Poll

Hero, villain, or something in between?

Hero
Something in between
Villain

Author Topic: Julian Assange  (Read 12993 times)

Smelodies

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Julian Assange
« on: December 05, 2010, 02:53:50 AM »
What's your take?

Chris L

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #1 on: December 05, 2010, 10:14:12 AM »
James Bond villain.

Martin

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #2 on: December 05, 2010, 10:47:48 AM »
"Shady character".

SJK

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #3 on: December 05, 2010, 11:52:30 AM »
I think he is ok, unless...he is found guilty of rape, then he deserves to rot in jail. He shouldn't go to jail because he published top secret documents and scooped every major media outlet. Nor should the kid that allegedly gave Wikileaks the information. I think we put too much faith in government organizations to act in our best interests...in some cases transparency should be considered an asset, not a disadvantage. Gossiping like high school students at a sock hop shouldn't be the accepted standard for international diplomacy. Although, I do agree that Kim Jong il is fat.     

Perhaps an interesting read for some, Chomsky on many topics including Assange...
http://chomsky.info/interviews/20101130.htm

Shaggy 2 Grote

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #4 on: December 05, 2010, 12:34:26 PM »
I don't want to jump to conclusions -- the last thing I want to do is defend a rapist -- and he's probably a narcissistic asshole.  That said, though, paying off ex-girlfriends to raise suspicions is exactly the kind of thing that intelligence agencies do.  And once they get him in Sweden -- where, it should be noted, he hasn't been charged with anything, they just want him for questioning -- he can be extradited to the US, where he really has broken the law.

What really disturbs me about this is that everybody just seems to accept that all this government secrecy is okay in a democracy, and that the guy who helped leak it should be punished, even assassinated.  Isn't the whole idea that government should be transparent, and we the people should hold it accountable?

I'm also pretty psyched about this Bank of America document dump.  Fuck them a million times over.
Oh, good heavens. I didn’t realize. I send my condolences out to the rest of the O’Connor family.

fonpr

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #5 on: December 05, 2010, 12:55:29 PM »

What really disturbs me about this is that everybody just seems to accept that all this government secrecy is okay in a democracy, and that the guy who helped leak it should be punished, even assassinated.  Isn't the whole idea that government should be transparent, and we the people should hold it accountable?


I tend to believe Gore Vidal is correct when he says we stopped being a democracy in 1957.

History of the National Security State with Gore Vidal
"Like it or not, Florida seems dedicated to a 'live fast, die' way of doing things."

Keith Whitener

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #6 on: December 05, 2010, 01:01:26 PM »
I read that he's actually being charged with having sex without a condom: http://slatest.slate.com/id/2276690/

SJK

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #7 on: December 05, 2010, 01:08:35 PM »
I read that he's actually being charged with having sex without a condom: http://slatest.slate.com/id/2276690/

Incredible...seriously?!

yesno

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #8 on: December 05, 2010, 01:18:38 PM »
I don't understand why people are more fired up about some dude with a website than about the Army giving unrestricted access to SIPRNet to some kid.  I hear if you follow @USArmy on twitter they'll DM you what China really feels about North Korea. 

Keith Whitener

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #9 on: December 05, 2010, 01:19:45 PM »
I don't see why his being guilty of rape entails that he should be forbidden from sharing the information he has.

===
 "I have to perform this brain surgery or the patient will die!"
"You should have thought of that before you raped those women!"
"Hey, can we talk about this after the surgery?"
"No, both of you are going to suffer for this!"

===
"Hey, I have to go to jail. Can I first train a replacement to perform the surgery that no one else but me can perform?"
"No, all of you will suffer for this!"

===
"Hey, I have to go to jail. Can I first train a replacement to perform the surgery that no one else can perform but me?"
"Sure!"
"I meant leak information that incriminates you."
"No way! All of you will suffer!"

SJK

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #10 on: December 05, 2010, 01:31:49 PM »
I don't see why his being guilty of rape entails that he should be forbidden from sharing the information he has.

I believe the situation is being used to discredit him, and as Jason G pointed out, this may be a move to ensure he is in a country that has an extradition treaty with the US. I guess the US and the UK have no such agreement? Well, I don't think they can charge him with treason. I've heard him speak on a few occasions, he seems genuine.

Shaggy 2 Grote

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #11 on: December 05, 2010, 01:42:44 PM »
I think the UK and US have an extradition treaty, but he's hiding out somewhere.  I don't know why they haven't found him yet. Maybe the British authorities going after him might violate some cherished illusion of democracy or British national sovereignty?  It might just be incompetence.  A reporter friend of mine spent a long time in Baluchistan and said everyone there seemed to know where Osama bin Laden lived, and someone even offered to take her to visit him (she said no).

I think you have to be a US citizen to be charged with treason in the US, no?  But he can be charged with the Espionage Act of 1917, and even if he isn't found guilty the government can do lots of terrible things to him in the interim.  It remains to be seen whether the the US would assassinate/torture/extraordinarily render a world-famous, well-educated white European, but there are plenty of other things they can do to make his life miserable.
Oh, good heavens. I didn’t realize. I send my condolences out to the rest of the O’Connor family.

Joe Rogaine

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #12 on: December 05, 2010, 02:34:53 PM »
What's your take?


His old haircut made him look like an old lady.




Keith Whitener

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #13 on: December 05, 2010, 03:59:04 PM »
What would all of you think if he was killed or imprisoned?

wwwes

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #14 on: December 05, 2010, 04:08:30 PM »
His old haircut made him look like an old lady.






I'm assuming he changed that after seeing Meg Whitman stole his look?