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In reply to the discussion: Julian Assange bids to sue Julia Gillard for defamation over WikiLeaks comments [View all]freshwest
(53,661 posts)When it was legal? It took a war, elections and more time and even then, the USA has never formerly apologized for all those years.
Governments do not have feelings, and a lot of Americans, which does not include me, are ready to do another Iraq, etc. They are incapable of being embarrassed. They make a damn good living off war.
The only thing that will change American behavior are Americans, not international law as we know all countries pick and choose what international laws they will follow or not.
I have been extremely grieved at many times in my life over the actions done in our names, but have come to accept that tens of millions of Americans think this is all fine and dandy. Not at DU, but the point I'm making here is that we don't have what more seemingly genteel nations have with 'votes of no confidence' to change the path of government here as fast as we want.
It's all about elections, they are the only way to shake things up. That being said, I don't feel the USA is going to do a damn thing about Assange.
The government charged others and tried to get them, like the Lockerbie bomber. Nothing really happened after years of maneuvering. He was never brought here.
And to my way of thinking, the papers leaked by Wikileaks or Assange, didn't change anything anywhere. We are not royals who get to chop people's heads off when we are angry. We have two ways to get what we want, bombing and bribing. Sometimes in combination.
We're not going to shoot a missile at the embassy in London. The UK is making a show of keeping Assange cornered. We don't have the money to bribe Correa to give him to us.
He still has not been charged by the US. All we have are rumors and speculation. If we wanted him, we would have charged him and I don't think he broke any laws. Manning broke his oath and he was charged. What would the charges be?
Why would the big bad bullies of the USA play this game? Because he leaked a lot of cables, that were in someone's hands already, who could have been bribed? Because the cables said such awful stuff that the world has quit doing business with us over it?
That didn't happen. There is no country to invade over this. Governments cannot be shamed, only people. Nothing is likely to happen. This will just drag out for years.
I think you mentioned Sweden should video interview Assange while he's in the embassy. I agree. Get this crap over with and move onto other stuff.