2010-12-28 Open Letter to Inciters

... they already know the law.

So, what we are left is a question: When is a police department in the United States going to lay charges on those Americans who have committed the offences outlined above?

The President is not pursuing Mr. Assange as a terrorist, so where's the harm? In fact, there's no evidence to suggest he has violated any laws in relation to the United States.

In Canada, Vancouver Police and Calgary Police opened investigations into nationally broadcast statements by one of the current Prime Minister's former aides. Why hasn't this occurred south of the border?

Is there a criminal prosecutor anywhere in the USA who will ask police to lay charges on those who have incited others to commit violent crimes on national television?

Anyone?

Hello?

Qualquer indivíduo ou instituição que partilhe à idéia de que a verdade deva ser mantida em segredo é porque além dessa ser suja, estes também fazem parte dela! Quanto vale? Uma constituição de um país, quando aqueles que deveriam defende-la, são os primeiros à infringir a lei.

All right, we let ihateassange wish death upon Assange, he was responded to by ****US with his feces fetish, and is now attacked by OpenYourMind screaming "DIE BASTARD!!DIE! AND BURN IN HELL TO BOOT!!" among other things, and that, my friends, is enough of that. We do not enjoy censoring non-spam comments, but the point of this post was to point out that death threats were illegal. Hate speech is also illegal in many jurisdictions, and we will not be responsible for hosting it on our site. All of you had opinions that could have been expressed calmly, without profanity or anal fixations, and without hate or death threats. I invite you all to come back in the morning and try to restate your cases politely, intelligently, and with regard to the law. Some of the previous posts have been deleted. More may follow. If you care about the points you have to make, state them politely.

@carwin biloquist Well played, thank you.

Thank you Wikileaks for letting us know the true face of… the Iraq war, the afghan war, the politicians, the corporations.
By the way, which has resulted in the greatest number of deaths: lying USA into war, or Wikileaks revelations or the release of the Pentagon Papers?
The ones who are afraid of the truth are the real cowards. Lying is not patriotic.
Keep up the good work Wikileaks!

In the USA, while it's illegal to threaten murder, there's nothing wrong with wishing the spy who's causing deaths of US citizens and affiliates and working on behalf of foreign governments against the US, which as at war right now, (I am sure he had received hefty sums already, from terrorists alone) be EXECUTED, by the US government, or another friendly government. This person is a terrorist who's now trying to blackmail various people. I'm sorry if you can't see the obvious, buying his bullsh*t about "freedom of information": something only a 4-year old can be expected to buy. The only people who support him are haters of US of A. I can see why Eurotrash who was denied US residency acts like that, but US citizens? Come on.

If country X is at war with country Y (or with military/terrorist organizations that aren't tied to any particular country) and secret/classified military info is released into the public (therefore made available to the enemy), this is nothing but espionage (and treason, if committed by US citizen). Luckily for Ass-ange, he's not an American--which makes him a foreign spy. And you know what can happen to a foreign spy in the USA? Don't forget it.

I actually wish any "Americans" who support him to lose their US citizenship, because they're traitors.

This WIMPY FAME AND MONEY-HUNGRY COWARD Assange, who betrayed people who worked for the US to possible death (while hiding behind computer screens), should experience first hand what they people and their families are most likely experiencing now. But oh noes.. he's going to fight hiding behind his lawyers' backs about unfairness of "leaking" his police reports to the public, this worthless coward.

USA should teach a lesson to everyone who messes with it; it is getting too soft under the pressure of people who wish one thing: it's destruction, or at best, those poor misguided citizens from the extreme leftist camp who don't realize the danger and consequences of harm they're trying to inflict on their own country.

Reporter: "They think your haircuts are un-American."
John Lennon: "Well, it was very observant of them because we aren't American, actually. "

I support Wikileaks and their release of documents to the public against the wishes of powerful interests.

However ethicists have called for Wikileaks to announce an ethics code on what documents they will and will not publish. This seems a fair point. If they have not done so already, Wikileaks should formulate a code and make it public.

It does not matter what you are famous for, fame brings you to the attention of extreme personalities. These persons are capable of all sorts of threats and/or mayhem. I highly doubt that any logical explanation of legal or any other type of sanction would deter them. It isn't a reflection of your actions, it is merely a matter of being exposed to such great numbers of individuals. Some, like the killer of John Lennon, would use your fame in a desperate attempt to garner some for themselves. Their deluded reasons may vary, but the dangers are very real. As they say, "such is the price of fame." I hope you do not allow this to deter in any way your efforts. Protect yourself and soldier on.

