WikiLeaks

[JWBear]

When a man who releases information that is highly embarrassing to the most powerful government in the word is suddenly and conveniently embroiled in a sex scandal, and the accusations get progressively worse, sorry... but I'm going to take everything that is said against him with a very large grain of salt.

If you don't think our government will do everything in their power - legal or illegal, moral or immoral - to destroy him, then you are beyond naïve.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by JWBear

When a man who releases information that is highly embarrassing to the most powerful government in the word is suddenly and conveniently embroiled in a sex scandal, and the accusations get progressively worse, sorry... but I'm going to take everything that is said against him with a very large grain of salt.

If you don't think our government will do everything in their power - legal or illegal, moral or immoral - to destroy him, then you are beyond naïve.

You're right that's very likely.

However, you are equally beyond naive if you don't think that cases of borderline sexual assault/abuse are not routinely ignored and marginalized until the accused becomes noteworthy. Perhaps these women's decision to pursue charges now can be interpreted as opportunistic, and perhaps it IS opportunistic, but that doesn't mean he's innocent. Perhaps he's just a big enough prick that he's kept his accusers too intimidated to come forward, and only now that they knew there'd be media scrutiny did they feel safe enough to do so.

There are untold details that you and I are not privy to. There are countless reasons (both in the accusers' favor and in Assange's) that these women may have waited until now to come forward. No one, other than the actual people involved, has even a fraction of enough information to be as sure as people seem to think they are about which side they think is in the right here.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by JWBear

If you don't think our government will do everything in their power - legal or illegal, moral or immoral - to destroy him, then you are beyond naïve.

If you believe that, why is he still alive? You seem to be defining "everything with it's power - legal or illegal" very narrowly.

Also, the beginning if the sex charges issue predates this recent release by several months. Sure, it could have been in response to the earlier releases (which were, in my view more dangerous if less embarrassing to so many politicians) but then the government is doing a piss poor job of doing "everything in its power" if all it can manufacture is a weak case that won't begin to really embarrass him until after he's already done the damage of this last release.

Now, I'm not saying that the entire situation isn't fabricated. Just that there's no particular evidence that it is beyond fitting into the narrative you've predefined. Assuming to be true that for which there is no evidence but is merely possible is not the same thing as a "giant grain of salt."


As for Holder, I doubt they'd pass any ex post facto legislation (and if they did I doubt it would stand for long) but I've no doubt they could pass legislation that would criminalize ongoing activity to the same effect. We do that all the time and generally there isn't anything particularly controversial about it.

[JWBear]

Originally Posted by Alex

If you believe that, why is he still alive?

Because he would become a martyr if he were killed. They wasnt to destroy his reputation and his life.