Bob McC
Living the life of Riley
Quite correct but some idiots prefer to believe their own shit.
Quite correct but some idiots prefer to believe their own shit.
Seanm
pfm Member
I think we have to look at the bigger picture. This is not good for press freedom or ordinary citizens. Trump himself will be deeply unconcerned.
Meanwhile, the invisibility of Manning - a bit of a liberal cause celebre in the good times, when she could be used to burnish Obama's West Wing credentials - shows just how cowed, or simply indifferent, the liberal press has become. The Assange thing isn't going to help. I notice some Guardian journalists having a good laugh about it all, no acknowledgment that Assange fed them some of their most important stories.
gavreid
Pretty Words...
Here's a bit of a recent roundup of comments from those who are rightly concerned about the implications of what's happened today
Assange's lawyer:
“We’ve today received a warrant and a provisional extradition request from the United States alleging that he has conspired with Chelsea Manning in relation to the materials published by Wikileaks in 2010. This sets a dangerous precedent for all media organisations and journalists in Europe and elsewhere around the world. This precedent means that any journalist can be extradited for prosecution in the United States for having published truthful information about the United States.”
Diane Abbott for Labour
On this side of the house, we want to make the point that the reason we are debating Julian Assange this afternoon – even though the only charge he may face in this country is in relation to his bail hearings – is entirely to do with the whistleblowing activities of Julian Assange and Wikileaks.
It is this whistleblowing activity into illegal wars, mass murder, murder of civilians and corruption on a grand scale that has put Julian Assange in the crosshairs of the US administration. It is for this reason that they have once more issued an extradition warrant against Julian Assange.
She added: “Julian Assange is not being pursued to protect US national security, he is being pursued because he has exposed wrongdoing by US administrations and their military forces.”
WikiLeaks’ editor-in-chief, Kristinn Hrafnsson, said:
Anyone who wants the press to be free should consider the implications of this case. If they will extradite a journalist to the US then no journalist will be safe. This must stop. This must end.
Assange's lawyer:
“We’ve today received a warrant and a provisional extradition request from the United States alleging that he has conspired with Chelsea Manning in relation to the materials published by Wikileaks in 2010. This sets a dangerous precedent for all media organisations and journalists in Europe and elsewhere around the world. This precedent means that any journalist can be extradited for prosecution in the United States for having published truthful information about the United States.”
Diane Abbott for Labour
On this side of the house, we want to make the point that the reason we are debating Julian Assange this afternoon – even though the only charge he may face in this country is in relation to his bail hearings – is entirely to do with the whistleblowing activities of Julian Assange and Wikileaks.
It is this whistleblowing activity into illegal wars, mass murder, murder of civilians and corruption on a grand scale that has put Julian Assange in the crosshairs of the US administration. It is for this reason that they have once more issued an extradition warrant against Julian Assange.
She added: “Julian Assange is not being pursued to protect US national security, he is being pursued because he has exposed wrongdoing by US administrations and their military forces.”
WikiLeaks’ editor-in-chief, Kristinn Hrafnsson, said:
Anyone who wants the press to be free should consider the implications of this case. If they will extradite a journalist to the US then no journalist will be safe. This must stop. This must end.
TPA
Trade: Tiger Paw
I feel a little bit sorry for him. Clearly he's not the sharpest knife in the draw, and his inability to recognise that actions inevitably come with consequences would indicate some level of mental illness. Given the allegations of rape and his desire to publish sensitive material regardless of the consequences indicate an inability to relate to the impact of his actions on other people.
The faster we can get this oxygen thief off our soil the better really. We don't owe him anything.
The faster we can get this oxygen thief off our soil the better really. We don't owe him anything.
jackbarron
Chelsea, London
Peter Tatchell has put forward a good argument. Assange is a publisher, he says, like The Guardian or Times. He is not a whistleblower like Chelsea Manning. To extradite him to America is dangerous, it undermines free speech and journalism.
Tatchell did however think Assange should have gone back to Sweden to face the charges of rape and molestation.
I'd agree with that assessment.
Jack
Tatchell did however think Assange should have gone back to Sweden to face the charges of rape and molestation.
I'd agree with that assessment.
Jack
Tony L
Administrator
Wikileaks was a great initial idea, but cowering as a clearly unwanted guest in a foreign embassy for 7 years, was that really that bright?
You along with other far-leftists, conspiracy theorists etc have always argued he would be detained indefinitely, murdered or whatever were he to come out. I’ve always argued he’ll have a glossy TV-friendly trial and if convicted (which is unlikely given the quality of legal team he will be able to afford) at most end up a couple of years in jail. We will see who is right.
PS It will be me.
vuk
\o/ choose anarchy
a prediction contest is the furthest thing from my mind and i'll be glad to be very wrong about what exactly happens to him. the important issues are:
#1 his detention over the past 7 years
#2 the collusion of malevolent intelligence-military political forces to create mafia-like intimidation of whistle-blowing and reporting on things like war crimes
#3 this serious challenge to freedom of press (and beyond)
#4 as @Arkless Electronics pointed out earlier, the massive social cost of letting war criminals off the hook, while being outraged about an journalist/activist -- what i mean is the cost of embedding that into collective wisdom and acceptance
maxflinn
pfm Member
Just seen the footage of this frail looking man being dragged out of the embassy like a rat. No doubt he's been suffering from mental health issues.
