Wikileaks’ Assange Says He Wants Privacy Over Rape Accusation

[struggle4progress]

By Robert Hutton - Dec 21, 2010 6:15 AM ET

Julian Assange, founder of the Wikileaks website, said he wanted to remain “a private person” in respect of a rape claim against him in Sweden that he said is the result of women who “got into a bit of a tizzy.” ...

“I’ve always tried in this case and in my other dealings to be a private person and not speak about matters that are private,” he said. “I’m not going to be exposing other people’s private lives or my own. That’s not what a gentleman does.” ....

He said the claims against him had been overblown, and compared Sweden with a “banana republic.” ...

“A gentleman certainly doesn’t count,” he said. “I’ve never had a problem with women. Women have been extremely helpful and generous with me and put up with me, assisting me in my work, caring for me, loving me and so on. That’s what I’m used to.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-21/wikileaks-assange-says-he-wants-privacy-over-rape-accusation.html

[lamp_shade]

1. Assange wants PRIVACY??

[JohnWxy]

2. oh my, you wouldn't want to preserve a public persona different from your private (no pun intended)

Can't have that julian.

[SnakeEyes]

3. This is amazing

Really don't even need words.

[bhikkhu]

4. There is certainly irony there

but if you look into the guidelines he has set up for Wikileaks, Assange does draw a definite line between public and private life, and shows a great deal of respect and care for individual's privacy. One irony is that in the US we are very bad at making that distinction, or of even realizing that there is a difference between public and private. The crude side of the media is a part of that, but perhaps it goes a long way back...the distinction between the public and the private itself goes back at least to Roman law, though it could be better taught here than it is.