WikiLeaks: Discussion Thread

[mclay18]

And Trump and his cabinet endangering our First Amendment and real journalism with that crap...

 

[Sithborg]

Yeah, the DOJ is overstepping.

 

[Teelie]

Really can't stand Assange and the way he abused the leaks is criminal but this also feels like it is a step too far to prosecute him this way. What Manning released of the military's crimes was important but I wish there was a better person to have given it to than Assange.

 

[Marvolo]

The Washington Post - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange charged with violating Espionage Act

Good. He worked with a foreign enemy government to weaken and undermine America's presidential election, political infrastructures, national safety, and our democracy. And he probably did more than the public even knows about.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Good. He worked with a foreign enemy government to weaken and undermine America's presidential election, political infrastructures, national safety, and our democracy. And he probably did more than the public even knows about.

I hate the piece of garbage too. I want him to rot in jail. But this is dangerous. Prosecuting someone for publishing truthful material goes directly against the First Amendment.

 

[Sithborg]

They are charging him over the Manning leaks, right? Not the DNC hacks, correct? See, that is where things get murky. His handling of the Manning leaks was bad, no question. But, it also doesn't qualify as espionage. Hell, even the hacking of the DNC e-mails isn't necessarily espionage.

Let alone I am not entirely sure if this isn't a play just to get UK to give Sweden preference for extradition or not.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

They are charging him over the Manning leaks, right? Not the DNC hacks, correct? See, that is where things get murky. His handling of the Manning leaks was bad, no question. But, it also doesn't qualify as espionage. Hell, even the hacking of the DNC e-mails isn't necessarily espionage.

Let alone I am not entirely sure if this isn't a play just to get UK to give Sweden preference for extradition or not.

Yes. Everything I have read and seen says this is in regard to the Manning leaks.

 

[Marvolo]

I hate the piece of garbage too. I want him to rot in jail. But this is dangerous. Prosecuting someone for publishing truthful material goes directly against the First Amendment.

The first amendment probably doesnt protect hackers.

They can probably make espionage stick for the Manning stuff, but not with the election and Russia stuff because a chunk of the public and government doesn't even want to acknowledge the election and Russia stuff. Gotta work with what you got. With Assange I dont care how they deal with him as long as they deal with him. If he was some truly altruistic do gooder seeking the truth for justice then I'd be against this method, but hes not. He probably wouldnt even be in this current predicament if he hadn't stirred up so much **** during the 2016 election and its aftermath. He'd still be in a foreign country away from American justice. He made this bed.

And one thing that's becoming abundantly clear in this country is "precedence" only matters when the government and law thinks it matters. Those in power ignore or care about precedence as it suits them. So the sort of precedence this may or may not set probably wont matter much.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

The first amendment probably doesnt protect hackers.

They can probably make espionage stick for the Manning stuff, but not with the election and Russia stuff because a chunk of the public and government doesn't even want to acknowledge the election and Russia stuff. Gotta work with what you got. With Assange I dont care how they deal with him as long as they deal with him. If he was some truly altruistic do gooder seeking the truth for justice then I'd be against this method, but hes not. He probably wouldnt even be in this current predicament if he hadn't stirred up so much **** during the 2016 election and its aftermath. He'd still be in a foreign country away from American justice. He made this bed.

And one thing that's becoming abundantly clear in this country is "precedence" only matters when the government and law thinks it matters. Those in power ignore or care about precedence as it suits them. So the sort of precedence this may or may not set probably wont matter much.

This is vendetta. And as much as I hate Assange, this is straight up emotion, with very little thought involved. This is not about Assange nor has it ever been. When presented with a chance to charge Assange with similar crimes, Obama's administration didn't. Why? Because they understood the situation. What it meant. If they can prosecute him for Manning stuff, why can't they prosecute anyone who printed the information? Why can't Trump go after news organizations for printing leaks?

And precedence does matter with Trump. What if he wins in 2020 and can just keep doing this for another term? Republicans love the idea of silencing news organizations in general. You think they'd ignore this chance in the future?

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

How Julian Assange turned an embassy into a command post for election meddling - CNNPolitics