Julian Assange is something of an enigma. To be honest, I don’t know a lot about him. I still don’t pay much attention to the mainstream news, and I don’t like conspiracy theories. So I mildly pay attention and try to figure out the real story from a distance. Today Julian spoke out from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. I found much of what he said to be intriguing and inspiring.
Manning faces life in prison if convicted.
The case of Bradly Manning is a difficult one. During a time when the country is under the influence of criminals throughout the political spectrum. At what point do we call him a traitor for exposing his country’s secrets? Or a patriot for doing the very same thing?
I think the most important thing Julian said during this article is “As WikiLeaks stands under threat, so does the freedom of expression and the health of all of our societies” and that ‘the United States was at a turning point which could drag the rest of the world into a new oppressive era.’
I find it terrifying that the country which fought off fascism, is now poised to take over Nazi Germany as the most oppressive country in human history. We now start wars based on ‘potential threats’. These wars are started off false information and pandering by the media. The true reasons are kept secret, and there are war profiteers who make substantial gains behind the scenes, while many innocent people die in the bloodshed. We now have the largest prison population in human history, and there are ever growing accounts of police brutality, while our freedoms are surrendered at the stroke of a pen.
I know that exposing military secrets is tantamount to treason, and I certainly wouldn’t recommend acting in this way. I know that wiki-leaks isn’t necessarily a good website because of these reasons. But the pursuance of Assange and the treatment of Manning is very telling in how close they got to the mark; on how our countries are currently functioning behind the scenes. There is much criminality to be spread around, and our governments are not acting within the scope that they were intended to.
I do not believe Assange is guilty of the sexual assault allegations, I believe these are trumped up charges to get him locked up or shut up. What he and Manning did is expose the beast for what it is. Whether what they did is right or not, that is for you to decide. Because the actions that our governments take will affect you.
Where we draw the line in cases like this is the difficult part, because it is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
How far would you be willing to go to expose the truth or protect people who speak out? There is a difference between blind nationalism and true patriotism.
Think about it.
“Laws control the lesser man… Right conduct controls the greater one.” – Mark Twain