WikiLeaks - Hero or Troublemaker?

[Thumpalumpacus]

I think the sex charges are BS, just an anchor charge to hold him in place while the offended governments put together a case (whether true or false, I cannot say) about the leaked documents.  Assange apparently never heard the Japanese proverb: The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.

[McQ]

Haven't kept up on Assange, and if it weren't for all this, I probably never would have. But one thing is for sure, and that is a whole lot of people are really after his ass. He probably should turn himself in, just to try and keep from being killed by somebody. More than a few people want him dead, and eventually, someone is going to get to him.

Right or wrong, good guy or bad guy, or shades of everything in between, he absolutely invited trouble into his life with all this, so he doesn't have anyone else to blame for his troubles.

[The Magic Pudding]

He probably should turn himself in, just to try and keep from being killed by somebody. More than a few people want him dead, and eventually, someone is going to get to him.

He already has surrendered to authorities.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010 ... 087467.htm

I don't get the talk of treason that come out of the USA, he isn't American, how can he betray them?
And if someone does get him Assange becomes a martyr.
Much of what he has released seems trivial or unhelpful, but after the devious justification for starting the Gulf war, something like Wiki Leaks has it's place.

[McQ]

He probably should turn himself in, just to try and keep from being killed by somebody. More than a few people want him dead, and eventually, someone is going to get to him.

He already has surrendered to authorities.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010 ... 087467.htm

I don't get the talk of treason that come out of the USA, he isn't American, how can he betray them?
And if someone does get him Assange becomes a martyr.
Much of what he has released seems trivial or unhelpful, but after the devious justification for starting the Gulf war, something like Wiki Leaks has it's place.

See? Told you I wasn't up to speed on this guy!

I didn't know people in the U.S. were calling him treasonous either. Seems odd, for the same reason you mentioned. I had never heard of Wikileaks before the first big release of information they did.

I still don't know what I think about Assange, or Wikileaks. It's hard to come to any decent opinion with so little information (meaning I don't have much info, I'm sure lots of other people do). I just know a lot of people are gunning for him, but most of them seem to be reactionaries.

[Thumpalumpacus]

It seems to me he could be, at most, prosecuted for receiving stolen property.

Sarah Palin was earlier calling for him to be pursued "like al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders."

Given that we pursue them with Predator drones firing Hellfire missiles, it makes me wonder if she knows how we chase them.  Or if she wants him taken out.

[Sophus]

It seems to me he could be, at most, prosecuted for receiving stolen property.

Sarah Palin was earlier calling for him to be pursued "like al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders."

Given that we pursue them with Predator drones firing Hellfire missiles, it makes me wonder if she knows how we chase them.  Or if she wants him taken out.

She'd probably like to hunt him like she hunts moose. Poor moose.

Bill O'Reilly and other FOX imbeciles have also called for his assassination for "treason". I wonder what these assholes will say if it really does happen. Bill can't pretend to have not provoked it like he did with Tiller since he was so blunt this time around.

[Thumpalumpacus]

He didn't fool anyone in the mess about Tiller, anyway.

Doesn't matter, though.  He will lie.  What else does he know how to do when cornered?  He certainly doesn't know how to man up.

[OldGit]

He probably should turn himself in, just to try and keep from being killed by somebody. More than a few people want him dead, and eventually, someone is going to get to him.

Hmm... we should also remember David Kelly who blew the whistle on Blair and is now dead.  OK, if we accept that it was indeed suicide, he was hounded into doing it.

Here's what the Daily Mash thinks.

[Thumpalumpacus]

http://sowhyiswikileaksagoodthingagain.com/

Also, hiyas, OldGit, good to see another plankspanker here.

[Sophus]

http://sowhyiswikileaksagoodthingagain.com/

Also, hiyas, OldGit, good to see another plankspanker here.

Whoa, hold up a minute....

WikiLeaks has revealed how scientists manipulated global warming research data in order to make it seem more consequential.

Really? I thought this was a busted myth.

[Asmodean]

Really? I thought this was a busted myth.

To the best of my knowledge, it is.

However, there are many sides with as many agendas involved, so it's... Complicated. Not so much about accuracy as political convenience now, it seems.

[Thumpalumpacus]

If I remember correctly, dendrochronological data that apparently (but not necessarily) countermanded MMGW was suppressed lest the general public latch onto it and start asking questions.

 So the claim that you're remembering -- or misremembering, I cannot say what you originally read, obviously -- is obviously false.  However, there is a difference between "making evidence more consequential" and omitting some data solely on the grounds that appears to contradict one's hypothesis.

While we're told that the contradictory data wasn't really contradictory, without a clear explanation its elision appears manipulatory, and I applaud Wikileaks for holding these scientists accountable, even if their error was in this case innocent.  Transparency in science is a good thing.  The dangers of its absence should be obvious.

[Tipttt]

I don't really know what is the path the conversation is taking since I just saw this topic and I don't really have time to read everything, but I will say this:

Wikileaks, in my opinion, should not be taken down.

Those documents that were leaked ( altough I did not read any of them ) revealed, mostly, things everyone knew, so they were not rally the troublemakers there.

The real trouble was for those implied in those files, because these documents were proofs. In our world, it doesn't matter how much the president might tell you about how is goind to kill everyone with poison in the water or if he's gonna cancel the teletubbies. You might tell that to every major media corps in the world, the concerned authorities will only say: PROOFS, PLEASE.

And this is why those concerned are so angry. Because these documents allow us to pin it down on them, which will reduce significantly the trust the people and the world gives them because they won't be able to say "they hate us because they are anti-americans" or whatever.

What he did was heroic, in my opinion. the ones to be blamed should be those exposed by those files.

Now, for Assange: First, it is pretty obvious the "rape" this was made up by some secret servies, probably the CIA.

And, to show how good he is and how he did not want anyone to be killed, here is a letter he wrote to the US embassy:

Ambassador Louis B. Susman
US Embassy
United Kingdom

26 November 2010

Dear Ambassador Susman,
I refer to recent public statements by United States overnment officials expressing concern about the possible publication by WikiLeaks and other media organisations of information allegedly derived from United States Government records. I understand that the United States Government has recently devoted substantial resources to examination of these records over many months.

Subject to the general objective of ensuring maximum disclosure of information in the public interest, WikiLeaks would be grateful for the United States Government to privately nominate any specific instances (record numbers or names) where it considers the publication of information would put individual persons at significant risk of harm that has not already been addressed.

WikiLeaks will respect the confidentiality of advice provided by the United States Government and is prepared to consider any such submissions made without delay.

Yours sincerely,
Julian Assange


He did not want to get anyone killed, he just wanted to expose the truth.

Lastly, here is a quote from agent Monica Reyes from the X-Files' last episode; The truth, which fits the situation perfectly in my opinion:

"What is the point of all of this? To destroy a man who seeks the truth or to destroy the truth so no man can seek it? Either way, you lose."

[Sophus]

A rival to WikiLeaks, called OpenLeaks, will be launching soon. The only real difference between them will be that OpenLeaks will not post documents on their website for all to read. They will only be the middle man for passing info to other media sources.

Do you think this is a better approach than WikiLeaks? I think it may certainly be less controversial since nobody can claim about "sensitive" details being released.

[The Magic Pudding]

It seems to me he could be, at most, prosecuted for receiving stolen property.

Sarah Palin was earlier calling for him to be pursued "like al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders."

Given that we pursue them with Predator drones firing Hellfire missiles, it makes me wonder if she knows how we chase them.  Or if she wants him taken out.

If it's now open season on anyone who embarrasses the US, well then it's time for Sarah to find herself a good hiding place.