Rhrosty, Assange has committed no crime in either Australia or the USA. Nor has he been charged by Sweden.
David, I too am filled with despair by the dismissive content of most of these comments. The unquestioning faith in the USA by most Australians is unfounded. Sensible people would fear a country that has military bases in over 150 countries, and waged constant war for well over a century in support of its economic interests. America worship is now a religion and that's why any criticism is seen as blasphemy, because it questions their beliefs. The world is going down the gurgler, and governments are rightly terrified of the USA, foolishly hoping that when the crunch of climate change begins to bite, they will help us invade other countries to feed ourselves.
Australia has never been the land of the fair go, it has always been narrow-minded, bigoted, prone to priggish censorship, racist, sexist, homophobic. Just as countries that have the word Democratic in their name are certain to be dictatorships, so countries that are always telling the world how fair and easy-going they are, are not. Remember 'British fair play'? the catch cry of one of the most vile and warlike, repressive colonial powers the world has seen - until their bastard child, the USA took over?
Of course Assange went to Ecuador rather than come back here... our inglorious PM's first speech declared her unquestioning servitude to both the USA and Israel.
, Joe, the bloke hasn't been charged with any crime anywhere. The yanks refuse to say they don't want him. USA senators and congressmen have demanded he be shot. The USA has put out a red alert with interpol for him... something only reserved for the worst terrorists... they didn't put one out for Ghadaffi or any other political wanted person. Doesn't it worry you that Bradley Manning is being tortured as I write, held naked without charge in solitary confinement and becoming insane simply because they think he gave info about USA atrocities to Assange? Don't you care if your government is decent?

Hi prigby,

I'm glad you mentioned Bradley Manning - he seems to be copping far more that Assange, but I guess for every work-horse, there seems to be a show-pony. And so far, the Yanks haven't suggested that they will be laying any charges on the show-pony, only the work-horse.

So the question seems to be: did Bradley Manning, by copying sensitive documents and sending them to Wikileaks, break any laws ?

Gosh, I wonder how that question would go down in Russia or China or pretty much any country on earth - has someone broken the law by sending sensitive national documents to all and sundry ? And did any of those hundreds of thousands of documents spread around by Wikileaks impact on anybody's life or safety ?

I do recall getting furious, or at least contemptuous, with Cheney (or was it Rumsfeld?) for exposing one of his own CIA agents, Valerie Plume, because her husband hadn't played ball over some BS story about uranium from - Africa ! - that they needed as an excuse to invade Iraq. That was vicious, but if anybody was similarly affected by Wikileaks, then it could be that Manning has in fact broken laws, like them or not, and that may be just as vicious.

Are there US laws in place, and did Manning break them, or not ? Yes ? No ? So move on: if someone plays that game, hero they may be, but they take the consequences.

If Assange needs any start-up capital for his Ecuadorean potato patch, money for spades or forks, or a wheelbarrow, I'd be happy to chip in. But in my experience, show-ponies don't transform themselves into workers, work-horses, not while there is still some posturing to be done :)

I guess to be a martyr, one needs a persecutor - and so far, the Yanks aren't playing ball. I wonder if the dreadful thought has crossed Assange's mind yet: what if the Yanks never lay a charge on me ? Poof ! Martyrdom evaporates !

No,not while there are usuful idiots around.

Cheers

Joe

As I understand it, Assange may be guilty of rape/sexual assault, under Swedish law!
And Assange does seem to be going to quite strenuous efforts to avoid going there and facing their legal scrutiny, or justice system.
Not the actions of a truly innocent man surely; or, even something that just vaguely resembles a man?
I like others, hope he does make it to Ecuador, to eke out his miserable life as a criminal on the run; and or, become accustomed to their version of free speech/Journalistic licence.
He will need to very quickly develop respect for the form of allowed Journalism and freedom of speech in Ecuador! His life and future freedom of movement could depend on it.
Listening to his blame-shifting excuse making mother on air, leads one to believe? Just where he learned his total disrespect for the rights of others, and the law?
A true Journalist never reveals sources, or publishes and be dammed, but first validates the information, then establishes as far as it is possible, if any lives will be placed in jeopardy with publication. His source, Bradley Manning, rots in jail!
Yes it was righteous to expose war crimes, but "enfant terrible" to simply list and or race to publish, anti-terrorist resources; or place real people's real lives, in very real danger!
If it were entirely up to me, I would let him go, God speed to Ecuador. But, let him know that he will have to face all the crimes he has already committed, bail jumping for starters, if he ever leaves!
There are worse things than prison or the death penalty? Eternal exile, may be one of them?
Rhrosty.

Rhosty,

"Not the actions of a truly innocent man; or, even something that resembles a man."

That makes me laugh. As if any of the usual suspects on this forum casting stones his way could ever hope for an ounce of his fortitude and dedication to his cause. Stitched up by Sweden and abandoned by Australia, and still he holds his ground - more power to him!

(btw, I believe it was Manning himself who blabbed and was dobbed in by his confidant - not Assange!)

Yes, Poirot, it was Manning himself, Assange has never dobbed anyone in.
Joe, You quote Russia and China... Yes, like so many other countries their justice system is unjust, their human rights record abominable... the point is, they do not bray to the world that they are the saviours of freedom, peace and democracy. They don't claim to succour the weak and infirm, to uphold decency, justice, mercy and all the rest of the self-serving USA propaganda about themselves that so many people believe. the truth is it is waging war everywhere in its own interests, is kidnapping suspects and torturing them in various other countries, it refuses to clean up the land mines it sprayed everywhere in Laos so that every day some kid or adult dies or loses a limb... After spraying depleted uranium all over Iraq they deny responsibility for the consequences... they... ah, their atrocities are too great to list, and our press and governments too fearful to admit them. We're the abject objects of USA aggression, living in fear of retaliation if we step out of line.

Poirot S.M.,

Your Honor, perhaps you could give us some explanation for your acquittal of the prisoner, with respect. You have declared him 'not guilty' by virtue of the machinations of the Swedish legal system in trying to frame him, stitch him up, which - implied in your decision - by pressing ahead with legal proceedings, demonstrate that Sweden is a lickspittle of Washington, and has absolutely no backbone or credibility of its own.

And a major part of your reasoning in this case is that all Swedish women are sluts, is that correct ? Prostitutes, willing to sell their client to the highest bidder ?

In Sweden, it appears, to force a woman to have sex without a condom is an offence. Feminists would be .... I was going to write 'horrified' at this injustice to Assange but I realised that real feminists used to think there was something wrong with forcing a woman to have sex without a condom. Back in the days ....

In Sweden, it appears, to have sex with a woman while she is asleep, and not to desist when she asks, is an offence. Feminists would be .... I was going to write 'horrified' at this injustice to Assange but I realised that real feminists used to think there was something wrong with having sex with a woman while she was asleep, and not stopping once she woke up and asked the scumbag to stop. Back in the days ....

So now the truly progressive position is that you can't trust what any woman says, they are all willing to be used to 'stitch up' a 'real man' like Assange ?

With respect, Your Honor, isn't that what would have been called 'opportunism' in the old days ? When the Left had some integrity ?

I rest my case, Your Honor.

:)