Monday, October 27, 2014

UK publication shines international light on Legal Schnauzer and the fight against corruption in Alabama


Graphic from International
Business Times
I am featured, along with international figures Julian Assange and Edward Snowden, in a UK news site's article about freedom of information via the Internet.

The article, from the UK edition of International Business Times (IBT) is titled "Seven Controversial Figures of Internet Freedom: Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, and More." One of the figures under the heading of "More" is yours truly.

Ironically, the article appears as we marked the first anniversary last Thursday of my unlawful arrest in Shelby County, Alabama, making me the only journalist in the western hemisphere to be incarcerated in 2013. More importantly, the recognition comes as we finally are seeing signs of progress against corruption in Alabama, thanks to an ongoing grand-jury investigation in Lee County.

House Speaker Mike Hubbard (R-Auburn) was indicted last week on 23 felony counts of using his public office for personal gain. State Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) goes on trial today on charges of perjury and making false statements.

Court documents indicate prosecutors are aiming even higher, targeting the Riley political machine headed by former GOP governor Bob Riley (2002-2010) and two of his children--Birmingham attorneys Rob Riley and Minda Riley Campbell. Hubbard is a long-time Riley ally, and the Hubbard indictment includes counts that involve Bob Riley and Minda Riley Campbell. Published reports have shown that Rob Riley was involved with Hubbard in funneling $100,000 in Poarch Creek Indian gaming money to Citizens for a Better Alabama, a group supposedly opposed to gaming.

Rob Riley orchestrated my arrest by filing a lawsuit that bore no resemblance to a standard defamation claim. It clearly was designed to have me jailed because I was a Web-based journalist that the family machine could not control. In fact, another member of the Riley machine, State Sen. Bryan Taylor (R-Prattville), has filed what appears to be a dubious defamation lawsuit against another Web-based journalism site, Alabama Political Reporter.

Julian Assange
Have defamation lawsuits become Team Riley's weapon of choice in an effort to freeze unwelcome Web-based reporting? The answer appears to be yes, and the international press is paying attention.

IBT is based in New York City's Financial District and has 10 national editions, in seven languages. Launched in 2005, it is ranked by Alexa as the fourth most visited site among business newspapers.

The piece on internet freedom includes an article by India-based reporter Jerin Mathew, plus an infographic spotlighting each of the seven featured individuals (see link below). Writes Mathew:

The internet is currently a crucial medium of communication. It is being used by people to express their ideas to an audience spread across the globe.

However, certain authoritarian states have introduced measures to filter, monitor and manipulate the internet, as they fear the power of new technologies. Activists have successfully used the medium to advocate political, social and economic reform and mobilise people for the cause.

Certain people have come out to question governments' interference in the cyber world and their snooping on the online activities of people. Some people say they are heroes of democracy, while some others label them as enemies of state security.

7 Controversial Figures of Internet Freedom: International Business Times 

9 comments:

Matt Osborne said...

I'm not a fan of Julian Assange or his unabashed alliances with Putin, fascist political parties, and 9/11 "truthers." I'm also not a fan of traitor Eddie Snowden. IMO, you're more of a hero and victim than either of those jokers.

e.a.f. said...

Well you couldn't be in better company! You and Mrs. Schnauzer have suffered but I'd suggest you did the right thing. Those in Alabama may never like you or recognize your work, but there are those who do and will.

Congratulations on making the list! Hold you head up and oh, write a book. YOu might recover some of your financial looses.

You and Mrs. S. ought to be very proud of the work you have done.

Anonymous said...

Michelle who was here blogging about her son, put you on Karen Hudes' facebook page and that was HUGE Roger Legal Schnauzer.

You went global and so did Michelle.

Visit Hudes' at her facebook page, and post regularly about Karen Hudes for Alabama tap rooted Homo Sapiens.

Another visit is to Benjamin Fulford, he is who tells like what it is, too, an international journalist and so get in touch.

Journalists have been the target to make certain the Dark Ages planned didn't get written about. Problem was, you didn't get dead and the plan was indeed to get you and Carol out of your minds and dead too. Look at the world that resists: Palestine is who we have to thank.

Imagine being there since 1897, when the real decision was to take world earth back a few hundred, preferably thousand, years.

The planners did to Carol and you what the criminally insane choose to power-force onto their "Agendas". American "stock"!

Those that are "Government USA" were also quite chosen intentionally, most are not other than stark raving insane: John McCain is very gone.

America is now on a "short leash", as the saying goes. Supposedly China has told the "Federal Reserve System" (which is what controls "US"), that there is no further backwards.

Check out Karen Hudes' and report back to Alabama about the REAL HOPE that is born from the reality of FAITH.

Faith in our humanity, that is what kept you alive and here you are a far greater reporter for knowing in reality, what the agenda was going to be.

Every American that "dissented" from the criminally insane fascism, was to be in prison and dead.

And/or an insane brain-mind incapable of being other than exterminated as a failed experiment.

Congratulations and thank Michelle and Karen too!

Anonymous said...

"... One year ago today, Alabama's Riley Machine caused me to be unlawfully beaten and arrested in my home ..."

Politically correct Schnauzer, but entirely wrong in the mad as hell department of exposing the full frontal assault of fascist USA.

