What’s the Meaning of Julian Assange? #assange

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The USA takes up so much room in the world, it was bound to have become a leaky sieve at some point.

As George W Bush said ““You can fool some of the people all the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on.”

Julian Assange has certainly wobbled the international community. I hope he won’t be extradited to the States.

I have had enough of reading about America’s shock and awe tactics – and its clumsy foreign policy.

Who is the greater villain I wonder.

Assange is clearly in a different position to Rusbridger etc.

He has taken the lead in knowingly making known information, some of which may well result in deaths of people on our side in the war on terror.

It would not be surprising if the USA decided to treat him as a combatant.

Others in WikiLeaks may not be treated the same way, but my guess is that at least some will be.

Further repetition will not be regarded so seriously.

Those who leaked to Assange are likely to be treated as traitors, assuming they are americans.

True the situation is now different. Apart from the fallout from the present and expected leaks we shall see if the situation re diplomatic contacts etc is improved. I doubt it will be, the system evolved over a long period and worked after its fashion.

Hmmm. Don’t agree. The leaker leaked it and everyone else has an editorial judgement to make. They’re in the same boat. Actually, I don’t think it’s a sinking boat. It’s the government’s who must change, I think. That’s not a a value judgement; it’s just the way it is.

Oops, re the typo re: misused apostrophe in ‘governments’.

I think the US right are using this as a stick to beat the Obama administration. The former sound mad. And I hope everyone sees that.

American lawyer on TV seems to think I’m right. We may see, though I have my doubts. It will be very difficult for Obama to pursue a similar line to the loons in the States.

The Governments will have to change BUT they may seek justice (should in my opinion) not least because there will be other situations where other kinds of rebellions must be discouraged.

This is a challenge to democratic governments not least, whose legitimacy should allow for tolerance of the sorts of practical secret dealing which is necessary to conduct almost any kind of business, and has been for a millennium or more between states.

I always assumed that the USA were somewhat introverted, they are so into themselves. Of course all countries have to play a tight hand to insure their own security. BUT- don’t you think that the States treats everyone with huge suspicion, does it really feel threatened and hated anymore than any other Western nation?

Wikileaks has uncovered such a lot of tittle tattle, has the USA lost so much face , any more than anywhere else?

Serving US diplomats seem to agree with your last. The release of diplomat’s letters home seems to confirm that by and large the US say in public more or less what they think in private, albeit with some of the rougher edges smoothed-off. One interesting dimension, I think, is how it’s the arabic states who are putting most pressure on the US to take military action against Iran. The US influence seems to be a restraining one. That doesn’t reflect at all badly on the US. It’s worth noting, too, that Hilary Clinton has made a number of light-hearted comments about Wikileaks. That doesn’t square with believing them to be a serious threat to US security.

Hmmm. Worth remembering that it’s the US who leaked the stuff, not Wikileaks. It’s perfectly understandable that they gave a very high number of people (reportedly 3m) access to data (via Siprnet) in the aftermath of 9/11 since it was generally felt that a lack of information sharing contributed to the failure to arrest the AQ terrorists while they were in air training school. In the end, that policy has quite probably paid off, but the price to pay was the risk of embarassment through leaks. They may well tighten up access to this type of data now, but I suspect they’ll still want people to share info and will accept that these kinds of leaks are systemic and with them permanently. I think the Obama administration is seized of this, whereas the right are using the whole thing as a stick to beat Obama. That may play OK in the US, but it makes them look mad here. I note that no-one on the right has offered apologies for the embarassment (serious risk in their terms) their own system (designed under President Bush) has caused.

When did they start to imprison heroes and set villains free? We are witnesses to this fact in the 21 century, though we claim this is time of absolute freedom. Apparently there is no big difference with the Middle ages – only the heroes have changed. The popes and Church are replaced by presidents and countries, suppressing the right to the most holly thing – the freedom. To those who are presently in power this word has lost its sense. The freedom offered today is no freedom by its meaning. Today only interests are catered such as the interests of huge corporations and the person has lost his identity to become a number, behind which stays only benefit. And the freedom? It is nothing more then a compost pile, that came out of the ass whole of a donkey, which due to its stubbornness refuses to obey its masters. If freedom has become a pile of shit, we will have to throw it away. Away with women right to vote! Away with radio, television, newspapers – they should be used as a cesspool for the governments. Restore slavery ass well and sell people on the markets. But it is only the bodies you could sail, not the spirit.

Our civilization was built by the human’s spirit and it is free. So must the civilization be free as well. Led by the spirit of freedom, we signed the Declaration of Independence and stormed the Bastille, we marched under the flag of Napoleon and under the flag of Garibaldi and rose the media
as a defender of the holliest of human rights – freedom. As such defender the media must not be chained and stopped. It is like a lawyer who have the best defense – the truth. Because the freedom and the truth cannot be separated.

Julian Asange showed us the truth. For that he gave his freedom. The USA call him a spy. But if he is a spy which is the country or company he spies for? Don’t the people around the world have the right to know what policy is being led? Don’t the Americans have the right to know what their government is doing? This right to such information should be given by the very same government, not being held in secret. Unfortunately it was not. It was Julian Asange who gave this right. The pleading has not been said yet. Who will win? Is it the freedom or the tyranny? Countries like the USA must be reminded that it was this freedom they were created by.

I don’t know Julian Asange. I even still think his little name is John. It is his story that exits me – a story of one man, standing for the freedom and truth, for the forgotten foundations of our world. Are we worthy for this world that we claim we have built? Not as long as one hero stays imprisoned and the villains stay free.

Am writing a thesis on Public Trust in WikiLeaks, the Media and the Government and need to know what your opinions are. The online survey is multiple choice and will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Please follow the link: http://www.kwiksurveys.com/?s=ILLLML_9669e09d. Would be great if you would encourage others to do the survey also.