I/V:
Howard Hampton, Publisher of x-mag, Journalist &
Author (specialties - politics, religion, internet
and media) : 19th June 2003
What's your background?
I
was born in Pakistan of English parents, grew up and
was educated in Tasmania. Am 52 years old. Undergraduate
and Postgraduate qualifications. An interest in politics,
the media and as a particular subset, the Internet.
What
are your prime aims and objectives?
To
be subversive to the interests of the mainstream media
outlets and their political mates.
How
has the internet helped and hindered you?
ISP's
are timid instruments when hosting sites to those
who espouse opinions which are contrary to those held
by governments and political parties, and those who
are offended by, say, my opinions. Their determination
fold at the first whiff of legal trouble.
So
the internet offers virtual instant transmission of
information and news, but you still have to mind your
"P's" and "Q's", otherwise you
can still have your voice strangled at the source.
The humble e-mail and attachment is not so subject
to these constraints.
Have
you been strangled?
Not
me. My American ISP was. But I suppose in a way I
was, too. When I was publishing Squark,
somebody took offense to something I said about John
Howard. The ISP received a threatening letter
from a New York law firm, breathing hot coals and
promising purgatory if I wasn't strangled.
What
happened then?
In
a flash all of my pages were removed, and I was left
arguing with the ISP from a distance.
What
did you say about the Prime Minister?
Nothing
controversial, really. I said that he led the most
racist government in living memory. Most Australians
would agree; and rightly so, some would say. Meaning,
Australia should have a racist government leading
a racist country.
What
motivates you?
To
make a difference in this world.
Are
you controversial, and why, or why not?
Hardly,
despite the large red "X" suggesting revolution,
I still am constrained by the facts of the stories
themselves.
How
did x-mag evolve?
Began
as another publication, but changed when I came across
ZED magazine last year.
I wanted it to be a weekly publication, but it didn't
work out. The amount of work necessary is phenomenal.
How
did you break into the media business?
My
academic training propelled me into publishing: both
orthodox and the new electronic media.
What
media platform do you prefer?
Probably
the Internet, because it doesn't cost you much to
distribute your ideas and criticisms worldwide.
Why
do you have such strong views on ethical and religious
issues?
Upbringing
and uni.
Were
there any particular events in your life, that you
drew upon, to start writing with such passion and
belief?
The
dismissal of the Whitlam government in 1975. Until
then, I was fairly conservative. But after the event
I bolted for greener pastures.
What
army's have you served, and in what fashion?
Never
served in the military.
Are
you a freedom fighter?
In
a way. I do believe in truth, justice and the Australian
way.
Are
you a potential martyr?
No.
How
do Jews and Palestinians co-exhist?
They
don't. And it is unlikely that the present road map
to peace is going to go anywhere, because the Americans
are not likely to rein in the Israelis, or remove
their settlements from Palestinian land. And this
is going to be required if peace is going to take
place.
Further,
the road map has been set up to excise large chunks
of Palestinian land from the final settlement. Any
Palestinian leader agreeing to such an excision is
likely to be assassinated.
Does
every religion share the one God, and if not, how
many Gods do you believe exist?
Probably
not. But in the case of myself, one.
What
are a few examples of the worst ever acts committed
against humanity?
In
recent times I would include both the world wars,
which resulted in the slaughter of millions-and I
would include, as a subset of this conflict, the Nazi
conspiracy to the slaughter the Jews of Europe and
those living in the invaded territories to the East.
And before that, the Soviet Union under Stalin.
The Cambodian slaughter under Pol
Pot and the those committed by the Baathist
regime in Iraq. I also believe that the United
States must bare a considerable share of the responsibility
here, as they actively assisted in the installation
of Saddam Hussein and
his regime, and have therefore disqualified themselves
in having any say in the post-war running of Iraq.
But
there are so many atrocities to choose from here.
What
is the ultimate solution for world peace?
There
is none.
How
have you made a difference?
By
providing an alternative view of the world
What
news media websites do you trust?
Trust
is such a big word. Probably none, ultimately. I generally
do my own thinking, and cross-reference sources of
information to validate what the mainstream media
is saying. I do like commondreams.org
and often use material that they carry. They informed
me of the more useful provisions of the United States
copyright law.
What
websites have you contributed to, and why?
Indymedia,
Squark. None at the moment.
What
else would you like to share with our audience?
I
believe that the mainstream media have failed in their
duty to expose the lies that we have been fed in the
lead-up to the invasion of Iraq. Every time the "intelligence"
organs of the invading states released information
which could be tested for veracity, it failed. So
when John Howard says that he relied on the information
provided by the spy organisations of the Australian
government as the basis for his decision to lead Australia
to war, the mere fact that these "intelligence"
claims were falsified should have caused a "reasonable
man" like the Prime Minister to suspect the "intelligence"
he was being fed. False "intelligence" is
no excuse from a charge of a war crime. And without
the existence of the Weapons of Mass Destruction,
the invasion of Iraq becomes a "war of aggression".
I now notice that the invasion is now being excused
on the basis that the Iraqi regime was such a blood-thirsty
regime-as if this is an excuse for a war of aggression.
People have been hanged on the basis of being found
guilty of being responsible for this kind of war crime.
I
suspect that the leaders of the Coalition of the Willing
will spend the rest of their lives evading their responsibilities
arising out of the invasion of Iraq, because the creation
of the International Criminal Court has changed things.
...end.
Editors
comment: This is probably the most interesting, amazing,
unconventional e-mail interviews I have ever conducted.
This was a scoop. You read it hear first on Media
Man Australia! I believe it is safe to say that we,
nor the world, has heard the last of Howard Hampton.
Links:
X
mag official website
Commondreams.org
Indy
Media
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