Julian Assange’s wife compares his position to that of Alexei Navalny and thereby immediately weakens the public’s belief that he might or should avoid extradition to the United States. At this distance it is quite impossible to estimate how many Iraqis and others were murdered as a result of Julian Assange’s declared belief that he had a right and a duty to give away US military secrets. But on this basis he should go to the USA and go away for a long time.
*****
The London Capital and Finance fraud trial got under way yesterday. It is expected to last twenty weeks. It’s the administrators .v. the baddies at this stage and will morph into a criminal trial in due course, Basically LCF was a Ponzi scheme – i.e. there was no underlying business of any quality and the directors attracted more money through preposterous promises to investors to see that finance was to hand to make up the vast holes created within LCF by the directors. One of them was paid 25% commission on funds raised and we are here talking serious dough. Surely, those responsible for this scheme and its operation should receive really serious custodial sentences.
*****
The British state strikes again to irritate citizens as much as possible: I and my wife, both now 77 years old, have to sign into HMRC’s Economic Crime Commission control and supervision of our performance. I think the annual charge is c. £300. However, this arm of the state does not tell me where to send the money (they will not accept cheques) in terms of banking details which might be along the following lines:
A/C Chief Thief,
HMRC Bank of Devastavit,
Ref: Mr and Mrs Simon Cawkwell
HMRC’s pointless, humourless and essentially insulting drivel department is closely illustrated here. And one wonders what other lunacies they will get up to on the sly.