tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post7996971914313396649..comments2023-12-23T19:04:18.739-05:00Comments on The Crow's Eye: Assange, the man, is not what Wikileaks, the group, does. And he may very well be a rapist. Deal with it.Jack Crowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499087036876745723noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-18514292890422303812010-12-17T01:07:20.739-05:002010-12-17T01:07:20.739-05:00Just answer the question.Just answer the question.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-49169354399040426042010-12-16T22:24:21.375-05:002010-12-16T22:24:21.375-05:00Richard,
Good point about the warrant. I'm ju...Richard,<br /><br />Good point about the warrant. I'm just not inclined to doubt women who make rape accusations.<br /><br />Anonymous,<br /><br />Does that sophomoric socratic trick work with the high schoolers?Jack Crowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07499087036876745723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-18628793820318995582010-12-16T15:53:45.256-05:002010-12-16T15:53:45.256-05:00Jack: hate to be hypertechnical here, but the Swed...Jack: hate to be hypertechnical here, but the Swedish prosecutors haven't said that they want to prosecute him, merely that they want to question him<br /><br />the extradition warrant does not set forth any charges against him<br /><br />when I see reports of a criminal indictment, witness statements, all the things that go with a prosecution and put people on the record, then I'll start paying attention<br /><br />been through this before in 2002 with the media in regard to claims of Iraq and WMD, not going there againRichardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09164564889343805575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-19733374195290128872010-12-16T14:41:30.770-05:002010-12-16T14:41:30.770-05:00Your default position is what is generally called ...Your default position is what is generally called a prejudice. Do you have any idea how you arrived at this prejudice?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-52500885542337834032010-12-16T08:00:57.079-05:002010-12-16T08:00:57.079-05:00Richard,
It's not about media sources. It'...Richard,<br /><br />It's not about media sources. It's about the claim itself. I don't know if Assange raped two women or not. I just have no inclination to assume a woman is lying when she claims so.<br /><br />Do I find it odd that Sweden wants to prosecute him when it otherwise has a low rape conviction rate and rarely (as in, never) asks Interpol for help in pursuing rapists?<br /><br />Yes.<br /><br />That still doesn't mean I'm going to alter my default position on rape. Assume the woman is telling the truth.<br /><br />Respect,<br /><br />JackJack Crowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07499087036876745723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-58868310693230862842010-12-15T13:53:08.240-05:002010-12-15T13:53:08.240-05:00and what exactly are they telling the truth about?...and what exactly are they telling the truth about?<br /><br />and, what is the source for those claims?<br /><br />I guess I'm just not willing to accept what is filtered through to me by tabloid journalists<br /><br />when I actually see something of substance, I might change my mind<br /><br />but, as you seem more willing to form an opinion based upon what has come through various media sources, you might find it interesting that it has been reported that one of the alleged victims is no longer cooperating with the prosecution<br /><br />and, another story says that the authorities don't intend to charge him with rape, but merely something considered an infraction, "sex by surprise", which has a fine of $75, or a little more than 1/4 of the cost of parking in a fire lane in California<br /><br />which, of course, I give as much credence to as everything else that I've heard to date, which is to say, not much<br /><br />it will be interesting to see if the Swedes provide some actual evidence at the extradition hearing, or continue to leave all of us in the darkRichardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09164564889343805575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-87024939320301106502010-12-14T23:36:58.206-05:002010-12-14T23:36:58.206-05:00Richard,
