if Julian Assange is extradited, shackled and orangesuited,to the U.S. to face criminal espionage charges and is found guilty, then freedom of the press means nothing in the U.S. any more and democracy a quaint notion from a bygone era.

How can you have freedom of the press when it is stolen material.

Explain 579, how is information about the conduct of a public owned entity by the voting public 'stolen'?

If you were a manager of a business, and somebody were conspiring to use research funds to skip the country and buy a house overseas, would you not want to know?

When the truth is a threat to the State then the State is in deep trouble. Indeed.
Our media is not our friend. First the Iraq war BS, now calling to execute folks for showing our "leaders" in the true light.
579. Leaked political material is not stolen, it is a necessary part of democracy. Diplomatic cables are not private, they belong to the state and hence the people. I just love how these people can get upset over "lives at risk" when they are plotting "shock and awe" on civilians and the ruin of entire economies...not to mention the kidnap and torture. The US are not the "good guys" and the leaker's are doing everyone a service by bringing the real story to the surface. Any "collateral damage" is worth it: spin-free truth is just too important.

If Mr Ariel is surprised to be agreeing with
Noam Chomsky about Wikileaks, then I'm
gobsmacked to find myself agreeing with him.

There's a first time for everything, I guess.

I suspect that the Wikileaks controversy may well
generate some interesting ideological alliances as
the saga plays out. We live in interesting times,
as the apocryphal Chinese proverb goes.

At stake is the liberty and life of a man who is showing us the only way to a true Democracy; Transparence in the administration of our common wealth!

We should defend him with all our power.

But we have no power left. We stupidly voted it to the politicians.

As far as I am aware, most of the countries claim democratic government – Government by the people for the people. These governments pass laws in contempt of the rights and welfare of many of the people, and want to conceal many from legitimate scrutiny. Concealing the reasons why these laws are made is really a crime against the people, and the people in the governments and others of powerful status who become frantic when despicable acts of parliament or of those powerful allies are brought to light. Sure, we have seen that Kennedy, ex President assassinated and more of them for various reasons, but surely, when someone brings out lots of information that we have every right to know, he should be protected, not conjured out of sight and hearing, we do have corrupt people in parliament, and in congress, Well, stupid anyway. “60 minutes in 2004, of George Bushes attack on Afghanistan” on the internet, should convince you of that – unless you belong to a political party, then you will only believe what your party tells you.

Assange probably can be charged under our sedition laws which John Howard beafed up to protect us from the the terrorists.In the US they have the Patriot Act and Preventative Detention .If they can find a way of labelling him as a terrorist,then he is gone and so are we.

Can't a country have privacy, We vote for govt; to run our affairs.
Someone comes along and aqires classified information and publishes it for the world to see. We did not vote for a world govt;
This bloke is a terrorist. Taking things into his own hands to embarrass
several governments. There is a case for treason with the publishing of vital sites and infastructure. What does anyone need to know that for.
To call this person Australian is somewhat over the top.
All this will achieve is a tightening of security.

579, how long have you been asleep, have you been hiding under a log or something. Wake up, this is the real world, and we have the same rights as anyone else, and more than those who try to destroy it. You have to be blind and dumb if you can't see and object to the wars and economic mess we have been forced into.

If I may, I would like to clarify two points.

1. I do see a distinction between the publication of sensitive material such as say, US anti-terrorist strategy in Yemen on the one hand, and say the publication of Kevin Rudd’s private views of China which contrast with those views he publicizes to the Australian electorate.

The former may very well put lives at risk of American and Allied military personnel. And the publication - by all media and not just WikiLeaks - cannot be defended.

But when it comes to politicians misleading their electorate such as Kevin Rudd’s wildly disparate views, it is clear that he lied to the Australian public or he lied to the United States Secretary of State.

Rudd can't have his dim sum and eat it too.

Similarly when Hillary Clinton was caught saying one thing in public about Russia and another to the American people, that too is indefensible. And let's not forget her directives to spy on the UN Secretary-General.

2. With respect to publishing material online, WikiLeaks is no different from say the Guardian and the New York Times. Why are they not been hounded up hill and down dale? Why only Assange? Are his connections in the corridors of power threadbare compared to Big Media's? It would seem so.

Point 2. is an excellent one - Wikileaks is a media organisation doing what media organisations do - publishing material supplied by their sources. Why aren't others being singled out for assassination threats?

Assange hasn't personlly hacked into the State Department and stolen those cables. His source (s) supplied him and Assange supplied the Guardian and the NYT.

