if the Australian attorney general kowtows to American pressure to prosecute Assange for vague offenses, it will show up the Australian government in a very embarrassing light, as really just a mob of gofers for the U.S. with no core values or backbone of their own.

After all, Mr Assange was born and bred in North Qld, and if the government can't or won't stand up for their own citizens, then the rest of the electorate will realize just how subservient their government really is to the U.S.

Thats your opinion. This person is violating american security, he must face this in America.

What a great article!

Brian McNair's succinctly expressed opinion
and analysis state eloquently many of the
same observations that I've been making about
the Wikileaks/Assange circus.

Wikileaks is an inevitable and positive development
for world democracy. I think that the various
"authorities" who are currently pursuing Assange
are about to make the strategic error of making him
some kind of political martyr.

This is interesting stuff indeed.

Damn straight Wikileaks strengthens democracy. How else is a democracy supposed to function without information about politician's conduct in government- in their name and on their tax dollars?

It's no less ironic that the only country that practices a REAL democracy is the only one to take the democratic importance of Wikileaks seriously; THe rest are quickly spiraling down into jackboot fascism.

Quite frankly anyone who opposes wikileaks OPPOSES DEMOCRACY- and I dare anyone to prove me wrong.

I'm sure many will be offended- but if they were to stop and think they are clearly putting hot-blooded patriotism FAR above democratic rights.

And wasn't it one famous leader of the United States long ago that made a speech about "Those who trade liberty for security deserve neither" or something?

Obviously scared sheep disagree in a heart beat- even when there is no actual enemy in sight!

Finally.....some commonsense is slowly creeping into the picture.

Wikileaks strengthens democracy........and just like others that are loosing faith in Democracy.......men like this shall resurrected what greedy men have distroyed........ and then! and only then, shall peace return to us once again.

Until then.

BLUE

Excellent article, Brian.

Your point that Assange, "is merely the embodiment of a fundamental shift in the dynamics of power in the digital age." goes to heart of the present outrage expressed by those in power. They are ranting against a reality that was always going to catch up and engulf them. The loss of control inherent in this new dynamic threatens the very foundations these power structures are built upon.
Wikileaks has already taken on the shape of a benevolent Hydra. Those who represent power on any scale in the globalised world would be wise to accommodate it - to work with it instead of against it.