Important Book - The Activist Poet Volume IV

 

The Activist Poet Volume IV is more than a book of poetry; it is a deep philosophical and truthful look into the 21st century through the eyes of a poet, analyst, activist, and human being.

The poems and essays within this book, piece together some of the major topics and conflicts of 2025; pointing out their root causes and possible solutions.

The Activist Poet - Volume IV reaffirms poetry’s role as a transformative force, offering readers both a mirror to society and a map for change. This collection is essential reading for those who believe in the power of words to shape a more equitable and just world.

Please consider buying a copy to support my work.

Available globally on Amazon

Link to Book on Amazon USA

Link to Book on Amazon Canada

International Impact Book Awards Winner - The Shard of Asclepius

 

Hey everyone. I thought I’d share a little news with you.

On May 19th, 2025, I received word by email that my book, “The Shard of Asclepius” won the International Impact Book Awards (IIBA) category for Mystery / Thriller.

I was so shocked when I received the email that I wasn’t sure how to respond. The first words out of my mouth were, ‘Holy crap, is this real? Did I just actually win an award for my book?’ I then decided to check to see if the communication was real or not because, over the years, I’ve received so many spam and fishing emails that have told me I’ve won something, that I’ve become very skeptical of just about every email I receive. Especially today with the invasion of A.I. programs. I’m sure you’ve had similar experiences, right? That facial expression that comes with a sarcastic chuckle, ‘Ya right, I won something. Nice try.’

I then remembered that I entered a contest and went to the website…and there right in front of me, reality set in. I actually won an award! ‘Holy crap! It’s real!’

I then let out a big sigh of excited relief, realizing that my hard work has finally paid off. ‘I won an award!’ 😊

So, before I start bowing and thanking everybody I ‘ve ever known, for supporting or inspiring me, I want to thank IBBA for the amazing recognition they have given me with this award and for the huge confidence boost it has given me. A million thank you’s IIBA!

Oh, and for those reading this little message, don’t worry, I won’t thank the entire planet like at those award shows…at least, not until they’ve read, “The Shard of Asclepius.” 😉

Who knows, maybe this award will finally bring attention to this great story. If not, I’ll be writing anyways because it’s what I love to do, but if it does…

The second book is well underway which should be finalized and released early in 2026.

Thanks for listening to my little victory news!

Theater in front of the world?

 

Theater in front of the world?

What we saw play out in front of our eyes on Feb 28th, 2025 in the oval office between the US President Donald Trump administration and Vladimir Zelensky was like an American TV reality show. It was filled with entertainment, drama and a lot of BS. But there were some interesting statements and a few threats; one from Zelensky and one from Trump.

Zelensky’s veiled threat: “First of all, during the war everybody has problems, even you. But you have nice ocean and do not feel now, but you will feel it in the future.” “You will feel influence.”

Trump to Zelensky: “The problem is I have empowered you to be a tough guy, and I do not think you would be a tough guy without the US. And your people are very brave. But you are either gonna make a deal or we are out. And if we are out, you will fight it out. I do not think it is going to be pretty, but you will fight it out.”

Trumps scolding of Zelensky was quite an eye-opening moment, which on its own, reveals several things;

[1] That vassal states are to do as they are told. (The quiet part out loud)
[2] That Zelensky is a dead man walking. (Because he will not do what he is told)
[3] That the Ukraine has lost the war.
[4] That the American proxy war on Russia is over…for now.

During the entire 46-minute interview, the gravelly voiced Zelensky, sounding like Thelma from the Simpsons, complained while promoting propaganda as reasons why the USA should continue its proxy war on Russia. Everything Zelensky said was an inversion of the actual facts, including how the war began, while Trump and his administration did nothing to correct his lies. It was quite nauseating to watch, until the argument broke out, which made me sit up and listen.

Even so, I've decided to remedy the information gap for readers because the Trump administration, who are trying to show the American people that they are the purveyors of justice, honesty and good ideals, should have come out and corrected Zelensky about the series of events that led up to the Ukrainian civil war…and the NATO gang war on Russia. In fact, the Trump administration should have told the truth themselves, but they didn't; which shows deception on their part.

So, for those who are unaware of how the war really started due to the abysmal state of the western mainstream media, and the deceptive politics of our western governments, here is how the US proxy war on Russia, through Ukraine, began.

In 2013, Ukraine’s elected Yanukovych government was faced with a choice to sign an economic agreement with the European Union or sign a continuing economic agreement with Russia.

When the Yanukovych government decided to take time to think about it, the western cartel of European governments became livid and demanded that the Ukraine government sign the European economic agreement. (Gun to the head diplomacy)

When the Yanukovych government decided it needed more time to think about it, western assets then launched the Euromaidan to put extreme pressure on the Ukraine government to sign the European deal.

As this protest grew in Kiev, the US then unleashed their belligerent assets that turned the protest into a violent rage, which then led to a bloodthirsty coup, backed by officials in the Obama government.

There is a 2013 phone conversation between deputy US Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and Geoffrey Pyatt, the US ambassador to Ukraine, which details who the US government wanted to put in place after the fall of the Yanukovych government. 

When the violent coup succeeded, US assets were put in place. Once in power, violent elements of the regime set out on a genocidal quest to remove everything that was Russian including people in positions of power. This was not done peaceably; it was done with extreme prejudice and violence throughout the country; a country which is 50% Russian speaking. This is what sparked the Ukraine civil war in 2014. The people in eastern Ukraine, who are mostly Russian speaking, saw what was coming for them and began to organize to protect themselves. I mean, wouldn’t you?

20140126 – Kiev Face off – Ukraine Opposition Urges Snap Elections
20140311 – Wave of Abductions hits Ukraine
20140312 – Ukraine Interim PM to Bolster Take over with DC rubber Stamp
20140317 – Crimea Votes to Join Russia – 96.77% Say Yes
20140407 – Activists Declare Independent Donetsk Republic
20140503 – The Odessa Massacre

See more historical news videos on the Ukraine Civil War at the following Video Channel

The following is an excerpt from my book, "The Activist Poet Volume III" written in 2022 (pages 73 to 84)

The “Real” Unfolding Story on the Ground

Ukraine was a country that formed out of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and still is deeply connected with Russia. In 2014 nearly 8 million Russian speaking people lived in Ukraine, born and raised there and more than 15 million people in Ukraine claim Russian as their first language.

The 2014 coup in Ukraine is a statement of fact as Victoria Newland the US assistant Secretary of State at the time was recorded speaking to Geoffery Pyatt, the US ambassador to Ukraine about US plans on who was going to take control of power in Ukraine during the Coup.

Victoria Newland: “I think Yat’s (Arseniy Yatseniuk) is the guy who’s got the economic experience, the governing experience. What he needs is Klitsch and Tyahnybok on the outside. He needs to be talking to them four times a week, you know. I just think Klitsch going in…he’s going to be at that level working for Yatseniuk, it’s just not going to work.”

Geoffery Pyatt: “Yeah, no, I think that’s right. Ok.”

(Oleh Tyahnybok was the leader of the Neo-Nazi party Svoboda, a party that holds radical nationalist, neo-fascist and anti-communist positions)

Also, when Joe Biden was the U.S. Vice President, he revealed later in 2018, at a video recorded meeting of the Council on Foreign Relations; mentions how he bought the President of Ukraine:

Joe Biden: “I told Poroshenko and Yatseniuk that they would take action against the state prosecutor, and they didn’t. So, when walking out of the press conference, I said, nah we’re not going to give you the billion dollars. He said “you’re not the authority; you’re not the president.” I said “call him.” I said, “you’re not getting the billion dollars”.

“You’re not getting the billion dollars; that I’d be leaving here in about 6 hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money. Well son of a bitch…” they fired him.

Vice President Joe Biden admitted on the record that he paid money to Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko to have pro-Russian officials in Ukraine dismissed, proving once again how deeply involved the Americans were and still are in Ukrainian affairs.

In 2019 the US brought Zelensky to power in Ukraine to use the fact that he is a Jew to mask the Neo-Nazi air of the Ukraine regime.

