Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Truth to power: A rare two-asshole post

On roughly every other episode of "Law & Order," the cops suspect someone of murder or something and arrest the suspect on a minor charge so that they can buy time to find evidence on the more serious crime. That's basically what the authorities have done with Julian Assange, arresting him on long-standing rape charges (likely with pressure from the U.S.) until someone can figure out if it's possible to charge him with somethimh bigger.

A lot of people have questioned the timing of the arrest, coming so soon after Assange's WikiLeaks website published thousands of classified diplomatic cables. But... is it not possible to do that without also insulting the women involved?

Both of these wealthy, privileged men are full of shit. They both love to believe that they are paragons of progressive integrity. But, sorry, boys. If you're starting with the assumption (as Olbermann's opening question clearly does) that the rape accusations simply have to be false, and that therefore the women are lying, then you don't get to call yourself a progressive anything. Progressive raging asshole, maybe.

Moore continues to disappoint. Does this man honestly think he's the voice of the downtrodden or powerless? Powerless is seeing the laws that are supposed to protect you, ignore you. But instead of calling out the authorities who blew off the rape allegations against Assange until they needed an excuse to hold him, Moore hops on the "they're lying" bandwagon. Let me tell you something, Mike - "Roger & Me" was a long frakking time ago. All you've cared about for a long time - maybe ever - is hearing the sound of your on voice ever more amplified. You forgot what the expression "telling truth to power" meant some time ago.

And all this for Julian frakking Assange? This guy is NOT the second coming of Daniel Ellsburg. He didn't reveal where U.S. officials lied to the American public or Congress; he published mashnotes - but mashnotes that will unravel the diplomatic relationships that keep us safe. President Clinton was right - people are going to die over this.

UPDATE: Tiger Beatdown says all the above far more articulately.

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