General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I don't know what the fuck to believe anymore about the Assange case. [View all]NashvilleLefty
(811 posts)this issue is a lot more complicated than many here try to paint it. Indeed, more so that Assange himself has tried to paint it.
One thing that everyone should realize - many of the people that we consider "heroes" are only human and may be assholes in person. I learned that lesson in college.
As far as Wikileaks is concerned, much of the actual work was done by Assange's associates and not by Assange himself. Further, although Assange portrayed himself as a "journalist" he was not. The Wikileaks posts were simply posted without context or analysis. A true whistleblower supplies context first, and uses leaked evidence to support that context.
OTOH, it could be argued that Wikileaks simply posted the evidence and allowed the viewer to draw their own conclusions and context. But even so, without context we are not getting the whole story. Even so, reports are that Assange frequently disagreed with his own staff.
BUT, regardless of his work that may or may not be considered heroic, the rape charges should be considered separately. And, his reaction to them is very telling.
If you are familiar with the charges, the very idea that he was "setup" is ridiculous. As many here have pointed out, the 2 women involved did not want him charged with rape. If either or both were CIA plants, they would have insisted on it. Instead they wanted him checked for HIV and presented circumstances that the vast majority of DUers have characterized as rape when presented as a hypothetical.
Assange then sought asylum to avoid facing these charges by claiming that he was being "set-up" in order to be extradited to the US. He sought guarantees from the Swedish government not to be extradited to the US. However, there are no charges against him in the US. Sweden does have guarding against extradition for political charges. However, since the US has charged ANYTHING as yet, they do not know if any "future charges" would be political or otherwise. Basically, he played them.
Basically, this follows the impression that I have developed of Assange over the long term. Although I am the first to admit that I could be wrong, his actions over the long term convinces me that he is a ego-maniacal asshole that is playing the system for his own personal benefit.
As for WikiLeaks, he may have been instrumental in starting it, but the "good' they have done happened in spite of him. I also believe that WikiLeaks has done some unnecessary damage, in addition to the good they have done. But that's for another thread.