So, I must ask, what is the difference between Nazi Germany ethnically cleansing the Jews from Europe, or the Zionist Israeli’s ethnically cleansing the Palestinians from Palestine, or the Neo-Nazi’s in Ukraine ethnically cleansing the Russian speaking people from Ukraine? They are all exactly the same evil.

The US then began a series of conflicts and attempted violent coups on Russia’s allies.

In 2020 Azerbaijan launched a war on Armenia. Turkey a NATO member openly supported Azerbaijan, and yet, none of the NATO allies put pressure on Turkey or Azerbaijan to stop their aggression. Thousands died.

In 2020 the US tried to start a civil war in Belarus the attempt failed but many died.

Then Zelensky started making promises that he would return the Donbas and Crimea to Ukrainian control even though Crimea joined Russia in a referendum with an approval of 96.7%.

The Ukraine media and government officials threatened to take Crimea back by war. As for the Donbass, the Minsk agreement which was the diplomatic solution for the Ukraine civil war that was signed by Ukraine, well they never had any intention of peace. By Poroshenko’s own admission in 2022, it was only to stall for time so that they could build up their forces for their 2022 assault and provocation.

In 2021 Ukraine massed 125,000 troops on the Donbas region, Russia then massed its military on the Ukraine border saying it would not accept an attack on the Donbas region by Kiev Ukraine. NATO countries including Canada had armed and trained those Kiev forces.

Russia insisted that Ukraine adhere to the Minsk agreement which was signed in 2015 but Ukraine publicly refused a diplomatic solution of the conflict. Tensions escalated.

At the end of 2021 Russian President Vladimir Putin made a proposal to Europe and named his red lines. He offered to give guarantees if Ukraine would not join NATO, that Ukraine continue its neutral status and that the USA would not touch neighboring countries. The US and NATO refused to discuss Putin’s proposal and ridiculed him. Thus, refusing to acknowledge Russia’s security needs.

Ukraine also renounced its neutral nuclear status on Dec. 23rd, 2021 and refused all peaceful resolutions to their civil war, including the Minsk Agreement.

In 2022 the US launched another coup attempt on Russia’s border, this time in Kazakhstan, another military ally of Russia’s.

Immediately after the failed coup in Kazakhstan, the attacks by Ukraine in the Donbass region became more frequent so much so that the residents had to be evacuated. The Donetsk and Lugansk governments then publicly appealed to Russia for help considering that Ukraine had amassed an invasion force of 125,000 along on Donetsk and Lugansk borders.

To make matters worse, on Feb 19th, 2022, Ukraine stated that it intends to get nuclear weapons if left out of NATO.

On February 19th, the massed Ukraine army started bombing the Lugansk and Donetsk regions. In response, the leaders of the breakaway republics issued evacuation orders to their populations and then called upon all men under the age of 55 that were capable of carrying guns, to remain and defend their homes.

Bomb shells launched from Ukrainian military positions also landed in Russia. Russia put their military on high alert and in a defensive position running nuclear war drills with Belarus.

Tensions rose to the breaking point yet NATO and the western fascist leaders like Joe Biden, Justin Trudeau and Boris Johnson still beat the drums of war with Russia by saying that Russia was going to invade Ukraine…they did, but it was a provoked Russian invasion.

All the western nations had to do was to give security guarantees to Russia…but clearly the west had been planning this altercation for a long time and picked their moment.

Russia had no choice but to get involved to protect the 4.6 million Russian speaking people living in the region as well as their own borders when the shelling of the Lugansk and Donetsk republics continued to escalate. And so, on February 21st, 2022, when asked for help and recognition by the Donbas republics, Russia launched their war on the Ukrainian regime.

The dangerous provocation played out by belligerent Ukrainian elements on the Russian speaking population of the Donbas region, supported of course by our western fascist politicians, was successful in drawing Russia into the Ukraine civil war.

In Closing:

As a Canadian citizen, no matter which western country I look at these days, be it Canada, Australia, the United States, New Zealand, Britain, France, Germany, Austria or Ukraine, I see a consolidated totalitarian mindset that includes mainstream media who promotes the fascist totalitarian ideology of our governments over their own people, while also stoking the flames of war on citizens of the Donbass.

If anything, the invocation of the “Emergencies Act” and violent, dystopian police crackdown on peaceful people gathered in Ottawa has certainly opened the eyes of millions of Canadians but also billions of people around the world who are watching fascism unfold in Canada and their own nations. (Reference: The 2022 Freedom Convoy in Ottawa)

The propaganda and buildup of hostilities against Russia and the Donbass region, by the same western nations, are also in plain view right now and so we have reached a crossroads that has changed the direction of where we’re all heading. These events should have been a serious wake up call to people around the world, especially in the west as all things violently provoked come home to roost. Awareness and education are sorely needed to reverse the course the world is heading in, especially now that censorship has taken on a massive life of its own…for what is the difference between 20th century book burning and 21st century online censorship?

A Major Development and Escalation (September 2022)

As the game changes in the Ukraine war, provocations by the west on Russia continue to escalate through their steady flow of military weapons to the Kiev regime, with NATO cheering on the sidelines for a Ukraine victory over Russia. So, what we have is a U.S. / NATO proxy war on Russia which is the road to World War III.

After a tactical retreat in the Kharkov region by Russian forces, due to being spread out too thin along the entire Donbass front (1,000kms), the Ukraine military with U.S. military guidance, pushed forward into the area and began a witch hunt on their citizens for so-called “collaborators.” The basis for accusations could be anything, including communicating with the Russian military or receiving humanitarian aid. Tens of thousands of residents in the Kharkov region may become victims of Kiev’s ethnic cleansing.

U.S. officials boasted of their help in the Ukraine battlefront which included American and NATO weapons while Ukraine president Zelensky and other Kiev officials declared that any citizen in the reclaimed region that took as little as food from the Russians would be considered a collaborator, a traitor and punished. Fear by many observers is that the Ukraine punishment will be exactly what they did to the people they called Russian collaborators of “Bucha”, a massacre the Ukrainian regime inflicted on the Russian Ukrainian speaking citizens after the Russian military retreated from the city in April 2022. Kiev still won’t release the names or allow an impartial investigation into the victims of the “Bucha Massacre”, nor have the culprits of the May 2nd, 2014 “Odessa Massacre” been brought to justice where 48 people were murdered by Ultra-Nationalists supported by the Ukrainian coup government.

With the steady influx of western weapons into the Ukraine war, and Ukraine military attacks on Russian soil, Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Russian military officials evaluated the situation and called to arms 300,000 reservists, which is 1% of Russia’s full potential. The official statement said that additional troops were required to control the 1,000 km-long contact line between Ukrainian forces and Russian-held areas and to protect the Russian nation.

On September 21st the Donbass republics, Donetsk and Lugansk, as well as the Russian-controlled Kherson Region and part of Zaporozhye Region, announced that they would hold referendums on September 23rd, to September 27th, 2022 on a decision to rejoin Russia.

Of course, Western leaders condemned the referendums and dismissed them as “illegitimate”, undemocratic and vowed to “never recognize” the results. The G7 group, which includes the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, also said it would continue to provide “financial, humanitarian, military, diplomatic and legal support” to the government in Kiev. In other words, they would continue their proxy war on Russia regardless.

So, now that the Donbass republics have voted overwhelmingly in favor to rejoin Russia and that Russia has clearly stated that any military assaults on these areas would be considered attacks on its own territory, and respond accordingly, a western escalation is likely as they have all said they will never recognize the regions referendums like they did in Kosovo.

It didn’t take the U.S. long to strike significant Russian infrastructure. On September 27th, 2022, the day when the four referendums came to their conclusion, the USA attacked the Nord stream II pipeline that runs from Russia to Germany.

Confirmation of the direct sabotage on the pipeline came from former Polish foreign minister “Radoslaw Sikorski”, now an EU lawmaker, who posted a photo on twitter of where the explosions occurred with the words: “Thank you, USA.” He described the incident as a “special maintenance operation.”

There’s been no shortage of threats coming from Western nations against the Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline both before and after late February, when Russia sent troops into Ukraine.

