Why yes, I support WikiLeaks & Julian Assange. Surprise!
So, really. Julian Assange is charged over £300,000* £200,000 ($317,000) bail, because he's a flight risk on charges amounting to the lowest level of sexual misconduct possible under Swedish law (if I understood the 9000+ conflicting news accounts of the whole mess).
This is, to clarify for US readers, a level of "what a dick" that wouldn't even qualify as a crime in the US. And according to the least hysterical accounts, the victims didn't even want him to go to jail, they just wanted to get in contact with him so he'd get an STI test for them. The Swedish authorities initially dismissed any possibility of legal action, but once the US got all hysterical about WikiLeaks' diplomatic cables release?
Well then, by golly, he's a sex criminal and must be locked up.
In solitary confinement 23 hours a day, eventually granted release for over three hundred thousand dollars' bail, for the rough equivalent of misdemeanor charges.
But honestly, this legal case has NOTHING to do with WikiLeaks, and EVERYTHING to do with the fact that he had his cellphone turned off when the two women decided they wanted him to get tested.
Julian Assange. Is. A. Dangerous. Criminal.
For fuck's sake. Anyone who believes that shit is a moron, on par with Sarah "That Australian citizen is Un-American! Kill him!" Palin.
And understand, when I say "that shit" I am not referring to the allegations that he may be a jerk to women, keeps his cellphone turned off because he's paranoid, or doesn't like using condoms… that may all be true (Hell, I hate answering the phone myself, and condoms chafe!). I am referring to the assertion that his incarceration is ONLY about the sex charges. That'd be like locking someone in Alcatraz for getting into a bar fight, and publicizing it the whole time as "violent assault". Whether they were a flight risk or not, it would never happen like that.
Unless they pissed off the US Government beforehand. And the US Government, now that Obama has loudly condemned Assange, and Congress is holding a Judiciary Committee hearing tomorrow considering whether or not they can actually charge him with anything, has made it quite clear that things have not Change™d much at all since the last election. (Seriously, the TSA has gotten worse, they're tacking EXTRA evil bullshit onto the "compromise" on renewing Bush's ill-advised tax cuts, and now Obama's doing his damndest to join the Julian Assange Headhunting Party. Where is my motherfucking CHANGE?!)
Let me make it perfectly clear: I 100% support the WikiLeaks mission. I 100% believe that between the media shying away from anything that might upset their advertisers (OR outright lying in support of their blatant political agenda… hello Fox!) and the government basically making lying to the electorate (and fucking us over at every opportunity) their official bipartisan policy, an outlet like WikiLeaks is a critical asset to the causes of human rights and real democracy in the world.
[updated] For what it's worth, I am currently working on a project to help fund raise for Bradley Manning & Julian Assange's legal funds. I will be setting up Spreadshirt & CafePress shops featuring this post's graphic, and forwarding 80% of the profits split evenly between both causes (perhaps allowing buyers to specify a percentage split). Stay tuned for more on that… and in the meantime, do what you can to help.
[added] Here are a couple of petitions you can sign if you would like to see Assange released and allowed to continue his WikiLeaks business: freeassange.org and Care2 Petition to Free Julian Assange.
*edit: My bad, I saw the $317K number, and because it was a British publication, recalled it incorrectly as being written in pounds. Still ridiculously excessive for what he's been charged with.
[added more] FSI Law has set up a legal defense fund for Julian. Visit their site and download the PDF terms of the fund to find out where to send your donation. Also, I've been remiss and fallen for the same publicity-mad tunnel vision most of the press has… Bradley Manning, the brave as fuck US soldier who leaked the video released as Collateral Murder to WikiLeaks, also has a legal defense fund. While Julian may have legal trouble on the horizon, he only spent 9 days in jail. Bradley has been in solitary confinement for 200+ days, and counting.
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He hasn't even been charged with anything. Last I heard he was being held, in solitary confinement, then on 300k bail, for extradition to Sweden… for questioning. Not to be charged, just to be questioned.
