I am tired of being labelled a hero worshiper

[Swagman]

why do those who question the events surrounding the Julian Assange affair have to be labelled as 'hero worshipers'?

why do people believe we are so shallow that we do not have serious concerns about the whole affair but rather are portrayed as being fixated by the personality of this man?

have we not had 10 years of appalling media manipulation in which the peoples of several countries have been blatantly lied to in order that war can be waged on innocents who have never harmed us, in which tens of thousands of men , women and children have been decimated or blown to dust and those who killed them without a thought, have remained free to prosper ?

Is this alone not enough reason for many of us to question every god damned thing that any government may do in our names?

isn't the one thing we should have learnt from recent history is that we should question each and every event?

or are we continually to be insulted as being in the thrall of a 'narcissist egotist' ?

[Nostradammit]

1. I hope you take heart in knowing that there are no progressive democrats labelling you as such

It's possible there are people masquerading as progressive democrats that are saying such things, but they shall soon be silenced on the issue.

[Posteritatis]

6. Plenty of progressive democrats here accuse many people of hero worship

The term's pretty much synonymous with "is at all okay with someone I at all dislike," given the way it's thrown around.

[Nostradammit]

8. I was speaking specifically of the Assange case with the OP.

[Scootaloo]

11. Bullshit, it's the "progressive democrats" who are launching it

Just as it has always been the "progressive democrats" tearing down anyone who supports Obama, using the EXACT SAME RHETORIC.

[Nostradammit]

12. "progressive democrats"

The quotation marks are the key here.

And it's entirely possible to support Wikileaks and also be discouraged with Obama.

[Warpy]

2. Yes, it's beyond insulting.

It's a risky business, embarrassing powerful bureaucrats. That alone should have people questioning why he was charged with a "crime" that is so rarely prosecuted in Sweden and why the international community is putting on so much pressure to get him extradited, tried and convicted there.

Hero worship has nothing to do with it. In fact, I find him rather an odd duck if a very brave one. I just know there are serious questions about the prosecution of this "crime."

[snot]

3. Don't let them bring you down.

I've noticed that on the Assange threads, there are often lots of recs, and then just 2 to 4 DU'er's with LOTS of reply posts trying to attack him. They are a very vocal and determined minority.

I caution you against investing too much of your time and energy in engaging with that minority. I try to just refer to good sources for the facts, and then move on.

It's a hard balancing act – you can't totally cede the field to them, or others might be disproportionately influenced by them. But your enemy can defeat you merely by causing you to waste your time.

We all realize that Assange is imperfect; but I believe the majority of DU'er's who are paying attention recognize the big picture: that he has done tremendous good on this planet, and hope to see him free to continue his work.

[sabrina 1]

5. Good advice. All over the internet on every video and article about Assange

the comments are overwhelmingly in support of him and a majority believes the Swedish 'case' is nothing more than a way to try to shut down Wikileaks. All the negative stuff has had little effect. The world is a different place than it used to be when people depended on the MSM for their 'facts'. I am really impressed at how much people know about this case.

But you are correct, allowing the few to suck up energy is a waste of time. This country is in a bad way, and from the reaction around the world, we are becoming a pariah, and no one seems to care enough about the COUNTRY to try to do something about that.

Assange gave very good advice to the US today. I do notice also all the good people, like Naomi Wolf and Ellsberg, Noam Chomsky, John Pilger and so many more support him and his idea. I doubt the negative commenters have a clue what Wikileaks is all about. It really is a brilliant idea and totally geared towards changing the world for the better. That is why it has received so many awards in its short history.

[snot]

21. What a wonderful reply!

[msongs]

4. has he ordered the murder of anyone by way of drones ? nt

[Zorra]

7. +1

[ErikJ]

9. Legitimate whistleblowers must be supported and encouraged!

[freshwest]

10. This story has a lot of things that go beyond Assange. Ellsberg supports him and he's no lightweight

To be able to work with a government, you have to know what is going on and there are going to conflicts. The tone of some of the threads in referencing others is not productive.

[Le Taz Hot]

13. Count yourself lucky

that that's all you've been called. My personal favorite was when a well-known DUer called me a "jack boot." There's more equally bad but the point is, it's their way of trying to shut down the debate. Basically, they're showing you they have no other argument so they're reduced to ad hominum attacks.

[pinboy3niner]

15. 'Fanboy' is a term that has been used--here--more than once

But terms like that say more about the accuser than the accused.

[sendero]

14. Nobody has called me that yet.

... but if they do they will get an earful.

Anything that compromises the government's ability to do their often dirty deeds in secret is all right by me.

[KurtNYC]

16. Name calling and sarcasm are frequent here from those who can't make their own case

and those who have no real argument to advance.

[just1voice]

17. 2 points: 1) it's more like 100 years of appalling media manipulation

and 2) DU is swarming with the very same appalling propagandists combined with those whom can't tell the difference between rational thinking and knee-jerk, emotional programmed responses to propaganda.

You make an excellent point but, sadly, most people here and all over our propagandized country can't even understand your point, they think news is real if it's being gossiped about on facebook or twitter.

[lunatica]

18. I'm all for what Assange has done in releasing information

I believe in knowing the truth and the facts. So I don't think you're a hero worshipper. And I wouldn't call you one ever.

[NCTraveler]

19. Assange is a power player.

Don't think he isn't. So add him to your list of those in need of questioning.

[AtomicKitten]

20. I'm guessing Obama supporters are tired of being called hero worshipers too.

Insert similar argument.