Nord Stream II has been ready to pump gas since September 2021, but was not put into operation due to Germany’s refusal to certify it. In August 2022, Polish President Andrzej Duda demanded that the pipeline to be “totally scrapped.”

However, the country that has been against the start, completion and use of the Nord Stream Pipeline from the very beginning has been the USA. In fact, US President Joe Biden warned in early February, before Russia began its military operation in Ukraine, that if Moscow acts against Kiev, “there will no longer be a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it.” When a journalist asked Biden to clarify exactly what he meant, Biden responded, “I promise you, we will be able to do that.”

The people and countries that will suffer the most from the pipeline sabotage because it also took out Nord Stream I, will be Europe, especially as we enter into the colder parts of the year with their US forced sanctions on Russia that have already caused a severe energy crisis across the E.U…Nord Stream II could have taken care of Europe’s needs if the American’s did not stop the Germans from certifying it. So, if these two pipelines are not fixed and western hostility continues, Europe will freeze this winter while also continue to experience huge inflation on energy prices.

So, here we are at the cusp of a potential World War where dysfunctional, inept and insane western leaders have all stated publicly that they are determined for a Ukraine victory and will support them to the very end…their end and our end it would seem.

A Crisis Moment Approaches for Ukraine

Nothing is going to stop the Russians from protecting themselves and so, down the road, after a defeated and bankrupt Ukraine has lost half of its territory to the Russian and Donbass militaries, it is likely we will see more independent republics emerge in the Russian speaking populations of Ukraine. There will also be a lot of anger from the people in what's left of western Ukraine, an anger and frustration that will eventually be directed at the EU, UK and USA for their broken promises for not helping them at the belligerent levels they expected. Unfortunately for the Ukrainian people, the west was never interested in their victory, they were only interested in prolonging the war and using the Ukrainian people as cannon fodder against the superior Russian military.

Eventually, the western puppets in Ukraine will be removed by an angry mob or by hotly contested elections or even a military coup considering that the western backed Ukraine government has not listened to its generals and sacrificed the lives of thousands of Ukrainians.

In the face of defeat and if the warlike military footing continues by the Ukraine regime, then what the people and military of Ukraine need to do is turn on their sociopathic government and the ultra-national elements within it, take control, declare a ceasefire and bring the country back to order. In my mind, this is the only way left for the Ukrainian people to avert absolute disaster for themselves and for the world.

We the people from all over the world need rise up and tell our governments to stop their insane escalation to prevent this conflict from spiraling out of control and turning into an all-out war between Russia and NATO.

Ukraine will never be the same regardless

Ukraine, like Turkey, will never be accepted as a European Union member, and when Ukraine's impoverished economy of subsistence really begins to bite, a realization will kick in, that for western Ukraine, if it survives as an entity, will have to return to their historical ties with Russia and leave their European Union illusions behind for a distant future date. By then however, the world will have drastically changed and the European Union will be just a dreadful stain in Europe’s history. For the European Union will also not survive in its present form once the sanctions they imposed on Russia come back to haunt them in the escalating energy crisis.

The solution for the European nations is to break from their EU prison and walk away from US/ UK domination and reconnect their economies with Russia for a win / win solution...this is what lays on the table in the near- and long-term future for the EU and Ukraine...the speed of which will depend on how quickly the western economies inflate and begin to collapse.

As for the people of the west, we need to rise up and take back control of our countries from the sinister elements controlling our nations. If we do not, they will take us all to our total destruction.
---------------

2025, March 03rd: So, here we are, three years later. The war in Ukraine is coming to an end but the insanity by NATO nations still persists. Hopefully that won’t last long, since western nations such as Britain and France, no longer hold the power they once did; not even together in their NATO club. Quite frankly, their war mongering is almost laughable if it wasn’t so tragically dangerous.

The Donald Trump administration is walking away from Zelensky, who still wants to carry on a war that is already lost. In the eyes of the world, especially after watching the Trump, Zelensky reality show, it’s safe to say that vassal Zelensky has outlived his usefulness to the USA.

The Trump government has signaled that they want to move on, but they want a return on their investment. I.E. Ukraine’s natural resources.

With Zelensky on his way out, a new Ukrainian leader will emerge that the Americans will work with but he will also have to appeal to the Russian government if a peace deal is to be worked out. So, we will see the Trump administration try to preserve a part of Ukraine that includes Odessa, due to its port access on the Black Sea. This type of deal secures an American footprint inside the new Ukraine…but will the Russian’s agree to this or will the Russians achieve their goals and drive out western influence in Ukraine?

A peace agreement is in the interest of all people around the world, but can the Americans be trusted? If I was Russia, I’d not eagerly give up ground that may cost them in blood down the road.

Is the Trump administration serious about a lasting peace with Russia?

We are certainly going to find out.
----------------------------------------------

Full Meeting between President Trump, VP Vance and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in Oval Office

A Journey Through Power, Secrecy, And Intuition - Reader House Interview with SF Brennan

 

Hi everyone! Just dropping a little news.

Earlier this month, I was contacted by Readers House Magazine from London England for an in-depth author interview regarding my book, “The Shard of Asclepius”. The interview was a wonderful surprise for me, was conducted on a highly professional level and was chosen for their 49th online and physical edition for their prestigious literary magazine.

Readers House Magazine is considered to be London’s gateway to discovering today’s voices of literary excellence and celebrated authors. My interview is in very good company within the 49th edition of the magazine which includes a stellar line up of award winning, bestselling and indie authors including the Sunday Times bestselling author, Scott Mariani.

If you are looking for great stories, books and author’s, Readers House Magazine is where you can find them. So, I highly recommend visiting their online magazine editions to find out the best books and authors of the day.

To view the entire magazine issue # 49 and the exceptional authors within, click on the following link.

Reader’s House Magazine – Issue #49

My interview is on page 68 and 69 but I have also included the interview below for your convenience.

Here is that interview:

Readers House Magazine Interview – Stewart F. Brennan

Editor’s Desk – London

A Journey Through Power, Secrecy, And Intuition

Stewart F. Brennan discusses his debut novel, The Shard of Asclepius, blending ancient history, hermetic principles, and modern technology, while exploring themes of power, intuition, and humanity’s connection to nature.

Stewart F. Brennan is a name that resonates with intellectual depth and creative brilliance. A man of many talents, Brennan has seamlessly transitioned from a career as a lean manufacturing specialist and electrical engineer to becoming a celebrated author whose works challenge, inspire, and provoke thought. His journey from analysing corporate systems to exploring the mysteries of ancient history and the complexities of modern geopolitics is nothing short of remarkable. With a mind honed by critical thinking and a heart attuned to the rhythms of poetry and prose, Brennan has gifted readers with a body of work that is as diverse as it is profound.

His earlier series, The Activist Poet, showcased his ability to weave together poetry, political commentary, and prose into a tapestry of thought-provoking literature. Now, with his debut supernatural thriller, The Shard of Asclepius, Brennan has taken his storytelling to new heights. This action-packed novel masterfully blends ancient mysteries with high-tech intrigue, offering readers a gripping narrative that is as intellectually stimulating as it is thrilling. Set against the evocative backdrops of Quebec and New York State, the story delves into themes of hermetic principles, secrecy, and the balance of power, all while exploring the profound connection between humanity and nature.

Brennan’s ability to draw from his own life experiences—whether it’s his deep connection to the natural world, his fascination with ancient civilizations, or his expertise in electrical engineering—imbues his work with authenticity and depth. His creation of the shadowy Collective and the enigmatic Order of Hermes reflects a keen understanding of both historical and contemporary power structures, while his protagonist, David Collins, serves as a relatable figure for anyone who has ever experienced a profound awakening of the mind and soul.

In this exclusive interview, Stewart F. Brennan takes us behind the scenes of The Shard of Asclepius, sharing the inspirations, philosophies, and personal experiences that shaped his extraordinary debut novel. Prepare to be captivated by the insights of an author whose work not only entertains but also challenges us to see the world—and ourselves—in a new light.

“Stewart F. Brennan is a masterful storyteller whose profound insights and thrilling narratives captivate readers and challenge conventional thinking.” ~ Editor, Reader’s House

What inspired you to create the concept of the Collective and their shadowy control over society? Are they based on any real-world influences?

