Julian Assange's Great Luck

[tekisui]

Source: Slate

Why his arrest and jailing in the United Kingdom is good news for him.
By Jack Shafer

A U.K. magistrates' court denied Julian Assange bail and jailed him this morning over charges filed in Sweden that he had violated sex laws in that country last summer. The Swedes want Assange extradited, a matter that the court could take weeks or longer to decide. Although notables appeared in court pledging to post bail for the Australian secrets-leaker, the judge ruled that he didn't trust Assange not to run.

Although a stay in stir and the prospect of Swedish prosecution might not sound appealing or even advantageous, it's actually a lucky break for Assange. I don't expect him to express his gratitude publicly, but I'll bet he's gamed out how to turn the Swedish arrest warrant, the extradition hearing, and beyond to his benefit.

From his jail cell, Assange becomes something he wasn't yesterday: a martyr. As martyrs go, he's not very appealing. He looks like an alien, talks more insane trash than an NBA point guard (he says he's practicing "scientific journalism"), believes that the ends justify the means, and possesses such an ego-swollen head it's a miracle that he can walk without toppling over.

But throw a nonappealing guy with a cause into jail, and suddenly he becomes a hero. Assange already has a core group of supporters. (I count myself one.) The arrest and jailing will recruit new supporters from their sitting places on the fence; they'll now say, "I don't agree with everything he's done or how he has done it, but these sex charges seem a little trumped up!" Assange's opponents—the honest ones, at least—will rise to say that they'd love to see the pasty-faced bastard dumped into the Supermax prison in Florence, Colo., and become acquainted with the Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski, FBI traitor Robert Hanssen*, shoe bomber Richard Reid, abortion-clinic bomber Eric Rudolph, and Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui. But, they'll add, not on Swedish sex charges.

more: http://www.slate.com/id/2277096/

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. What if the US wants to extradite him from Britain, as rumors report?

[tekisui]

2. I doubt he will be free for some time. He will be held and passed off

to keep him incapacitated as long as the powers that be need.

[JackRiddler]

3. We'll see about the "incapacitated" part.

The ticker has gone up today:

"Currently released so far... 1027 / 251,287"

http://wikileaks.ch/cablegate.html

[tekisui]

5. WIkileaks will go on, no doubt.

And, the model will be replicated.

As for Assange, personally, I think he will have a much harder time.

[sabrina 1]

7. The U.S tortures detainees. I am sure Human Rights Groups

around the world will take up this cause to prevent any extraordinary rendition to the now infamous U.S. prison system of a man who is being persecuted for being a New Media Publisher of facts that are harmful only to war criminals and their acolytes around the world.

I notice not once has anyone denied the truth of what Wikileaks has published. The ranting about national security has grown very old, especially since we know that no one has been harmed, except for the deceivers and liars who actually HAVE killed people, by anything Wikileaks has published.

In fact, the exact opposite has happened throughout their short existence. Amnesty International eg, presented Wikileaks with an award for their work on human rights abuses in Kenya.

They are squealing like wounded pigs in an effort to stop the exposure of their crimes. Like all criminals they hide the evidence of their crimes, and when has a criminal ever been happy about the one who digs up that evidence?

He looks like a hero, World 'leaders' on the other hand have disgraced themselves not just by what the documents reveal, but by their outrageous reaction to the truth being revealed about them. I would think that that average citizen of the countries exposed in the documents, most of them looking like nothing more than U.S. lapdogs, AND being insulted by the U.S. despite their 'loyalty', have lost respect for their 'leaders'.

[howaboutme]

4. A matter of perspective

Those who believe powerful people in governments should have the right to make unaccountable unfettered decisions without feeling a need for any responsibility to the world probably despise Assange.

Governments work for us and thus their actions need to be exposed just as does a public corporation. The danger and corruption comes when they can hide their actions. We need more not less Wikileaks.

[Creative]

6. I agree, the sex charges appear at the least, to be very bizarre.

Still, this is not good for him, as his options are limited while he resides in a cage.

He may end up sliding by based on the fact that he was merely a conduit for the information that was released. However, if I were him I would be very concerned about staying alive.

[midnight]

8. Nonappealing guy? Hm mm I'm not sure this personal attack is noteworthy.

Anyways, I'm sure that Julian Assange will realize that the law will not be followed.... So I think this speculation is moot....

[bemildred]

9. What a load of horseshit. nt

[tekisui]

10. I am squarely and without qualifications on the side of wikileaks,

I thought some good points were made. I don't buy into the 'Assange wants to be a martyr". But, I do thin the reaction of governments exposes their vulnerabilities.

[bemildred]

11. He could have made his points without the tone or the slander.

I think he's a fake "supporter". Nothing against you, but he can blow me.

[tekisui]

12. I hear you,

I had some of that impression, too. And, some reservations.

[bemildred]

13. Well, I don't know what's going on either.

A lot is hidden. They managed to corral him, he went along willingly, now let's see what they do.