I really have to strongly disagree with some people here.
I see what Justin Assange is doing as an act of heroism.
And, I hope it spreads. Far and wide.
Here's why I think so in a nutshell...
While some Americans may be incensed and upset, Justin has broken no laws. Anywhere.
The key is the "sovereign state". The good old US of A may think that it rules sovereign over the entire planet, solar system, galaxy, universe, and multi-verse, but I'm willing to bet that there are a few non-Americans that disagree and don't really want US laws/policy/mood rammed down their throat (the way Vietnam and Iraq did).
But what I would really like to see is the same thing happen with people in other countries inspired to do the same thing. I'd love to see documents leaked from China.
With enough "tattling" or "ratting out" or leaking or whatever you want to call it, countries and companies would be forced to behave more ethically.
Documents from Wikileaks show how Shell (the oil company) has placed people in the Nigerian government and sheds light on how they suck money out of the country while its people live in abject poverty.
This is a good thing.
I admit that I am a bit radical, but I don't see anything else being done.
I hope that liberty and freedom win here. Punishing Wikileaks and/or Justin Assange amounts to clubbing freedom of speech to death.
Heck, a US congressman wants Wikileaks to be branded as a "Foreign Terrorist Organization". Huh? WTF? If we don't like what you have to say, then you're a terrorist? It's patently clear that if the US doesn't like you, you're a terrorist. F**k reality. You're a terrorist. F**k you. F**k your family. See you in Guantanamo, punk.
Really. WTF is that? Once you are branded a "terrorist", you are no longer protected by basic human rights in the US. You're treated by an entirely different set of "rules".
I don't really see any "interesting questions" in that article, and I'm not sure on what basis one can yet decide what Mr. Assange "deserves". I do not suppose his motives are entirely virtuous, nor that Wikileaks may be a totally public-interest group. But neither have I seen much evidence to suggest otherwise, except broad and serious accusations with 0 details, much less proof, from someone who *founded and runs a competing site*. Let's not forget that anyone willing to do what these people are doing has to be, yes, dedicated, yes perhaps a bit fearless, but also quite often *a bit nuts*. The Cryptome guy certainly sounds so.
Assange deserves his day in court, and to be considered innocent until proven guilty (and let's remember the charges are not related whatsoever to the validity of the Wikileaks venture).
Wikileaks deserves to continue publishing information of significant interest to the public until and unless the good done by that starts to be outweighed by any negatives caused. So far there are little or no truly negative consequences that I'm aware of. None of the scare mongering predictions of governments worldwide have come to pass yet, that agents will be exposed and killed, that the leaks are "putting peoples lives at risk".
Wikileaks is showing that the people and organizations we have entrusted with maintaining the structure of our society and the sanctity of our lives and rights have abused that trust, time and again. *Those* people, those who have already demonstrated repeated, flagrant, and egregious abuse of trust must re-earn that trust. Their immediate protests fall on deaf ears for me, and until Wikileaks shows a similar disregard for the trust of the public and the power they hold in their hands, I'll continue to appreciate what they do.
- Oshyan
-JavaJones
+1!
Assange deserves his day in court, and to be considered innocent until proven guilty (and let's remember the charges are not related whatsoever to the validity of the Wikileaks venture).
I think that anyone that believes he will get a fair hearing is naive. He's been branded, and the only thing left is his sentencing.
Fact is, he hasn't broken any laws. If I can quote myself:
The key is the "sovereign state". The good old US of A may think that it rules sovereign over the entire planet, solar system, galaxy, universe, and multi-verse, but I'm willing to bet that there are a few non-Americans that disagree and don't really want US laws/policy/mood rammed down their throat (the way Vietnam and Iraq did).
...
It's patently clear that if the US doesn't like you, you're a terrorist.
Any trial the poor guy gets will be a show trial at best.
Wikileaks is showing that the people and organizations we have entrusted with maintaining the structure of our society and the sanctity of our lives and rights have abused that trust, time and again. *Those* people, those who have already demonstrated repeated, flagrant, and egregious abuse of trust must re-earn that trust. Their immediate protests fall on deaf ears for me, and until Wikileaks shows a similar disregard for the trust of the public and the power they hold in their hands, I'll continue to appreciate what they do.
That was very well put.
()
||That was very bad ASCII art of me clapping my hands.
I do hope that this is the start of holding our governments responsible and accountable. They've seem to have forgotten who they are supposed to serve.
