Assange was chemically lobotomised within days of being admitted to Belmarsh Prison, which has a long and sordid history of providing the military-industrial-pharmaceutical complex with safe cover for its wet operations.

He is, essentially, dead to the world now.

However, his legacy remains - you cannot destroy ideas with chemical torture so easily. The next round of whistleblowing will be especially painful to the American people, as yet more evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity is being prepared for release.

While we were all being distracted by the scary orange puppet, the US and its coalition partners ratcheted up the tempo of its criminal war operations.

Evidence regarding US involvement in Yemen, for example, is going to reveal the true nature of American military power in the 21st Century, and it is not going to be pretty.

If you are an American who feels suitably embarrassed by the actions of your oompaloompa in chief, be prepared for a sobering realisation when the next round of whistleblowing starts happening. And, be prepared for the distraction that the military-industrial-pharmaceutical complex has in store for the American people.