democracy. Why aren't they screaming about this? That's right. Because they're all cowards. And they're not really screaming about Donald Trump. They're screaming that Donald Trump bothers them personally They don't give a fuck about policy, because if they did they'd be screaming about the Democrats implementing Trump's policies. And they're not. They're not screaming about this."
"Great work Matt. Bob Woodward is telling exactly what Julian Assange is being charged with. He's saying that's what you're supposed to do. And do it. And that he did do it. And he's silent on Julian Assange. If anyone has a quote from Bib Woodward on Julian Assange, please send it to us. As far as we know, he's been silent. He certainly hasn't been vocal. He certainly hasn't been screaming about it like democracy depends on it. Which it does. Why? Because journalists are cowards. Bob Woodward is a fucking Russia-gater. I'm telling you, journalism in America isn't worth a shit. That's why you're watching this fucking show. That's why you've got to go to Matt Orfalea to show you that Bob Woodward is a piece of shit. And Jim Acosta."