Born in 1960, I’ve seen and experienced, the rise of corporatocracy which is now prevalent throughout the western world. The concept of the Collective in the Shard of Asclepius is based on this model of dystopian economics where a powerful group holds the reigns of hundreds of corporations, banks and governments.

Decision making in this model comes from the top and makes its way down the chain of command much like a military organization. Yet, the real power in a corporation like this rest with the largest shareholder(s) whom make the final decisions on the business direction. Those decisions are based on its annual growth target, regardless of how immoral the path to achieving their goal is.

Examples can be seen through the weapons companies that prosper on war or the pharmaceutical industry that prospers on illness. These are some of the largest companies in the world. They are too big to fail while their growth requirements are exponential. There is no off switch and so they need to expand their footprint constantly or experience decline.

To thrive, both examples also require ignorance of the population. In this context, the multi-national commands political influence, has intelligence services or insiders working for them and have their people within the media and justice system. It is very much like a parasite or a cancer.

So, in a nutshell, that is where the concept of the Collective comes from.

“The concept of the Collective in The Shard of Asclepius is based on the model of dystopian economics.” ~ Stewart F. Brennan

How did you develop the character of David Collins? Is he inspired by someone you know or perhaps aspects of yourself?

In many ways, David Collins is me. He’s made from some of the experiences I have gone through in life but he also stands as a composite figure for those that have experienced a mind and soul awakening. Thus, his character can be identified by many people.

The Order of Hermes plays a significant role in the story. What research or mythology influenced your portrayal of this secret organization?

In short, the influence for the Order of Hermes comes out of the Ptolemaic history in Egypt and its role in building the great library of the old world in Alexandria.

The Order of Hermes follows hermeticism which centers around the works of Hermes Trismegistus, the Greek version of the Egyptian deity Thoth who was responsible for the regeneration of humanity after a major cataclysm on earth destroyed the ancient world.

So, in reality, the influence for the Order of Hermes is born out of the connection between Ptolemaic Egypt and the mythical keepers of the ancient knowledge of Egypt.

The story takes place across Quebec and New York State. Why did you choose these locations, and how do they contribute to the narrative?

I’ve lived in and around southern Quebec for most of my life and spent a lot of time touring Ontario and New York state. These places hold special memories and deep-rooted natural connections for me. The Shard of Asclepius not only centers on earth’s ancient past, but also on old ways of thought. Nature becomes the key in rediscovering old ways of thought for David.

“David Collins is me… a composite figure for those that have experienced a mind and soul awakening.” ~ Stewart F. Brennan

There is a magic in nature that connects us to a greater consciousness. Something that I personally experienced many times over the years in the forests and waterways of Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. Having a connection with nature, I believe, is an integral part of trying to understand who we are and our role here on earth.

It is also part of the hermetic experience, of inner knowledge and intuition. So, I included some of the places I was familiar with for reasons of natural connection and the concealed theme, which is, healing.

What inspired you to blend ancient mysteries with high-tech intrigue in “The Shard of Asclepius,” and how did your background in electrical engineering and history influence the story?

When studying ancient places across the world, such as in Egypt, it became clear to me that the builders of the pyramids and the many temples across Egypt could not have been made without possessing highly advanced technology. There is suppression of this fact that is just as mysterious as the megalithic structures and stone artifacts themselves.

By comparison, I have studied electrical engineering and seen the rapid advances in digital electronics over the past two decades that have gone from a very simplistic core of binary numbering systems and programming for toys and computers, to Artificial intelligence and drone warfare.

Electrical advances in communication have also become invasive of our personal privacy and so the contrast between a technocratic prison verses personal freedom becomes a serious question for this day and age

I wrote both old and new worlds into the story to bring attention to these very real scenarios.

The novel explores themes like Hermetic principles, secrecy, and the balance of power. What message or reflection do you hope readers take away from these elements in the book?

The world today is ego and greed driven which is the complete opposite of where we should be going. In a way, the story is a reminder that there is another way to live.

As mentioned, there are elements within the book that speak directly to one’s conscious spirit. Nature provides the greatest example of this because it speaks to the individual at a conscious level, which is something many of us have been disconnected from.

Intuition plays a role in everyone’s lives. There is a knowledge within that is not book knowledge (episteme), but a conscious understanding of things; a gnosis or an intuitive knowledge of spiritual truth. Most people can identify with this but do not practice it. Therefore, the message I hope people take away from the story is to trust in intuition. Don’t be afraid to live your life or be afraid to express your point of view regardless of how stacked the pressures are against you. There are always people who see things the way you do. Those people are your tribe and will appear in your life when you begin to express yourself truthfully. You are not alone and there is a new horizon just waiting for you.

Where can someone buy the book?

The book is available to purchase world wide at all major and minor stores. Here are just a few links but you should be able to find it wherever books are sold:

Barnes & Noble

Indigo

Amazon

Friesen Press

Apple

Waterstones

For more information on the Book and Author Stewart F. Brennan visit his official website.

Dystopian Direction in Canada

 

Dystopian Direction

Shadows write dark legislation

to put a mask on all their crimes

then give it to the politicians

to usher in despotic times.

----------------------------

The Activist Poet

The Canadian government is currently reading a dystopian piece of legislation called “The Online Harms Act” (Bill C-63), which is very deceptive, vague and general in its meaning while if passed, threatens to criminalize the Canadian people’s right to freedom of speech.

“The Online Harms Act”, is an aggressive censorship legislation which gives the Canadian government the right to prosecute, fine and imprison Canadians over what they, the government or the masters of this country, term, “hate Speech”; or, to put it another way; prosecute, fine and imprison Canadians who criticize government narratives or have a different view of geopolitical events.

As an example, thousands of Canadians were demonized, fined, jailed, censored and told that they were a small fringe minority with unacceptable views. The prime minister of Canada openly questioned, in anger, “what should we do with these people?!” He then invoked the war measures act on Canadians to shut down peaceful protests without any dialog when millions of Canadians from across the political spectrum challenged his dystopian mandates in 2022.

What this new legislation does is to continue that same tyrannical policy but on a wider scale while giving spoilt brats, and ass hole politicians the ability to put someone in jail if they don’t like something that is said. Did I just offend you with those words? Will you send me to jail for saying them?

There is no doubt in my mind that this latest nefarious attempt at silencing opposing voices, has been put forth by the twisted minds behind the scenes that control our nations’ economic strings, media and government.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand or see who’s behind this dystopian move or what has triggered this Orwellian legislation at this particular point in time. This legislation will target anyone with a differing opinion than the Neo- Liberal, Neo-Conservative and collusive NDP agendas put forth by the western economic cartel.

There is a small privileged group of twisted people who take offence when good citizens stand up for human values and speak out against the narratives we are not allowed to question. Such as the genocide being committed in Palestine by the Israelis, or questioning the governments support of the Neo-fascist Ukrainian regime that western governments brought to power through their support of a violent coup that then caused a civil war.

Never mind talking about the scolding and demonizing of people speaking out against the policies of pushing transvestites on our children in schools or the forcing of people, through shaming and coercion to take dangerous inoculations for a corona virus that was no worse than the annual flu…or the targeting of those who speak out against the western geo-political and economic wars being waged against Russia, Iran, Venezuela or any nation for that matter, that does not fall into line with the dictates of the western economic cartel. An economic cartel that has its roots in Europe and the United States, that controls a block of nations, economically, militarily and through the censorship of information.

No, in their minds, those who speak out are considered dangerous and should be silenced by any means necessary. That is what Bill C-63 is about; silencing opposing voices. I mean really, how can you claim it’s for the protection of children when you support perverted acts by transvestites in our children’s schools? How can you not see this as wrong?

So, to what point will they take this Orwellian fist of censorship? Bill C-63 tells you exactly what they plan to do.

Those who speak out against the occupation and destruction of Palestine, Syria, Iraq, and other nations are already being targeted. The fact that the establishment has resorted to the iron fist approach means that alternative voices are having an effect in educating the greater western population and so the establishment wants to eliminate the conversation once and for all instead of engaging in moral debate and allowing the people to make up their own minds.

