Julian Assange: 'How do you attack an organisation? You attack its leadership'

[supernova]

Source: guardian.co.uk|The Observer

As his court case looms, Julian Assange is facing a rising tide of hostility. In this exclusive interview he insists: 'We have not once, in four years of publishing, got it wrong'



....

The American diplomats writing the cables leaked to Assange report many of the reasons for the Egyptian uprising: torture of political dissidents, even common criminals, to obtain confessions; widespread repression and fear; and – of special interest to anyone who follows WikiLeaks – the increasingly important role of internet activism, opposition blogging and communication with democratic movements within and without the country over the web.

As ever with the diplomatic memorandums published by WikiLeaks – an act of dissemination for which Assange has become public enemy number one in the US – the cables are, ironically, testimony to the professionalism and straight- talking of the US State Department. Assange concedes that the cables contain "a relative honesty and directness, and quite a lot of wannabe Hemingway".

This is exactly what WikiLeaks considers itself established to do, exactly the kind of moment in history that Assange's organisation feels it can illuminate for the world – and to which it may even have contributed, he claims, "by creating an attitude towards freedom of expression", and by being read by Egyptians themselves. This should be one of the great days in the history of his organisation: Assange and a group of his colleagues huddled over a thicket of laptop computers, downloading, following events, sharing news and occasionally whooping at it. It is one hell of an hour in WikiLand, but a weird one, too, for other things are also on Assange's mind.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jan/30/julian-assange-interview

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Really like the article because it sheds light on why Julian Assange does what he does.

edit: code

[xchrom]

1. recommend

[FirstLight]

2. remember when Obama said we were going to see more transparency?

well, it may not have come from him ...but it sure has happened!
I am grateful for the work this man is doing, he is a revolutionary in his own right.

I guess I am a revolutionary too, since i am absolutely thrilled that opressed peoples are 'getting it' all over and coming forward to instigate change...it's not about a leader, it is about the people not taking it anymore.

and, i sincerely hope to see some movement happening here, regarding the corporatocracy and the ending of the war machine...i would show up for that, truly...

[molly77]

17. First Light

Me too. I believe it will happen here too.

[No Elephants]

24. Maybe Assange is working for Obama. A 3 dimesional chess move to achieve transparency

without angering the Illuminati.

Could happen. Ya never know.

[Catherina]

40. +1 Same for the hope and chance. n/t

[Lars77]

3. Maybe he should'nt stuck his face in every camera calling Wikileaks "my team" then ? nt

[Schema Thing]

7. why would you care?

[Lars77]

9. I've lost a lot of respect for him, Wikileaks should be a faceless organization

Because of his apparent urge to play secret agent/man of mystery on TV, he has provided the powers that be with a face that they can smear.

Wikileaks should be as invisible as "Anonymous", and be nothing more than a website. There's a reason why people have been leaving Wikileaks to set up a new organization.


That's why i care.

[snagglepuss]

12. I see your point but don't agree because there is value in people seeing

how TPTB have tried to silence him.

[Lars77]

14. Yes, but they would'nt have done that if he had kept his face out of the media

That's exactly my point. Leaks are still coming by the day, when is the last time you actually heard anything big from that? In stead, all the stupid media does is to fly choppers over the chateau he lives in and trying to get interviews.

Every time someone mentions Wikileaks now, people start talking about those bullshit sex charges.

It's become about him, not about the leaks. My proof of that is that we are having this conversation.



In other words, the powers that be has succesfully moved focus away from what matters - and on to what does not matter. And it's his fault for providing them with that target to feed his ego.

[snot]

38. Just like they're not arresting every Anon they can get their hands on?

[Lars77]

45. I don't even know what you're responding to n/t

[snot]

46. keeping one's face out of the media is no guarantee against being arrested.

[Lars77]

47. But my point was that he has gone so far in his job as spokesperson

he completely overshadows the leaks. And as i've said before, the fact that we are having this conversation proves my point.

[Luminous Animal]

25. Wikileaks chose to have a spokesperson to divert media interest from their other

staff.

That is, they purposefully created their own scapegoat. By the way, Openleaks has a spokesperson, as well.

[JVS]

48. Wikileaks gets more attention because he put his face out there.

[Tunkamerica]

8. should've just kept his mouth shut, huh?

