Julian Assange says victorious Obama ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’
Source: AFP
LONDON: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Wednesday described re-elected President Barack Obama was a "wolf in sheep's clothing" and said he expected the US government to keep attacking the anti-secrecy website.
Speaking to AFP by telephone from Ecuador's London embassy, where he sought asylum in June in a bid to avoid extradition to Sweden over sex crime allegations, Assange said Obama's victory was no cause for celebration.
"Obama seems to be a nice man, and that is precisely the problem," the 41-year-old Australian told AFP, after the president defeated Republican Mitt Romney on Tuesday night to sweep back into the White House. "It's better to have a sheep in wolf's clothing than a wolf in sheep's clothing."
Assange complained of the "persecution" of WikiLeaks by Obama's government. He added: "All of the activities against WikiLeaks by the United States have occurred under an Obama administration.
Read more: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/julian-assange-says-victorious-barack-obama-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing/articleshow/17134972.cms
Activist News - http://activistnews.org/
Tarheel_Dem
(31,211 posts)Response to Tarheel_Dem (Reply #1)
Post removed
leftynyc
(26,060 posts)that Assange is still an attention whore who apparently believes his own hype.
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)MrMickeysMom
(20,453 posts)The eternal vigilance of government got lost on you this time.
Don't develop the short memory we here accuse others of having. What happened under secrecy and how people who whistle blew about it were tortured was no "15 minutes of fame" !
No shrugs, here, Tarheel_Dem... Just...
Festivito
(13,452 posts)bvar22
(39,909 posts)..I will care about The Whistle Blowers.
There ARE people who believe that
WE do NOT have the right to know
what OUR government is doing
with OUR money
in OUR name.
I am not one of those people.
You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their rhetoric, promises, or excuses.
[font size=5 color=green]Solidarity99![/font][font size=2 color=green]
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Hydra
(14,459 posts)Truth being sacrificed for a "win."
What did we "win," I wonder?
He talks as usual as if the number one reason we voted in our election was to find out what he thinks of our choice!
DRoseDARs
(6,810 posts)Either Wikileaks is about "keeping them honest" or it's all about the Julian Assange Show.
Chunk
(91 posts)On Edit: ;P maybe he should have kept the sheepskin on? jus sayin
treestar
(82,383 posts)I can see it becoming a "fact" with some down the line.
azurnoir
(45,850 posts)oh well he got his name in print -again, it seems that's what matters-to him
pnwmom
(108,925 posts)though they had information they could have released in the last year or more of the Bush years.
SleeplessinSoCal
(8,998 posts)sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)were committed by the Bush administration. I really wish if people are going to comment on these events, they would at least take the trouble to do just a minimum of research.
Most of the leaks by Wikeleaks were from during and before the Bush years. But then Obama announced he was not going to go after the War Criminals. And instead went after the messengers.
Facts are inconvenient I know, but we are not Free Republic here. Jump to the defense of our team no matter what the facts are? Are we really going down that road that we so criticized Bush supporters for. The fact is that millions of people were disappointed to say the least, when Obama announced they were going ignore the crimes of the Bush administration.
The Democrats were absolutely wrong to let the Bush war criminals off the hook, and even more wrong to go after those, like Wikileaks, who revealed many of their crimes.
freedom fighter jh
(1,782 posts)duhneece
(4,105 posts)Revealing war crimes makes a person a hero in my books, which Assange is.
I love my President, fought hard to elect him...again. But I think he was too generous to the financial industry and was too hard on the issue of marijuana leglaization and the entire war on drugs.
bread_and_roses
(6,335 posts)Festivito
(13,452 posts)bvar22
(39,909 posts)I stand with you.
cemaphonic
(4,138 posts)I bet it just burns him up that the media has been so focused on Sandy and the election that no one on the internet has been arguing about his fate for three whole weeks.
Oh, and I bet he's pissed that Nate Silver stole his Internet Nerd King crown.
still_one
(91,965 posts)JohnnyRingo
(18,581 posts)If only the perfect liberal with an encompassing world view had won the election.
What... He wasn't running? Well, I guess we can settle.
Blandocyte
(1,231 posts)I dismiss the opinions of Julian and Aunt Emma.
truthisfreedom
(23,113 posts)If you're right.
Cha
(295,926 posts)sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)join the anti-free press brigade, never address the facts revealed. And that is because they cannot. So far not one anti-free press diatribe has claimed that what was published, not just by Wikileaks, but by the major media outlets who worked with them, about the Bush war crimes eg, was not the truth. So they attack the messenger, hoping the world will be distracted from the message. That, so far, has not worked.
pnwmom
(108,925 posts)Cha
(295,926 posts)DCKit
(18,541 posts)NYC Liberal
(20,132 posts)Cha
(295,926 posts)Sheep's clothing.
Drunken Irishman
(34,857 posts)Jeneral2885
(1,354 posts)When Reagan and Thatcher was elected? Or the lies about Vietnam was spread? Or the human rights violations in the 1970s?
