Rex Murphy: Removing Julian Assange’s halo

Assange is responsible for a number of Innocent Deaths

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Machjo

Machjo

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mentalfloss said:
I agree that there are laws and they could be enforced after a release occurs, but they would have to prove a legitimate threat in order to have the appropriate punishment enacted.
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Let's say Assange was in the UK when he had released these documents (though I honestly don't know in what jurisdiction he was, but for the sake of argument, let's say the UK). Now, if he'd revealed any information of a personal nature, at the very least the persons affected could sue him. I'm sure the US government would be more than happy to pay those Afghans' flights to the UK, hire them a lawyer, and sue his ass on their behalf for invasion of privacy.

No, it might not mean prison time, but it will still bankrupt him.
 
DaSleeper

DaSleeper

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May 27, 2007
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SLM said:
And here we are right back to only two spots on the spectrum again. Square peg will not fit into a round hole no matter how hard you try.

What you are saying, what I am hearing from you, is that the only deciding factor in why an action would be considered wrong is whether or not it causes damage. What I am saying, what I think you are refusing to hear, is that it is the action itself that carries the moral implication.
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You are trying to convince an........

.............



forget it;-)
 
CDNBear

CDNBear

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Sep 24, 2006
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mentalfloss said:
I agree that there are laws and they could be enforced after a release occurs, but they would have to prove a legitimate threat in order to have the appropriate punishment enacted.
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So openly revealing a CI's identity to those he's informing on doesn't present a threat of reprisal? Assange doesn't agree with you.

Maybe you should stop focusing on Op/Ed damage control pieces. Case law is clear.
 
mentalfloss

mentalfloss

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Jun 28, 2010
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CDNBear said:
So openly revealing a CI's identity to those he's informing on doesn't present a threat of reprisal? Assange doesn't agree with you.
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I don't know what a CI is.

The Sun article states that no undercover agents info. were revealed and those agents are the only ones that could really show a legitimate threat.
 
CDNBear

CDNBear

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mentalfloss said:
Well it is true that the degree of harm plays a big role.
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No it doesn't.

The judge can't just swing the mallet and put Assange in jail for "moral failure".
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In Canada, the US and a the bulk of the EU, a Judge could find Assange guilty just for revealing a CI's name, where the threat ought to have been apparent.

Again, case law is clear.

petros said:
What is the hypothetical death toll?
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mentalfloss said:
It's been a few pages since I asked that question and so far, nothing.
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Who knows, the act is illegal.

Only the morally bankrupt hypocrites and ideologues hinge their erroneous opinions on it.
 
SLM

SLM

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Mar 5, 2011
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mentalfloss said:
Well it is true that the degree of harm plays a big role. It's basically what the courts would have to go on in order to actually assess damages. The judge can't just swing the mallet and put Assange in jail for "moral failure".
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I'm not talking about a judge in a courtroom. I'm talking about myself and my own assessment on the actions undertaken. It's about the principal of the action itself.

Degree of harm may play some role in the punishment one receives but it does not completely render the intial action as either moral or immoral.

That line of reasoning would suggest that attempted murder is no big deal at all because no actual death occured. The fact that no one died may mean a slightly lighter sentence but it does not render the intial action benign from a moral and ethical standpoint.
 
CDNBear

CDNBear

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mentalfloss said:
The Sun article states that no undercover agents info. were revealed and those agents are the only ones that could really show a legitimate threat.
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petros said:
You really believe the Taliban and Paki ISI have no idea who are rats and who aren't?
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After the fact, Assange would not have been privy to that information. Especially since an assumption.

His intent was made perfectly. If anyone objective enough, were obliged to ignore it on the grounds that it makes their argument worthless.
 
SLM

SLM

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DaSleeper said:
You are trying to convince an........

.............



forget it;-)
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Hey, I don't really care what he thinks. But telling me what I think and why I think that way, yeah I'm not going to shut up about it. ;)

But I'm heading out for breakfast now, I'll check back in later. :)
 
Machjo

Machjo

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Oct 19, 2004
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mentalfloss said:
Looks like Assange might be facing espionage charges.
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I don't know how well it will hold though, at least in other countries, seeing that he wasn't even in the US when this happened. I guess he'll just avoid US soil from here on in and the US will be satisfied by the inconvenience this will cause him. Or alternatively, try to get him tried by the country in which he was when he'd committed these acts based on whatever domestic laws of that country which may apply.
 
Machjo

Machjo

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Oct 19, 2004
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Of course he he ends up in a Swedish prison for rape, then the US won't have to worry about him anymore for awhile.
 
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