Assange has requested political asylum & is in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London

[Savannahmann]

156. I think it's time for a reality check.

The Pentagon Papers saved lives, because the people were informed that their President was lying about the reasons we got into Viet-Nam. That truth reduced our involvement in Viet-Nam eventually. It took years for that truth to have the effect it should have always had. Without that truth eroding public support, we would likely have stayed in Viet-Nam as we stayed in Korea. A warmonger like Nixon would have loved to bomb the Communists into the pages of history. Instead he ran on getting us out, giving the majority the idea we could have peace with honor. We Democrats lost that election because we just wanted out period. Honor be damned, we shouldn't have been there in the first place.

Cablegate as it's known, was a disaster from the get go. First, when I was 19 years old, and in the Army. Nobody gave me the keys to all the secrets in the world. Why? I was 19 and let's be honest, while legally a man, and couldn't drink, everybody knows that people of that age are going to make mistakes. So the dunce that gave the keys to all the secrets in the region to a 19 year old kid should be held at least partially responsible.

Second. The Government once they realized that this was going on could have pre-empted the move and released all the documents with redaction of sources and means in order to protect the secrets. Instead they railed and denounced and demanded people listen to them. Stupid.

Third. Going after wikileaks was just asinine. First to pressure banks to keep them from getting donations, then shutting them down on pay-pal, and then going after their servers AFTER the information was released was juvenile. It was the action of a powerless parent taking away a child's toy for insubordination. If you have a real criminal charge, bring it. If you don't, then leave the petty crap at the door.

Fourth. Assange is an asshole. But we're back to the original topic now. Does an Asshole have rights? If you are going to tell me it is standard practice in Sweden to have all participants in place before you investigate a crime, I'll call you a liar right now. Nobody has that policy. Now, demanding that the participants be present for a trial, that is one thing. But again, there has been nothing equivalent to an indictment. Sweden is demanding extradition for the investigation. I can see no logic in that move. NONE. The only possible answer is that the United States has a deal to intercept and introduce Asange to the Rendition program first hand. It is the only logical answer.

Again, let's say you were in Florida on vacation. You return home to California. Florida says that they have an accuser who says you raped them. You say it wasn't rape. Instead of sending the cops to talk to you, they demand you return to Florida for the investigation. I would say bite me. If you want to talk to me, here I am. If you want to charge me, I'll show up, and prove my innocence. However, just to interview me? Not in this lifetime.

I would smell a rat. Wouldn't you? I saw a news story where A Disney cruise ship had a crew member disappear while at sea. They were flagged out of the Cayman islands. Instead of the FBI, or the Mexican Police, they had the disappearance investigated by the Cayman Island police. One cop flew to Los Angeles, and interviewed a bunch of people. They didn't have the entire ship show up in the Cayman Islands to ask questions. They didn't take anyone to the Cayman Islands to be questioned. They did it there. The family thinks they should have done more to discover what happened. Which of course is how it ended up in the news.

Nobody demands that a suspect show up for questioning in that kind of situation. Nobody. I smell a rat.