Assange: hero?

[Jeneral2885]

I don't think he is. You want to expose the dirty secrets of countries (he does do the work all he does is upload what is given to him) but you don't dare face the consequences? I can think of tons of more individuals who deserve the human rights attention and asylum than him.

[orpupilofnature57]

1. He's a courageous ,accused , informative man.

Ever read Ibsen's ' An enemy of the people ' ? Same guy .

[Jeneral2885]

2. He's als hypocrtical

He loves to release dirty information bt won't answer about so-called dirt info about him.

Wikileaks fallout: I didn't see any government collapse in the US or revolution

Rape charges fallout: If he's innocent, why run?

If he's guility, he can plead.

So there's a "littl consequences" on both sides.

He's cowardly hiding while promoting whistle blowing.

[TomClash]

3. Perhaps Supermax isn't for him

The "consequences" may be lethal, or worse.

[LeftishBrit]

4. Don't know about 'hero' but he is certainly being used as a scapegoat

The point as far as I'm concerned is not whether he's a hero, but whether the UK should be doing the USA's dirty work in bringing down someone who has badly embarrassed them.

[1monster]

5. Suggest you watch the video on posted in videos...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/101749910

Those dirty secrets you are so worried about are being done in our names. As such, we had a right to those dirty secrets. Why should the law breaking by our governments be off limits? Face the consequences? The bully has been exposed, so the person/organization who exposed the bully must be punished by the bully?

Sigh. No wonder we have a problem in the schools with bullies.

[Jeneral2885]

10. It's all about bravery

If you expose the bully why run away from it?

[T_i_B]

6. He should go to Sweden and answer the charges against him

For Assange to fail to mention the fact the rape allegations against him while making that speech yesterday was as glaring an omission as it is possible to get.

Also, many of his supporters really do remind me of some of the worse Sheffield united supporters following the Ched Evans case.

http://www.sabotagetimes.com/football-sport/the-ched-evans-twitter-rape-apologists-are-a-disgrace-to-humanity/

http://klamberg.blogspot.se/2012/08/extradition-of-assange-to-us-via-sweden.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/owen-jones-there-should-be-no-immunity-for-julian-assange-from-these-allegations-8053869.html

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. I agree he should go back to Sweden and go through the process

Whether it would produce a conviction, I don't know - since it's his word against each woman's, quite possibly not. But I don't think the accusations were made up just to get him extradited to the USA, since he was already in Sweden when it started, and they could have gone straight to the US extradition if that was their wish (or done it straight from the UK, which has our very lax standard of extradition to the USA). It's possible that the USA has now decided to try to extradite him, but that shouldn't stop what had been the course of the Swedish justice system.

I've been pointing out on DU that part of the accusation is actual rape (when she was asleep), and not just 'a split condom', but he has some supported here who'll hear nothing against him.

[T_i_B]

13. I've tended to avoid the Assange discussions on here

However, one reoccuring theme on my Twitterfeed is people I follow complaining about Assange supporters blind support for the man, in spite of the fact that he has a serious case to answer in Sweden.

Like I said, it's all too reminicent of the Ched Evans case. It's sad to see people take the mentality of "he may be a rapist, but at least he's OUR rapist".

[Jeneral2885]

15. I don't know who is Ched Evans

But to keep the belief that he is a victim of a witch hunt is just as blind as following pop idols. Not sure what his followers would get out of it anyway--are they all what Wikileaks is trying to prove? Again, Assange is jut a middle man asking everyone to expose secrets not the whistle blower. And I doubt his claim he's doin it for justice. What justice?

[T_i_B]

16. Sheffield U****d footballer convicted of rape in April

He was their star striker, and his conviction caused the Blunt's season to go down the pan, missing out on automatic promotion to their hated rivals Sheffield Wednesday, and then losing the playoff final to Huddersfield.

The behavior of many of Assange's supporters is very similar to the behavior of the very worst part's of Sheffield U****d's support in the wake of Ched Evan's rape conviction. The same misogyny and blind belief that he must be innocent on the sole basis that he's "one of us".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-17781842
http://www.sabotagetimes.com/football-sport/the-ched-evans-twitter-rape-apologists-are-a-disgrace-to-humanity/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-17868033

On a side note, I am I the only one here who finds it odd that many of the people on DU attacking Todd Akin are also defending Julian Assange? Rape is rape.

[muriel_volestrangler]

17. The connection of Galloway and Akin was noted in a London Review of Books blog

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/11398618 - no-one has replied. And I've seen your Newsthump thread

[LeftishBrit]

18. Never liked or trusted Galloway...

of course, if the mainstream Labour Party had not moved to the economic right or collaborated with Bush's warmongering, Galloway wouldn't have got anywhere very much. But I think he's just as synthetic and fundamentally right-wing as Blair, just in a somewhat different way and without the same power.

As regards Assange: I think that there are two issues to be kept separate: should he face trial for rape/sexual assault in Sweden, and should be face trial for 'spilling the beans' in America? I say Yes to the first, and No to the second. Just because someone is subject to a vendetta by certain people, does not necessarily mean that they are a nice person, automatically innocent of all crimes, or subject to a 'get out of jail free' card for anything that may come up. On the whole, I trust the Swedish criminal justice system, but I don't trust the American one under circumstances of this nature, and I don't think he should be subjected to it. On the other hand, we should not act like left-wing versions of Todd Akin with regard to the rape accusations.

[LeftishBrit]

11. I agree but there should be a clear agreement that he won't be sent to the USA

[Jeneral2885]

7. Lucky guy

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/1221120/1/.html

Bloody hell even proper human rights defenders dont get this

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. George Galloway attacked over Assange 'rape' comments

George Galloway has been criticised by anti-rape campaigners after suggesting Julian Assange was accused of nothing more than "bad sexual etiquette".

Mr Assange is wanted in Sweden to face allegations - which he denies - of sexual assault made by two women.

The Respect MP said the women's claims were "totally unproven" and the Wikileaks founder had been "set up".

Rape charity Crisis said Mr Galloway's comments were "offensive" and "deeply concerning".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19323783

Funny, I was just thinking a couple of days ago that Galloway had been very quiet since getting elected. Now he says one of the women "woke up to him having sex with her again - something which can happen, you know".

[dipsydoodle]

14. I don't think he's been "set up"

Last edited Tue Aug 21, 2012, 06:54 AM - Edit history (1)

but the fact remains their is an oddity here. He's wanted for questioning in connection with......... We both know that if Scotland Yard wanted to interview someone abroad they'd simply go there by sending policemen or policewomen. As such its odd that the Swedes didn't simply do the same.

On the subject of Galloway being quiet - did you seriously expect otherwise ?

[dipsydoodle]

12. The Mail pointed out something really funny today