Online censorship of these and other topics began long ago but this legislation takes censorship to a new dystopian level that seems more in line with totalitarian order than democracy. Democracy only survives with a well-informed population. Censorship has no place in it.

I’ve been worried for a long time, that our country was going to go down this totalitarian path as have a number of Canadians who’ve been speaking out against the many different dystopian issues that the Canadian government is involved in or supports.

We’ve all been trying to bring attention to important issues to the Canadian public about what they are up to and where this country is heading as a consequence. Unfortunately, censorship has already played a huge role in silencing critical debate and our mainstream media is a party to it.

Who stands against human values, truthful information and freedom of speech?

It saddens me to think that this great country I thought I lived in, is just an illusion. I expected that most of the people in this country would be standing up and fighting against dystopian government by now. Unfortunately, the reason people are not aware of the facts on the ground is because of the censorship and propaganda already in play by our government and by our mainstream media.

I haven’t given up hope however, because I don’t want to see my country continue down this dystopian path, but there really isn’t anything I can do to stop it as an individual, short of trying to tell people what is happening; hoping they will also stand up to the government and tell them to “Fuck off!” ß THAT, is what we need to do!

Of course, my voice and thousands of others will disappear if this legislation goes through as will everything written in the past that brings attention to corporate and government collusion, corruption, wrong doing, war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Canadian government or those it supports.

Dystopian legislation like Bill C-63 is how history is manipulated and changed by the establishment. History is always written by the victors, so let’s not be on the losing side of this government war on the people! Let us join together and confront the assholes in power and take it away from them. Government is supposed to do what we say, not the other way around.

Right now, there are people in this country dedicated to freedom of speech, that have organized and are standing up to try and make a difference.

The following is a letter to the Canadian people by John Carpay, B.A., LL.B.

President of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms. In his letter, John spells out the real problems with this legislation which should worry every single Canadian citizen.

If you want to help put a stop to this dystopian legislation (Bill C-63), please continue reading and take action by signing the Justice Centers petition and then email or phone your elected representative (regardless of which party) about the dangers of the Online Harms Act and tell them to vote against it. Let’s make this campaign go viral!

Here is John’s letter…
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Dear friend of freedom,

You have likely heard about the Online Harms Act, the most aggressive censorship legislation in Canadian history. It is now before Parliament.

Presented under the clever guise of protecting children from harm (and nobody disagrees with that goal!), the Online Harms Act threatens our freedom of expression, our access to information, our privacy and our security.

If passed into law, the Online Harms Act will empower the government to prosecute Canadians over “hate” speech that has no clear definition. Former Supreme Court Justice Beverley McLachlin struggled to define “hate” when asking, “Where does dislike leave off, and hatred or contempt begin?” She also said that the term "hatred" is “vague and subjective, capable of extension should the interpreter be so inclined.” 

If the Online Harms Act passes into law, who will decide whether a Canadian is guilty of speaking or writing “hate”? Who will have the power to investigate and punish online harms if the Act passes?   

The answer: Courts, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, and a new Digital Safety Commission.

If the Online Harms Act becomes law, your neighbor will have the power to convince a judge that you might say something hateful in the future. If the judge believes that your neighbor’s fears are legitimate, the judge can order you to wear an ankle bracelet, obey a curfew, abstain from alcohol, avoid certain people or places, and surrender your legally owned firearms. All without having been charged with a crime or convicted of a crime!

Those who refuse to abide by the restrictions imposed by the court can be jailed for up to two years. All this because a complainant fears that a person might commit a speech crime in the future.  

Canadian Human Rights Tribunal

If the Online Harms Act becomes law, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal will acquire new powers to fine a Canadian up to $50,000 for a speech crime, plus the power to order a Canadian to pay up to $20,000 to the alleged “victim” of the speech crime.

Complaints can even be filed anonymously, depriving the accused person of his or her right to face the accuser. Complaints can be filed regarding anything on the internet, even if posted many years earlier.

The Online Harms Act will warp our sense of time and justice, and many Canadians will self-censor to avoid the risk of penalties from the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.  

New Digital Safety Commission

If the Online Harms Act passes into law, a new Digital Safety Commission will have the power to investigate and punish social media platforms. This Digital Safety Commission will unleash a new army of bureaucrats, who will exercise astonishing powers over what Canadians read and write online.

This new Commission will have powers to:

make online content inaccessible

investigate (without a warrant!) social media platforms

establish codes of conduct

conduct secret hearings

shut down websites

revoke licenses, and

impose billion-dollar fines

While exercising these vast powers over the speech of Canadians, the Digital Safety Commission will not be subject to basic rules of evidence, nor will any regulations created by the Commission require the approval of Parliament.

The Digital Safety Commission will also be empowered to fine regulated social media platforms up to six percent of global revenues (which would mean astronomically high fines, in light of the fact that the parent companies of most major social media platforms earn billions each year).

If the Online Harms Act becomes law, I fear that many social media platforms will cease operations in Canada rather than risk such significant fines. (I am reminded of Meta restricting access to news in Canada on their platforms in response to the Online News Act.) The companies that continue operating in Canada will become allies of the Digital Safety Commission, and do the Commission's censorship work by removing anything that unaccountable bureaucrats might deem to be "hateful."

If the Online Harms Act passes into law, the Digital Safety Commission will have the power to enter without a warrant into “any place in which they have reasonable grounds to believe” that there exists information relevant to verifying compliance with the Online Harms Act. Further, social media platforms will be forced to make their data available to external researchers, generating significant privacy and security risks.

When unaccountable bureaucrats are empowered to enforce their own understanding of fuzzy and slippery definitions of “hate” speech, it becomes possible for thousands of Canadians to be fined, and some of them even imprisoned. If Supreme Court Justice McLachlin struggled to find a clear and stable definition of “hate,” how can we trust unaccountable bureaucrats to find it while respecting freedom of expression?

John Carpay, B.A., LL.B.

President

Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms

Please get involved and sign the petition. Thank you.
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LINKS

Justice Center for Constitutional Freedoms

Petition

Online Harms Act threatens free expression in Canada – (Feb 24, 2024)

Canadian House of Commons

Mass Immigration is Breaking Canada

 

By: Stewart F. Brennan

There is a myth floating around the world today that life is easy in Canada, that Canadians have access to low-cost housing and are experiencing a high standard of living. This of course is what the Canadian government and politicians on all sides of the aisles want people around the world to believe. But this thought and frame of mind is completely false, deceptive and delusional.

The real situation for a growing number of Canadians, including myself, is not being able to afford a roof over our heads. What, with the Canadian government’s agenda of allowing 500,000 immigrants into the country every year with a population that was just 33 million ten years ago, to now somewhere around 42 million, is a reckless destructive plan for a country with a small population. Affordable housing has disappeared because of it.

The stated goal by the Canadian federal government and those who work for the economic controllers of our nation, with agents such as Dominic Barton, is to increase the Canadian population to 100 million before the end of the century!!

Dominic Barton served on the Canadian governments Advisory Council on Economic growth, in addition to co-founding the “Century Initiative” which is actively involved with increasing the population of Canada to 100 million through immigration. They are also focused on an aggressive program of urban development which is responsible for all those unaffordable luxury apartments that are going up in every Canadian city to accommodate the millions of people they are bringing into this country. Why are they doing this?

The condos and luxury apartments they are putting up everywhere are not affordable for many of the people already living here. But especially for a majority of Canadians whose salaries have not gone up to match the outrageous cost for housing or the exponential inflation gripping our nation. Rents have more than doubled while owning a home is so expensive you need a six-figure salary to afford one.

I’m sure most home owners with a mortgage understand what economic pain is as they felt the bite of their mortgage renewals when interest rates went up and then were hit with inflated municipal property taxes because the value of their homes were artificially increased due to inflated market values...and this was brought on by the inflated costs of building materials and the demand for housing from the millions of people they are bringing into the country. For the average Canadian, home ownership is now an unreachable dream and the costs of owning a condo or renting one of those luxury apartments the establishment seems to think we can afford, is downright insulting.

