Near the end of a question-and-answer session following a screening of Director Ben Lawrence’s new feature-length documentary film, Ithaka, at the Tinker Street Cinema in Woodstock, New York, on March 26th, John Shipton, the main subject of the film and the father of the imprisoned journalist Julian Assange, was asked about the meaning behind the title of the film.
From 1994 until 1998 I made some 20 trips to Israel, where I worked with the highest levels of government. I spent many moths in Israel getting to know the people, its history and culture. So I take umbrage at any notion that I am a) ignorant of Israel and its realities, or b) somehow anti-semetic.
I worked closely with Israeli intelligence. In 1998 they published an assessment of the treats faced by Israel. Number one was the threat from the Israeli right. When I look at Israel today, and I see the ascendancy of the Israeli right, I remember that assessment.
I need not remind you I also have extensive experience in the Arab world, and am intimately familiar with the scope and scale of the Arab-Israeli relationship.
Please don't try and lecture me about Israel by trying to impart some sort of notion that I am ignorant of the subject--I am not.
You are free to disagree with me. But please make your arguments fact-based, and not derived from the ignorance you have regarding my resume.
Ah, the Israeli moths. Famous for their hospitality. Didn't realize Mossad were involved in policing patisseries but Hamas does make the most irresistible treats.
I suppose this answer is the Scott approach to the methodology about "Free their minds and the rest will follow". Sometimes you should just choose what comments are relevant for a direct answer or not. It can spare you for having to lose the best of your bright side and for some of your fellow committed followers the attempt to "lecture" you, if there is such a thing, of course. I'm already happy you are not coming with Maverick to interview important guests on your interview. It is a good sign of respect for your guests and social evolution with all due respect for dogs I have. If they could talk and express they would certainly give a solid for us about that. You are right now in the middle of a tornado with so many things to think about. Remember what you are, keep honest to yourself and don't let the beer take the best of yourself because hired COE dancers for a little bit of money offered can ruin your reputation over the course of this sensitive time. Good job. Now move on your fat ass and don't come back here unless it's Biden or Putin asking to.
Thank you for sharing your experience of watching this profoundly moving film intertwined with imagery from the poem of its title. Glad you could meet and spend time with John and Gabriel. I saw them at the showing of Ithaka in San Francisco and was deeply touched.
Thank you , Scott , for your tireless , I mean tiring , effort !
I have recently become a yearly paid subscriber to " Ask the Inspector " and the chemistry between you and Jeff is superb. What a treat to find you , unfortunately , through this ridiculous
war that should have been stopped BEFORE IT STARTED , thanks to the U.S.
Deeply grateful for this doorway into the timeless depths via your heart mind attentiveness and the grace of poetry giving proper dimensionality to the rending awfulness of Assange’s experience by the sinister hands of a humanity spiritually corrupted by boundless hubris and rage- drenched shame unchallenged by a humanity refusing informal initiation rites required to shed the ways and things of the child to assume the ways and responsibilities of the mature adult.
Thanks once again Scott for reminding us of the need for all of us to always keep Julian Assange in our thoughts & prayers every day, & if we can, to broadcast his unjust plight far & wide to those who are still unaware.
Constitutional due process attaches to the totality of the US legal system. We seek to prosecute Assange under US jurisdiction. The Constitution applies.
People continue to deceive themselves into thinking they will be able to run away, hide, or be allowed to exist in parallel structures inside or outside the system. The Party is not playing. They only portray the false appearance of playing nice for the ..
Time will tell, I suppose. On a good note (imo) scroll way down and watch the antifa guy get KO'd. He tries to club the other guy with a billy club looking weapon. The other guy simply grabs the incoming club and simultaneously winds up and cold cocks him. Very entertaining.
