"Aaronovitch rejects Julian Assange's call for Hillary Clinton to resign from her post as US secretary of state on the grounds that (a) she is elected and he is not ..." As you wrote, this is irrelevant, but you know, just as a matter of fact, Clinton was not elected -- she was appointed, like any American Secretary of State.

Shows up the Murdoch pro-capitalism propaganda machine.

The greatest benefit of the EU and the rise of China is that it they could offer strong resistance to the disgusting role the "democapitalist" USA plays in the world. Instead we let those murderers stand as our "allies".

It's not that US diplomats don't understand the Middle East; it's just that they've lost all sight of injustice. Vast amounts of diplomatic literature prove that the mainstay of Washington's Middle East policy is alignment with Israel, that its principal aim is to encourage the Arabs to join the American-Israeli alliance against Iran, that the compass point of US policy over years and years is the need to tame/bully/crush/oppress/ ultimately destroy the power of Iran.

There is virtually no talk (so far, at least) of illegal Jewish colonial settlements on the West Bank, of Israeli "outposts", of extremist Israeli "settlers" whose homes now smallpox the occupied Palestinian West Bank – of the vast illegal system of land theft which lies at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian war. And incredibly, all kinds of worthy US diplomats grovel and kneel before Israel's demands – many of them apparently fervent supporters of Israel – as Mossad bosses and Israel military intelligence agents read their wish-list to their benefactors.

Aaronovitch gets worse and worse.
I spotted his lardy arse coming out of Mirabelle in Mayfair late one lunchtime about 10 years ago. That was my judgement made.

Disappointing to see a strong Eurocommunist go to waste at one of Murdoch's propaganda machines; Aaronovitch has been getting progressively worse for a few years now, and has started spouting a lot of what his readers want to hear, or something deliberately controversial, rather than factual journalism. Then again, he's in the opinion section.

So Aaronovitch debases himself before the Great American Imperial Altar and becomes little more than a highly paid... Troll. What a waste of a career and a reputation. Does the money really make up for it? I wonder, does he really, honestly, believe the stuff he writes anymore?

The idea that the American Empire is a benign force for good, that American power is somehow as innocent as most Americans appear to be, is absurd, a grotesque parody of reality. Is Aaronovitch totally unaware of history? Does the mass slaughter and collosal material destruction in Iraq mean nothing on the giant scale the weighs goodness?

But then of course, if one wants real media success and the big bucks, one has to prostrate oneself and repeat the mantra, that America makes mistakes, but they only desire to do good, regardless of their imperial interests.

Aaronovitch would be amusing if his convertion to the true faith, so late in life, wasn't so deeply sad, and rather pathetic.

I cannot believe it. America could do us all a favour by spending a decade in isolation and putting its own country in order instead of interfering in other Nations affairs.
Its interesting that the Sri Lankans were able to bring a terrorist war against the Tamil Tigers to an end and yet the might of America has been pretty useless against a handful of AlQueda and Taliban.

That should be "snarking", btw.

@Hans Castorp: you are a bigoted. Fool, you have made Weak weak weak comments, man. Mehdi Hasan right on. Cheers.

His views and staunch support for Israel are even more odious. How is it that those who migrate from the left to the right of the political spectrum end up being more reactionary. Little wonder that he feels at home in the Murdoch Empire. Thank God too that this man has very little poltical influence in this country and his views are out of kilter with the William Hague.

Left is Backwards.

You are not an ally. An example of an ally would be the Australians who have fought alongside us shoulder to shoulder since WW1 to include the mud and pain of Vietnam. They are a true friend. Do not even try to place yourselves in that category. Half the problems in the world today are a result of British imperialism. No wonder your history is not taught in your schools.

@John.
"What does one expects from the biggest global bully."

Kenya.

The majority of the men and boys were detained in Britain’s Gulag, where beating and torture of every kind was endemic. The aim was to secure confessions and implicate others. They were “screened” to discover who had taken the Mau Mau oath, to force them to recant, and to rehabilitate them. The 30,000 “hard-core”, who refused to confess, were sent to “the Pipeline” – camps designed to break them by systematic and relentless brute force.

No-one knows the death toll – estimates vary from 30,000 to 300,000. When independence came, Kenyatta , in accepting the presidency, quoted Jesus’ words “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Under the agreement settlers remained on the land or had a share of the £12.5 million pounds paid out in compensation.

http://www.urc.org.uk/what_we_do/communications/reform/09/july/kenyas_ma...

