Today, Amy Goodman of Democracynow! spends the hour with Julian Assange.

The White House continues their dismissal strategy, saying there’s nothing new.   But my own thoughts, which were echoed by Julian this morning, is how this is about more than a few specific incidents of horror. It’s about the vast amount of abuses evident over the six years of data.   It’s concrete evidence that this war is inflicting terrorism on the every day lives of the Afghanistan people.   And if the WH is willing to admit there’s nothing new in here, than what the hell are we, the people, waiting for? Let’s end this war!

What I find really interesting, is how on the one hand, the WH goes on about how it’s old news, nothing new.  But on the other hand, they’re saying how irresponsible this was and how it could endanger the lives of the soldiers on the ground.  Which one is it then?

One interesting thing Julian specifies in his interview, is how they’re not anti-war activists, they’re “Transparency Activists”.  The idea being, transparent governments leads to just governments.  And I can agree with that,  but that depends on the people using this transparency and holding the government accountable.  And that’s where the rub is, because then we’re back to figuring out how to make people care.

On a last unrelated note, I was just reading about the Congo the other day… Over 5 million “excess deaths” in the last 10 years. “Excess”  meaning an amount outside the acceptable amount during a conflict.  The weapons used are horrific, most prominently being massive sexual violence…

Another world is possible… it echoes in my head.

Another world is necessary… burned into my heart.

I’m going to write a more detailed post on the situation in the Congo, but I’m not done researching it.