22nd December 2010, 11:41 PM
Quote:He also has a very definite anti-American agenda; this isn't like the Pentagon Papers, which were leaked in the name of knowing the truth and freedom of information, but something leaked by someone with a stated anti-American agenda, or at least an anti American foreign policy agenda. That difference does matter.
No, it doesn't matter. Most of what I've read about Assange has been exactly what you just said about the Pentagon Papers: that he's about protecting freedom of information and transparency. Anti-Americanness isn't an issue here and isn't relevant to the principle behind WikiLeaks. Somehow I get the feeling that such an understanding of Assange has something to do with the perverse belief that concepts like upholding the protection of freedom of speech and exposing the government are inherently "American" in some way. I guess what I'm saying is that if an American was responsible for WikiLeaks maybe you'd have a different take on it. Or maybe not, but anti-Americanness or harbouring an "anti American foreign policy agenda" (which can be safely argued the Pentagon mole did have in relation to Vietnam, along with lots and lots of people around the world, including a bunch in America!) is a non-issue.
And I don't like him either, not one bit - the creepy sex fiend part of his personality definitely makes him pretty impossible to like. If he's guilty of rape then he should obviously be in jail. But it's not really about Assange.