Your local town councils are also a party to this plan by rubber stamping legislation for real-estate developers to buy up community green space to erect these unaffordable monstrosity’s.

This is a very aggressive program that is destructive on every social and economic level including the environment.

Ever since the Trudeau government announced their goal of increasing the population of Canada to 100 million at the World economic forum in 2016, real estate developers, especially those connected to the economic controllers of this country, have been empowered to buy up older rental buildings with an agenda to raise the rents to the level of the new so called luxury buildings they are putting up across the nation. Profit is what they are after. Profit on the backs of disenfranchised Canadian citizens.

To achieve this, they employ a series of dystopian pressure tactics to destroy the quality of life which are economic and psychologically damaging by nature to the long-standing tenants in these buildings. Their goal is to push the older tenants out of their homes in order to turn the apartments over to match the higher rental rates they receive from their luxury apartment projects. In other words, they are aggressively attacking the working class and elderly who cannot afford the higher rents which are now being demanded everywhere.

Getting rid of long-term tenants allows the owners to raise the rents far beyond what the allowable rate permits. The only province in Canada, to my knowledge, that held these destructive parasitic bastards in check was Quebec through a law that only allowed a maximum increase of 3% for an annual lease renewal, while any proposed increase is supposed to be a negotiation between the tenant and the landlord. If an agreement is not reached, there is a government forum or tribunal to hear the case and make a decision. However, that legislation which protected Quebec residents from rent speculators and absentee landlords has been under attack over the past two years and has been changed in the landlords favor by Quebec politicians in bed with the real estate lobbyists.

Also of note is the fraud being committed on tenants of Quebec by property management corporations; the so-called building caretakers for the absentee landlords.

In Quebec, when tenants decide not to renew their lease, the building owners or caretakers are supposed to show potential new tenants what the previous tenants paid before they sign a new lease. Of course, the increased amount should not exceed the 3% specified by Quebec law.

However, this mandatory step is omitted by many of these building management corporations clearly at the behest of their employers, most of whom are large property developers.

After the owners slap a new coat of paint on an apartment to make it ready for a new tenant, they then double the rents to unsuspecting new tenants, most often they are new immigrants who do not know Canadian / Quebec citizens’ rights. Once these landlords get away with doubling the rents, which are now in range of the rental costs in the new developments, there is no way to hold the landlords to account, because if the next tenant comes in and asks what the previous tenant paid, the inflated rent is shown. To give you an example, in the old building where I live, the monthly rent for a 5 1/2 ranges from approximately $920.00 a month (Older tenant) to $1,800.00 a month (New Tenant). For older tenants, the pressure tactics by landlords, to push them out, continues.

In many cases new property owners of the older established rental buildings, are not doing the upkeep in repairs or maintenance of the buildings, bringing the quality of life down to the “Slumlords” level, and there is an exponential rise in uncared for buildings. The suspicion here is that some of these old building owners will let the buildings fall into such a sorry state of disrepair that they will be condemned, destroyed or accidently burn to the ground with massive new luxury buildings erected in their place so that they can make more money.

In my view, these real estate developers are predators with parasitic intentions and must be stopped in every town council room across the country!

The aggressive mass immigration policy and the reckless economic path that the Canadian government has undertaken, is destroying this country and ruining the lives of millions of Canadians. The immigration door to this country must be closed immediately before the majority of Canadian citizens find themselves impoverished and homeless. We are rapidly coming to a crisis point.

Many Canadians who’ve worked all their lives contributing into the system, are now receiving those minuscule old age pensions from the government, and are not able to make ends meet. Many are suffering just to keep a roof over their heads and have returned to work so that they can afford to feed themselves. There is no retirement for many Canadians anymore.

I’ve seen pensioners going through the trash bins for food or collecting empty cans and bottles so they can pick up the five to ten cents they get for each one at recycling stations, just so they can buy a little food.

Adult children are still living at home with their parents for the same reason that the elderly have gone back to work; they can’t afford the costs of renting an apartment or the inflation that is strangling our purchasing power.

But hey, Canadian federal politicians want to stay in office long enough to collect those big fat six-digit figure pensions they keep increasing for themselves instead of voting in favor of ejecting the minority Liberal Canadian government in a vote of non-confidence. The very same sitting government that brought this mass immigration and economic disaster down on our heads!

The Canadian government wants to continue their insane program of mass immigration…this is not sustainable even as they declare a 20% drop in their annual immigration policy.

Going from 500,000 to 400,00 is not a drastic cut to immigration! There will still be way too many people coming into this country and causing us all immediate and long-term pain. The planning of this destructive agenda was never made available to Canadians but we are seeing the increasing destruction to our way of life happen right before our eyes. They’ve clearly not taken Canada’s future into account as the massive immigration into the country affects the costs of housing, and the subsequent inflation on building material costs that then drive up the prices of owning or renting a home. It becomes a vicious cycle as inflated housing prices then increase property taxation through inflated property evaluations...and where are the millions of jobs to support this destructive agenda?

Poverty and third world status are now a reality to many Canadians who are suffering the gross incompetence of our so-called leaders and the, “for profit only” real estate developers. How many homeless people will it take for these assholes in power to get it?! The doors to this country should not be wide open, especially in harsh economic times. It only deepens the economic depression that’s taken hold of this country and endangers everyone.

We are not talking about a few immigrants coming into Canada because most of us are, or have ancestors who’ve immigrated to this country. We are all immigrants to this country. So, we are not talking about immigration being the problem, we are talking about a policy of mass immigration being the problem which is destroying the fabric of our nation! Enough already! Close off immigration now before many of us end up on the Canadian winter streets!

Put an end to this mass immigration insanity now! Put an end to this destructive real estate development madness now! Let’s make living affordable again!

I will close this rant with a poem that I wrote recently to express my feelings and experience. It's called, “Living Space?”

Living Space?

The buildings have been sold again

to a wealthy rich estate

who’ll profit from the land they’re on,

we await our buildings fate.

Our homes have passed from hand to hand

so many times, I’ve lost count,

this time we’ll dig our feet in

as tension starts to mount.

People here are in despair,

with huge concerns, we’re troubled.

Owner’s games force tenants out

rents are all then doubled.

Renters stuck with no escape

pressured to leave their place

with unaffordable housing

that’s taken every space.

The only place that’s left to live

is where we are right now

inside this wounded building

the developers want to plow.

They will not answer for repairs

they’re crooked greedy and bent

their phones don’t answer anyone

and all they want is rent.

I went to see town council

to see what they could do

but they were pitching condo’s

with developers through and through.

They’re leaving us no choices

revolutions in the air

for we have nothing left to lose

and we’re running out of prayer.

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The Activist Poet

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About Stewart Brennan:

Stewart Brennan is a Geo-political and economic analyst, activist, poet and author. He’s worked in the Aviation, Packaging, Transportation and Logistics Industries and is the author of three books of political activism and poetry called, “The Activist Poet”. (See Here, Here and Here) He's also the author of several blogs including World United News, World United Music, and World United Awakening while writing creatively on the All Poetry website. Stewart just released his first novel of fiction in July 2024; a supernatural science fiction thriller called, "The Shard of Asclepius". The book is available world wide. For more information visit his Official Website.

World United News and New Horizons

 

Hello everyone, my name is Stewart F. Brennan. I’m the creator of this, the World United News blog. 

Over the past two decades, I’ve juggled my time and energy populating five different blogs containing alternative news, music, economics, creative passions and political activism while also supporting hundreds of artists, activists and alternative news journalists. I did so because those I supported, offered something that mainstream did not.

The goal of my past efforts have been to show, with proof, that there were other sides to a story, and of course, better music offered by artists not in the mainstream spotlight.

This blog was the first public forum where I was able to express my discontent with the way the world was heading but I also combined my Geo-political and Geo-economic observations and societal discontent into a three-book series, titled, “The Activist Poet - Vol 1, Vol 2 & Vol 3” hoping that they would help awaken a population that was sleep walking into a consolidated economic tyranny and another World War. These books remain my testament to truth against powerful western propaganda and censorship.