In any situation where a woman accuses a...Richard,<br /><br />In any situation where a woman accuses a man of rape, I assume the woman is telling the truth.<br /><br />I don't care about "character assassination" or harm to reputation. [Assange is not exempt from the consequences of his dalliances, or his sexual misdeeds.]<br /><br />I assume she's telling the truth.<br /><br />If later demonstrated otherwise, I revise my opinion.Jack Crowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07499087036876745723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-64173041965578960432010-12-14T14:35:25.171-05:002010-12-14T14:35:25.171-05:00Jack: I understand, but I believe that there are b...Jack: I understand, but I believe that there are better ways to attack the misogynistic 'fanboy' attitude about this case than speculating about whether Assange is a rapist in the absence of any charges, and then emphasizing that Assange is not wikileaks. <br /><br />No one is undermining the credibility of a potential case against Assange more than the Swedish authorities themselves. By filing the appeal against Assange's ordered release on bail, they are creating the impression that the whole thing is spurious, and driven by collaboration with the US. If the alleged victims have good reason to want Assange prosecuted, the Swedes are not doing them any favors. It has long been past time for the Swedes to put up or shut up. <br /><br />Given that, I think it is inappropriate, bordering on character assassination, to publicly talk about whether Assange is a rapist or not, when he has not been charged as such, and it feeds into the US governmental narrative to discredit him. A common tactic of prosecutors in a high profile public case is to parcel out information to sympathetic reporters and prejudice the public against a defendant (or, in Assange's case, a potential defendant), without any evidence being presented, and they could be the source of the tabloid news coverage to date.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09164564889343805575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-89477852302397966352010-12-13T22:58:49.308-05:002010-12-13T22:58:49.308-05:00The question is what evidence could there possibly...The question is what evidence could there possibly be on which to decide who is telling the truth about any of this? Neither of the accusers is in a position to assist in verifying the other's claim. Neither apparently regarded Assange as a rapist until after they had discovered that they had both had sexual intercourse with Assange.<br /><br />Yes, Assange may be a rapist, but what is doing in prison on the basis of these unprovable accusations, which he denies?anna's consciencenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-65845536434124511562010-12-13T22:22:50.502-05:002010-12-13T22:22:50.502-05:00"anna"
it doesn't matter what she t..."anna"<br /><br />it doesn't matter what she tweeted or did not tweet. if at any point during their interaction she withdrew consent or had the terms of her consent violated, it's sexual assault.<br /><br />Richard,<br /><br />I'm not saying Assange is a rapist. I'm saying I'm really uncomfortable with the fanboy narrative, that the "bitch must be lying."Jack Crowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07499087036876745723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-6342484681060035992010-12-13T22:09:22.593-05:002010-12-13T22:09:22.593-05:00continuing jack's thought:
even if you don...continuing jack's thought:<br /><br />even if you don't understand it right away... even if you have been so indiscreet as to tweet about your 'conquest' and don't understand the proper construal of the sexual partner's behavior until you have compared notes with another successful rival for that partner's sexual attention.anna a.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-2127060684405977992010-12-13T16:03:02.828-05:002010-12-13T16:03:02.828-05:00Assange's attorney said again today in a TV in...Assange's attorney said again today in a TV interview that Assange is currently being held on a warrant that alleges no charges, and the Swedish prosecutors have not publicly filed any<br /><br />hence, it is becoming increasingly dubious to speculate what he did or did not do based upon what is essentially tabloid news coverage of the story, and to suggest that he "may be a rapist" and that we have "deal with it" is presumptuous to say the least<br /><br />so, for now, Assange is caught in the middle of a situation where people can make reference to what they believe the facts to be about his case, in order to highlight their perspective about rape and heterosexual sexual relations<br /><br />it is all very interesting and important, but, at this point, I'm not willing to admit that it has anything at all to do with Julian Assange, as, for now, he is merely the Hitchcockian MacGuffin that has gotten the story in motion<br /><br />just by way of perspective here, I used to work as an attorney in the criminal courts in California<br /><br />it was not an uncommon occurrence for the DA to bring charges against someone based upon witness statements, but to subsequently dismiss them when the witness did not back up that statement at the hearing<br /><br />here, we don't even have any charges yet, so I'm not going to get into whether Assange is a rapist or not, or even make the suggestion, until we see someRichardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09164564889343805575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-9781924914724351892010-12-13T15:16:30.725-05:002010-12-13T15:16:30.725-05:00If you agree to a safeword with a partner and that...If you agree to a safeword with a partner and that partner ignores it four hours later, the terms of your consent are violated - even if you don't understand it fully right away.Jack Crowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07499087036876745723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-65409533573323058982010-12-12T01:45:36.082-05:002010-12-12T01:45:36.082-05:00I didn't realize I had been raped until later....I didn't realize I had been raped until later. I mean, it isn't like I didn't remember everything that happened when we were together, it's just that I didn't regard what happened as rape until I had had a long talk with Sofie W. and we agreed after that talk that Julian's actions could be construed as rape-like. So shoot me, is there some statute of limitations on re-construing another person's actions?anna a.