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Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

bbc.com

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Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#551

Post by magduf »

stjohnswarts wrote: post #506
jki275 wrote: post #475

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you don't know how impeachment works. Trump will not be removed from office, no matter what the lower house of the US government happens to do. The Senate would have to have 67 votes in a majority republican controlled body to remove him. That simply will not happen -- even in the House, which is politically far more independent, the Democratic Party was not able to get a single Republican vote, and even had…

Yeah I don't see how the trial will go through, there is no way they get 67 votes in the senate. He would have to literally walk up and shoot a nun in the face on camera before those Republicans would budge, they've already made up their mind he's forgiven for (almost) any crimes while he's in office.

Some of them have already said they'd be fine with him shooting someone in broad daylight on a NYC street, and think that this isn't an impeachable offense.

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#552

Post by Elzear »

jki275 wrote: post #488
paulmd wrote: post #479

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Largely because people have roots here and it's a pain to move. What, you're supposed to quit your job, leave your extended family, sell your house and possessions, find a new job and place to live overseas, and potentially even learn an entire new language? Just to be sure you won't be tortured? (assuming you can even find a place to take you - things are easier here for this crowd, tech skills are in-demand and usu…

It's not a 1% chance. Even if one accepts your definition of torture, people who aren't criminals are very rarely caught up in the system at all. So it's far less than 1% as long as you're simply not a criminal. If the US were really so bad, people would leave. The people who do leave typically leave for tax purposes opposite to your belief.

Around 5% of the US population go to jail at least once in their life. And 0.69% are currently jailed (0.075% in Germany).

Since it is harder to _simply not be a criminal_ and prisons there are proven not to fulfill their role, maybe OP simply wishes that this aspect of the country would improve. I don't think he/she was whining, or even saying that everything in the country terrible.

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#553

Post by whymauri »

shadowgovt wrote: post #491
tremon wrote: post #482

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you asserting that Osama bin Laden wasn't a visible target?

I should probably clarify: assassination of high-visibility undisclosed targets. Osama bin Laden was tagged as an enemy combatant quite publicly, and I'm not aware of anyone disagreeing with the US's tactical call to kill him during Operation Neptune Spear rather than take him alive. Some Congresspeople have made ill-advised claims around Assange, but to my knowledge he is not tagged as an enemy combatant in a war on…

Just to clarify, you're saying that the US is not currently in the business of assassinating high-visibility targets.

Just clarifying, because there's a history of state-sanctioned assassination attempts and plots during the Cold War.

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#555

Post by Allower »

DubiousPusher wrote: post #340
ckastner wrote: post #318

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You quote: > “Mr. Assange has been deliberately exposed, for a period of several years, to progressively severe forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the cumulative effects of which can only be described as psychological torture.“ That quote lacked information on who was exposing him and what that exposure actually was, so I followed your source. That source elaborates as follows: > “In the co…

If she finds his treatment report worthy she should visit almost any county jail in America and write a report. I'm seriously not being flippant. If people genuinely find this kind of treatment disturbing and inhumane then they should know it is befalling daily many of their over 2 million incarcerated American brothers and sisters.

It is inhumane, indeed the American so-called "justice" system is one giant human rights abuse system. its a disgrace

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#556

Post by isostatic »

stjohnswarts wrote: post #532
isostatic wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sweden doesn't have a death penalty. If it did, UK law would not allow extradition to Sweden.

Yeah but Sweden was just going to turn him over to the USA.

They denied this. Why would liberal Sweden tarnish their reputation? What makes Sweden more likely to extradite him than the UK?

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#557

Post by [deleted] »

k1m wrote: post #35

Worth mentioning that Nils Melzer, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, visited Assange and described his treatment as psychological torture: > “It was obvious that Mr. Assange’s health has been seriously affected by the extremely hostile and arbitrary environment he has been exposed to for many years,” the expert said. “Most importantly, in addition to physical ailments, Mr. Assange showed all symptoms typical for…

[deleted]

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#558

Post by potatoz2 »

koheripbal wrote: post #260
plesner wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's possible to be both unfairly targeted by a superpower and commit sexual assault, one doesn't cancel out the other. I'm not saying he did, I don't know how any of us could know. You seem quite confident he didn't though, I'm curious what you base that on.

People should be presumed innocent until proven guilty. That isn't just a legal principle - it's a philosophical principle. If you throw that away and want to talk about probabilities - that's ok too - but then you need to add the probability that the global super power put pressure on people to drum up baloney charges.

The way you seem to frame the presumption of innocence, arresting and detaining someone would violate it. Presumption of innocence is a legal principle once charged, it's not a trump card against being accused and held responsible for one's actions.

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#559

Post by dominotw »

whamlastxmas wrote: post #545
dominotw wrote: post #508

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Assange was accused of rape by a woman and sexual assault by another one what does 'accused' mean here? I assumed accused = pressed charges. edit: oh i see wht you mean. thanks.

The women did not accuse him of rape. They described alleged sexual assault, wanted the police to contact him to ask him to take an STD test, and the police took it upon themselves to want Assange for questioning in regards to sexual assault.

why would the article say otherwise though? it literally says they accused him.

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#560

Post by jeffdavis »

blattimwind wrote: post #364
DubiousPusher wrote: post #340

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If she finds his treatment report worthy she should visit almost any county jail in America and write a report. I'm seriously not being flippant. If people genuinely find this kind of treatment disturbing and inhumane then they should know it is befalling daily many of their over 2 million incarcerated American brothers and sisters.

The US justice system is possibly the most cruel justice system in the West, and by quite a margin, too. It is one of a few aspects in which the US is far closer to today's developing and third world countries than to the Western average. Also over many decades many organizations have called out the conditions in parts of the US justice system as torture(-like).

The US is a leader in many respects, due largely to our Constitutionally-protected rights.

I'm not a fan of the US prison system. But are you seriously claiming that the whole justice system is worse than Venezuela or Honduras?

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