The Message

My message has always been, that there is a better way to live on this planet than the way in which we are living right now. The world I believe in, is a world that is inclusive for all and not just for the privileged few…of course, I was censored just like the thousands of concerned online journalists and artists trying to make the world a better place.

So, due to massive online censorship of this blog and important voices, I have taken the next step forward in my quest to make the world a better place and written a science fiction / supernatural thriller called, “The Shard of Asclepius”.

The following quote by Gao Xingjian reflects my belief and why I wrote a book of fiction.

Quote: “It's in literature that true life can be found. It's under the mask of fiction that you can tell the truth.” ~ Gao Xingjian ~

I have hope that many people will see and read this intriguing book, “The Shard of Asclepius”, but it’s virtually impossible to get the book populated on mainstream bookstore shelves, even though it’s available worldwide online through Ingram's global network of book sellers. As an independent author, I need your help.

My book is on the Indigo, Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites but in order to get the book seen by the public, I need my supporters to go to those websites, rate the book, buy a copy from them and maybe leave a review of the book. It helps move the book into attention. Books that are not supported by a major publisher or large online community, are not invisible to the public and so an independent author such as myself relies on friends and community for support to compete against the thousands of books written by other authors every single year.

I’ve also created a new website which will be dedicated to all the books I publish as an author going forward. Here is the link to my new website.

Official website of Stewart F Brennan

To the people I’ve supported and / or the people who’ve visited and supported my blogs in the past, thank you! I hope you will also follow me on this next step of my journey.

Here is a short video trailer for my book, “The Shard of Asclepius”. Please consider visiting my new website to find out more about the book and then consider sharing the link with your network of friends. Thanks for taking the time to read this blog post and for your support! I look forward to hearing from you. Have a great week!

VIDEO TRAILER

Julian Assange is Free!

 

© WikiLeaks

Source: RT

Assange leaves UK prison to finalize plea deal with US

The Australian-born activist is expected to strike a deal with the US Department of Justice, court documents say

WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange was released from captivity in Britain on Tuesday morning, his team has said. The publisher spent five years in Belmarsh Prison in London while fighting extradition to the US, where he was indicted on 18 counts of disseminating classified information.

According to newly filed court documents, Assange will soon strike a plea deal in order to avoid further time behind bars.

“Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there,” WikiLeaks wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK.”

WikiLeaks said the international campaign to free Assange has created “the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalized.”

“As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom,” WikiLeaks wrote.

According to a letter from the DOJ, Assange will appear in court in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory in the Pacific, at 9am local time on Wednesday. “We anticipate that the defendant will plead guilty to the charge… of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information relating to the national defense of the United States,” the letter said.

The DOJ said it expects Assange to return to his home country of Australia after the proceedings.

Under Assange’s leadership, WikiLeaks published multiple top-secret files, including documents related to the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as a trove of US diplomatic cables. In 2010, the organization published a video of a US military helicopter attacking civilians in Baghdad in 2007 after mistaking them for insurgents.

Fearing extradition to the US, Assange spent seven years in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. He was ejected from the premises in 2019, when, under a new president, Ecuador revoked his asylum status. The activist was immediately arrested by British police and subsequently spent five years in Belmarsh, much of it in solitary confinement, after being found guilty of jumping bail.

Assange’s legal team, family, and associates have described the conditions in Belmarsh as “torture” and warned that his health significantly deteriorated behind bars.

In 2012, the WikiLeaks co-founder hosted ‘The World Tomorrow’ on RT. Over 12 episodes, the program covered a number of hotly debated topics, featuring guests such as Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, former Guantanamo Bay inmate Moazzam Begg, and former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.

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Assange freed as part of plea deal

A Julian Assange supporter protests in front of Westminster Magistrates Court, while calling for his release from Belmarsh Prison, on April 14, 2024 in London, England. © Peter Nicholls/Getty Images

Source: RT

The WikiLeaks co-founder is expected to finalize his release at a court in the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory in the Pacific

WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange has been freed from Belmarsh maximum security prison in the UK as part of a plea deal with the US Justice Department. The activist spent five years behind bars in London while fighting extradition to the US, where he is accused of illegally obtaining and disclosing national security materials which shed light on alleged American war crimes.

According to the US Department of Justice, Assange has agreed to plead guilty at a court in the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory in the Pacific. He is expected to be sentenced to around five years, equating to the time he has already spent in the British prison, while the extradition request is likely to be dropped. After the court proceedings, Assange is expected to travel to Australia, his country of citizenship.

26 June 2024

00:23 GMT

Assange told the judge that he had believed that the First Amendment to the US Constitution protected him during the publication of classified material.

”I accept it’s a violation of the espionage statute,” he continued. “I believe the First Amendment and the Espionage Act are in contradiction with each other, but I accept that it would be difficult to win such a case given all the circumstances.”

Assange described himself as “a journalist” who “encouraged my source to provide information that was said to be classified.”

00:17 GMT

As part of his plea agreement, Assange is required to instruct WikiLeaks to destroy classified information stored on its servers or devices, the court has heard. US prosecutors told Judge Manglona that they are satisfied that Assange has done so. It is unclear whether WikiLeaks has complied or will comply with this instruction.

25 June 2024

23:49 GMT

Assange has pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information. Asked whether he was ready to enter a plea, Assange replied “yes.” Asked whether he was pleading guilty or not guilty, he responded “guilty.”

23:32 GMT

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Judge Romana Manglona has entered the courtroom and Assange’s hearing has begun.

Sitting beside the WikiLeaks founder are Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd, Australian Ambassador to the UK Stephen Smith, and Assange’s lawyer Jennifer Robinson.

22:19 GMT

Stella Assange has shared a video of her husband arriving at the courthouse in Saipan. “I watch this and think how overloaded his senses must be, walking through the press scrum after years of sensory deprivation and the four walls of his high security Belmarsh prison cell,” she wrote on X.

21:47 GMT

Assange has arrived at the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands in Saipan. The former WikiLeaks head showed up at the courthouse ahead of schedule and is expected to plead guilty to a single espionage charge, as per the deal struck with the US government.

Assange did not respond to questions from the press as he passed through a metal detector and entered the building.

21:38 GMT

Former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters has congratulated Assange on his release, calling on the WikiLeaks founder to return to journalism once he is in good health.

“You know what I’d like to see? You old mucker, I’d like to see you back at work at WikiLeaks. Somebody has to pick up the cudgels and keep up the amazing, brilliant work that you did,” he said in a video posted by Double Down News.

“Good on you Julian! Thank you for the huge sacrifice you made for the rest of us,” Waters concluded.

Waters has campaigned for Assange’s release for more than a decade, visiting the Australian publisher in London’s Belmarsh Prison last October. “It was emotionally very crippling,” Waters said of the visit. “Imagine being locked up in solitary confinement for five years, particularly if you’ve never committed a crime. It’s beyond all imagination.”

20:24 GMT

Assange will leave Saipan for Australia at 12pm local time on Wednesday (2am GMT), according to a flight plan filed with authorities in the US territory and posted on the tracking site FlightAware. This timeline suggests that Assange’s legal team expects his court hearing – scheduled for 9am local time – to be wrapped up quickly.

20:10 GMT

Julian Assange’s charter jet has entered US airspace and will touch down in Saipan in a matter of minutes, Wikileaks has announced on social media. VistaJet flight VJT199, which left London on Monday and made a refueling stop in Bangkok on Tuesday, is the world’s most-tracked airplane, according to the Flightradar24 app.

17:22 GMT

The Free Assange Campaign has raised more than $115,000 toward the $520,000 cost of Assange’s charter flight to Saipan, according to Crowdfunder. The WikiLeaks founder was not permitted to fly commercial to the US territory, and will have to reimburse the Australian government for the cost of the flight.

Assange took off for Saipan after a refueling stop in Bangkok on Tuesday night, and will touch down in Saipan just after 6am local time (8pm GMT), according to data from Flightradar24.

16:59 GMT

The chief executive of the Committee to Protect Journalists, Jodie Ginsberg, hailed the news of Assange’s release, saying the WikiLeaks co-founder faced a prosecution that had “grave implications for journalists and press freedom worldwide.”