I must take this opportunity to remonstrate with you for your recent careless statement on video , in which you appear to rejoice over the purported "isolation" of Israel. This was not an utterance that I would expect from a person of critical depth and analytical faculties. I'll stand with you against war with Russia and China, and for the liberation of Julian Assange; but I will from now on watch you carefully for further signs of glib,, trendy, and baseless anti-Israelism. Rather than lecture someone I respect as much as I respect you, I would simply urge you to spend a year in Israel and familiarize yourself with the Jews and Arabs who live there at all levels of society and all branches of government - and report back to us. That year will pass very quickly, and may we all live so long! Best wishes,
Aha! That's why I objected to Scott's remark. I knew that some listeners would take Scott's remark as an endorsement of the apartheid canard. Why not ask him? Right now, I think the focus must be on preventing nuclear catastrophe, don't you?
Just curious what he said that so offended you in terms of his statement about Israel? Your commentary is this regard reflects a total condemnation of his remarks in reference to Israel. Sorry but it comes across like a threat.
Episode 55 from 11 minutes. Has Israel been isolated by the China mediation? I would expect some effort to substantiate that casual remark. If it were true, why would Scott be excited about that? Would it be a good thing? Especially in light of US fomenting of "regime change" in Israel? Thanks for replying, Fran, but it has become fashionable to use the "threat" word as a means of suppressing criticism. I consider Scott a friend of all thinking people, but people often stop thinking when it comes to Israel.
I know nothing about this, but Peter it did come off that way. No, I'm not into shutting people down with the threat word, just came across that way to me, and I just thought if you wanted some dialogue with him on this issue, better to come across more open to a difference of opinion. Hope that happens.
I was thinking about the twitter files after reading this post, beautifully written. Taibbi finds out what the democrats don't want you to hear, or made public. They attack him, accuse him of being on the dole then sends the IRS to his home during the day he testified, I believe, our press has become the mouth piece of a country that wants to define what the truth is.
I know and that's the really the scary part, because they now know they have so much support and what they do comes with no consequences, no challenges.
How about the press's complicity with the democrats during the Trump years, and even now? They were all to willing to broadcast their lies, and their agenda. Unfortunately many on the left were in complicity with their agenda as well. I'm not talking about his policies, but I am talking about the lie that he was an illegitimate president operating in complicity with Russia, They were determined to run him out of office on this lie as well as other lies, and in my opinion did. Sometimes I wonder if that had not happened would we be at war with Russia, and we are, we're just using a proxy army, Ukrainian lives.
I've been following the plight of Julian Assange for so long I feel like Ithaka is a 'home away from home'. Julian was Railroaded on a box car of Euro-trash. 'They' - U.S. DoJ and U.K MFWICs (motherfuckers whats in charge) - hate him worse than they do Scott Ritter . .. if such a thing is possible.
*btw, Scott, your twitter and YouTube accounts are not working properly .. . again.
Difficult to understand why Australia-proper tolerates this clear abuse of its citizens? Julian is an Australian national, not subject to U.S./UK jurisdiction (absent Australian consent/obligation).
'Espionage', by definition, requires intent/motive to 'spy' on behalf of a government entity for some clandestine purpose. Every major media organization in the world printed the WikiLeaks files . .. often to great fanfare and acclaim.
*I heard Trump refused to pardon Assange (& Snowden) under impeachment-conviction threat on the way out the door .. . and now it looks like the shoe is on the other foot.
Peter,
From 1994 until 1998 I made some 20 trips to Israel, where I worked with the highest levels of government. I spent many moths in Israel getting to know the people, its history and culture. So I take umbrage at any notion that I am a) ignorant of Israel and its realities, or b) somehow anti-semetic.
I worked closely with Israeli intelligence. In 1998 they published an assessment of the treats faced by Israel. Number one was the threat from the Israeli right. When I look at Israel today, and I see the ascendancy of the Israeli right, I remember that assessment.
I need not remind you I also have extensive experience in the Arab world, and am intimately familiar with the scope and scale of the Arab-Israeli relationship.
Please don't try and lecture me about Israel by trying to impart some sort of notion that I am ignorant of the subject--I am not.