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-53009569153255296082010-12-11T21:41:55.552-05:002010-12-11T21:41:55.552-05:00Something that gets lost in all this is that Assan...Something that gets lost in all this is that Assange <i>has not been charged</i>, and that the Swedish authorities have successfully persuaded Britain to arrest him for the purpose of returning him to Sweden for <i>questioning</i>. In the US, as bad as things have gotten, this would still be considered either ludicrous or frightening, as the prosecutorial authorities must determine if they have a case without recourse to questioning of the potential defendant if he or she exercises his right to remain silent. If Sweden has a case, let them charge him. If not, drop it. But, instead, the incarceration of Assange under the warrant is clearly being used for the purpose of buying time so that the US can look into procuring his return to the US on other criminal charges related to <i>wikileaks</i>.<br /><br />I don't think Assange is ever going to be tried on anything in Sweden, whether he is charged or not. If he is ever going to be tried for anything, it will be on something cooked up by the US government.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09164564889343805575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-65472758864362603302010-12-10T13:00:40.771-05:002010-12-10T13:00:40.771-05:00Hah, only just saw Landru's bizarreness here, ...Hah, only just saw Landru's bizarreness here, and wanted to express appreciation.Ethanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07498712279382078624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-75458865050135088702010-12-10T11:38:28.242-05:002010-12-10T11:38:28.242-05:00Are you the same guy whose syndicated movie review...<i>Are you the same guy whose syndicated movie reviews used to be in my Journal-Constitution?</i><br /><br />No, that guy was an impostor. I'm usually too busy making movies to watch them. As a matter of fact, I can proudly say that I haven't seen a single movie since 1947. (Even my own!)AlanSmitheehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14302036848656627300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-77256389026561638352010-12-10T00:37:37.056-05:002010-12-10T00:37:37.056-05:00On a completely unrelated note, I laugh in delight...<i>On a completely unrelated note, I laugh in delightful and lighthearted mockery at "Green Marxists" who defend the rules of capitalist military organizations and capitalist state superstructures, with muscular impotency. Amusement abounds.</i><br /><br />Yup. Had the same reaction.fishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01522672049371678717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-86216258094022993982010-12-09T21:56:42.134-05:002010-12-09T21:56:42.134-05:00Jim,
The "only perfect novel" is the &q...Jim,<br /><br />The "only perfect novel" is the "The Dwarf."<br /><br />You are no longer allowed to rent that duplex in my head.<br /><br />Alan,<br /><br />More thoughts tomorrow. Fantasy football, me being trivial.<br /><br />Landru,<br /><br />I still think the PAMFP should be our Peanut Butter Cup.<br /><br />Night and shit, respect,<br /><br />JackJack Crowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07499087036876745723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-65474593121887833332010-12-09T21:24:16.972-05:002010-12-09T21:24:16.972-05:00Okay. Yes. I think I was agreeing with you, Jack; ...Okay. Yes. I think I was agreeing with you, Jack; the two things are not related—except that they kinda' are: in Romantic America, character assassination and smears obfuscate the message. That's the way we do business because that's the way we are. We live in the cult of personality. That's our knee-jerk reaction when someone disagrees with us: ad hominem.<br /><br />And, yes: The Dwarf!<br /><br />AlanSmithee: Are you the same guy whose syndicated movie reviews used to be in my Journal-Constitution? Loved 'em. Irreverant, relevant.<br /><br />Landru: You got me going with that 'fatal flaw' bit, but you did answer a big question I've long wondered about BDR.Jim H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02088100982761595050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-76394723389240248732010-12-09T20:19:11.621-05:002010-12-09T20:19:11.621-05:00And the plot sickens...
