Assange - Freedom Fighter or Cyber Terrorist?

[JoeMo]

Julian Assange - the face of Wikileaks - was arrested today in Great Britain.  He looked horrible.

His arrest started a fierce bipartisan fight over whether he was fighting for truth and free speech or was a traitor for exposing sensitive intelligence info.  Even people within the Trump administration can't agree.  I feel strongly both ways.  Some of the stuff he and Snowden exposed is an outrageous violation of American privacy rights.  Yet, they did break the letter of the law concerning dissemination of secret info.  What do you think?

[phkrause]

Its a tough issue! He's done a lot more than what they are charging him with, not sure why yet, we will have to see how this progresses. Unfortunately with all the criminals running around pretending to be for the right, not sure we will ever get the correct picture!!

[Gregory Matthews]

My understanding is this:

*  If he indeed was a journalist, it is highly unlikely that he could be convicted of the crime of publishing classified material.

*  There is reason to debate whether  or not he was a journalist.

*  If returned to the U.S., it is possible that he will NOT be tried for a crime of publishing classified material.

*  However,  it has been said that he helped Pvt. Manning to hack into a classified data base in order to obtain classified material (or material that was not classified) that was not available to Manning.  If  he did this, this is a crime for which he could be tried.

 

[JoeMo]

1 hour ago, Gregory Matthews said:

However,  it has been said that he helped Pvt. Manning to hack into a classified data base in order to obtain classified material (or material that was not classified) that was not available to Manning.  If  he did this, this is a crime for which he could be tried.

I think this is what the US is charging him with.  I'm betting the U.S. won't charge him with "publishing" classified info because of "freedom of the press" issues.  But stealing (or helping others steal) classified info is definitely against the law.

On the other hand, the info released showed that the government was spying (or doing surveillance, or collecting info) without probable cause or a warrant on millions of Americans .  That is inherently wrong; and the people had a right to know about it.  So does exposing this make Assange and Snowden traitors?

[R. G. White]

On 4/11/2019 at 7:19 PM, JoeMo said:

Julian Assange - the face of Wikileaks - was arrested today in Great Britain.  He looked horrible.

His arrest started a fierce bipartisan fight over whether he was fighting for truth and free speech or was a traitor for exposing sensitive intelligence info.  Even people within the Trump administration can't agree.  I feel strongly both ways.  Some of the stuff he and Snowden exposed is an outrageous violation of American privacy rights.  Yet, they did break the letter of the law concerning dissemination of secret info.  What do you think?

I don't know enough about the man to even begin trying to get inside his head. The Swedish indictments that first led to his holing up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London do not paint him as a very virtuous man, regardless of whether or not he could have been convicted on the specific charges.

Sometimes it is hard not to sympathize with whistle blowers against the governments who wish to bring them to "justice." However, it is also hard for me to understand how Mr. Assange got to the place where he could help the Russians undermine the fairness of a US presidential election, and in so doing help to illegitimately elect one of the most selfish and degraded men in recorded history. Julian shall have no sympathy from me unless he repents.

[JoeMo]

I know it doesn't make it right, but Killary and the Dems were trying just as hard to influence the election with the fraudulent FISA filings (among other things).  Trump and his people were found innocent of any collusion; so anything Assange did to influence the election he did on his own - not at Trump's request.

I have only one Supreme Commander to whom I owe my allegiance; and He's not of this world (yet).

[R. G. White]

7 minutes ago, JoeMo said:

I know it doesn't make it right, but Killary and the Dems were trying just as hard to influence the election with the fraudulent FISA filings (among other things).  Trump and his people were found innocent of any collusion; so anything Assange did to influence the election he did on his own - not at Trump's request.

I have only one Supreme Commander to whom I owe my allegiance; and He's not of this world (yet).

I love your last sentence here. While I do not trust the integrity of any political party, I think that time may very well prove that you are mistaken about Trump's supposed innocence. I doubt we'll ever get to the whole truth until the hereafter. Meanwhile, God approves those in whose eyes a vile person in despised.