A very QUICK question about Julian Assange

[Steeplerot]

He's stated that he wants to bring down governments that rely on secrecy, including our own. He believes he's saving the world, when in reality he's just making it harder for other people to save the world.

The only explanation I've seen for the critical sites list is that it reveals that we are some kind of "global empire". As if having crucial allies all over the world and trading globally makes us an evil empire. Total BS.

How is he making it harder? Get real, there has been no leaks that have harmed anyone. And lets get real here.....harming what? A corrupt failed *ahem*imperialist war driving us into bankruptcy? Damn him for helping expose our stupid decisions that trap us into a more compromised position of readiness worldwide.

Do any of you think the govt will give up these wars when there is so much lobbyist money coming from home districts Military Industrial Complex? Leaks are the only things that stop this. Wiki "Pentagon papers" and how the only way the war industry establishment was stopped last time from sucking us down the same hole the USSR went in the 80s with their corruption. (in Afghanistan war lol!)

This is all very USSR pravadaish going after this guy.

 

[Throckmorton]

How is he making it harder? Get real, there has been no leaks that have harmed anyone. And lets get real here.....harming what? A corrupt failed *ahem*imperialist war driving us into bankruptcy? Damn him for helping expose our stupid decisions that trap us into a more compromised position of readiness worldwide.

Do any of you think the govt will give up these wars when there is so much lobbyist money coming from home districts Military Industrial Complex? Leaks are the only things that stop this. Wiki "Pentagon papers" and how the only way the war industry establishment was stopped last time from sucking us down the same hole the USSR went in the 80s with their corruption. (in Afghanistan war lol!)

This is all very USSR pravadaish going after this guy.

He's fighting secrecy, war, diplomacy(???), and critical sites. He's an anarchist.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

I haven't been following this case very much and I was surprised to hear some television reporters advocating Assange be declared an "enemy combatant"

My question is, what did he do that is against US law? Is there a warrant out for his arrest?

Thanks.

the real question is, since when is american law the law that applies to the whole world???

 

[Steeplerot]

He's fighting secrecy, war, diplomacy(???), and critical sites. He's an anarchist.

The word anarchist means nothing in modern language except someone who is against the status quo. What next? Democracy Now! goes on terror list because they are not part of the corporate oligarchy of media?

If for example Chavez was doing this shit to one of the foxnews type channels there the media would be going apeshit about tyrrany and such.

The media are idiots, framing this as all about one guy and selling him out will backfire on them one day. But hey, if they took a principled stand how would they keep their insider connection to Obama's newest empty speech or Palin trashing someone out?

The US Media is another wing of the Mcgovernment, hopefully WL burns their asses along with their corrupt masters and their bankster kin.

 

[GrGr]

A common defense of Assange is that he's not an American so he's not guilty of treason. Well yeah, but he's releasing secret documents to our enemies. He's not breaking a law by doing that?

Does legality even matter? Are enemy combatants breaking US laws? Or are they just enemies? At what point is someone helping the Taliban considered an enemy combatant? Do they have to physically pick up an AK-47 and shoot our troops? Do they have to blow up a plane?

The strangest thing is the ethics, not the legal debate. A huge number of people, something like 30% of Americans, support him. It must be a lack of a moral compass on their part, which isn't surprising.

Ignorance is strength.

 

[KlokWyze]

The word anarchist means nothing in modern language except someone who is against the status quo. What next? Democracy Now! goes on terror list because they are not part of the corporate oligarchy of media?

If for example Chavez was doing this shit to one of the foxnews type channels there the media would be going apeshit about tyrrany and such.

The media are idiots, framing this as all about one guy and selling him out will backfire on them one day. But hey, if they took a principled stand how would they keep their insider connection to Obama's newest empty speech or Palin trashing someone out?

The US Media is another wing of the Mcgovernment, hopefully WL burns their asses along with their corrupt masters and their bankster kin.

QFT.

"Anarchy" is largely just a misused word now. Mainly due to people who blindly support the federal government. US persecution of Assange is hypocrisy and the entire world see it for what it is. If he was exposing Chinese cables, jeopardizing them, he would be getting Nobel peace prizes and various accolades.

Personally I think the MSM are just a bunch of sellouts. Assange is the polar opposite, maybe going to far, maybe not, but honestly he's a breath of fresh air compared to the blatant complacency of our American/Western "journalists". Anyone spazzing out about Assange, calling him a terrorist or traitor, just don't want to be interrupted from their willfully ignorant state of mind.

