If you care about press freedom, make some noise about Julian Assange

submitted by Drewski from theguardian.com

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[–]Drewski[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

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[–]Site_rly_sux 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (12 children)

The crux of the argument is as follows (from the OP link):

you don’t consider Julian Assange a journalist? Doesn’t matter. Whether or not Assange fits your – or anyone’s – definition of “journalist” is irrelevant when we are talking about the first amendment’s guarantee of press freedom. It’s a right that’s afforded to everyone. All that matters in this case is that Assange was engaging in acts of journalism

The author also said that only one of the eighteen charges against Assange is hacking related, so it's 17/18ths of a witchhunt using the espionage act to punish common journalistic activities.

So I went out and read some of the DOJ charging PR about the Assange case, and, wow holy shit his behaviour blew me away. He's not a fucking journalist, this is a guy who wants to watch the world burn

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-charged-18-count-superseding-indictment

Assange...aided and abetted [Chelsea Manning] in obtaining classified information with reason to believe that the information was to be used to the injury of the United States or the advantage of a foreign nation

Assange then published on WikiLeaks classified documents that contained the unredacted names of human sources who provided information to United States forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to U.S. State Department diplomats around the world. These human sources included local Afghans and Iraqis, journalists, religious leaders, human rights advocates, and political dissidents from repressive regimes.

WikiLeaks actively solicited United States classified information, including by publishing a list of “Most Wanted Leaks” that sought, among other things, classified documents. Manning responded

Assange actively encouraged Manning to provide more information and agreed to crack a password hash stored on U.S. Department of Defense computers connected to the Secret Internet Protocol Network (SIPRNet), a United States government network used for classified documents and communications

He's not a journalist.

Actually once you read that, you can never call what he did "just a journalist" ever again. He's a fucking James Bond villain. That's not journalism.

Actually when he did approach journalists - in fact the grauniad itself - they spent ages 24/7 removing every single informant's and agent's name, unlike Asshole. Who, if left alone, would still be working through his "top 10 most wanted" - grooming government employees, cracking passwords, then dumping everything unredacted.

Fucking slimeball and fuck you chipit for what you're about to post below

[–][deleted]  (1 child)

[removed]

    [–]Site_rly_sux 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    No because

    1. His so-called journalistic activities amounted to grooming vulnerable government employees

    2. He actively hacked the government

    3. He had a hit list of data he was grooming a government employee to collaboratively hack

    4. His work product was to release thousands of pages, unredacted, containing the names of agents and collaborator personnel who were left in "grave and imminent risk of serious physical harm"

    If you had read the justice.gov link I posted above then you would not be calling him a journalist.

    That's how I can tell you didn't read it

    [–][deleted] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (9 children)

    Ask yourself: do you trust Donald Trump not to turn around and use this precedent on the reporters he considers the “enemies of the people” and has previously wanted thrown in jail?

    [–]Site_rly_sux 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (8 children)

    What? Dude if anyone, of any profession, journalist or carpenter or accountant, grooms vulnerable government employees to help hack the government to get their "most wanted" government documents to release unredacted online, including all the full names and situations of peoples' collaboration with America ...

    Then yes they should be in prison, or parole with no internet, or something. And it doesn't matter whether trump or biden sends that person to prison or whatever.

    So YOU ask yourself. Would YOU want either Biden or Trump to pardon a literal James Bond villain trying to burn down the world. Or would you want both presidents to ensure that people can't get away with doing what Asshole did. I know which one I prefer

    [–][deleted] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (7 children)

    Somebody took their hyperbole pill today.

    [–]Site_rly_sux 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

    If you read the link, what he actually did.....

    Honestly I think (if left alone) he really would have become a frickin supervillain. He had a hit list, he had a platform, he had and has backing of anti-american states (at the very least Ecuador at that time). Every leak was getting worse and worse for societal impact. Not to mention the human cost of informants and agents being tortured and killed. From the Arab spring to pizzagate this fuckhead was setting the world on fire over and over again. So I don't think it's hyperbolic.

    I think it's okay for someone to use journalism and free speech to set the world on fire with ideas. But if you're grooming vulnerable government employees to help you actively hack your "hit list" of databases to dump unredacted - then as a taxpayer I want some GMan to come and stop you. Then multiply that by his real world outcomes - yeah he's a supervillain

    [–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

    allegedly*

    maybe you western terrorists shouldnt give dumbass 20 year old kids access to this information in the first place.

    [–]Site_rly_sux 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

    How does that relate to whether or not Assange's activities can be called journalism or not. I think, by changing the topic in that way, you're accepting that, it's not journalism.

    Also - western terrorist? I don't get it, do you identify as an eastern terrorist and I'm supposed to be in opposition or something? I don't get it.

    [–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

    I'm calling the Pax Americana and the US military western terrorists. I bring up Manning, because Manning committed a crime and was convicted. I don't know what Assange did, but you seem to be blaming Assange for the actions of Manning.

    [–]Site_rly_sux 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

    . I don't know what Assange did, but you seem to be blaming Assange for the actions of Manning.

    It's literally right there in the justice.gov link I already quoted from

    https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-charged-18-count-superseding-indictment

    I'm calling the Pax Americana and the US military western terrorists.

    What the fuck does that have to do with any of this topic. Why does your feeling about the Pax Americana make me a western terrorist. Honestly you just seem deranged

    [–][deleted] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

    Honestly you just seem like a fed jew shill