Posted on 12/04/2010 7:07:52 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) is defending WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's release of thousands of classified diplomatic cables.
In an interview with Fox Business Thursday, Paul went against the opinions of many of his Republican colleagues, asserting that Assange should be given the same protections as the media.
"In a free society we're supposed to know the truth," Paul said. "In a society where truth becomes treason, then we're in big trouble. And now, people who are revealing the truth are getting into trouble for it."
“This whole notion that Assange, who's an Australian, that we want to prosecute him for treason. I mean, aren't they jumping to a wild conclusion?” he added. “This is media, isn't it? I mean, why don't we prosecute The New York Times or anybody that releases this?"
Earlier this week, Attorney General Eric Holder said that the Justice Department is investigating Assange's case to determine whether he can be charged with a crime for leaking the secret documents.
Arkansas Goveror Mike Huckabee went so far as to say Tuesday that Assange should be tried for treason and face the death penalty if proven guilty.
Most U.S. politicians claim that the leaked cables will damage relations with U.S. allies.
Why is it that nobody seemed to have a problem with this guy leaking classified (I'm assuming that much of it was classified, but I'm not 100% sure) military information about Iraq and Afghanistan . . . but once he began releasing diplomatic correspondence and mentioned that damaging information about one or more major U.S. banks would be forthcoming, you suddenly have his website being hacked and chased off servers all over the world, and the attorney general of the U.S. calling for an investigation?
I don't know if the guy is a hero or a criminal (maybe both?), but I'll tell you something -- he has really touched a nerve with a lot of big-government leftists in government and industry right now.
I agree.
It's been a visceral reaction for those who've been told for months that "national security" would be at risk. So far I haven't seen or heard anything to support this assertion other than making Hillary look like a boob and some chatter about petty BS.
Heck -- just this morning there were several items posted here on FreeRepublic about WikiLeaks material that exposes the U.S. role in pushing global warming bullsh!t. Who can possible argue with someone who exposes that?
Maybe Assange could be making the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chieftains and "Carbon Credit" stockholders look bad? Or maybe even some Banks?
They play second fiddle to those bstrds in Washington.
And I agree with you 100%. See my Post #61 on this thread.
Yes, especially when you can always rely on the New York Times, CNN, or NBC to report credibly.
/s
Ssshhh...They had nothing to do with this. Don't you know ALL PFCs have top security clearance to "top secret" classified, "For-Your-Eyes-Only" documents that only Intel agencies have?
Agreed -- and I have absolutely no problem with that.
If I go to board an airplane at a U.S. airport and I get arrested for refusing to let some TSA SS official grab my shmekel, then I guess I'm breaking the law, too. You can call it "civil disobedience" or "breaking the law" if you'd like. I call it the bare minimum response that any normal, decent human being would have to such an outrageous violation of my rights.
If it's true, Assange IS nothing more than a patsy.
I really long for the days when he said every presidential inauguration should be accompanied by the simultaneous appointment of a team of independent prosecutors — to spend the next four (or eight) years sniffing around the White House and following every step this nation’s chief executive makes. Drudge said something to this effect: “If someone is going to make important decisions that have major impacts on MY life, you can be damn sure I’m going to make sure he’s a saint before I let him do that.”
Step B - Roll some heads of those above him, all the way to Zer0.
Step C - IF The New York Times is trafficking in "treasonous" documents, then where's the arrest of its Publisher?
Yup. But for some reason, both the media and this administration, AND everyone else is mum on that.
Has anyone addressed it?
Post 73
The elite government has lost all rights to protection.
Unfortunately, American troops and agents will pay the price - again.
Assange did not create the National Security State nor did he abuse his power consistently over the American people for at least a century.
Lets not shoot the messenger.
We never will. Totalitarian countries have to play “offense” to focus the internal stressors of their totalitarian character outward against the world. They are closed, secretive leaderships.
Open societies really have so much going on internally in terms of business and living, that they play defense. That's what Ron Paul is lamenting...is that he hopes not to see freedom of understanding all of what our Federal agencies do and say, criminalized...which would lead to totalitarianism in the USA.
You're looking at the Big Picture; This is true.
It appears it's part and parcel of dismantling the Old World Order for the New. A Social, Economic, Institutional deconstruction and dismantling.
Any government that refused to vet a Barry Hussein 0bama and allow him access to the WH is suspect. In this case, it's a matter of credibility; IMO the government has little-to-none. This government could have stopped Assange, but didn't. Why not?
Exactly. There were a couple of Paul threads pointing this out yesterday:
No he has been like this all along:
RON PAUL IS A NUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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