On the flip side, would Assange please also attack fake elections in authoritarian states first?
jerseyjack
(1,361 posts)1monster
(11,012 posts)eggplant
(3,893 posts)Jeneral2885
(1,354 posts)he's only angry at the President for one factor which the average American voter would hardly have considered
JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)And that factor would be what? That the US state has declared him an enemy for his journalistic activities and won't assure he won't be extradited/renditioned to the US over bullshit espionage charges, complete with threats of solitary and a life sentence? Hmmmmmmm....
Yeah, you're right the average American voter knows nothing about this. For evidence, see even the ignorance of the non-average voters on this thread.
treestar
(82,383 posts)All he did was dump out a shitload of information. It had no effect, and that's why he had to partner with real journalists to go through it and find out what was in it that might affect the public.
JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)Congrats.
And what did this guy do against Hitler, I'd like to know!
Damn him!
Jeneral2885
(1,354 posts)for ultimate lack of decorum. By almeans, travel to London (if you like so many Americans do nt know where that is) and help free Assange
jerseyjack
(1,361 posts)he hasn't always operated in our best interests.
Willingness to give up entitlements in exchange for small increases in the tax codes that the Republicans rejected.
FISA is still running.
Carnivore is still tapping your phones.
Holder --- useless as my left nut.
Anyone remember a guy named Geithner? Not just useless. Harmful.
Kumbricia
(84 posts)I have no problem with what he's saying. He's correct. The U.S. military presence across the world, the Obama administration prosecuted whistleblowers like Bradley Manning, Obama has a kill list and has assassinated American citizens without trial, used drones to bomb innocent civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan. No one, especially on sites like DU that should believe in government transparency and peace instead of war, should lose sight of that. I believe almost any Republican administration would be worse, especially Romney, and Obama is 10 times better on domestic issues but Assange is right that Obama is a wolf in sheep's clothing if smart people give him a pass on inexcusable activities that we justly condemned the Bush administration for
djean111
(14,255 posts)Assange's opinion on Obama is not really relevant, though.
For me, it was kind of choice between a wolf in sheep's clothing or a wolf proud to be on steroids.
Quantess
(27,630 posts)This was not something to discuss right before an election, but, the election's over.
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)The authoritarian propaganda is thick whenever a thread like this comes up, but it's important to keep in mind that this is a very important issue for the government.
The personal smearing, rewriting of history, and attempts to spin public opinion will be thick and relentless on any story like this that threatens to open more eyes to the collusion between government and the one percent, and especially the use of government power to persecute and punish those who dare expose the collusion.
Jeneral2885
(1,354 posts)is clean with no blood on his hands. And Assange isnot someone new. That all said, what is his views compared to the American voter? And if Romney had won, would Romney force the UK to release Assange?
jerseyjack
(1,361 posts)Obama won in '08. He had a following unlike any president since FDR. What did he do with his "army" of followers? NOTHING !
No effort was made to motivate support for his agendas. No requests to write letters in support of health care or reaction againstthe Ryan budget. Nothing.
That is why the younger supporters were not as enthusiastic for his 2nd term.
He ignored his base.
We need to keep on him. Not just be happy he will be around for another 4 years.
1monster
(11,012 posts)that worry me. The Wikileaks, Bradley Manning, Julian Assange case is just one of the problems. Others are the attacks on privacy that, while not started by the Obama Administration have certainly escalated under him. Civil rights do not seem to be Obama's strong point.
And the whole killer drone program bothers me a lot both in lack of due process and as assaults on other countries' sovereignty. (I'm not saying that some of those countries are not also working against us, complicity or involuntarily, but I expect the US should be better than them.)
Did I vote for Obama? You can bet your bippy (whatever a bippy is) I did. I don't think that Romney would be any better and would probably be much worse on these issues.
Whoever won on Tuesday would not have been good news for Assange, and I don't blame him for being bitter. The man was doing a service for the PEOPLE of the world, including us. He should not be so persecuted.
Puzzledtraveller
(5,937 posts)Love Obama the man, not so much for what he continues to do and has escalated as POTUS. Reluctantly got my vote.
randome
(34,845 posts)msanthrope
(37,549 posts)Jeneral2885
(1,354 posts)divulge all of Trump's dirty secrets on Wikileaks )
Liberal_Stalwart71
(20,450 posts)dembotoz
(16,739 posts)and in some ways very much not perfect at all
better than romney and the republicans???? hell yes
but not exactly the lefty dream candidate
RobinA
(9,878 posts)according to the DU rules, those of us who had questions for Obama were supposed to STFU until after the election, at which time we were supposed to "hold his feet to the fire." Well, the election is over.
AntiFascist
(12,792 posts)I would still give Obama the benefit of the doubt and I would hope that Assange is making these comments so that Obama can prove him wrong. We'll see if any actions are made toward Assange's prosecution by the US...
randome
(34,845 posts)Comrade_McKenzie
(2,526 posts)Have fun in your comfortable embassy room.
SidDithers
(44,228 posts)Sid
Javaman
(62,442 posts)he made an odd comment a few weeks before the election regarding how the candidates exploit something to their own benefit. It seems to me that Mr. Assange has zero clue about American politics.
Now with this latest statement, he's not helping himself at all.
