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In summary, it's as you say. Wikileaks has released a tonne of sensitive material which has often made the US look bad and revealed war crimes. The US wants to

by agd 5y ago

In summary, it's as you say. Wikileaks has released a tonne of sensitive material which has often made the US look bad and revealed war crimes. The US wants to punish Assange as the leader of Wikileaks to deter others from doing the same. Most journalists and lawyers (although not all) believe that Wikileaks' activity is journalistic, and therefore that Assange can't be prosecuted for this activity. So the US is trying to charge him for other things, e.g. for helping others hack. Whether other states have been involved in leaking info to Wikileaks... who knows? It's likely, because, well, why wouldn't they? However no one has suggested the info released by Wikileaks is false. As far as money, I believe most of the Wikileaks funds have come from public donations and often their legal advice is paid for by friends or pro bono. So I don't think there's anything nefarious going on there. What has been clear is that the US will go to extreme lengths to get him into a US jail, from discussions about rendition, assassination, and faking evidence (e.g. with a key witness in this trial), to significant political pressure on allies and other states to cooperate with them on this. He is an 'enemy of the state' in their eyes.

DaiPlusPlus 5y ago
> What has been clear is that the US will go to extreme lengths to get him into a US jail, from discussions about rendition, assassination, and faking evidence (e.g. with a key witness in this trial), to significant political pressure on allies and other states to cooperate with them on this. Right, and that's kinda messed-up given the standards we place on modern democracies and ourselves. Given the revelations, where are the consequences for those involved? How can we effect the consequences we want?
- fsloth 5y ago
  "Right, and that's kinda messed-up given the standards we place on modern democracies and ourselves." And what standards would those be? US has never been "the good guy". They strike with impunity in disregard of collateral damage or decency, as long as domestic opinion can be kept in check. Never mistake an actor with strong realpolitik leverage to an universal benefactor.
varjag 5y ago
Wikileaks have released a ton of material compromising physical safety and well being of people who confided with US diplomats. Wikileaks also went out of its way to share this information with regimes it had affinity to, like Lukashenka's Belarus. https://www.indexoncensorship.org/2011/02/wikileaks-belarus-and-israel-shamir/ https://www.indexoncensorship.org/2011/02/wikileaks-belarus-...
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
ushakov 5y ago
> Wikileaks has released a tonne of sensitive material which has often made the US look bad and revealed war crimes. The US wants to punish Assange as the leader of Wikileaks to deter others from doing the same they are already making themselves look like fools when they are being so desperate in an attempt to punish a leaker only makes me wonder more what other skeletons they hide in their closet?
Lhiw 5y ago
> believe that Wikileaks' activity is journalistic, Anyone claiming Wikileaks wasn't journalism is of the same scum of the earth that claim PV isn't journalism. It's disgusting. The whole idea that journalism is an identity is fucks my asinine. You practice journalism, it's an act. You don't need any belief, there is an objective reality and verifiable acts that define whether journalism has taken place.

by agd 5y ago

DaiPlusPlus 5y ago

> What has been clear is that the US will go to extreme lengths to get him into a US jail, from discussions about rendition, assassination, and faking evidence (e.g. with a key witness in this trial), to significant political pressure on allies and other states to cooperate with them on this. Right, and that's kinda messed-up given the standards we place on modern democracies and ourselves. Given the revelations, where are the consequences for those involved? How can we effect the consequences we want?

fsloth 5y ago
"Right, and that's kinda messed-up given the standards we place on modern democracies and ourselves." And what standards would those be? US has never been "the good guy". They strike with impunity in disregard of collateral damage or decency, as long as domestic opinion can be kept in check. Never mistake an actor with strong realpolitik leverage to an universal benefactor.

varjag 5y ago

Wikileaks have released a ton of material compromising physical safety and well being of people who confided with US diplomats. Wikileaks also went out of its way to share this information with regimes it had affinity to, like Lukashenka's Belarus. https://www.indexoncensorship.org/2011/02/wikileaks-belarus-and-israel-shamir/ https://www.indexoncensorship.org/2011/02/wikileaks-belarus-...

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

ushakov 5y ago

> Wikileaks has released a tonne of sensitive material which has often made the US look bad and revealed war crimes. The US wants to punish Assange as the leader of Wikileaks to deter others from doing the same they are already making themselves look like fools when they are being so desperate in an attempt to punish a leaker only makes me wonder more what other skeletons they hide in their closet?

Lhiw 5y ago

> believe that Wikileaks' activity is journalistic, Anyone claiming Wikileaks wasn't journalism is of the same scum of the earth that claim PV isn't journalism. It's disgusting. The whole idea that journalism is an identity is fucks my asinine. You practice journalism, it's an act. You don't need any belief, there is an objective reality and verifiable acts that define whether journalism has taken place.