You are free to disagree with me. But please make your arguments fact-based, and not derived from the ignorance you have regarding my resume.
Ah, the Israeli moths. Famous for their hospitality. Didn't realize Mossad were involved in policing patisseries but Hamas does make the most irresistible treats.
He don't spilt-check too good .. . but I knowed what he means.
Hey Mr. spilt-check - "He doesn't". XD
Dyslectics Untie!
I suppose this answer is the Scott approach to the methodology about "Free their minds and the rest will follow". Sometimes you should just choose what comments are relevant for a direct answer or not. It can spare you for having to lose the best of your bright side and for some of your fellow committed followers the attempt to "lecture" you, if there is such a thing, of course. I'm already happy you are not coming with Maverick to interview important guests on your interview. It is a good sign of respect for your guests and social evolution with all due respect for dogs I have. If they could talk and express they would certainly give a solid for us about that. You are right now in the middle of a tornado with so many things to think about. Remember what you are, keep honest to yourself and don't let the beer take the best of yourself because hired COE dancers for a little bit of money offered can ruin your reputation over the course of this sensitive time. Good job. Now move on your fat ass and don't come back here unless it's Biden or Putin asking to.
What are you referring to? Israel was never mentioned in this article.
Beautiful, and poignant. Thank you.
Poignant - exactly. Thank you Scott.
not poignant. tragic.
Thank you for sharing your experience of watching this profoundly moving film intertwined with imagery from the poem of its title. Glad you could meet and spend time with John and Gabriel. I saw them at the showing of Ithaka in San Francisco and was deeply touched.
Thank you , Scott , for your tireless , I mean tiring , effort !
I have recently become a yearly paid subscriber to " Ask the Inspector " and the chemistry between you and Jeff is superb. What a treat to find you , unfortunately , through this ridiculous
war that should have been stopped BEFORE IT STARTED , thanks to the U.S.
Thank you Scott, thank you for all your decades of efforts.
“Julian Assange gave humanity the gift of truth” -- how true, how true.
All Americans who are still sleepwalking should lower their heads in deep shame.
In addition to the mentioned Americans, so should indeed the REST of the world's population who knows what has befallen Julian Assange! . . . .
Deeply grateful for this doorway into the timeless depths via your heart mind attentiveness and the grace of poetry giving proper dimensionality to the rending awfulness of Assange’s experience by the sinister hands of a humanity spiritually corrupted by boundless hubris and rage- drenched shame unchallenged by a humanity refusing informal initiation rites required to shed the ways and things of the child to assume the ways and responsibilities of the mature adult.
Thanks once again Scott for reminding us of the need for all of us to always keep Julian Assange in our thoughts & prayers every day, & if we can, to broadcast his unjust plight far & wide to those who are still unaware.
Great article! Is that Maverick on the photo? :)
Looks like Randy Credico's darling little Sofia.
Constitutional due process attaches to the totality of the US legal system. We seek to prosecute Assange under US jurisdiction. The Constitution applies.
People continue to deceive themselves into thinking they will be able to run away, hide, or be allowed to exist in parallel structures inside or outside the system. The Party is not playing. They only portray the false appearance of playing nice for the ..
(Must read!)
https://twitter.com/B33Mello/status/1641369447754522624
Time will tell, I suppose. On a good note (imo) scroll way down and watch the antifa guy get KO'd. He tries to club the other guy with a billy club looking weapon. The other guy simply grabs the incoming club and simultaneously winds up and cold cocks him. Very entertaining.
BS"D
Thank you, Scott Ritter!