I think he would be better served by releasing some of those "secret" files he has instead of dangling them over everyones head as his "fail safe".
I'm beginning to think he might be full of shit.
Festivito
(13,452 posts)This link says it points to AFP, it doesn't. It points to an economic section of indiatimes.
AFP does not have this story online despite being listed as the originator.
Lots of trolls at work today.
snooper2
(30,151 posts)Doing some windows (the inside only of course ), maybe the spider webs high up in the closets?
Something to earn his keep?
bemildred
(90,061 posts)Wernothelpless
(410 posts)It wouldn't matter who's in the WH ... Bill Clinton, Hillary, or BO ...
Nelson Mandela is my hero because he chose unity over division ... Assange has this incredible power handed to him and he chooses to play the role of victim instead of activist ... Bradley Manning deserves better from Assange ... as do we all ...
wildbilln864
(13,382 posts)Pachamama
(16,875 posts)....you truly have lost your mind and have no credibility.
I actually was a supporter of Wikileaks and what you claimed to be doing and the grounds for doing it. I even thout you were being unfairly attacked and charged In Sweden. obama is not perfect and there are policies his administration have followed that I dont agree with (Guantanomo, Drones etc) but I think your suggestion that Romney was a sheep in Wolf's clothing and Obama is the inverse, is simply perverse.
You are proving to me that you are a narcissist, attention seeking media whore who could compete with Trump for the top spot. I guess living in the Equadorian embassy and not having the media camera on you has made you crazy and craving attention.
Well, you got my attention - and comments like this tell me to ignore you....completely. This is really sad Julian....because if your goal was to do good, to have supporters, then you are doing precisely the thing to destroy any support or ability to do good. You lost all credibility in this statement of yours and any future support from me.
Glad to see that we're so happy with our President that it doesn't matter that he covered up Bush's war and financial crimes and tortured Bradley Manning for trying to get the truth to us.
And people seriously ask the question about how good people accept and even cheer for evil...they could just look around and have an answer.
treestar
(82,383 posts)Is as delusional as any freeper thinking Mitt was going to win the election. Talk about creating one's own reality.
Hydra
(14,459 posts)After committing war crimes and ordering people tortured?
The President said that we needed to "move forward" from that.
Why should we even bother pretending to be a legitimate lawful power at that point?
treestar
(82,383 posts)Is as delusional as saying he's a Muslim, born in Kenya, etc.
I think people are throwing the term "war crimes" around like it's easy to prove. Then why haven't international bodies intervened? That's what happens where there are war crimes committed. You don't expect the country involved to prosecute them itself.
And we can be at a war and disagree with being in that war and that's enough. We don't have to establish "war crimes" in order to be against that war.
You don't understand rule of law, do you?
Oh, and just to address your other comment:
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2010/12/wikileaks-cable-obama-quashed-torture-investigation
Funny that Assange helped bring that to light, huh? I'd guess you'd prefer we turn a blind eye to the precedent we tried to establish at Nuremberg.
A crime is a crime. Some crimes are so egregious that they extend beyond borders. If you'd like us to "move on," by all means- drive us straight to hell.
treestar
(82,383 posts)Quit throwing that term and laughing at those who make you stand by your assertions. It's like claiming Obama is a Muslim and citing some right wing site to prove it.
Name the crime. See that statutes of the Hague and tell us what the crimes are and where the proof is. It's irresponsible to simply assert someone is guilty of a crime and then expect everyone in the world to go along with it.
These things are not so easy to prove, certainly not so easy as simply publishing an unculled huge number of classified documents.
MattSh
(3,714 posts)First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, and then you win. - Mahatma Gandhi
The government is already at step #3, but it looks like DU is still stuck at #2.
Sadly, I'm not sure #4 is anywhere on the horizon.
The truth always wins. It's usually an ugly process to get there though, and sometimes a LOT of people die in the process.
davidn3600
(6,342 posts)Americans should always question their government. I don't give a shit what party is in power. You keep the government honest and transparent by asking questions and being critical. This is a country by the people, of the people, for the people. It's our duty to ask questions.
America comes before the Democratic party. If Obama is covering up a lie or breaking the law, he should be called out on it. Just because he's a Democrat doesn't mean he should be immune from criticism. And just because you criticize him doesnt mean you are a Republican.
People here are just as bad as Republicans with this "if you are not with us, you are against us" bullshit. That's not the way politics is supposed to work in this country.
burnsei sensei
(1,820 posts)If the Rom/Ry had been elected, this persecution of your organization would be much, much worse.
That said, I really hope Wikileaks is the wave of the future. Governments that engage in and depend too much on secrecy, I think, get corrupted by power. They should have their secrets exposed.
I don't think secrets bring down very much. Even Watergate did not destroy our government.
I'm also waiting for Wikileaks to take on China. Or how about Russia, Saudi Arabia or Israel?
Those are the people who are depending on secrets.
randome
(34,845 posts)Compared to those other governments you mention, we are a much more open society.
That doesn't mean we are perfect or that we don't have secrets that should be revealed.
But the reason Assange seems obsessed with us is because it was easy to steal from us.