I do find it quite hilarious when people call him a traitor. Even Australian conservatives have got in on the cognitive dissonance. Some of them being conservatives who write for newspapers that are reprinting the cables. So… your bosses are traitors too? Except for the whole "nothing belonging to Australian government was taken or released" thing, obviously.
Don't know if you saw this: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/naomi-wolf/jaccuse-sweden-britain-an_b_795899.html?ref=fb&src=sp#sb=627392,b=facebook
16th December 2010 at 5:37 pm | permalink |I haven't read the Naomi Wolf piece, but I hear she's really getting it from the whack job "never doubt a female victim" extremist feminist set. I read this piece just a bit ago though, and it pretty much sums up what I think about the allegations: http://www.feminisnt.com/2010/the-feminist-left-versus-julian-assange-how-a-fanatical-belief-in-every-sex-crime-allegation-hurts-everyone/
Considering he turned himself in, and offered to talk to the Swedish authorities over the phone, or teleconference or whatever else, the whole thing makes zero sense, from calling him a flight risk, to putting him in solitary, to the amount they nailed him on bail.
None of it makes ANY sense at all, until you add the whole "and by the way, he really pissed off the US government" part. Then it's just a complete travesty.
16th December 2010 at 7:09 pm | permalink |Oh, by the way: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/wikileaks-cleared-of-breaking-australian-law/story-e6freonf-1225972732042?from=public_rss
17th December 2010 at 1:58 am | permalink |hehe… Well, the folks upstairs here are desperately trying to dig up proof that Assange assisted Manning in the transfer of the files. One wonders, if they'll just go ahead and fabricate something if they can't find anything legit?
I'm inclined to say yes. But then again, they've known they (purportedly) want to catch Bin Laden for ~a decade now, so who's to say Assange can't just avoid them anyhow? heh
17th December 2010 at 6:58 pm | permalink |I'm Swedish, and I find this whole "Julian Assange is a sex criminal and must be locked up!" thing to be utter and complete crap. I mean, seriously, doesn't our police force have anything better to do?
18th December 2010 at 6:08 am | permalink |Apparently, not when the US government says, "We REALLY want this fucker detained!" Not like the British authorities did nothing to help though… Embarrassing on all three sides, but mostly on the US side.
18th December 2010 at 6:33 am | permalink |Oh, by the way: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/wikileaks-cleared-of-breaking-australian-law/story-e6freonf-1225972732042?from=public_rss
24th December 2010 at 12:09 am | permalink |I like when people like him make it apparent that our corporate and governmental overlords aren't as pure and moral as they want to appear. I dislike it when people like him let out secrets that make life more problematic, at best, and physically dangerous, at worst, for the representatives of my country. Even, sometimes, when its *because* those overlords and representatives aren't as pure and moral as they want to appear. It's a tough world, out there, and smiling bravely isn't always enough of a defense.
An analogy: I support free speech. But not when it's someone telling the mugger that I've still got fifty bucks hidden in my shoe.
17th January 2011 at 8:11 am | permalink |Well, that's really the think with a whistleblowing organization, isn't it? If there are regulations in place to prevent them from releasing certain information, they hardly function as whistleblowers anymore… trade off there. Personally, I think the tradeoff is probably for the best… if for no other reason than to serve as a warning to improve security on information that's supposed to be secure. I mean, if you don't want muggers knowing about the $50 in your shoe, you probably shouldn't give well over a million people download access to a computer network with information on where you hide your emergency money.
19th January 2011 at 4:42 am | permalink |@bill
25th January 2011 at 10:19 am | permalink |WTF?
@Bill – I agree with you completely. Whistleblowing to expose corruption and/or illegal activities (Abu Ghraib, for example) is one thing. Yes, these SHOULD be exposed and the people responsible should be held accountable. However, leaking very sensitive information for no reason other than a personal mission to "bring down" or humiliate a country/Government…and in doing so, create more security and diplomacy problems? That's not admirable and should not be condoned or supported, in my opinion.
6th February 2011 at 12:23 pm | permalink |