Trump Justice Department Crosses New Line, Charges Assange With Publishing U.S. Secrets

a reply to: Willtell

If i'm understanding this wouldn't this make all us ats members that have leaked documents on our harddrives into criminals?

Could ats survive after that law?

a reply to: CriticalStinker

The silence on this is deafening.

Maddow is yelling about it.

originally posted by: scraedtosleep
a reply to: CriticalStinker

The silence on this is deafening.

Maddow is yelling about it.

We need to get her off of it, she'll only hurt the cause.

originally posted by: Willtell

link

It's the first time a publisher has been charged under the World War I-era law.

This is very factually incorrect. Bradley manning was charged under the espionage act.

SO was:
Reality Winner
Edward Snowden
John Kiriakou
Stephen Jin-Woo Kim
Thomas A. Drake

originally posted by: byteshertz
Your rights trump laws and common law trumps Trump, simple as that.

The first amendment is not giving someone a right, it is simply acknowledging that god-given (birthgiven) right exists.

So what are your rights? They are whatever the general agreement is. This is why it is important we don't just agree with every law, bill or act simply because of a piece of paper written by someone WE put in charge creates.

For me, I feel, as humans, we have a right to know what our agencies, including the governments we have created, acting on our behalf are up to. They forcibly take our money to fight these wars through taxation and mandating services such as medical cover to us, the least we deserve is the right to know that money they have taken is not going to further exploitation and corruption for their own agendas.

I believe a reporter has not only the right but an obligation to report whatever the breaking story is. If a reporter can get hold of this information, the enemies can too, so why shoot the reporter and not those in charge of the information and behind the corruption?

There's a big problem with this theory pertaining to this specific case. In the case of Snowden, the information he released did not dox and de-source classified names and informants, nor put people at risk. Snowden basically just told the American people that the NSA and America are spying on basically everyone. No one specific was hurt in that drop except Americas reputation.

HOWEVER

In the case of Assange, he released diplomatic cables that listed the names of informants, spies and dissents, which put a lot of American assets and civilians working with America at risk in Afghanistan and other places.

For that, Assange should be locked up under the espionage act for doxing civilians and putting national security at risk.

a reply to: JoeGee

You're right, even Snowden criticized Assange for doing that. And Assange, the arrogant bastard, denounced Snowden.

a reply to: JoeGee

Yes, who needs accountability in a war zone. Sure many of the survivors would rather forget it, as for the dead, their memory is already splattered all over the ground and now forgotten. As the evidence of 9/11 does bubble up, the whole big middle east operation does fall into the war crime box nicely, but lets forget about that too.

Sure the Middle East is a troubled place in need of security. You will not find any security going their based on lies, just lots of contracts for guns, ammo and body bags. If you like the idea of perpetual war then keep your secrets. If you think due process is something that should apply to everyone, then we all do need to step up our game.

a reply to: BrianFlanders

Was he living in the US and a US citizen when he did it..? No..? Then as far as I'm concerned he didn't break any laws..!! I wish someone would hand me some juicy Federal US secrets..!! I'd make them public in a heartbeat and then give the entire US the middle finger...!!

originally posted by: JoeGee

originally posted by: byteshertz
Your rights trump laws and common law trumps Trump, simple as that.

The first amendment is not giving someone a right, it is simply acknowledging that god-given (birthgiven) right exists.

So what are your rights? They are whatever the general agreement is. This is why it is important we don't just agree with every law, bill or act simply because of a piece of paper written by someone WE put in charge creates.

For me, I feel, as humans, we have a right to know what our agencies, including the governments we have created, acting on our behalf are up to. They forcibly take our money to fight these wars through taxation and mandating services such as medical cover to us, the least we deserve is the right to know that money they have taken is not going to further exploitation and corruption for their own agendas.

I believe a reporter has not only the right but an obligation to report whatever the breaking story is. If a reporter can get hold of this information, the enemies can too, so why shoot the reporter and not those in charge of the information and behind the corruption?

There's a big problem with this theory pertaining to this specific case. In the case of Snowden, the information he released did not dox and de-source classified names and informants, nor put people at risk. Snowden basically just told the American people that the NSA and America are spying on basically everyone. No one specific was hurt in that drop except Americas reputation.

HOWEVER

In the case of Assange, he released diplomatic cables that listed the names of informants, spies and dissents, which put a lot of American assets and civilians working with America at risk in Afghanistan and other places.

For that, Assange should be locked up under the espionage act for doxing civilians and putting national security at risk.

Agreed, he published unredacted identities of thousands of civilian interpreters working for coalition forces in Iraq and operators overseas.

Under journalism ethics and law it's illegal to reveal such info, releasing their identities adds nothing to the story, is of no use/interest to the public and would knowingly put thousands of lives at risk.

The reason they're being prosecuted under such archaic and rarely used laws is because other media outlets have basic standards when it comes to such data.

No country likes it dirty blood soiled laundry aired in public.

Assange revealed that the US is a global monster feeding on war for profit and power.

Of course the deep state and political elite want revenge.

a reply to: JohnnyCanuck

Glenn still hasn't run a story on it, but the intercept podcast today had a great show going over this.

The good news I took away from it is governments rarely extradite on espionage charges as those are more political than general shared law.

a reply to: Willtell

Good observation, so basically nothing is really being said.

originally posted by: JoeGee
This is very factually incorrect. Bradley manning was charged under the espionage act.

SO was:
Reality Winner
Edward Snowden
John Kiriakou
Stephen Jin-Woo Kim
Thomas A. Drake

But were they publishers/journalists -- or were they just the ones that leaked the data? That was the point, first time that a publisher has been charged under the espionage act... simply for publishing the leaked data.

I think this is a really dangerous precedent by the Trump administration, one that I certainly don't agree with.

I hate Trump and all of his BS, but the Obama/Bush/Clinton/Bush/Reagan/Carter/Ford administration would have done the same thing IMHO

a reply to: FredT

That doesn't make it right!

originally posted by: RadioRobert
a reply to: FredT

That doesn't make it right!

No but to make this as a Trump issue as some have is also wrong. It speaks to more of a systemic issue IMHO.

originally posted by: FredT
I hate Trump and all of his BS, but the Obama/Bush/Clinton/Bush/Reagan/Carter/Ford administration would have done the same thing IMHO

They set the stage to make it possible.

They exponentially blurred the lines of executive/government reach and induvidual rights. They sold us that national security supercedes the constitution.

Worse of all, they let terror win. We're now so scared we're willing to see (arguably) journalist outlets be criminally targeted while we bitch about fake at worse watered down news at best.

originally posted by: RadioRobert
a reply to: FredT

That doesn't make it right!

As Fred pointed out, Trump is a symptom, not the problem. When Trump is gone, we will still have many of the same root problems.

I didn't know we had to stop trying to fix injustices on the reasoning that some other guy would be bad, too.

originally posted by: RadioRobert
I didn't know we had to stop trying to fix injustices on the reasoning that some other guy would be bad, too.

Well I've been critical of this admin through the thread. And I've consistently made this and needless wars my top gripes.

But the problem is a good portion of the country goes mute when it's their guy in a chair doing it. Or they'll find a way to justify it.

We as a people have to speak out every time this happens, even if it's a political "opponent" being targeted.