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In reply to the discussion: Julian Assange bids to sue Julia Gillard for defamation over WikiLeaks comments [View all]freshwest
(53,661 posts)But I don't think they are here at DU, unless they are offended by what they see as a threat to... something nebulous.
There are no secrets to be ferreted out of Assange being tortured, etc. It's public knowledge what was done, how it was done, and who did it in regards to the diplomatic cables. They've been released. The world did not come to an end, it's pretty much business as usual. Only Ecaudor severed relations, none of the other countries did. So it didn't change the status quo. Did anyone die from these leaks?
Personifying or anthromorphing governments is pointless. The USA either does or doesn't have enough to charge Assange with Espionage right now. If they did, they could work a deal with the UK to get him, and crush Wikileaks, although it's already served its purpose. It exposed things, it has nothing more to do for the world.
This has been reduced from what was supposed to be a liberating stream of information to enlighten all of mankind and bring down corruption, to just one person. Mankind's fate does not depend on just one person, it depends on individuals working together. Now we see even governments are not working to resolve this matter, they don't care.
I am not anti-Assange. I don't believe he has with Wikileaks commited a crime against any nation. We once again have a President like Clinton, who did not think war was the first response, but police action, sanctions and diplomacy. While Correa did expell American diplomats because of some cables that revealed the USA was not acting in good faith with Ecaudor, supposedly, we did not declare war on them or they with us. Expelling diplomats over failed negotiations are everyday occurences and the right of any nation.
It appears that this may the EU's legal authority flexing its muscles again and they seem very determined to do so. The head of Sea Shepherd fled his bail hearing after he'd been arrested off the coast of Latin America for what the Japanese saw as a crime against their soveriegnty by Sea Shepherd an taken to Germany. The operators of the Pirate Bay were recently arrested in Cambodia for charges by the Swedish government based on international agreements on copyright law. I can see why some think the USA is the invisible hand in all of this. But there's no good reason.
When people start claiming that the offense to the USA is that the government of this country is 'embarrassed,' I can't see that. And that is exactly the reason for all this concern, that the USA will act to protect its 'reputation' by going after Assange.
Really? What reputation, and with who? Is this nation ashamed of the number of nukes it owns? The number of battleships, planes, drones, tanks or the number of people killed in Iraq?
I don't think so, and to act like it has feelings is just blaming it for what we have allowed this nation to become. The world sees little difference between Americans and our government and what it does.
This government is not ashamed of itself very often. It should be, but it is not. This is not a matter of hurt feelings or ego like a king might act up over.
It's about a huge amount of money and corruption and human rights violations in prosecuting a war that should have never begun. That is the minority view, apparently many don't agree with me. But the part of Assange or Wikileaks has been played in this drama and it is over. Nothing would change materially from Assange being in custody as a guest of the USA.
I feel bad for Assange. He may be a jerk, may be a rapist, but I feel a lot worse for the young man with less experience and no support system, Bradley Manning. I feel that he was used by Assange to become famous or to make a better world, take your pick. Nothing Assange can do will change the world. He already played his part on the world stage. Manning is the one really suffering, JMHO.