"The moment [Julian Assange] decided to seek shelter in Ecuador... he betrayed the principles he claimed to represent... Why? Because Ecuador... has become one of the world's leading oppressors of free speech." (Hypocrisy ends hero's freedom to preach, Peter Hartcher, Sydney Morning Herald, 21/8/12)
The moment Peter Hartcher, the SMH's international editor, travelled to Israel as a guest of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies in 2009* and returned, parroting Israeli propaganda tropes about Hamas' rockets and human shields* and arrogantly dismissing discussion of the historical roots of the Palestine problem as "old grudges and illusions on a Marrickville Council scale,"*** he not only violated the Fairfax Code of Conduct ("We will not accept gifts or inducements which could impair our judgment or be perceived to be a conflict of interest, bribe or inappropriate gift."**), but lost whatever credibility he may have had as an independent journalist along with any moral authority he may have had to pontificate about hypocrisy.
Oh, and unlike Assange, Hartcher had the luxury of choice.
[*See my 18/11/09 post No Hidden Agenda; **See my 20/6/11 post Hartcher Brings the House Down; ***See my 15/3/10 post Pawns in a Propaganda Game.]
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