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freshwest

(53,661 posts)
28. I don't want him to be a political prisoner, don't know what really happened with the women.
Mon Feb 18, 2013, 02:30 PM
Feb 2013

The newspaper stories that have been posted here are often are so biased, one way or the other, that it's hard to find what is credible, although this thread had some that weren't. Lots of loaded statements of support or disdain from many viewpoints.

There were posts on why Wikileaks got in trouble with VISA and MasterCard. It wasn't the government, but the fear of those companies of being sued and once again, not by the government. It was based on what appeared to be a pattern of manipulating banking share prices for hostile takeovers with bad news stories. Remember a few years ago when Anon claimed they were going to release the records of Bank of America and going to bring down the whole mess?

Nothing ever came out of all of that but a sense of outrage and the faith that Wikileaks and Anonymous were going to come and save the day for everyone. That still hasn't happened and I wonder if it was a diversion to keep people's minds off the real power brokers who elected the Tea Party to do real damage to millions of people.

The Belarus angle in one of the posts on this thread from AlJezeera was startling in the games being played behind the scenes in Ecuador. Those who said that Correa's hands were not clean, were howled at for being anti-Assange. At the same time, Correa was being hailed as a defender of the free press or whatever from the evil UK/American global cabal. He looks like another corporate stooge and not a friend of the oppressed at all.

In all of these stories, I've considered how different the lives of the players in this saga are from ordinary people. And just where the kind of money that has passed between hands here came from and where it is going. Wikileaks was attacked by Anonymous as profiting off the work of their hackers who were serving prison time. It is my belief that Manning was used - but others claim he was not or that he was mentally off.

The amount of money Wikileaks gave to Manning's defense fund was very tiny in comparison to the millions they were taking in through donations for their stated causes. The film that spawned a great deal of Wikileaks fame which you can purchase or see for free on youtube, came from what Manning provided to them for free and at the loss of his own liberty. There was more bewailing of the not-so tortorous treatment of Julian in the embassy after he jumped bail in the UK than about Brandley.

I was happy at the debut of Wikileaks and many other things I'd seen on the internet regarding social change. I met or listened personally to Daniel Ellsberg, Mike Gravel and John Kerry. All during the time they were in the course of their anti-war actions and they were punished in various ways, including arrests in street actions. I respected the VVAW and other groups of the day on social justice, the environment, women, gay and labor rights, and anti-war actions. I worked in and traveled the country with them.

If we were being manipulated back then, honestly, I don't know. But the way the media has been for so long and having learned so much more, I am skeptical of everything but the desire to live freely.

Julian Assange: Senate my ticket to freedom [View all] struggle4progress Feb 2013 OP
He's out of his fuckin' mind....he and Jemima Kahn have parted ways, msanthrope Feb 2013 #1
But he is a citizen there, isn't he, even if he's been abroad? Maybe he'll vote this year. freshwest Feb 2013 #3
Sure--now that he can vote for himself! Is that a recent pic of him? nt msanthrope Feb 2013 #6
From the Guardian link - I think that's his latest announcement. freshwest Feb 2013 #10
I don't think there's a kitchen there--it's really more of a flat. nt msanthrope Feb 2013 #11
I thought their ambassadors lived there? His quarters may be small, but others live there, too. freshwest Feb 2013 #13
No--I don't think it's a residence. It's a flat within a larger building that houses msanthrope Feb 2013 #15
So he's just been sort of camping out in an office? Still, he's heavier than before. freshwest Feb 2013 #17
just about the best neighborhood in the city and a hop and skip cali Feb 2013 #20
It is an office in an apartment building. No one lives there except JA. MADem Feb 2013 #27
But nonetheless, it afforded him 'diplomatic immunity' somehow. I admit, I know nothing of the area. freshwest Feb 2013 #30
An Embassy is all about the law of the land, not a location. MADem Feb 2013 #33
You have the advantage of me. I have several people who live in the UK who have begged me to visit. freshwest Feb 2013 #35
He's probably microwaving shit he gets delivered from Harrod's and elsewhere. MADem Feb 2013 #29
But in some videos he's speaking from the balcony of the building. So he has a room with a view... freshwest Feb 2013 #31
That is the balcony off the main living room. He is living in a room at the back, described MADem Feb 2013 #36
Under modern international law, embassy space is still considered territory of the host country, struggle4progress Feb 2013 #37
That British law isn't terribly popular outside UK, but it is on the books! MADem Feb 2013 #42
Perhaps you responded in the wrong place? Or perhaps you misunderstood my post? struggle4progress Feb 2013 #46
The bottom line, though, is that embassies are treated as "immune" or however you want to put it, MADem Feb 2013 #47
Yes, embassy grounds are, in effect, immune from enforcement of host country laws, by long tradition struggle4progress Feb 2013 #49
The framing of all these stories has been an eye opener for me - the motives and manipulation. freshwest Feb 2013 #38
Her death resonated with many, and re-ignited the "girls can't do that" debate WRT to policing. MADem Feb 2013 #40
But the death of Qadaffi was billed as a vicious plot by Obama... freshwest Feb 2013 #41
There were hard feelings about that, and also the fact that MADem Feb 2013 #45
From that first link, where you sit certainly does decide where you stand! freshwest Feb 2013 #52
I been to Harrods riverbendviewgal Feb 2013 #51
excellent, objective article. grantcart Feb 2013 #7
Thanks--check out the AlJazeera one in post #8...an eye opener. nt msanthrope Feb 2013 #9
It is well written and goes into a lot of details. Lots of facts I hadn't heard, too. freshwest Feb 2013 #12
Israel Shamir was the source of the CIA/honeytrap rumour--- msanthrope Feb 2013 #14
I wonder where he came up with that story? Seems so - IDK - theatrical. freshwest Feb 2013 #18
Connecting the dots KarenRei Feb 2013 #50
I think you've hit the nail on the head. nt MADem Feb 2013 #26
Looks like a win-win to me! Onto the Future for our intrepid internet pirate. freshwest Feb 2013 #2
Correa just won re-election, so Assange isn't needed anymore. Could get msanthrope Feb 2013 #4
You think that's why he supported Assange? He can't dump him now, though. freshwest Feb 2013 #5
Part of the reason--the Wikileaks/Ecuador/Belarus fracas is pretty complex-- msanthrope Feb 2013 #8
ZOMG. Lukashenko has a bad reputation, now look at Correa. *Not nice people.* freshwest Feb 2013 #16
Bravo for whistleblower senators. We could use a few in our congress. Tierra_y_Libertad Feb 2013 #19
"Vote for me! If I win, might be able to avoid trial for sexual assault!" Nye Bevan Feb 2013 #21
I don't like this at all. Arcanetrance Feb 2013 #22
But their belief is strong because of history. In msanthrope's post above: freshwest Feb 2013 #24
That is very interesting and informative. Arcanetrance Feb 2013 #25
I don't want him to be a political prisoner, don't know what really happened with the women. freshwest Feb 2013 #28
One article I read treestar Feb 2013 #39
True. But it made millions for Wikileaks. One thread spoke of many millions per month. freshwest Feb 2013 #43
Now THAT'S convenient treestar Feb 2013 #23
You're neglecting the charges of double-secret charges... freshwest Feb 2013 #32
... SidDithers Feb 2013 #34
IMO, this is about money... SidDithers Feb 2013 #44
There's not much "they" left--a lot of his former acolytes have seen the light and left the cult. MADem Feb 2013 #48
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