BTW does anyone else find it interesting that these leaks have been going on for some three years and the US hasn't yet found a way to have Wikileaks charged with anything?

Must be why so many want to go extra judicial and kill him.

I suppose that most people have heard the ravings of those people talking about our “democratic” government – By the people for the people – and you would think that no law would be passed without the people being aware of it and in approval of it, but that is just wishful dream, isn't it, party members are banned by their party, in making democratic remarks in Parliament if they have not been told “you can have a conscience vote on this issue”. Sure we have our party faithfuls who accept that what ever “their” party does, is definitely the right thing, and if they are secretive about it, that must alright also. So I wonder why our country has been into and bordering on a recession these times over the last forty years. Maybe wikileaks is doing something for the people that those “dedicated, honest law abiding people “ in our parliament and US congress aren't being honest about and won't even apply their own power to achieve. The “60 minutes” 2004 article “ Bush sort “way” to invade Iraq was “Topic A” 8 months before 9-11”, is one of the sort of incidents which should be made more aware to the public.

Only leaked information uncovers unethical behavior of politicians, bankers, military, police, CEO's, corporates .......

Without the deep voice and Bob Woodward cheating Nixon would not have been caught.

Without leaks torture by US military and secret agencies in Irak would not have come to the light.

It needs people like Andrew Wilkie to stand up for ethics and for the citizens to tell the truth.

And it needs the free internet sites like WikiLeaks to publish it, because the normal press has started self censorship since 911.

And we Australians should have a government to whom the protection of it's citizens is more important than just to nod to all requests and wishes of the big ANZAC brother. It was not right to let our citizens rot in Guantamo bay where basic Geneva conventions were ignored.

Our government should protect the WikiLeaks founder and guarantee fair trials and prevent with any means a possible transfer to the USA.

Under G.W.Bush freedom of speech and basic democratic rights were limited by the patriot act.

I hope WikiLeaks will continue, because I would like to see more background information, starting at 911 until today. I would like to know if the WMD lie was the first one the US politicians have us tried to make believe or if there have been lies before that.

Only leaked info through WikiLeaks will bring light into the politics during the Bush, Ashcroft, Cheney, Libby and Rumsfeld time which includes John Howard here.

Chris

These cables have got stuff all to do with politics, It's after work chatter. No different to what you do

POTUS Obama has the right after he determines anyone has given aid to terrorism, to have them assassinated, or to have them extraordinary renditioned and given enhanced interrogation. Even to be turned over to another government that might torture them. The defence of civilization, peace, truth, justice and the American way require nothing less. If you doubt, look at recent court decisions and keep your mouth shut or you might be extraordinary renditioned, unless you disappearance would raise too many questions.

Assange allegedly works for Israel, according to his former associate Daniel Domscheit-Berg.
http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/154598.html
The "leaks" were no doubt the result of Israeli Espionage, not "whistleblowers", they're being released and promoted in such a way that the Israeli led war against the "Axis Of Evil" is given added impetus.

Very interesting and inspiring to see how many are united in defence of Julian Assange. It is interesting also to see that newspapers which are normally content to print government media releases as news and without checking are actually running wickileaks information, it must be a welcome change for the journalists.

I hope that our Prime Minister will make a list of all those calling for the death of Assange and to have them banned from entering Australia, if they do they should be arrested and charged with inciting violence and making threats against an Australian citizen.

What a laugh Jay of Melbourne
That's good propaganda of Iranian state media

I laughed when I first read the exchange below on an American Religious forum, then I stopped. Mmm.

Originally Posted by pgp_protector
"Don't you have to be a US Citizen to commit Treason against the US?"

Scottbot
"That is generally the rule, but since many other nations are just puppet states of the US, they will cave to US diplomatic pressure and do whatever we tell them to do."

Ouch!

I fear that not only Sweden could cave in to pressure from the USA to extradite Julian Assange, but especially Australia, after hearing the comments of Julia Gillard.

Since 2001 the Australian government never has shown backbone as New-Zealand did, when refusing to join the coalition of the willing. They even accepted Hicks to rot in Guantamo Bay under conditions which breached the human rights grossly.

As Howard valued to be best mate with Bush to be more important than Australian citizen interests, the current government seems not to have an improved point of view, thinking that the ANZAC treaty has first priority, overruling Aussies rights of free speech, free opinion, protecting human rights and independent policies as soon as it interferes with US interests.