[Lars77]

11. Yes. Like Anonymous. n/t

[girl gone mad]

15. Don't know much about Anonymous, do you?

[Lars77]

16. Why don't you educate me then, in stead of just writing one-liners? nt

[girl gone mad]

18. moot..

has also been a subject of fierce criticism and gratuitous personal attacks by the media over the years.

http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Moot (NSFW)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4chan#moot

[Lars77]

22. You saying he's got just as much attention as Assange?

Look, i know Assange is God to many people on this board, and i've defended him myself for a long time. But i can't anymore. This was never about him, but he is very much responsible for making it about him by holding press conferences, interviews non stop for months.

Read this piece by the NY Times on Assange.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/magazine/30Wikileaks-t.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1


Sorry, i love Wikileaks, and i don't like the way Assange has been fronting himself in all of this. It takes the attention away from where it belongs - on the leaks.

[toddaa]

23. Moot is never indicated any participation in Anonymous

Anonymous originally formed to protest the Church of Scientology, which has a long history of Internet attacks going back to the days of alt.scientology on Usenet. Hackers and Scientologists have been feuding for years. Do not confuse 4chan with Anonymous.

[sudopod]

27. Anonymous was around looooooooooong before Chanology.

LURK MOAR PLZ.

[toddaa]

28. You are mistaken

Perhaps you are referring to someone from ebaum's world.

[Luminous Animal]

26. Anonymous has to stay anonymous because much of what they do is illegal.

What Wikileaks does is not illegal.

[superduperfarleft]

43. .

:rofl:

Noob...

[Lars77]

44. You're breaking my heart nt

[polly7]

4. K & R, the man's a hero, plain and simple. n/t

[snot]

39. +1. Still seeing extraordinary level of ignorance about WL on DU; pls, everyone,

double-check your facts. The corporate media in the US, including the NYT et al., have made numerous mistakes and mischaracterizations, some of which they've been forced to correct, but not, of course, in ways that ensure those corrections are seen.

You can see a succinct, accurate summary of the basic facts and issues at http://www.c-cyte.com/The_Case_for_Wikileaks.html .

[earcandle]

5. Really appreciate his thoughtful intention, despite the blowback.

[glinda]

13. His own mother has said he believes very strongly/deeply about things.

[Hydra]

6. I support Assange

Know a person by his enemies. His enemies want everything quiet, their voice the only one heard.

In this age, honest words are an act of revolution.

[snagglepuss]

10. Interesting read. r & R nt

[Initech]

19. No - you go after the owners.

[treestar]

20. If you do illegal things, and a government goes after you for it

that is not being 'attacked.'

[Edweird]

35. What has he done that's 'illegal'?

[superduperfarleft]

42. Don't expect an answer to that one.

Some people evidently think that if you repeat something often enough, it becomes true.

[trumad]

49. You've been asked what he has done that is illegal...

You going to answer?

[mrfrapp]

21. Chomsky

If nothing else, the Wikileaks story has vindicated Chomsky's most important message. That what we now call the "mainstream media" exists for no other reason than to maintain the status quo. The speed at which The Guardian has turned on Wikileaks is truly breath-taking.

Chomsky has written entire books on this subject but his most succinct analysis was given in an interview with the BBC journalist, Andrew Marr.

Marr: "How can you know that I'm self-censoring?"

Chomsky: "I don't think you're self-censoring. I'm sure you believe everything you're saying. But what I'm saying is if you believed something different, you wouldn't be sitting where you're sitting."

From what I can see from the last few months, The Guardian and The New York Times have been given very clear instruction not to rock the boat. They've had their fun, their moment of rebellion, but the serious business of putting Assange in prison is now their mission.

It's genuinely depressing.

[unkachuck]

29. K&R....n/t

[MasonJar]

30. Assange has the leaders right where he wants them. He has a lot

more to reveal. They'd better get off his case. Threats will not work. More power to him. Truth to power finally.

[Cid_B]

31. "'We have not once, in four years of publishing, got it wrong'"

Aside from your first big taste of news in the tastefully titled and creatively edited "Collateral Murder"...

[Luminous Animal]

33. Wikileaks released both videos, the 39 min version and the shorter version on the same day...

Both were titled "Collateral Murder". The NY Times even reported as such.

Here is a link to both. How about you watch both and point out the creative editing.

[Cid_B]

37. The parts that skim over this tidbit...among others

Attributed to Ryno

A google search reveals multiple breakdowns by scene and by frame but I have a sneaking suspicion you wouldn't believe me even if they were handed to you on a silver platter.

[Hutzpa]

32. K&R

another character assassination by the American media.

[JI7]

34. hahha

[vanlassie]

36. "There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." L. Cohen

[Catherina]

41. Julian Assange. Marry me now please. Rec'd n/t