Want Americans to "tow the line", throw the body in jail with no Habeas Corpus law in tact, then put the body back out in the "society" and watch how the experiment goes.

America is a lab and the people have been experimented on as though, who are the "real leaders"? Hillary and Jeb are the baubles now for 2016, and we can watch the world earth change.

But what about America and the class that operates the laboratories?

Watch "TVnews", and read the New York Times to know when the next Presidential election is going to happen and the choices.

America was named a "Christian Nation", but Obama made that brand a bad rap alright.

The Obama experiment failed, too.

Watch out for Karl Rove, Turdblossom during this time is definitely looking for the new young Republicans to nip the bloom in the bud!

Alabama is a gambling casino and so is the USA, we have the owners of the casinos and we have those that work for the casino owners. Those that have and those that have not. Get ready for a huge change and to imagine Jeb Bush is in control of the Constitutional Center, and was one of the ones who viewed the U.S. Constitution under glass.

We are in serious trouble.

e.a.f. said...

the thought of Jeb bush in the white house, is not a pleasant. when you couple that with Stephen harper as P.M. of Canada, you have a problem all through North America.

We have the Mexicans protesting the "privitization" of their national oil company. at least in Mexico the citizens go out in mass and protest. The rest of North America, not so much.

Canada is about to pass legislation which will give government a great deal more power to "snoop" on its "enemy/citizens". Its to bring us in line with the American system. Then to top it off P.M. Stephen harper sold Canada to China for 31 yrs. Think how much fun it will be to have a Chinese controlled country sitting on your northern border. Think that isn't a problem. Well under the new agreement with China, Canada/Canadians are not permitted to pass laws which will impact negatively on Chinese companies profit margin. Nice if you can get it and they did.

With this new trade agreement with China, China will be able to bring in their own workers. Just wonder how that is going to play out when they bring in their own "security" teams to deal with Canadian protester regarding pipe lines, oil spills, etc.

What I have learnt on Legal Schnauzer is how the system in one state gets perverted to suit those in charge, with the money. It was a good education.

So what does Alabama and British Columbia have in common? Coal and Casinos and Corruption.

Anonymous said...

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1627014/snowden-made-world-less-naive-say-pulitzer-winning-journalists-who

News› Hong Kong > Snowden made the world less naïve, say Pulitzer-winning journalists who broke his story

Pulitzer-winning journalists who helped tell his story say it reshaped how we see official spying

Anonymous said...

Gambling and winning seems to have become a part of the American culture since Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes, numerous wars and sensationalized sports. Gambling jobs replace manufacturing and production, and lotteries supplement education. Most of the wealth has "trickled up" to 1% of the wealthiest.

Is America destined become a vacation playground and casino hotspot for the global rich? Will our military and children be contracted to fight foreign wars for other countries and service wealthy vacationers? Are we becoming a service based economy with finance, medicine, military and prison/compliance our three main industries - with little or no production?

Highrise condos are being built on beach fronts with huge lobbies, ready for the slot machines. All that's needed is to twist a few senatorial arms and get the gambling voted legal!! Money can move the mountains in any legislative body! They're so sure about it they've already built the high rises!

Roger Shuler's story and surely others were nearly ignored by the mainstream media. Who would have thought they'd see a day when an American would have to depend on foreign press for seeking justice?

This country that prides itself boasting protections for Human Rights and Dignity has lost something along the way.

It seems the 1980's were a turning point, a time Senator Jesse Helms in 1998 referenced letting the world and U.N. know that the USA answers to nobody. Perhaps if they had answered to the United Nations during Iran Contra, our country would not have been flooded with illegal guns and cocaine in the Contra scandals. Maybe Abramoff wouldn't have invested in Sun Cruz gambling casino and shysted money from the Native Americans for Republican campaigns. Alabama was the center of it all.

We still don't have the answers or names of all the American Drug Lords in that Iran Contra operation, but millions were made by criminals who never got caught - and they have plenty of campaign money to spend - SURELY banked in foreign banks, well-protected!!

Now that money buys the campaigns, and politicians sell their souls to get elected, who cares about In God We Trust or anything else?

Next up: Americans defecting and seeking political asylum. I understand a few countries are offering us havens already. Does anybody have a list?



e.a.f. said...

America hasn't been the American we knew and respected for a very long time, if ever. Racism precluded it from being what is said it was.

The day the state police fired upon and killed Kent State students, American announced loud and clear what it was. it has only grown worse. The war on citizens, who did not comply, started on the white middle class.

Now some decades later people are surprised about the state of American life? They obviously haven't been reading their own newspapers. The State of Texas has led the way to ensuring citizens don't vote. It hasn't been this bad since the "Jim Crow" days.

People are just shocked now because so many more of them are included in a class they were not included in before.

Americans need to remember, if they will do it to one group, they will do it to another. In tough times you can get half the working class to kill the other half.

Michelle said...

To Anonymous @6:46 a.m.
I'm extremely grateful for Roger for having the courage to continue with his blog after all he's been through. He is one of the few who have stood strong in the face of adversity and persevered with his battle for free speech.
Roger has shown the world that bloggers are entitled to exercise free speech and although not employed by corporate or privately owned media sources, their contributions to human awareness and information is vital.
YOU GO ROGER!!!!!!