 

[Craig234]

I'd say it has more with Assange having a rockstar lifestyle and hero status amongst his followers who provide the cash for him to keep it and must maintain that by any means he can find.

I'd say that's speculation I find unsupported and unlikely. Every book some people disagree with is by an author who is 'lying to make money'.

Read his manifesto - I think it pretty clearly demonstrates that you are wrong aboutwhat his motives are, that he's what I said.

 

[alkemyst]

In his defense, we at one time believed that there should be no 'secrets' from our government.

Today it's back to smoke and mirrors and even blocking the public from certain things that should be 'public'.

We've fallen off the path again.

Personally I believe we are heading toward a revolution that will take place should our country's 'grid' ever fall. If the whole country were to lose power and communication for only a week or two the damages would be catastrophic.

 

[Throckmorton]

The word anarchist means nothing in modern language except someone who is against the status quo. What next? Democracy Now! goes on terror list because they are not part of the corporate oligarchy of media?

If for example Chavez was doing this shit to one of the foxnews type channels there the media would be going apeshit about tyrrany and such.

The media are idiots, framing this as all about one guy and selling him out will backfire on them one day. But hey, if they took a principled stand how would they keep their insider connection to Obama's newest empty speech or Palin trashing someone out?

The US Media is another wing of the Mcgovernment, hopefully WL burns their asses along with their corrupt masters and their bankster kin.

Are you being serious? The media is afraid to criticize him because they know he's popular among the sheeple they depend on for ratings. For example, note how in that SNL skit (I looked it up after you mentioned it) he says he exposes drug company secrets or something. They chose a leak that no one would take issue with, instead of diplomatic cables, critical sites, or Afghanistan.

 

[alkemyst]

Are you being serious? The media is afraid to criticize him because they know he's popular among the sheeple they depend on for ratings. For example, note how in that SNL skit (I looked it up after you mentioned it) he says he exposes drug company secrets or something. They chose a leak that no one would take issue with, instead of diplomatic cables, critical sites, or Afghanistan.

well most of those behind the government have stakes in the media. Outside of that the media and our government have to be in bed together...

 

[techs]

three pages of replies and I still don't know:

Did Assange break any US laws?
Is there a warrant out for his arrest?

 

[Throckmorton]

The question to ask is whether he broke any Australian laws.

 

[Throckmorton]

BTW, what happened to the big China leak that Wikileaks promised?

 

[Blackjack200]

three pages of replies and I still don't know:

Did Assange break any US laws?

Attorney General Eric Holder seems like he wants to charge Assange with violating the Espionage Act

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/29/AR2010112905973.html

Some are speculating that Assange hasn't been formally charged yet because the UK would refuse the extradite him, and that the US hopes that the UK will send him to Sweden for questioning on the sex crimes, and at that point the US will charge him and request extradition from Sweden, which is much more likely to be successful.

Is there a warrant out for his arrest?

Not a US warrant. Sweden issued an international warrant through Interpol and he was subsequently arrested in the UK where he is currently fighting extradition. Sweden has not charged him, the purpose of the warrant is so they can ask him questions related to sex crimes.

 

[AnnieTickles]

I'm no fan of Assange's anarchist agenda, but I do agree that secrecy breeds corruption. It's rarely necessary, easily abused. I really love that communications technologies are making it harder to keep dirty secrets from the electorate. We need more whistleblower and press protection and less secrets. More individual freedom, less government. That's what apple pie is all about.

 

[GrGr]

I'm no fan of Assange's anarchist agenda, but I do agree that secrecy breeds corruption. It's rarely necessary, easily abused. I really love that communications technologies are making it harder to keep dirty secrets from the electorate. We need more whistleblower and press protection and less secrets. More individual freedom, less government. That's what apple pie is all about.

Yeah, heaven forbid we have an electorate armed with true facts and realtime knowledge of events so they can form their own opinion of the extent of government/military spin, propaganda and brainwashing techniques. Ignorance makes for a much stronger and coherent and easily led electorate.

Ignorance is strength, placidity is force, sheep are lions. Sieg Heil.

 

[Throckmorton]

Yeah, heaven forbid we have an electorate armed with true facts and realtime knowledge of events so they can form their own opinion of the extent of government/military spin, propaganda and brainwashing techniques. Ignorance makes for a much stronger and coherent and easily led electorate.

