Julian Assange Got What He Deserved
theatlantic.com
Julian Assange Got What He Deserved
1–10 of 49 posts
Re: Julian Assange Got What He Deserved
#2I agree. Early on, I thought Assange was a bit of a hero. He provided a forum for people to reveal things that shouldn't be happening and shouldn't be secret. I understand the need for government secrecy, spying, and surveillance. I don't accept that it's ok for governments to break their own laws to spy on their own citizens without warrants or just cause, however.
Assange wasn't simply doing this as a neutral party, however. He was playing the same underhanded games as the governments. He was actively timing the release of information and selectively revealing or withholding information to suit his own political agenda.
I'd grown disenchanted with him well before the 2016 election, but that revealed his hypocritical motivations in all their glory. He worked with the despotic Russian regime and went on a personal attack against Hillary Clinton, timing the release (and non-release) of information to intentionally disrupt the presidential election.
Assange long ago became just another of the underhanded villains he claimed to be fighting against.
Re: Julian Assange Got What He Deserved
#3I agree. Early on, I thought Assange was a bit of a hero. He provided a forum for people to reveal things that shouldn't be happening and shouldn't be secret. I understand the need for government secrecy, spying, and surveillance. I don't accept that it's ok for governments to break their own laws to spy on their own citizens without warrants or just cause, however. Assange wasn't simply doing this as a neutral party…
I felt similarly early on. To the authors point, he's always said some very off the wall things and is very extreme in many of his beliefs. I wonder if he was planning on using any power/influence he got for his own agenda the whole time, or if the power got to him. He doesn't look or seem very mentally healthy, maybe there's something there too
Re: Julian Assange Got What He Deserved
#4I would not paint Julian Assange (or Chelsea Manning) as a blameless hero like Edward Snowden. But sometimes people do reprehensible things that are not (or ought not be) against the law.
The primary objection against Julian Assange appears to be that he published true information that others (like the US Government and the Hillary Clinton campaign) did not want released. The US Government wants to extradite him because Chelsea Manning asked him to help crack a password and he allegedly said "yes" but never did assist in cracking it. I don't want to debate whether that IS a crime under US law, but certainly I will claim that it SHOULDN'T be.
Yes, Atlantic - Julian Assange is not a nice person. And the Equadorian government had excellent motivation to withdraw the protection of their embassy. But no, Atlantic, that does not mean he deserves to be extradited and stand trial in the US.
Re: Julian Assange Got What He Deserved
#5I agree. Early on, I thought Assange was a bit of a hero. He provided a forum for people to reveal things that shouldn't be happening and shouldn't be secret. I understand the need for government secrecy, spying, and surveillance. I don't accept that it's ok for governments to break their own laws to spy on their own citizens without warrants or just cause, however. Assange wasn't simply doing this as a neutral party…
Exactly my opinion as well. Some information should be kept secret but it's also good to give people a transparent and unbiased outlet to leak if they have no other options. As soon as he and WikiLeaks showed they had an agenda their integrity went out the window.
Hot take: The organization has always had an agenda. All the big leaks were things that painted the U.S. in a negative light. Just the title of Collateral Murder reads like a Fox News tagline for maximum effect.
Re: Julian Assange Got What He Deserved
#6I would not paint Julian Assange (or Chelsea Manning) as a blameless hero like Edward Snowden. But sometimes people do reprehensible things that are not (or ought not be) against the law. The primary objection against Julian Assange appears to be that he published true information that others (like the US Government and the Hillary Clinton campaign) did not want released. The US Government wants to extradite him beca…
Why do you think he shouldn't even stand trial or be charged?
Re: Julian Assange Got What He Deserved
#7I would not paint Julian Assange (or Chelsea Manning) as a blameless hero like Edward Snowden. But sometimes people do reprehensible things that are not (or ought not be) against the law. The primary objection against Julian Assange appears to be that he published true information that others (like the US Government and the Hillary Clinton campaign) did not want released. The US Government wants to extradite him beca…
> (or Chelsea Manning) as a blameless hero like Edward Snowden.
Well, let's see, one of them went to Russia, the other didn't. Who is closer to being "blameless"? And I thought that collusion with Russia is something that people are somewhat concerned about, lately.
Also, why are you saying that Assange never made any attempt to crack that password? Why then would he ever want to actively mislead Manning by suggesting otherwise? That's a really fanciful scenario.
Re: Julian Assange Got What He Deserved
#8I would not paint Julian Assange (or Chelsea Manning) as a blameless hero like Edward Snowden. But sometimes people do reprehensible things that are not (or ought not be) against the law. The primary objection against Julian Assange appears to be that he published true information that others (like the US Government and the Hillary Clinton campaign) did not want released. The US Government wants to extradite him beca…
Why do you think he shouldn't even stand trial or be charged?
I'm not parent; possibly because he's not a US citizen and what he did falls under the umbrella of protections afforded to journalist?
Re: Julian Assange Got What He Deserved
#9I agree. Early on, I thought Assange was a bit of a hero. He provided a forum for people to reveal things that shouldn't be happening and shouldn't be secret. I understand the need for government secrecy, spying, and surveillance. I don't accept that it's ok for governments to break their own laws to spy on their own citizens without warrants or just cause, however. Assange wasn't simply doing this as a neutral party…
Hypocrisy is not a crime and people should not end up in jail for it. There is a reason Lady Justice wears a blindfold.
Re: Julian Assange Got What He Deserved
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why do you think he shouldn't even stand trial or be charged?
I'm not parent; possibly because he's not a US citizen and what he did falls under the umbrella of protections afforded to journalist?
Well then he will be found innocent right? What's the big deal?