Is Assange damaging the net? Arguably he already has! Rhrosty

Perhaps Julian Assange is also responsible for Global Warming. And my dog has a rash which undoubtedly is Julian's fault.

Of course, if Israel nukes Iran, its justification will be traced back to Mr Assange, nothing surer.

The world loves a good whipping boy, eh!

Mal,

In discussing the wide ranging debate between governance and transparency on the internet, I suspect that you are overlooking a basic fact about interpersonal communication; people can, and will, discuss what ever they wish.

Many times, this will be face-to-face, or else in groups, but nevertheless frank discussion will occur, unrestricted by what they fear they are, or are not, allowed to say. Allowed by whom?

You overlook the fact that nobody has any right to dictate what you may think, therefore what you may say.
That comes down to personal freedom, which should include personal responsibility.

But if it doesn’t? So what! That’s when our own analytical skills will probably ring little alarms bells of distrust, not a meek turning to the regulators.
I dispute your statement that being above reproach “requires that you allow yourself to be measured by some standard beyond yourself”.
It does not matter whether or not others “reproach’ you for what you say – the ultimate responsibility for truth and morality is yours alone, not that of someone else.

Re David G's list: Mustn't forget the carbon tax.

Hi David G,

Nothing like getting in first, i suppose, with reductiones ad absurdum. And tu quoques.

I haven't actually heard or seen or read of anybody accusing our Hero of the People with causing AGW. Or causing Israel to bomb Iran. Or Israel bombing Iran. Or Assange causing the carbon tax.

Your dog's rash, I don't know about.

But then again, the US has not laid any charges against him either. But they are such b@stards, that they surely will, sooner or later. Not in UK, but in Sweden where it is harder to get extradition from. Such perversity !

On the other hand, it has been conclusively proven by the student 'Left' that Assange did not rape anybody, in fact may not have had sexual relations with those women, at all. By definition, they morphed from Wikileaks volunteers, showing Our Boy great generosity, into US puppets.

But maybe like the Ecuadorian President remarked, sex without a condom is not rape, regardless of what any woman says. Nor, presumably, is having sex with her when she is fast asleep or drunk as a skunk.

Men have needs that women don't understand, isn't that so ? Particularly a Hero of the People ?

Joe

Joe, I would like to strenuously deny that I have tu quoques! The one that I have has got me into enough trouble already during my long life.

With two, well...I might well rival Julian Assange or Bill Clinton or even Bob Hawke.

Cheers!