Today on Meet the Press Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) accussed WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange of high tech terrorism. McConnell joined a growing chorus of Republicans who have used the term "terrorist" in reference to Assange. Specifically McConnell stated,
"I tthink the man is a high tech terrorist...he's done enormous damage to our country and to our relationships with our allies around the world, and he should be prosecuted."
McConnell went on to say that if Assange did not break any laws then the laws should be changed to allow for his prosecution.
McConnell is not alone in his condemation of Assange. Indeed, the Obama adminsitration has also expressed outrage at Assange's actions and the potential effect it could have on United States diplomacy. However, Republicans like McConnell have gone further in referencing Assange as a terrorist. Some conservatives have even called for the WikiLeaks founder to be killed with or without a trial. They argue that Assange clearly has a vendetta against the United States, and his actions endanger the lives of Americans soldiers and their allies.
While there are few Assange defenders in the United States, some are troubled by the terrorist reference. The concern is that the term "terrorist" loses meaning when applied to those who engage in non-violent actions. If a given term comes to mean everything, or if it can be applied to virtually anyone, then it ceases to mean anything at all. Many Americans would argue that former President George W. Bush has "done enormous damge to our country and to our relationships with our allies around the world" but at the same time very few Americans would call Bush a "terrorist."
Comments
This a classic example of the capricious nature of the tyrannts who have become our DC slave masters. Morality is a toxic commodity in government. After DC hires a mafia hit man to execute the guy is there anything government can't do?
Aimee Klingman, foreign policy examiner says, " Had the mainstream media done its job properly,- that is challenge what they were being fed, there would not have been any WikiLeaks. We don't get news anymore; we have mouthpieces who tell us what their puppeteers want us to hear."
Based upon her puppeteers remark she must know about Soros by now. Not much of the Wikileaks is a surprise to Glenn Beck viewers who are a little more informed than those who don't watch. Just wait until Assange comes out with all the juicy bits about how the US government bailed out the world's banks. No wait I watch GB. There won't be any surprises there.
Kenneth shortgen finance examiner says, "In an October 9, 2009 interview, Assange told Computerworld that WikiLeaks had obtained five gigabytes of data from a Bank of America executive's hard drive."
One of his commentors, Duker_2001 said, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth the more I know the better".
I have to go with Duker on that.
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McConnells quote accurately describes Mitch and the rest of the republicans. Must be projecting again.
That might get you the Emmy for dumbest comment
He is a terrorist and a rapist, I look forward to his coming trials. Maybe he can leak his court defense to the world.
Only if "rapist" includes consensual sex and the condom breaks.
Seems the Swiss ultra-feminist prosecutors have a rather bizarre definition of sexual crimes.
http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/sex-by-surprise-at-heart-of-julian-...
He should be assassinated.
Sorry to hear that Anonymously. I assume that if you said it you must have meant it. Perhaps you should volunteer based upon the power of your convictions. You can do it dog. You can go John Bardo on the guy. A plane ticket and a plan is all you need or were you just being a big mouth?
This oh so high minded tech-terrorist has threatened to release more documents if he is arrested. Can you say blackmail, truly this is about him and his fame and has nothing to do with anything good.
I think if an Alien came to earth today he would assume - with good reason that the planet is made up of a high proportion of insane people - most with paranoid delusions in the US
Steve, A lot of the rhetoric out of Washington DC about changing laws in order to punish him because of his organisation's actions, designating him a terrorist and (unattributedly) calling for his killing with or without trial are frankly quite chilling and shows the current American rule-by-terror-and-propaganda Stalinist mindset for what it is. I fear for the future, not just Assange's but all of ours.
I know Americans are supposed to not understand irony, but you have to wonder when they call someone a terrorist for supporting freedom of speech, and act like terrorists themselves towards anyone who disagrees with them. It's amazing how, over just a few days, several governments have shown just what a bunch of cowardly, vain, infantile, hypocritical bullies they are.
Still, I'm sure Mr Assange will get a perfectly fair trial at Guatanamo Bay.
I wish just a few people knew that the people of Sweden were not SWISS!!! ARRRGHHH! And clearly this is an abuse of their justice system, someone was paid off. For 2 months they couldn't find a prosecutor willing to take this case on. THEN they must have found one and lined his pockets with good old $US. http://swedishchefinva.blogspot.com/2010/12/spouting-off-about-wikileaks...
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