In this age of mis-information/dis-information there are accusations on both sides. In the 70s when Ellsberg published the Pentagon Papers, mainstream corporate media picked up segments, but it was initially controversial inside the papers whether they would publish or not, especially The New York Times. That’s history.

Then came Snowden. We know where he is, living in Moscow in freedom.  Assange is an ongoing saga of torture about truth-telling by an Australian citizen on WikiLeaks, and he is being persecuted/prosecuted and should be released. His story also reflects the rise of the internet and social media as international communication that was not previously available, even in the 70s. In a way, as many of the aforementioned media pundits have discussed, the Assange case reflects this new era of international communication by media and also brings to the fore the statements in the U.S. Bill of Rights in the Constitution of freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Does speech/press freedom, which historically refers to the printed word, also include all forms of media now: radio, TV, and the internet with podcasts and videos that are part of our daily lives?

Historically, the mainstream corporate media (MSCM) in this country is a mouthpiece for the State, no matter what political party that happens to be. Since Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers there has been an even more stringent clampdown on publishing alternative views and being critical of administrations. In fact, the MSCM has typically beat the drums of war along with whatever administration happens to be in D.C. at the time. This era might be called the era of the propaganda wars. Those who disagree with the analysis of Jimmy and others call what they say “lies.” The freedom of the press/media side argues that what is happening is a propaganda war waged on the American people in direct or indirect, as it were, violation of the Bill of Rights/Constitution. In part these are media wars being waged before our very eyes, (and ears) in the struggle to come to terms with what freedom of speech/the press means, and does it extend to all the new forms of media in an interpretation of the Constitution? No one to my knowledge has actually called them the Media Wars, yet…but that is what they are.

There is a question of whether Assange should be is extradited to the U.S. for trial in a kangaroo court, which is ironic term since he is an Australian citizen and it is questionable to many of us whether he should be tried in a U.S. court at all. Already heads of state of South American countries, Australia, and other governments have called for his release. In Berlin, Germany there are statues of whistleblowers Assange, Snowden and Manning in a public square. In an international court Assange would be released immediately. He has already been tried in that court informally and found not guilty with support from around the world.

U.S. hubris, along with the UK, is still holding Assange hostage. Ironically our Bill of Rights is based on British common law, including not only freedom of speech and the press, but also the right to assemble. All these freedoms written into our Constitution are being challenged now, as Democracy itself is being challenged. Some of those challenges are direct, especially from the GOP, others are more subtle propaganda from both Republicans and Democrats and are part of the greater media wars and war against Democracy.