I must take this opportunity to remonstrate with you for your recent careless statement on video , in which you appear to rejoice over the purported "isolation" of Israel. This was not an utterance that I would expect from a person of critical depth and analytical faculties. I'll stand with you against war with Russia and China, and for the liberation of Julian Assange; but I will from now on watch you carefully for further signs of glib,, trendy, and baseless anti-Israelism. Rather than lecture someone I respect as much as I respect you, I would simply urge you to spend a year in Israel and familiarize yourself with the Jews and Arabs who live there at all levels of society and all branches of government - and report back to us. That year will pass very quickly, and may we all live so long! Best wishes,
Scott never mentioned apartheid Israel (and for some reason neither have you)
Aha! That's why I objected to Scott's remark. I knew that some listeners would take Scott's remark as an endorsement of the apartheid canard. Why not ask him? Right now, I think the focus must be on preventing nuclear catastrophe, don't you?
I of course don’t need to ask you! About Amnesty International apartheid “canard”.
Stick your "Aha" in your ass -- our poor local troll...
Just curious what he said that so offended you in terms of his statement about Israel? Your commentary is this regard reflects a total condemnation of his remarks in reference to Israel. Sorry but it comes across like a threat.
Episode 55 from 11 minutes. Has Israel been isolated by the China mediation? I would expect some effort to substantiate that casual remark. If it were true, why would Scott be excited about that? Would it be a good thing? Especially in light of US fomenting of "regime change" in Israel? Thanks for replying, Fran, but it has become fashionable to use the "threat" word as a means of suppressing criticism. I consider Scott a friend of all thinking people, but people often stop thinking when it comes to Israel.
I know nothing about this, but Peter it did come off that way. No, I'm not into shutting people down with the threat word, just came across that way to me, and I just thought if you wanted some dialogue with him on this issue, better to come across more open to a difference of opinion. Hope that happens.
Me too! Thanks, Fran! See my reply to Boris Petrov.
For those who care, a similar "straight to the action" format distinguished Ernst Jŭnger's immortal In Stahlgewittern or "in the Storm of Steel".
I was thinking about the twitter files after reading this post, beautifully written. Taibbi finds out what the democrats don't want you to hear, or made public. They attack him, accuse him of being on the dole then sends the IRS to his home during the day he testified, I believe, our press has become the mouth piece of a country that wants to define what the truth is.
Transparent thuggery. They don't bother to hide it now.
The United States is already toppled and the nation is over, barring a decisive coup.
I know and that's the really the scary part, because they now know they have so much support and what they do comes with no consequences, no challenges.
Our press is paid to lie and must lick asses of their advertisers -- US arms industry and its fascist bipartisan War party.
How about the press's complicity with the democrats during the Trump years, and even now? They were all to willing to broadcast their lies, and their agenda. Unfortunately many on the left were in complicity with their agenda as well. I'm not talking about his policies, but I am talking about the lie that he was an illegitimate president operating in complicity with Russia, They were determined to run him out of office on this lie as well as other lies, and in my opinion did. Sometimes I wonder if that had not happened would we be at war with Russia, and we are, we're just using a proxy army, Ukrainian lives.
“Be strong, saith my heart; I am a soldier;
I have seen worse sights than this.”
Homer, The Odyssey
Damn, Goat .. . this is almost poetic.
I've been following the plight of Julian Assange for so long I feel like Ithaka is a 'home away from home'. Julian was Railroaded on a box car of Euro-trash. 'They' - U.S. DoJ and U.K MFWICs (motherfuckers whats in charge) - hate him worse than they do Scott Ritter . .. if such a thing is possible.
*btw, Scott, your twitter and YouTube accounts are not working properly .. . again.
Difficult to understand why Australia-proper tolerates this clear abuse of its citizens? Julian is an Australian national, not subject to U.S./UK jurisdiction (absent Australian consent/obligation).
'Espionage', by definition, requires intent/motive to 'spy' on behalf of a government entity for some clandestine purpose. Every major media organization in the world printed the WikiLeaks files . .. often to great fanfare and acclaim.
*I heard Trump refused to pardon Assange (& Snowden) under impeachment-conviction threat on the way out the door .. . and now it looks like the shoe is on the other foot.
Beautiful. Thank you. 🙏🏼