Poll

Hero, villain, or something in between?

Hero
Something in between
Villain

Author Topic: Julian Assange  (Read 12999 times)

Keith Whitener

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fonpr

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #16 on: December 05, 2010, 10:34:57 PM »
I chose #2.  I am fascinated by the possible transformation of diplomatic relations. 

As well as the general dissolving of the public/private information barrier.


Is Stieg Larson involved in this?
"Like it or not, Florida seems dedicated to a 'live fast, die' way of doing things."

Gilly

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #17 on: December 06, 2010, 06:35:04 PM »
I think he crossed the line. There's no reason that the public needs to know most of the things he reveals. Just a few months ago, we were trying to persuade a church not to burn Qur'ans to avoid unnecessary deaths. People are going to be killed over these leaks and that's horrific. At the same time, if our government didn't have a history of deceit and secrecy this might not have happened. But, Assange crossed a line publishing documents that can only hurt people.

fonpr

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #18 on: December 06, 2010, 07:53:32 PM »
I think he crossed the line. There's no reason that the public needs to know most of the things he reveals. Just a few months ago, we were trying to persuade a church not to burn Qur'ans to avoid unnecessary deaths. People are going to be killed over these leaks and that's horrific. At the same time, if our government didn't have a history of deceit and secrecy this might not have happened. But, Assange crossed a line publishing documents that can only hurt people.

Mario Vargas Llosa:
He said it was "paradoxical'' that it was the most democratic states that were "the most vulnerable to this kind of exposure,'' while "dictatorships are saved'' precisely because of the lack of openness in their regimes.

"Like it or not, Florida seems dedicated to a 'live fast, die' way of doing things."

Shaggy 2 Grote

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #19 on: December 06, 2010, 08:01:46 PM »
Is there any evidence that anyone has been hurt or killed by the leaks?  I know that the Iraq and Afghanistan logs were scrubbed of at-risk names by the NYT and The Guardian, and that WikiLeaks approached the Department of Defense about doing the same thing but were rebuffed.  Of course politicians, generals, etc. are going to say that there will be a great human cost to this, but they say all kinds of bullshit -- and really, the policies exposed by WikiLeaks (which pretty much everyone knew about already anyway) have hurt and killed a lot more people.

If I'm wrong, I'd be interested to hear about it.  I certainly don't think informants or collaborators should be exposed and killed.  But I do find it disturbing that none of us as individuals have any privacy anymore but if government or business elites are exposed it's the end of the world.

Thought this was interesting, from The Guardian:

"much of the secret material shows rather little difference between what the US says publicly and what these papers show privately.
Hillary Clinton has condemned the leaks, as she must; yet in general the US has responded maturely. Not a shining city on a hill, perhaps,
but still a pretty impressive place, shrouding itself in some layers of unnecessary secrecy. US defence secretary Robert Gates said this
week: "Is this embarrassing? Yes. Is it awkward? Yes. Consequences for US foreign policy? I think fairly modest." In the long run, he may be right."

More at http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/dec/01/student-finance-mischief-labour-libdems


Oh, good heavens. I didn’t realize. I send my condolences out to the rest of the O’Connor family.

dave from knoxville

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #20 on: December 07, 2010, 05:33:58 AM »
Do any of you guys listen to Dave Emory? He sure talks a lot.
http://spitfirelist.com/for-the-record/ftr-724-wiki-of-the-damned

Also, don't know if anybody remembers my Dave Emory drinking game. On the show when I suggested he be Tom's marathon co-host, I suggested listeners throw back a shot everytime Emory says "milieu". Check out the last line in this blurb.
http://spitfirelist.com/news/julian-assange-conneced-to-darpa-hacker

yesno

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #21 on: December 07, 2010, 07:01:32 AM »
Julian Assange didn't leak anything!  He has a website that publishes what other people leak!

This is really important.  If there wasn't a wikileaks there'd be something else.  It's impossible to control data.

SJK

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Steve of Bloomington

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #23 on: December 07, 2010, 12:57:21 PM »
Overall I think the existence of Wikileaks is a good thing. I just would have much preferred he dropped the Bank stuff before releasing this. Now he's been arrested, we may see how and if his 'dead man's switch' works.

dave from knoxville

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #24 on: December 07, 2010, 03:33:27 PM »
I bet the dead man's switch is comparable to chapters 2 - 30 of Weirdos Exposed

Steve of Bloomington

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #25 on: December 07, 2010, 03:49:37 PM »
OH SNAP

Denim Gremlin

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #26 on: December 07, 2010, 05:02:45 PM »
dude's a rapist, not a racer
I was the first guy in hardcore to whip people with his belt.

fonpr

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #27 on: December 07, 2010, 05:42:29 PM »
I bet the dead man's switch is comparable to chapters 2 - 30 of Weirdos Exposed
It does appear his bluff has been called.
"Like it or not, Florida seems dedicated to a 'live fast, die' way of doing things."

Smelodies

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #28 on: December 07, 2010, 08:36:13 PM »
Overall I think the existence of Wikileaks is a good thing. I just would have much preferred he dropped the Bank stuff before releasing this. Now he's been arrested, we may see how and if his 'dead man's switch' works.

You think it's helpful to release information on all the stockpiles of emergency fuel, weapons, and safety areas, as he's now threatening to do?

cavorting with nudists

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Re: Julian Assange
« Reply #29 on: December 07, 2010, 08:39:56 PM »
Overall I think the existence of Wikileaks is a good thing. I just would have much preferred he dropped the Bank stuff before releasing this. Now he's been arrested, we may see how and if his 'dead man's switch' works.

You think it's helpful to release information on all the stockpiles of emergency fuel, weapons, and safety areas, as he's now threatening to do?

That sounds like a bad idea to me, but let's wait and see what he actually does.  If I were in his situation right now, I might say all kinds of crazy shit.

"Another thing that interests me about The Eagles is that I hate them." -- Robert Christgau