Julian Assange: Hero or Villain?

[Maverick74]

Quote from bugscoe:

Soon lefties everywhere will be begging to have Assange arrested!

Like the old saying goes "be careful what you wish for".

 

[wilburbear]

Quote from bearice:

Ron Paul stands up for Julian Assange

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) is taking a stand as one of Julian Assange’s few defenders in Washington, arguing that the WikiLeaks founder should get the same protections as the media.

“In a free society we're supposed to know the truth,” Paul said. “In a society where truth becomes treason, then we're in big trouble. And now, people who are revealing the truth are getting into trouble for it.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/45930.html

ron paul also called for wikileaks at the fed (!), which i called for a few weeks ago and repeat now

 

[trendlover]

Quote from Rearden Metal:

I see your point. To clarify though, I said that all human actions and behaviors can be traced to just two possible core motives: Instinct and self-interest.

But that doesn't mean that genuine heroism can't exist. Oskar Schindler was a true hero... but if you think about it enough, you can figure out how even Schindler's apparently selfless actions were rooted in a combination of instinct and self-interest.
The man had an overwhelmingly kind & benevolent natural <i><b>instinct</i></b>, so to stand back and allow his assigned slaves to be gassed to death would have caused him immeasurable guilt & internal torment. Thus it was in his <i><b>self interest</i></b> to do whatever was necessary to save their lives. That doesn't make him any less of a hero, of course. See what I mean?

(Edit: I hope there aren't any slow learners out there who think I've just compared Julian Assange to Oskar Schindler! I've done nothing of the sort.) [/QUOTE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Mr Assange was spared a jail sentence in 1995 after admitting 25 charges of hacking into computer networks including the Canadian communications firm Nortel.

Ken Day, who headed the Operation Weather investigation into Mr Assange’s circle of hackers, told The Daily Telegraph: "Ego is a big part of who he is.

The challenge to win. I think that's important to him as a person. He wouldn't give up on a system he was trying to break into, he was very persistent.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...ange-is-Wikileaker-a-crusade-or-ego-trip.html

He just want to win the game he play. You think he really care for the whole world and corruption?

 

[Rearden Metal]

Quote from trendlover:

Quote from Rearden Metal:



He just want to win the game he play. You think he really care for the whole world and corruption?

A little bit at least, yes. And just because someone is motivated primarily by ego, doesn't mean they can't find a highly beneficial role to play in society.

Besides, if someone (A Jewish guy, most likely) were to find a cure for cancer tomorrow out of egotistical pursuit of power alone, the <b>beneficial result to society is just the same</b> as if he had done so from altruistic motives instead.*

One more thing, trendlover: I'm not even among Assange's staunchest defenders, nor am I in the category of people here who are calling him a hero outright. I only voted "probably more hero than villain", remember?

(*Another edit for slow learners: No, I'm not saying that Assange is anything like the guy who eventually cures cancer. He's not anywhere near that level of heroism, admiration, or praise.)

 

[trendlover]

Ok Rearden, I understand what you are saying.

 

[moo]

Now he's calling for Obama to resign, too.

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/as...n-if-confirmed-president-approved-un-spy-ring

I tend to agree. If Obama has approved this spying, is he any better than Nixon?

 

[Scataphagos]

Quote from moo:

Now he's calling for Obama to resign, too.

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/as...n-if-confirmed-president-approved-un-spy-ring

I tend to agree. If Obama has approved this spying, is he any better than Nixon?

On a Glenn Beck show last week, he revealed that the financial supporters of Wikileaks are some of the same who financially supported Odumbo.

Odumbo hasn't aggressively come out against Assange... At a minimum, we should all be at least wondering why....

 

[Rearden Metal]

Quote from Scataphagos:

On a Glenn Beck show last week, he revealed that the financial supporters of Wikileaks are some of the same who financially supported Odumbo.

Odumbo hasn't aggressively come out against Assange... At a minimum, we should all be at least wondering why....

I'm afraid I might know why:

Step 1) Allow some relatively minor 'secret' government documents to be leaked on the net. The total volume of materials deliberately allowed to be leaked is massive, but the true impact of their contents is minimal.

Step 2) Aggressively seize control of the net in the name of 'security', crushing the people's one last bastion of freedom.

 

[Maverick74]

Breaking news: Assange is turning himself into police.

 

[phenomena]

Wow, you mean, like a transformer???

Quote from Maverick74:

Breaking news: Assange is turning himself into police.