This ongoing torture is what he gets for being a great journalist, arguably the best ever, given he's never released information that was proven to be untrue, while mass-murdering filth like Blair and Bush get to go on the TV shouting their mouths off every day they're not off spending their millions.
And to think that some people watched this awful spectacle with glee. I pity them!
This ongoing torture is what he gets for being a great journalist, arguably the best ever, given he's never released information that was proven to be untrue, while mass-murdering filth like Blair and Bush get to go on the TV shouting their mouths off every day they're not off spending their millions.
And to think that some people watched this awful spectacle with glee. I pity them!
Tony L
Administrator
Vuk,
#1 He has been detained nowhere, he merely hid from rape accusations due to his own cowardice, egotism and arrogance.
#2 Arse gravy.
#3 The only legitimate point in your list. This does concern me, but Assange is a dreadful advocate for free-speech being someone so tainted by running away from rape accusations and being such a slippery and manipulative character. To describe him as a ‘journalist’ is a huge stretch. More a person capitalising on a somewhat controversial (and very good) website idea.
#4 Irrelevant personal opinion/straw-man-ism.
#1 He has been detained nowhere, he merely hid from rape accusations due to his own cowardice, egotism and arrogance.
#2 Arse gravy.
#3 The only legitimate point in your list. This does concern me, but Assange is a dreadful advocate for free-speech being someone so tainted by running away from rape accusations and being such a slippery and manipulative character. To describe him as a ‘journalist’ is a huge stretch. More a person capitalising on a somewhat controversial (and very good) website idea.
#4 Irrelevant personal opinion/straw-man-ism.
clifftaylor
Absolutely retired!
lazycat
pfm Member
Detained by his own persecution complex and cowardice in facing a rape charge.
Darmok
pfm Member
Steve Bell on Julian Assange and his possible extradition to the US – cartoon
https://www.theguardian.com/comment...nd-his-possible-extradition-to-the-us-cartoon
https://www.theguardian.com/comment...nd-his-possible-extradition-to-the-us-cartoon
stephen bennett
Mr Enigma
He never faced a ‘rape charge. The Swedes wanted to interview him after the allegations of rape.
His lawyers were always open to the Swedes interviewing him in London. They declined.
I don’t understand why.
That case is now closed.
If he’s been arrested for slipping bail, that should be a 12 month sentence, max.
Stephen
rbrown
I think therefore I think I am
I’d agree with some of it but there were no charges of rape or molestation from Sweden. They wanted to interview him but he was never charged.
lazycat
pfm Member
OK. He was still a coward by not facing the allegations and running off to the Embassy. Unlike Chelsea Manning who has shown an extraordinary amount of courage.
Assange - typical privileged, straight white male can't stand the consequences of his actions.
Rob998
Scimmia Nordoccidentale
That's because they couldn't get to interview him so that they could progress the investigation to the stage of charging or dropping the investigation, you know, because he was cowering in a broom cupboard in the Ecuadorian Embassy .
Arkless Electronics
Trade: Amp design and repairs.
At the end of the day he's likely to spend the rest of his life in an American prison for providing the evidence of mass murder by the American state. Or if I get a machine gun on the black market, hire a helicopter and go and kill everyone getting out of the next ambulance at my local A & E that would be fine 'cos G Dubya Bush says so?
If America are "the worlds policeman" I'd hate to come across "the worlds hoods"....
It is surely one of the foundation stones of law that no one is above the law and that the law applies equally to everyone? And yet it's the very same legal system of the state that both makes the laws we are obliged to obey whilst making up the loopholes and get out clauses that allow the state and it's agents to do whatever the hell they like with impunity! Yeah "no shit Sherlock?" but surely it should be shocking? It is to me anyway!
It's illegal to own a gun without a license in this country... they're dangerous! someone could be killed! And if I sell one to anyone I'd be in big trouble! But I could set up a company making multi barrel rocket launchers that can wipe out a village in seconds and probably get a gov grant to sell them to a despotic regime, followed by a knighthood a few years later! You could go crazy thinking too hard about it...
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
If America are "the worlds policeman" I'd hate to come across "the worlds hoods"....
It is surely one of the foundation stones of law that no one is above the law and that the law applies equally to everyone? And yet it's the very same legal system of the state that both makes the laws we are obliged to obey whilst making up the loopholes and get out clauses that allow the state and it's agents to do whatever the hell they like with impunity! Yeah "no shit Sherlock?" but surely it should be shocking? It is to me anyway!
It's illegal to own a gun without a license in this country... they're dangerous! someone could be killed! And if I sell one to anyone I'd be in big trouble! But I could set up a company making multi barrel rocket launchers that can wipe out a village in seconds and probably get a gov grant to sell them to a despotic regime, followed by a knighthood a few years later! You could go crazy thinking too hard about it...
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?