Report: Assange accuser f...And the plot sickens...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/assange-accuser-stops-cooperating-police/" rel="nofollow">Report: Assange accuser flees to Middle East, may not be cooperating with police</a><br /><br />One of the two Swedish women who have filed sex complaints against the founder of WikiLeaks has reportedly left Sweden and may no longer be cooperating with the criminal investigation.<br /><br />According to a report at Australian news site Crikey.com, Anna Ardin has moved to the Palestinian territories to volunteer with a Christian group working to reconcile Arabs and Israelis.AlanSmitheehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14302036848656627300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-52549122595309852612010-12-09T19:36:46.611-05:002010-12-09T19:36:46.611-05:00Fucker. Making me look up bookish Svedes I never h...Fucker. Making me look up bookish Svedes I never heard of down here in my closet full of filleted dead trees with Swastikas on the covers. <br /><br />No error. I wasn't worried about the context, then (or now), and I got your formulation, and I reallyreally figured out that you weren't claiming purity, just turning navelgaze into math. Which I thought kinda cool, and I thought the aftermath...entertaining (heh). My error was brief, kneejerk, and unarmed...a ghost of passing thoughts past, reacted to and dismissed in less than a second, but a long enough second to get my attention when the thought echoed (and echoed again with Ethan's note at the dogplace).<br /><br />Hey, maybe your pared-down terms and my prissy logorrhea ballet can be something like the next Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.Landruhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11954074164878242561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-56315881802460899212010-12-09T19:08:04.766-05:002010-12-09T19:08:04.766-05:00Alan,
I see no cause to assume they're necess...Alan,<br /><br />I see no cause to assume they're necessarily connected. Same with the "associated" and "connected" with a group that a Cuban right winger supports. Could be? Sure. But that's not a solid case. Insufficient data, again.<br /><br />Landru,<br /><br />Treblegotcha. The error could be mine - I didn't exactly give context, then. I was trying hard to strip the argument down to fundamentals, to an algebra of thought. I have a predilection for paring my terms down. I blame Par Lagerkvist, who wrote the only perfect novel and forever poisoned my well of language.Jack Crowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07499087036876745723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-69274594389787813582010-12-09T18:38:58.862-05:002010-12-09T18:38:58.862-05:00I don't see any cause to assume dots, and conn...<i>I don't see any cause to assume dots, and connections between them, though.</i><br /><br />You don't see any connection between the Assange case being dumped and then restarted again?AlanSmitheehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14302036848656627300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102937856333775840.post-21231023189303231762010-12-09T17:52:06.700-05:002010-12-09T17:52:06.700-05:00On a careless reading, one could have formed a not...On a careless reading, one could have formed a notion that your discussion of power, lo those many weeks ago, was a claim to personal purity as regards the exercise of power over others. It wasn't. I knew at the time that it wasn't. I knew it damn well.<br /><br />Despite that, when I read the bit referring to your real past life*, I flashed on that discourse and the ensuing hilarity, and it took me a moment to control the brief reanimation of the wildly incorrect notion that you had lodged some claim to personal purity therein.<br /><br />See? I know, I really should control my inner secret language. But I just find myself too fucking adorable. It's a fault. I haven't gotten better.<br /><br />Love always,<br />Landrussarian<br /><br />*Dear Ethan: No! I don't believe it! No! No! No! You're imaginary and you live in the corner of my dining room! So there!Landruhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11954074164878242561noreply@blogger.com