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Comment by peppermint_tea | Hacker News Reader

Thanks for making that short summary for the people who have not followed the saga since the beginning. I believe wikileaks bother many/much more people (remember paypal and visa not taking donation for the site) but what you added is short and concise to put someone up to speed quickly.

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He mentioned a single thing that Assange has done. That's not bringing people up to speed. Its disingenuous because its a more complicated situation than that one thing describes. And that statement stands whether a person supports him or is hell bent on seeing his life permanently ruined or ended.

Sure, it's more complicated, but that the basic truth. That's why everything stated. Then people can dig all the details and the 10 years of twist and turns.

Its a tiny part of the basic truth that leaves out any criticism of Assange. It doesn't entirely revolve around the leaking of a single video of a US helicopter killing civilians.

There is absolutely tons of justified criticism of Assange. And there are tons more details about the crimes he reported on. But going into all of that requires a massive article that doesn't fit into a short comment; this stuff is documented elsewhere.

Despite all of Assange's many flaws, it boils down to this: he reported on war crimes, those crimes go unpunished and uninvestigated, but the US wants to punish Assange, severely, despite the fact that he is not American and never even set foot there.

Wikileaks is a crusader outlet supporting basically anyone anti-American (and generally anti Western liberal) at expense of anyone else.

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