If your administration is still in favour of threatening murder, and so it seems, you as a country and institution of power are clearly still stuck in kindergarden. Your country was founded on the genocide of hundreds of American Indian native tribes, and you haven’t really grown up from there.
“If you’re not our friend, you’re our enemy”, the only reason you can get away with that motto is you have so far managed to wiggle out of international laws of commitment.
But there are people with a vision, like Nelson Mandela, like Julian Assange, who are protected by the massive sympathy and support from the people. Noli me tangere!
Wikileaks will continue their work to the benefit of others, you might as well accept that, and rather learn to avoid further embarrassment by improving your laws.

With all due respect, Mr. Kemp, it is Gandhi NOT Ghandi.

As a young woman I was caught in a bad situation, and a person threatened me over the telephone, to kill ME and or members of my family. A police officer was listening in on the other phone and HE pressed charges. I was subpoena-ed as a crown witness with no choice but to testify, even though the threats continued. The accused was sent to jail for 2 years. This was in Regina Canada. The DA had no other proof of abuse except my word against his, so the guilty verdict was based on what the police officer heard. This is how the criminal offense of incitation to commit the act of murder is properly dealt with in a just society.

The question is, do these people who have said these things have the reasonable ability to carry out, or have carried out by another, their threats? Unfortunately they do, however they are supported by either a guilty support system or an uneducated one.

In repetition of the other comments 'well said'.
What an appalling state of affairs are we in when death threats are administered for relaying truths that some a) don't want to hear or b) would not have us hear!!

It's true the first amendment is (supposedly) strong here in the states, but The Southern Poverty Law Center did win that landmark case against white supremacist Metzger who had distributed flyers inciting violence towards minorities. When an Ethiopian grad student was murdered with a baseball bat by some youths who'd been influenced by the flyers, the guy lost in court, setting an important precedent. It may be that they were able to win because it was a "hate crime." I won't belabor that point. But in any case, if Palin et al invoke 1st amendment protection for calling for violence, then they won't have much luck saying a journalist doesn't qualify for those same protections. I should hope not, anyway. It seems nothing makes sense any more, though.

Here's a precis from the SPLC website: In 1988, racist Skinheads beat an Ethiopian graduate student to death with a baseball bat. Mulugeta Seraw was murdered by recruits of neo-Nazi leader Tom Metzger, founder of White Aryan Resistance (WAR), who faced a Center civil suit and a $12.5 million judgment. http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/case-docket?page=7

I think Wikileaks needs to stick to why this is happening.
Bradley came to you to tell the world about war crimes the USA armed forces commited. That is the story & it needs to be told. Stick to that & the truth will make everyone free!

I can't help but see the similarities between WL (or #anon) and the Czechoslovakian 'anti-politicians' (ex. Vaclav Havel & George Konrad).

Here is Havel's brilliant essay, "The Power of the Powerless" (http://www.vaclavhavel.cz/showtrans.php?cat=eseje&val=2_aj_eseje.html&ty...).

By similarity, I mean that every aspect of life in former communist Czechoslovakia) was a political act, and the 'authentic aims of life' defied the bureaucracy and the ideology that it supported. In fact, the ideology was a complete hypocrisy.

Havel wrote:

"Ideology is a specious way of relating to the world. It offers human beings the illusion of an identity, of dignity, and of morality while making it easier for them to part with them...It is an excuse that everyone can use, from the greengrocer, who conceals his fear of losing his job behind an alleged interest in the unification of the workers of the world, to the highest functionary, whose interest in staying in power can be cloaked in phrases about service to the working class. The primary excusatory function of ideology, therefore, is to provide people, both as victims and pillars of the post-totalitarian system, with the illusion that the system is in harmony with the human order and the order of the universe."

I think many Americans (and I am an American) would agree that our society and lives are poorly served by our bureaucracy and its party speak or by our un-ratified fourth branch, the military entertainment complex.

See http://www.alexaobrien.com/secondsight/ideas/star_wars.html.

Obviously, there are huge differences between the US and the former communist Czechoslovakia.

The similarities, interest me, however, because they illuminate the threat that our organs of efficient communication and association - that is to say television, Internet, and surveillance technology engender.

Their current application disturbs checks and balances, and consolidates power in the hands of the few. These are then not forceful enough to protect the fundamental aims of our social contract - life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Taking a line from Umair Haque, value in our post-modern capitalist society is a 'six bladed razor'. That means we so not producing 'real value'...for our consumers, employees or our citizens.

'No man becomes a tyrant, to get out of the cold'. Yes, we can equalize property, but then we would compete on who was more virtuous. Even in the best scenario, demagoguery and tyranny abound. That is why I believe in the rule of law.

I support this letter.

No one is more hated than he who speaks the truth, and death is not the worst that can happen to a man. Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws. The greatest penalty of evil doing is, namely, to grow into the likeness of bad men.

God speed to all, including those revealed in the cables, and any troops in the region.

I seriously hope the law will be used properly in the UK to prevent him being taken to the USA