“While we welcome the end of his detention, the US’ pursuit of Assange has set a harmful legal precedent by opening the way for journalists to be tried under the Espionage Act if they receive classified material from whistleblowers,” Ginsberg reportedly claimed, stressing “this should never have been the case.”

16:36 GMT

“Millions of people who have been advocating for Julian, it is almost time for them to have a drink and a celebration,” Assange’s brother Gabriel Shipton told Reuters.

Shipton earlier revealed to Australia’s ABC that he knew for weeks his brother was about to be released from prison in the UK.

Speaking about the footage of Assange boarding the plane at Stansted Airport, Shipton said it was “great” to see his brother in broad daylight again. He added that the last time they saw each other was in the visitors room at Belmarsh Prison in the UK.

15:51 GMT

A plane with Assange on board departed Bangkok, Thailand after refueling on Tuesday, the Associated Press reports. The chartered flight from London left Don Mueang International Airport, according to the Flightradar24 plane tracking app. The WikiLeaks co-founder is reportedly on the way to Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific, to enter a plea deal with the US government.

14:54 GMT

The International Federation of Journalists has welcomed Assange’s release as a “significant victory for media freedom” and “a massive boost for free speech.” It added that the development “avoids the criminalization of the normal journalistic practices of encouraging sources to confidentially share evidence of wrongdoing and criminality.”

14:23 GMT

Assange’s release is a “welcome surprise” but is “long overdue,” American political commentator Jackson Hinkle has told RT. He said that the WikiLeaks co-founder had been “tortured in prison not for committing crimes of his own but for exposing crimes” of powerful Western leaders.

Hinkle suggested that the US had avoided the inevitable outrage which would have followed if Assange had been extradited and jailed in America. The journalist also did not rule out that the move to free Assange may have been a bid to boost US President Joe Biden’s ratings.

“Objectively, this is one of the best things any president has done in my entire life. You have to give credit where credit is due,” Hinkle said. He added, however, that the fact that Assange will have to plead guilty is “horrific” and sets a “terrible precedent.”

13:58 GMT

Several other world leaders have reacted to Assange’s release, including Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who said: “The Statue of Liberty did not remain an empty symbol; she is alive and happy like millions in the world.”

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro also congratulated Assange, describing his release as “the triumph of freedom and humanity’s fight for respect for Human Rights.”

“Assange is an example of courage and bravery in the battle for the truth. Justice will always prevail!” he added.

13:39 GMT

Former US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who held the post between 2010 and 2017, when Assange released many of his bombshell reports, said the WikiLeaks co-founder had “paid his dues,” given that he spent several years in the Ecuadorian embassy and then in prison.

He told CNN that he was more or less happy with the imminent deal. "Critical to this was his plea on one count of espionage. I think the law enforcement community and the intelligence community wouldn’t have bought into this without that.”

13:24 GMT

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has reacted cautiously to the news of Assange’s release, saying it is necessary to know the exact conditions of the Wikileaks co-founder's imminent plea deal with the US in order to make any conclusions.

12:56 GMT

The plea agreement between Assange and the US was signed last Wednesday, according to the order released by the UK High Court, which granted conditional bail to the activist based on this deal. The court also noted that it is “anticipated that a plea will be entered and accepted on Wednesday 26 June 2024, after which the United States have undertaken to withdraw the extradition request.”

12:20 GMT

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told parliament that Assange is being accompanied by the high commissioner to the UK, Stephen Smith, Australia’s most senior diplomat in Britain.

“The Australian government has continued to provide consular assistance to Mr. Assange,” he said, adding that Canberra’s envoy to the US, Kevin Rudd, is “also providing important assistance.”

Albanese added that regardless of what the general public thinks about Assange and his activities, “the case has dragged on for too long.” “There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia.”

11:48 GMT

Stella Assange has said her husband will seek a pardon, which can only be granted by the US president, once he has pleaded guilty as part of his deal with the US Justice Department. The prosecution of the activist under the Espionage Act is a “very serious concern” for journalists, she added.

11:26 GMT

The administration of US President Joe Biden had to agree to release Assange in exchange for a guilty plea partly because it came under pressure from the Australian government, former Biden aide Tara Reade has claimed.

In an interview with RT, she said the White House did not want to extradite the Australian-born activist and have a “spectacle” in the run-up to November’s presidential election, as Assange enjoys widespread popular support. Reade said, however, that the US was still reluctant to “take responsibility” for its actions, as it would not drop the charges against Assange or former NSA operative Edward Snowden, who leaked classified data.

10:52 GMT

Former UN Special Commission weapons inspector and ex-US Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter told RT that while he is happy to see Assange’s release, the outcome of the case against the activist is an “absolute defeat for free speech in America,” explaining that he had to admit to a crime he had not committed.

“The US government won. They broke him,” Ritter stated, adding that no American is immune to the same kind of persecution.

10:34 GMT

Stella Assange told the BBC that one of her priorities now is to get the activist “healthy again,” as “he’s been in a terrible state for five years” while being held in Belmarsh maximum security prison. She added that Assange’s children, who are five and seven years old, for now don’t know about the imminent plea deal, because it is yet to be set in stone.

10:14 GMT

Stella Assange has confirmed that her husband’s plane – which she said cost $500,000 to book – has landed in Bangkok and “will soon take off again and fly into US airspace where he will appear before a US judge.” The aircraft is scheduled to land in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, at 6am local time (8pm GMT), according to the Flightradar website.

09:24 GMT

Speaking to the BBC, Stella Assange has said her husband and the US Justice Department have reached “an agreement in principle,” which has to be formally signed by the judge in the Northern Mariana Islands.

09:01 GMT

Former US Vice President Mike Pence, who served in the Trump administration, has blasted the plea agreement, claiming that Assange “endangered the lives of our troops in a time of war and should have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Pence hit out at the Biden administration, accusing it of “a miscarriage of justice” and of dishonoring US service members and their families.

08:38 GMT

US presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr has welcomed the freeing of Assange. However, he deplored that the activist had to agree to a guilty plea.

This “means the US security state succeeded in criminalizing journalism and extending their jurisdiction globally to non-citizens,” the presidential hopeful wrote on X (formerly Twitter). He added that, if Assange had persisted, “he would have died in prison” due to his heart problems.

08:02 GMT

Assange was forced to agree to a guilty plea as for years he wrestled with “the system designed to beat you down,” human rights activist Marty Gottesfeld has told RT. Gottesfeld spent years in a US prison after being accused of launching a cyberattack at a Boston hospital, to expose what he insists was the medical kidnapping and “torture” of a girl.

Gottesfeld suggested that the US is unlikely to bar Assange from talking about the harsh prison conditions he had endured, noting that this would be “unprecedented.” At the same time, he did not rule out a gag order prohibiting the activist from further discussing the contents of classified American files.

08:01 GMT

Former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, who granted Assange asylum at the country’s embassy in London in 2012, has told RT that the activist has been “persecuted for telling the truth, not for lying.” “This has been really crazy. Twelve years of a journalist’s life have been stolen from him for telling the truth. The real war criminals went unpunished,” Correa said.

07:46 GMT

Stella Assange, the Australian-born activist’s wife, posted a photo on X (formerly known as Twitter) of what she said was “Julian calling into Sydney from Stansted airport last night” with the Sydney Opera House in the background.

07:18 GMT

Murray said that while Assange will have to live within certain limitations, his family apparently believes that the deal is certain. “Of course, nobody really takes seriously this guilty [plea]. It’s obvious… this is coerced. It is a cheap move by the Biden administration, to claim a little hollow victory for themselves.”

06:54 GMT

Despite his release and expected deal with the US Justice Department, Assange is a “marked man” and “will always be in danger” after exposing US secrets, Craig Murray, a human rights activist and former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan, told RT. This threat, he added, comes “particularly from the malicious forces of the CIA and the United States.”

06:35 GMT

The VJT199 charter flight believed to be carrying Assange has landed in Bangkok, Thailand, according to the Flightradar24 website. It is unclear whether the aircraft is refueling after flying from the UK, or how the activist will continue his journey to the Northern Mariana Islands, some 5,000km to the east.