I wish my title was embellished, but it’s been a crazy 24 hours. The background to this story is that Wikileaks‘ editor Julian Assange is holed up in Ecuador’s embassy in London, waiting for the Ecuadorian President Correa to rule on his asylum bid. It’s expected that asylum will be granted on Thursday. One way or another, the UK has threatened to storm the Ecuadorian embassy and take Assange into their custody for rendition, err… extradition to Sweden for “questioning”. From there, it’s widely expected Assange will be extradited to the USA for torture and eventually death in retribution for unleashing Cablegate.
The whole “Assange is a rapist, and people who support him and Wikileaks supports rape” comments found on Twitter and elsewhere, is propaganda of the worst kind. It’s convincing otherwise intelligent people to put prosecution of sexual misconduct at a higher priority than preserving free speech and democracy! Look at unfree countries and tell me women are treated equal to men or better there.
If political prisoners, like Assange, are not universally defended, then the state will simply accuse anyone it finds a threat as being a sexual deviant. Since propagandized individuals don’t see through that old ploy, they’ll cheer as our top journalists are imprisoned, and weaker journalists shut up to avoid going to jail. Bye bye democracy. Then bye bye feminism.
I’m getting seriously pissed off explaining to people privileged who live in free democratic countries like England, Canada, and New Zealand, that we PROTECT political prisoners, not cheer for their prosecution. We are becoming the bad guys, as western nations. Our moral high ground over China, South Africa, and elsewhere with poor reputations, is rapidly being ceded to pursue a bogus rape charge for the most innovative journalist to make waves in decades.
TonoFonseca 2012/08/15 at 5:51 PM ET:
I never, ever, thought, in a million years, I would be siding with Ecuador against Britain. It is sad how countries like Britain, Canada, and the USA are becoming just like the police states we fought against in WWII and the Cold War.
Sidenote: I have a slight personal connection with Ecuador, as it’s the home country of an exchange student who lived with my family for months when I was a boy.
Saskboy's Abandoned Stuff 
I think there’s more to be achieved against imperialism than there is to be won for feminism to side with Assange the activist against Assange the accused sexual assaulter. Especially since the USA doesn’t care about rape usually.
I caught a mention of ‘moral high ground’ in your most excellent rant.. Now that’s a rare and mysterious piece of Canadian real estate. But I know for a fact it has not been ‘ceded’ nor extinguished. We live in a big land.. a very big land, and we Canadians are such a diverse and incredibly fortunate people. No wonder that folks from around the world want to come here.. and have a precious little part of that amazing high ground called Canada.
Now when Stephen Harper says that his values are Canada’s values and that he speaks for all Canadians, I have to laugh out loud. Its like he’s saying he can catch the wind. He gets things a bit mixed up at times, thinking that Canada is his land.. as if he owns the land too. And saying he can, and will change it so we won’t recognize it when he’s through with it is plain nonsense and boastful talk. We all know talk is cheap and the pudgy cowboy from Toronto does have the talk and a shortage or morals. Its as if Canada is a tame Stampede calf he’s gonna ride down n rope and slap his burning brand on.. then stand back quick and see if he done it in less than ten seconds. “Yippee ki yay am I smokin hot or what?”
The moral high ground certainly needs some cleanup and so does Canada’s tarnished parliament .. I thought we had a sergeant at arms to toss intruders, frauds, liars, impostors and radical or sleepy MP’s out with the trash. I won’t even mention our flailing & failing electoral situation or the lizard eyed senate and robotic ‘speaker’. Don’t look for feminism to get a fair shake or the time of day from this odd posse of Conservative cow pokes from Ottawalberta.. won’t happen. Its not the way they ride. Mebbe its against their odd ‘morals’ .. dunno.
Assange would do well to park his ass here in Canada for a while.. but Ecuador seems a good fit. I aint ready to judge him.. but I do see him and Bradley Manning together, as one of those very rare ‘black swan’ events that overturn governments and shake up the citizenry. Lordy knows the US of A and especially the Repugnicans do not want the citizenry to get to thinking too hard or reading any of those thousands upon thousands of emails and attached files. There might be something about how to achieve maximum vote suppression in key states in those emails.. or Mitt Romney’s tax returns.
Britain is in over its head here.. thinkin they can just drag Assange out of that embassy & airmail him to Sweden. We all know that. They smell like roses after the Olympics only to find their politicians and media are hooked on soccer gossip, phone taps, F35’s, the girls on page two, and anything sensational or controversial or just plain stupid. The used submarines they sold Canada should be towed back and released in shallow Brit waters, so they won’t sink. That could make their news and maybe they could resell them, to a 3rd world south american junta.. oh never mind.
The War against Ecuador .. has a poetic ring to it.. like The Rain in Spain. Canada might have to jump in there, God Save The Queen ! Get our forces mustered and Harper & Mackay can wear pointy military hats and huddle with the Brits, just like in 1812 .. then air-show them uppity south americans the error of their ways. They might have to get overflight clearance from Obama, or arrange refueling in Cuba afore they strike hard on the gringos or greaseballs or Ecue-Terrorists or whatever is currently politically correct bluster or language .. and NO TORTURE ! Mind you ! That’s just not Cricket !
Maybe John Baird should be diverted to London Town toute suite, so’s he can save face re his Syria confusions and funding reversals and grab a cab to the Ecuadorean Embassy to be Steve’s point man on the scene. I can hardly wait to see the flashbangs go off as Britain’s Special Air Service storms an embassy right in front of London’s paparazzi … a Gold Medal for Stupidity … Eh ?
Gold medal for stupidity, I like it.
Canada is rotten to the core with corruption. Especially since, Harper won his so called majority. Canada has no room to talk on Assange, being a sexual deviant. Assange will never be permitted to park his butt in Canada.
However, big oil wants a war on at all times. They thrive on wars. If there isn’t a war going on, then an excuse to start one must be found…such as WMD in Iraq. A war between South America and England, would suit the bill. Russia and Communist China, are blocking a war with Syria and Iran. So be it, a South American war with England. Who knows??
It’s convincing otherwise intelligent people to put prosecution of sexual misconduct at a higher priority than preserving free speech and democracy!
Yeah! Even if he is a rapist he’s entitled to rape a few chicks ’cause he Julian Fucking Assange! He’s a hero and any woman who objects to his sexual advances or asks him to use a god damn condom is not doing her duty for the poor women who have no rights in the third world.
Sweden is just doing the grunt work for the US. Sure, they’re supposedly a left wing, progressive haven that takes women’s issues to whole new level but they’ll toss all that away for the Americans. Those blonde haired bastards!
So your argument is that instead of “otherwise intelligent” I should have used the words “sarcastic tools”?
Monbiot’s got a good summary here:
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/08/16-2