Thread: Wikileaks: Goooone

This is not my forum - but come on guys, lets not make it personal between AULRO members.

I value both of your opinions but we're playing each other rather than discussing the issue.

Originally Posted by MickS

Sigh. Wasn't going to respond but will.

The relationship between one post saying he was a hero and me saying he was a convicted hacker, nothing more, nothing less. That was my point, but it's obvious you couldn't read that into it.

And the point I was trying to make is that one person's hero is another persons criminal, and vice versa.

I don't think Julian is a hero, nor do I think he is a criminal (other than his slap on the wrist for a hacking misdemeanour).

However, I suspect that history will look back on wikileaks favourably.

Originally Posted by MickS

I know you are serious but really??? A hero??? I think not.

My heroes stand in front of a 40 foot wall of flame with a hose with barely enough pressure to splash your boots; or they jump into a swollen river to pull a kid out that's been washed away; or toil for years on a property that's not seen rain for a decade, and when it does rain, it's a flood...I could go on.

A computer hacker. That's what he is.

Yes really.
I think you underestimate the known risk he has taken. I also think you may be unaware of what it is he has done. To describe him merely as a computer hacker is naive. By your rational a fire fighter is a guy standing around with a hose making warm things wet, the guy who saves a kid is having a quick dip and some kid got in the way which he removed from his swimming spot, and the farmer is a bloke having a spot of bother growing stuff because the soil is a bit dry or wet.

Originally Posted by disco2hse

More from that source:



Governments have used technology for decades to build webs of deceit and lies. Now when technology is being used to uncover them they don't like it. For a society to be truly democratic (which a certain government keeps reminding the world it needs) the population requires education and access to the truth. If when they block that access then they are shown to be truly undemocratic.

Until the 16th century the papacy controlled access to information too, but certain rebels such as Martin Luther argued for open and free access to written sources so that they could make up their own mind about what they believed. This and the spread of printed works through Europe triggered the Enlightenment. The orthodoxy failed then and it will again.

For me this sums it up. Perfectly put!

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Assange is only the figure head for a group of people who are Wikileaks. Do we prosecute Rupert Murdock for everything News Limited or Fox News say - No

Julian Assange is an Australian Citizen - he has no US first amendment rights, that is only bestowed upon US Citizens or US companies.

I think you missed the point!

Legal advice is that 'if' the US can charge him, then he can rely on any defence available to him under US law, including those protections provided by the Constitution.

Interesting poll on the Sydney Morning Herald web site:

Julian Assange and Wikileaks sex allegations

Poll: How do you feel about Julian Assange?

Benefit to democracy 92%
Menace to democracy 8%

Total votes: 29766.

Also this from Getup another nasty organisation that relies on the internet to further its evil purposes :

GetUp! Campaign Actions

Get on board!

To me the real scary thing here is the American reaction and the power the US wields.
Here's this bloke, an Australian citizen, who publishes 'ho hum', but embarassing information which has been filched by one of 'a cast of thousands' and the Yanks crack it big time; presumably to hide the fact that they've screwed up big time in not adequately securing the information in the first place. Then, without due process of any kind three (probably biggest) American financial institutions, Visa, MasterCard and PayPal screw him over financially and the Swedish government, co-incidentally, then joins the charge by re-instituting previously dis-crededited bull**** rape accusations.
US foreign policy, talk about an oxy moron, has really screwed up here with its massive over reaction. Whilst people may have initially sympathised with the 'diplomatic correspondence needs to be private' point of view, the US 'we'll screw you over because we don't agree with you', regardless of due process, doesn't sit well with most. The level of corruption/influence exerted by the US government on Sweden and the financial institutions is mind boggling. Ultimately the real losers here are Visa/MasterCard/PayPal and a morally weak vassal Swedish government.
On a positive though congruous note is Kevin Rudds support of an Australian citizen vilified by the US and others. Perhaps a lesson has been learned from the Australian governments totally un-conscionable abandonment of David Hicks, kidnapped by the US from a foreign country and incarcerated without trial in a third (world) country. He may have been a terrorist but he was an Australian terrorist, abandoned by his country when he had a right to support. IMHO one of Australias most shameful deeds.

Deano

Hicks was an enemy combatant, not an "Australian terrorist".

"one of Australias most shameful deeds" - really...? You may want to read your Australian history more closely.