5 ms·

I'm optimistic that US courts will find him not guilty, leaving the first amendment even stronger than it already is. Assange may have pushed the boundaries of

I'm optimistic that US courts will find him not guilty, leaving the first amendment even stronger than it already is. Assange may have pushed the boundaries of journalism but US courts will hopefully err on the side of protecting him.

supergirl 7y ago
no way that will happen. huge media campaign against him. the public is mixed. he gets at least 10. i don't know why he waited in the embassy so long, only to allow the US years to build their case and set the public mood.
dmitrygr 7y ago
In Virgina's Eastern District? Good luck with that! https://www.google.com/search?q=Virgina%27s+Eastern+District+espionage+cases https://www.google.com/search?q=Virgina%27s+Eastern+District...
- staunch 7y ago
  And then they appeal to SCOTUS.
politician 7y ago
There is no chance that Assange isn't sent to Gitmo or a supermax facility. He's a political prisoner who embarrassed the US first by leaking the dirty secrets of important people, and then for years by hiding in an embassy. He'll be tortured for the rest of his life as a message to anyone else who would dare to oppose the current order in such a flagrant and public way and without the backing of a nuclear state.
jacquesm 7y ago
Just like they protected Manning?
- staunch 7y ago
  Manning was a member of the military with access to classified data and she uploaded it to the internet for publication. And, unlike Snowden, none of what she leaked revealed violations of the U.S. Constitution. Her judgement was terrible and she deserved to spend some time in prison for what she did. Assange is a journalist, not a member of the military or even a U.S. citizen, and all he did was assist and enable the publishing of this classified data. The cases are completely different.
mrguyorama 7y ago
Assange releasing documents manning sends him is fine and first amendment. Assange "conspiring" with manning to crack a password is not
- staunch 7y ago
  Given that he failed to actually crack the password it seems like a pretty weak argument that he actually helped. And IIRC the pentagon papers involved journalists helping to photocopy the documents. Seems totally fine for a journalist to assist someone that's leaking classified data. They're not the ones committing the crime, the person violating their privileged access is IMO.
  - mrguyorama 7y ago
    Failing at a crime is still a crime. If you try to rob a bank but get no money, you still tried to rob a bank
    - staunch 7y ago
      It depends what you mean by "try". If you try to rob a bank but your car breaks down before you get there, so you give up, that's not bank robbery. You may still be guilty of criminal conspiracy or something but not bank robbery. These are legally technical areas that are more complicated than what you're portraying.

supergirl 7y ago

no way that will happen. huge media campaign against him. the public is mixed. he gets at least 10. i don't know why he waited in the embassy so long, only to allow the US years to build their case and set the public mood.

dmitrygr 7y ago

In Virgina's Eastern District? Good luck with that! https://www.google.com/search?q=Virgina%27s+Eastern+District+espionage+cases https://www.google.com/search?q=Virgina%27s+Eastern+District...

staunch 7y ago
And then they appeal to SCOTUS.

politician 7y ago

There is no chance that Assange isn't sent to Gitmo or a supermax facility. He's a political prisoner who embarrassed the US first by leaking the dirty secrets of important people, and then for years by hiding in an embassy. He'll be tortured for the rest of his life as a message to anyone else who would dare to oppose the current order in such a flagrant and public way and without the backing of a nuclear state.

jacquesm 7y ago

Just like they protected Manning?

staunch 7y ago
Manning was a member of the military with access to classified data and she uploaded it to the internet for publication. And, unlike Snowden, none of what she leaked revealed violations of the U.S. Constitution. Her judgement was terrible and she deserved to spend some time in prison for what she did. Assange is a journalist, not a member of the military or even a U.S. citizen, and all he did was assist and enable the publishing of this classified data. The cases are completely different.

mrguyorama 7y ago

Assange releasing documents manning sends him is fine and first amendment. Assange "conspiring" with manning to crack a password is not

staunch 7y ago
Given that he failed to actually crack the password it seems like a pretty weak argument that he actually helped. And IIRC the pentagon papers involved journalists helping to photocopy the documents. Seems totally fine for a journalist to assist someone that's leaking classified data. They're not the ones committing the crime, the person violating their privileged access is IMO.
- mrguyorama 7y ago
  Failing at a crime is still a crime. If you try to rob a bank but get no money, you still tried to rob a bank
  - staunch 7y ago
    It depends what you mean by "try". If you try to rob a bank but your car breaks down before you get there, so you give up, that's not bank robbery. You may still be guilty of criminal conspiracy or something but not bank robbery. These are legally technical areas that are more complicated than what you're portraying.