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Feminism: chat

Julian Assange - thoughts?

39 replies

fiddlesticksohyeah · 26/06/2024 12:58

Anyone got a view on Julian Assange? I thought the women's call on him to be investigated was credible but seems like years ago now.

Others in my circle seem to think he's a hero who was set up. I'm lacking facts. Anyone any insights?

OP posts:
sashh · 27/06/2024 09:07

margegunderson · 26/06/2024 22:21

Journalists should sometimes leak stuff. But the Swedish women's testimony suggests he's not a great human. Conflicted.

Both can be true.

Sometimes bad people do good things. Sometimes good people do bad things.

if YOU managed to deduce that he is DEFINITELY a rapist from reading the defence documents, then why the hell didn't the crown court take it further than they did?

You know the accusations were not made in the UK don't you?

Welshiegreen · 27/06/2024 11:00

@sashh did know that it was the prosecuting side that decided to drop the case? They cited the alleged victims memories 'had faded'. 😶

OperationGoldDawn · 27/06/2024 16:36

DanceTheDevilBackIntoHisHole · 27/06/2024 08:13

OP, I really would implore you to look into this deeply. I'm a journalist and that's why my interests are so long enduring - I was in Uni when this all started kicking off and every decent journalist worth his salt was well aware Assange was a true advocate for the freedom of the press, and transparency to the public. But unfortunately the media is not owned by the interests of the public. It's owned by politicians.

Every decent journalist definitely does not think that.
I worked at The Guardian at the time the Wikileaks stuff was published (I'm not a journalist). Leaking the documents was DEFINITELY in the public interest and it was incredible to do so. BUT there was always a need to redact the names and identifying information about individual military personnel. Assange wanted everything out there in the interests of 'transparency'. No 'decent' journalist would see individual lives put at risk in that way. It's not right or necessary.

Assange is and always was an arrogant asshole who has done some good things and some awful things.

And no the media (as if it's all one thing) is not owned by politicians. Again any decent journalist would know that.

chances are its big business that have influence etc

OperationGoldDawn · 27/06/2024 16:37

Raymond tusk comes to mind

TheBlueQuail · 27/06/2024 16:42

He was/is a traitor, treacherous and these type have no place in society. I think capital punishment for traitors was abolished in 1998, very recently. If you were fighting close quarters and he was your buddy you would be fighting against the enemy in front and behind you. No admiration from me, he shouldn't be released. A Judas.

OperationGoldDawn · 27/06/2024 16:43

TheBlueQuail · 27/06/2024 16:42

He was/is a traitor, treacherous and these type have no place in society. I think capital punishment for traitors was abolished in 1998, very recently. If you were fighting close quarters and he was your buddy you would be fighting against the enemy in front and behind you. No admiration from me, he shouldn't be released. A Judas.

Excatly

dropoutin · 27/06/2024 17:27

bundevac · 27/06/2024 00:42

dunno about bright swedish sunlight but at the time police was unable to extract dna sample from the condom anna ardin turned over to them. that was the condom he supposedly damaged for some reason.

So if they were unable to extract it, then it wouldn't have provided evidence in the first place, even if he'd been tried the next day. So the passage of additional time didn't actually make any difference to that.

dropoutin · 27/06/2024 17:43

Here's my take. Some may find it a bit out there, but I believe it's the only reasonable attitude if we want a just society where jounalists can scrutinize and limit the actions of governments.

Whether he committed rape, was "a bit rapey" or was just generally "an arrogant arsehole" is actually irrelevant to the main story.

As a journalist with a right and a duty to do so, he published information that needed to be in the public domain. The USA then threw everything they could at bringing him down, because that information was embarrasing to them.

I'd say the same if Jimmy Saville or Gary Glitter had done it. A person's character or reputation in some other, unrelated area, should have no effect upon how we perceive and administer justice.

Now, I personally believe it seems incredibly transparent that the rape issue was at the very least influenced by the USA's desire to get him, via Sweden, and he was justified in refusing to go there. But I admit I have no proof of that, any more than others have any proof that he's a rapist, or an arrogant arsehole. There's been a lot of loose, non-factual "stuff" put about surrounding him, as there always is with such a controversial person, and people tend to believe what they want to believe.

However if he's committed rape he can be prosecuted for it. If that doesn't happen then he's innocent until proven guilty.

DinnaeFashYersel · 27/06/2024 17:46

He is an absolutely hideous creature and its a shame the women who he assaulted / rape haven't had a chance at getting justice.

Hatfullofwillow · 27/06/2024 17:53

Wikileaks has exposed war crimes, financial crimes and corruption by the most powerful people on the planet. For that he should be applauded & his abandonment by the majority of journalists here & in the USA is a worrying sign of how under control our media is. But, it's perfectly possible he's also a rapey fecker.

fiddlesticksohyeah · 27/06/2024 18:04

chances are its big business that have influence etc

What, like M&S?

OP posts:
Disturbedby · 27/06/2024 18:11

Lalgarh · 26/06/2024 16:19

So brave he doesn't GAF about revealing the names of sources leaving them in fear of their lives if not dead already.

Hugely popular with Q Anon wonks.

Also the rape allegations. And smearing shit all over his sanctuary at the Ecuadorian embassy.

Gets name checked in this though

This.

LlynTegid · 27/06/2024 18:14

I have no respect for him, strikes me as a man who treats women like dirt, a pity that the allegations in Sweden never got to court.

His actions in leaking documents I have no strong view on.

OperationGoldDawn · 27/06/2024 21:00

fiddlesticksohyeah · 27/06/2024 18:04

chances are its big business that have influence etc

What, like M&S?

Blackrock, vanguard etc

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