If Democracy is government of the People, by the People and for the People, any one who withholds the truth from the people cannot be but a traitor to Democracy.

I would suggest that in modern terms, this classic interview between Julian Assange and Julia Gillard on Q & A has "Gone Viral"
The video of this interview has gone around the world, as has the video of the March 16th Sydney Peace Foundation meeting in the Sydney Town Hall covering this same subject.
I watched both the Q&A Clip and the hour-long video from the Syney Town Hall on overseas web sites.

In this episode with Julian Assange, which has only just commenced, we in Australia are not now the Judges. We are the Judged as to how we treat our own citizens.

Oh dear. Yet another piece of under-researched, overblown journalism, whose only objective can possibly be... actually, I'm not at all sure what it could be.

A real journalist would, at the very least, done some basic research on the topic of treason.

Here's what Commonwealth Law has to say - it's all in Division 80 - "Treason and urging violence".

http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/cca1995115/sch1.html

A real journalist would have explained to the rest of us under which clause Assange's accusation of a treasonous act may be identified.

Oops. There isn't one. So the entire "should perhaps the Australian people consider charging you with treason" question was just an emotive TV soundbite. And should have been treated as such. Unfortunately, as Assange and Jones were well aware, Julia hadn't brought her copy of the Act with her, and so fumbled the answer.

Which made it good TV.

Crap journalism, though, to perpetuate the treason image without questioning its validity.

Causes me to wonder exactly what the description "Tess Lawrence is a journalist advocate" actually means. Perhaps she's not actually a journalist at all, in which case it is just another scatterbrained opinion, and all is forgiven.

The whole episode is a storm in a teacup. George Bush isn't going to be charged for war crimes - and lying to the American people. Neither is John Howard who supported him. Neither is Tony Blair.

Harold Macmillan wasn't charged for handing over to Stalin more than two million Soviet citizens who had surrendered to Field Marshal Alexander's forces. At the same time many thousands of anti-Communist Yugoslavs, refugees, and members of para-military units, were similarly handed over to Tito's partisans. Both categories were either summarily or eventually slaughtered often in circumstances of extreme cruelty. One has to only read the book, "The Minister And The Massacres," by Nokolai Tolstoy to get the full picture.

Who knows what sort of deals are done in back-rooms between super-powers and their allies. None of whom are ever brought to account. I watched the Q and A program - and thought that the PM answered Julian Assange quite well.

Dear Skeptic. You Darling softie. Such a great idea innit. Democracy.
By for and of the people.
Thanks for reminding us. Keep doing it. Thanks for reading the article.
Tess Lawrence

Dear Raise the Dust. Spot on. It has indeed gone a bit viral since posted ( longer versions ) on Independent Australia and Truthout and now OLO.

I'd love to know how you feel about putting protagonist and antagonist on the same platform at the same time. I just don't get why we so often tolerate interviews with pollies who refuse to appear on air with
their opposite number.Is it just me ?
Keep kicking up the dust.
Tess Lawrence