Do let me know if your would like a ton more of this sort of thing.

BUCKSKINS IS A ZIO-FACIST...

The reason many former marxist journalists are becoming neocon journalists is because they are first and foremost, Zionists.

In the past These-Zionists were comfortable within the left-wing camp, but now they have moved into the right-wing camp.

This is because of the growing left-wing interest in the Palestinian cause.

This matters because These-Zionists don't want to make peace and share the 'Promised Land' with the Arabs.

Instead they promote a neocon agenda e.g. curtail civil liberties, incite anti-muslim feeling and support the pre-emptive bombing of Israel's neighbours.

An agenda promoted by the right-wing Murdoch media.

And that's why these pro-war journalists (as shameless as Blair)refuse to apologise for Iraq and support a war with Iran - and work for the Times.

The simple truth, what a quaint phrase, covering so many lies. Maybe it should be the simpleton's truth?

I wonder, is it possible to have it both ways? Of course it is, if one is a self-righteous, hypocritical, and one believes in the concept of American exceptionalism.

One the one hand the leaks are rubbished by people who apparently have the extraordinary ability to read through over 250,000 cables, digest this information, analyse it, and then dismiss it as containing nothing new, noting we didn't already know, etc. Truly remarkable.

On the other hand Americans are howling for Assange's blood, he is a threat to the US, the informaiton risks lives, he's a traitor, he should be assassinated, the material undermines the United States, and on, and on, and on.

Well, which one is it? Is the material just diplomatic gossip, of little to no value, nothing new; or is it deadly and damaging? Can it be both at the same time?

Are we then to conclude that the US reactions are not related to the material at all, because the material is unemportant, but rather totally over-the-top and hysterical outbursts of venom and anger, directed at Assange because he's been impertinent, disrespectful, and doesn't appear to know his place, like most corporate jounalists do?

aron, the downloded leaks were sent directly to Wikileaks.

Buckskins mentions the word Muslim because it's not unusual for him to post a string of articles on the topic. I hope that satisfies your curiosity.

The Tamil Tigers were using that old dirty trick of hiding out amongst the civilians. Not much you can do but round up the lot of them, hold and question them, until the Tigers can be identified and dealt with.

RK you loser hows it going your boyfriend Foreskins was looking for you sorry i prounced his name wrong i meant to say Buckskins loser....

shame on the media wikileaks is doing what the media is supposed to be doing exposing the truth not covering it up well done wikileaks. The mainstream media find themselves in an awful bind. they haven't been doing their job properly, and have been completely outclassed by Wikileaks. Hence the love/hate relationship: the mainstream media love WikiLeaks as a source, but hate being upstaged.

Clearly I am still learning manners to write slowly and accurately....not to have too many typos.

Mr. Aaronovitch came across as crass, smug and very condescending on Newsnight the other day.

I was most surprised that a man who purports to be smart and intelligible had to resort to trying to belittle one of his interlocutors. Poor show.

Mind you, having said that, Ms. Penny [http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/laurie-penny] tore him to pieces with her sharp mind coupled with her full understanding of the issues at hand as well as her appreciation of how the whole, rather unappetising, bid to turn the nation's students into debt-laden paupers has been conceived.

You mean to say the US are pro Israel? No...go on. You bet your sweet ass we are. I am a Christian American and I consider every Israeli my brother or sister. So long as there is an America there will be an Israel. Happy Chanukah ya'al.

By Governments claiming that certain things are secret/classified information and should not be released to the masses they are able to commit much crimes against humanity and keep the masses in ignorance. To hold Governments accountable and in check we need more information in the public domain NOT less.

Wikileaks wrote to the the US ambassador in London asking which of the 250,000 plus cables might be a threat to life, offering to redact such information in consultation with US govt.

Some lawyer from the State dept responded, repeating the same dreary tale of a general threat to life but no specifics. None whatsoever.

Wikileaks, rightly in my opinion, took the view that the US govt was little more than a cheap liar caught out and trying to hide its embarrassment at what it was up to and they went ahead and published.

In sharing their information with respected publications like the Guardian, Der Spiegel and the New York Times etc, and in giving the US govt ample opportunity to give information about any specific threats that may result from publication, Wikileaks have acted responsibly.

The US govt has of course acted like the jumped up street thug and bully that day and daily threatens the lives of innocent people all over the world.