Comments

1
You forgot to mention that at the same time as the Swiss pulled this, Eric Holder was discussing the 'steps they took' (paraphrasing) in regards to Wikileaks, and the fact that the UK government just ordered his arrest at the same time practically. I think we're going to see him extradited to the US very soon.
2
This whole thing is just sickening.
3
The more I hear about this, the more I want to leave this country and never come back. Hearing elected politicians openly calling for killing Assange, talking to normal people in my life who absolutely agree that he should die is just freaking me out. I feel like I'm in 1930s Russia or 1950s China or something. Someone talk me down!
4
Well, so much for not shooting the messenger...
5
I lost my faith in America a long time ago, but Switzerland? Geez. Way to go to bat for Roman Polanski and then back down on Assange.

The fact that the U.S. government really thinks they can put this genie back in the bottle by taking down Assange is so quaintly amusing in a 19th century way. He was just the first guy to devise this concept. It is going to suck if he ends up in jail for life, but there will be more Assanges.
6
Charles,
I, too am disgusted by this whole sordid mess. While Assange shouldn't be harmed (or worse) and I believe the rape charge is probably trumped up, he is no hero to me. I'm extremely dubious the Wikileak disclosures did a service to anyone. Some information is meant to be state classified obviously for security reasons. Look, I want this guy safe and sound but he needs to come clean on what he did or didn't do in Sweden and give us his motive(s) for these disclosures. This is riduculous. Assange's life will never be the same.

As for Swiss banks aiding and abbetting murderous dictators, that's a bit of a stretch. Swiss banking laws are among the most confidential on the planet. The money deposited in those banks can come from nefarious or legitimate means. I didn't like it anymore than you that the late vicious, murderous thug and former dictator of Zaire (now known as Dem. Rep. of Congo), Joseph Mubuto was able expropriate heck, steal millions (some say billions) of dollars for his own largesse and depsoit them in Swiss bank accounts. Yes, bad very bad that the money was taken. But discretion and security are the keystones to banking, warts and all. Clearly, Mobutu couldn't keep them under his pillow in Kinshasa:)
7
@3 But where would you go? It used to be "I'll go to Canada" or "I'll go to England," but everyone is after this guy. It seems as though the British are doing their best to drag their feet when it comes to arresting him, but they can resist for only so long. The Nordic countries are out, as it's Sweden that is pursuing this ridiculous sexual molestation claim. And now the Swiss have folded. Basically, everywhere that every white liberal hippie has threatened to run away to is doing the bidding of our government. Ugh. I'm gonna be sick.
8
@5 He's going after the banks now, no surprise he's turned into the #1 on the Swiss Most Wanted list.
9
I think it's funny that this scandal is a clash from the current state of politics. In this country we have been beaten with useless info to the point where we feel useless.

Proof and reason are eroding as a necessity. Example, Does Sarah Palin need ANY proof for anything she says? If she said Obama was a rapist, how many people would believe it and refuse any proof to the contrary?

Basically, the truth is meaningless now, so its so funny to see the people who made it this way get so bent out of shape over the truth. It can't hurt them, why bother?
10
This is all too much. I hope he brings the whole damned ship down. The fact that this man is most wanted just shows the world how horrible and corrupt everyone who wants him caught is. He's doing the American people a favor, and they're all too stupid apparently to see it. We should have access to the information our government is responsible for producing anyway. The fact they think we're not entitled to this information is the very reason our politics here are nothing but a pile of litigation and BULLSHIT full of corruption, greed, secrecy and down right despicable, and designed to benefit the bank accounts of the politicians involved and the stock of the companies they're lobbying for. And this is why all republicans should be removed from office entirely. They're driven by money and greed, and in no way representative or acting in the interests of the American people. They operate for an elite few, and the rich, ... and they're completely corrupt in all facets, front to back. I hope they all burn in hell, frankly. And I hope when they arrest Assange, ... he throws in his chips and drops the poison pill and puts an end to the bullshit (or at least makes a considerable dent).
11
Reminds me of "Prometheus Bound." If and when the US gets a hold of him, they're going to deny him his legal rights, pull out all his finger-nails to derive information as to his network of contacts, and then they're not going to charge him with a crime, as he has not committed one, as far as I can tell. It is also unlikely the US would have any jurisdiction in any of the crimes they might attempt to trump up.

This is a good reminder of the huge gap between the power-elites and everybody else. I don't see the big fucking deal, but every bleeding politician on both sides of the political divide would like to see him dead.

This is just another reminder that representative forms of government tend towards oligarchy.
12
Assange's problem is simply that his net worth isn't great enough. For custody of an amount in the millions, the Swiss would more likely have accommodated him.
13
Assange Accuser Worked with US-Funded, CIA-Tied Anti-Castro Group

http://my.firedoglake.com/kirkmurphy/201…
15
woah.
16
Charles, You've supplied the key information and yet you miss the point entirely. Just follow the money. They don't freeze accounts of murderous dictators BECAUSE they're depositing millions. Freeze some poor chump's thirty grand? Sure, that won't impact their bottom line, but start freezing millions in their best client's deposits and they might not earn quite as much.
17
No fucking shit. How much Nazi money is tied up in Swiss banks? And now suddenly they grow scruples? Puhhh-leeeze.
18
Wait, you people believe that bullshit about Swiss neutrality?

Really?

They're corrupt, loathesome thieves. They shield their crimes behind this absurd cloak of invisibility. I, for one, am not shocked at all that they'd do what they did.

Please wait...

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