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. I, too, was curious, as nowhere in the movie was the term “Ithaka” mentioned.
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.
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 ..
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,
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.
What are you referring to? Israel was never mentioned in this article.
Beautiful, and poignant. Thank you.
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.
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? :)
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
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,
For those who care, a similar "straight to the action" format distinguished Ernst Jŭnger's immortal In Stahlgewittern or "in the Storm of Steel".
“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. 🙏🏼