Pilger's support for the "preservation of basic freedoms in western democracies" is wafer thin. He cares nothing for private property, for example, one of the most basic of all.

And whatever criticisms can be made of Manning's treatment in the US, they do not apply to Assange's treatment in the UK. He is being extradited for rape, for goodness sake. And Sweden is an advanced, sovereign country with an independent judiciary.

Lets not trivialize rape. Assange is a theif, and will be caught up with.

Talk of free speech is asymmetric. The following examples will indicate that the judgment is sometimes based on prejudice and sometimes on law.

• It is generally agree that it is reprehensible and illegal for journalists to hack into private telephone conversations and emails of individuals in order to steal gossip. This is especially the case if the journalist works for a Murdoch newspaper.

• Professor Clive Hamilton and others of the left are adamant that articles critical of the anthropogenic global warming hypothesis should be banned. Senator Brown would have the so called hate media controlled by law.

• It is argued by some that owners and major shareholders in news media should pass a character test. Which I suppose means being in sympathy with left wing and politically correct opinion.

• Quadrant on Line can publish an article on “What is an Aborigine.” While Mr Bolt was found guilty in a court of law for entering this debate. The learned Judge in the Bolt case decided (subjectively) that Bolt’s articles would give offense and be contrary to law.

Given it is wrong for journalists to steal information from private individuals, (especially if they are newspaper celebrities). Yet, according to Pilger it is good and noble to steal private information from Governments. If the stolen information has the potential of endangering national security of endangering lives then to Pilger and his like it is even more praiseworthy.

There's nothing heroic about Manning's or Assange's selfish publicity actions.

Poor little Assange is living in a mansion owned by one of his mates.

He had it off with two other woman - how bout respect for his wife?

He makes himself famous using stolen property.

These are new crimes, for new crims.

Assange is not worth comparing to us honest folk.

He's no Ned Kelly or Robin Hood just a rich and famous perv.

Planta

Some say that Assange is an Israeli asset and it is they who are feeding him the info.Now everyone seems to be attacking him.

One thing is certain is that our freedoms are in dire peril.John Pilger is 100% correct on that observation.

What the neo-liberals conveniently and callously forget is that, if one is fighting the system in a noble cause, one's heart is pure. And in any case, it's all a fabrication by the Swedish neo-conservatives. And after all, in the balance of good and evil, what act would be so terrible that it would counter the good work that Assange has done ?

Arjay asserts that Assange is some sort of Israeli stooge, and this may be so but what if it is more complicated than that ? What if the Swedes are playing their usual double and triple game and have been using Assange to destabilise confidence in US hegemony and take over, feeding him information through Manning and their contacts in Mossad (or more likely Shin Bet) ?

Isn't it obvious that if this were so, they would use this excuse of a couple of women making charges against Assange in order to get him to Sweden for de-briefing, and 're-assignment', which Assange knows, means eventual disappearance ? No wonder he is fighting extradition from Britain. It all makes perfect sense.

And you will notice that, true to form, the Swedes have not left the slightest trace of their culpability. Devilishly clever !

And anyway, what about Abbott !