The BBC report on U.S. government intervention in the sentencing of David Kernell does not include the information that WikiLeaks published the contents of what it called a "pseudo-private" account because then-Governor Sarah Palin appeared to be using that account to avoid Alaska's freedom-of-information laws.
The BBC:
A man who broke into Sarah Palin's e-mail has been imprisoned - despite being told he might be spared jail. David Kernell, 23, was found guilty last year of illegally accessing Mrs Palin's e-mail during the 2008 presidential campaign. At the time, a judge suggested he should serve his year-long sentence in a halfway house. But after intervention from US government officials he is now in federal prison, the BBC has learned.
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Its a shame that much of the
Its a shame that much of the rhetoric around this issue is anti-American and not pro-Government transparency and reducing the security state. Otherwise movements like the Tea Party would be a natural ally of wikileaks.
If by anti-American, you mean
If by anti-American, you mean anti-undue-influence-over-foreign-legislatures/judiciaries, anti-extralegal-abduction-of-citizens-without-trial, or anti-human-rights-abuses, etc, then there will never be common cause between the Tea Party and people interested in human rights.
If by anti-American you mean arbitrary opposition to American foreign policy, and discrimination against people purely on the basis of their American citizenship, I have seen nothing of this in WL support.
I do realize that sometimes
I do realize that sometimes the rhetoric comes across as "anti-american" but, really (at least for me) it is about transparency and ending corruption/wars. Some aspects of the Tea Party are (remarkably) similar to what is going on here. The fact that there is no "one" Tea Party is a ready example. Some of the Tea Parties are (I would say) kindred spirits in principal if not in fact.
Ugly America
I live in Canada, America's "friendly neighbour to the north," or south, if you're from Ms. Palin's state. There's a free local weekly paper in my home city that's running an online poll which asks the simple question "Do you support WikiLeaks?". Unfortunately, it's possible to track progress only by voting so I can't tell you what the current result is, but when I voted it was 92% support WikiLeaks. There will be a rally in support of WikiLeaks outside the Vancouver Public Library (central) this Saturday, January 15th.
Can you see Canada from Alaska, Ms. Palin? Just a little?
Nice to hear it. Indeed, much
Nice to hear it. Indeed, much of the online support seems to be Canadian & Australian - not the governments, mind, but there are a lot of informed and WL-supportive netizens from these jurisdictions. It's impressive.
Respect for Rule of Law must be enforced by The Commonwealth
One of the sad ironies of this transitional or evolutionary phase in human history is how the republics, which gave birth to modern democracy through revolution, are now less respectful of fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed to the people than the constitutional democracies that have thrived throughout The Commonwealth and elsewhere. A few weeks ago, I sent the following letter to the UK's PMO via its website.
Sir/Madam,
I am not a citizen of the UK, so my message may not carry so much weight. I am a Canadian university graduate with no criminal record, an employee of my city's parks department for nearly 20 years. I have never had cause to contact any agency of your Government. I write today because my concern is international in scope and your country is presently at its centre. It involves democratic free speech, the rule of law and your prisoner Mr. Julian Assange. I ask you to please do all you can to ensure Mr. Assange is granted all due process and to resist any effort to extradite him if the requesting nation is not acting in accordance with the rule of law. Nationally televised calls for Mr. Assange's execution by senior US officials shouldn't be ignored. Like me and you, he's a citizen of the Commonwealth. Let's show the world what that means, eh?
Freedom's future rests in your hands, friends. Please don't let her die.
Respectfully yours
I haven't received a response, nor do I expect one, and not for any negative reason. They are busy folks. My only hope is that my message was read.