Ignorance is strength, placidity is force, sheep are lions. Sieg Heil.

All I see is a bunch of libertarian-anarchist platitudes without any regard for the reality of diplomacy and war.

So do you think the D-day invasion plan shouldn't have been kept secret?

 

[sandorski]

All I see is a bunch of libertarian-anarchist platitudes without any regard for the reality of diplomacy and war.

So do you think the D-day invasion plan shouldn't have been kept secret?

After D-Day there would be little reason to keep the Plans secret.

 

[Throckmorton]

After D-Day there would be little reason to keep the Plans secret.

How is that relevant to Julian Assange? He released Afghanistan information while the war is still going on, because he wants to end the war.

During WWII there were Nazi sympathizers and anti-war fundamentalists who also would have released information on tactics, informants, resistance movements, etc in order to "end the war".

 

[sandorski]

How is that relevant to Julian Assange? He released Afghanistan information while the war is still going on, because he wants to end the war.

During WWII there were Nazi sympathizers and anti-war fundamentalists who also would have released information on tactics, informants, resistance movements, etc in order to "end the war".

No. He released that information because he received it. Do you think the scores of previously released materials all had some ulterior Anti-American motive behind them?

 

[Steeplerot]

During WWII there anti-war fundamentalists who also would have released information on tactics, informants, resistance movements, etc in order to "end the war

Who? Anarchists across the world were in solidarity with the allies. (hell, anarchists we fighting fascism before the "allies" were in Spain 1936 on)

I am curious who this dissident group is in ww2.

 

[Craig234]

How is that relevant to Julian Assange? He released Afghanistan information while the war is still going on, because he wants to end the war.

During WWII there were Nazi sympathizers and anti-war fundamentalists who also would have released information on tactics, informants, resistance movements, etc in order to "end the war".

It's a totally false analogy between D-Day and the Manning leaks.

Leaking D-Day would have been a disastrous tactical leak that could kill many thousands of people.

WikiLeaks on the other hand has taken measures to filter its leaks, which are of far different types of information, at a low level of classification widely available.

His stated objective is to reduce the abuses secrecy helps to happen, and the leaked documents do not even appear to contain tactical information analogous to D-Day.

The one controversial exception is the infrastructure list. Al Queda isn't short of targets anyway, though. They could set off a bomb in any airport security line.

Do you approve or disapprove of Daniel Ellsberg's leaking the Pentagon Papers that exposed the US government lying about Vietnam for decades, to help end the war?

 

[Throckmorton]

Who? Anarchists across the world were in solidarity with the allies. (hell, anarchists we fighting fascism before the "allies" were in Spain 1936 on)

I am curious who this dissident group is in ww2.

Glen Beck's favorite Nazi author for example http://mediamatters.org/blog/201006040053

 

[Steeplerot]

ugh that dude was buddies with father coughlin, is beck using coughlin quotes yet from after FDR got elected in the mid later 30s? Whenever I watch something from Beck in front of that board spouting conspiracies it sounds just like old recordings from the good fascist sympathizing father ranting the same conspiracy stuff about FDR. (actually its same rehashed conspiracys with "j00s" taken out, just replace it with liberals)

Glenn Beck = Father Coughlin Conspiracy theorist of the 21st century with fake vic vapo rub tears who happens to look like that douchebag Biff from Back to the Future.

 

[Throckmorton]

It's a totally false analogy between D-Day and the Manning leaks.

Leaking D-Day would have been a disastrous tactical leak that could kill many thousands of people.

WikiLeaks on the other hand has taken measures to filter its leaks, which are of far different types of information, at a low level of classification widely available.

His stated objective is to reduce the abuses secrecy helps to happen, and the leaked documents do not even appear to contain tactical information analogous to D-Day.

The one controversial exception is the infrastructure list. Al Queda isn't short of targets anyway, though. They could set off a bomb in any airport security line.

Do you approve or disapprove of Daniel Ellsberg's leaking the Pentagon Papers that exposed the US government lying about Vietnam for decades, to help end the war?

There's nothing stopping Assange from only publishing the things that need to be leaking, like the Afghan boylove. But that's not what he did. He doesn't even read everything he releases.

The critical sites leak is pure malice. If the sites were well known, and not just knowable through research, the list wouldn't need to be made in the first place.

I don't know what was in the Pentagon papers.