Who wants to kill Wikileaks creator Julian Assange?

[thundril]

Mike Huckabee calls for death penalty for Julian Lasange. A Canadian government advisor suggests assassination by drone plane. Does this make the allegations of rape less believable? Is there any chance that the President of the USA might comment on the legality of Huckabee's recommendation?

[Alan H]

Huckabee said:

Whoever in our government leaked that information is guilty of treason, and I think anything less than execution is too kind a penalty.

Under the traditional rules of engagement he is thus subject to summary execution and my preferred course of action would [be] for Assange to find a small calibre round in the back of his head.

[philbo]

When Huckabee says "Whoever in our government leaked that information is guilty of treason, and I think anything less than execution is too kind a penalty." he can't be talking about Lassange (who isn't the person who leaked the information, isn't an American so can't be guilty of treason).

The calls by right-wingers for him to be executed for espionage are, well, rather stupid, IMHO (but not exactly surprising)

Does anyone else find the whole saga rather disappointingly banal? All these "confidential" cables that didn't say anything even remotely unexpected.

Edit to add: Mick "I believe in miracles" Huckabee? Surely he should believe that God will smite whoever did this?

[getreal]

Though I have not read them and base my comments to those leaks covered by the press, I found them rather dissapointing. I was expecting to be astounded by the revelations, instead (as philbo said) they are nothing more than what we have come to expect from governments and people in "high" places (seems like Andrew has inherited his dad's talent for speaking before the brain is engaged.)

I would love to know who was reponsible for the leaks, though.

[philbo]

I would love to know who was reponsible for the leaks, though.

Was reading that half a million people have access to the "secret" network on which the data resided.. and they've arrested a private. Don't know how authoritative those stories are, though.

[seyorni]

Frankly I think a little less secrecy might be a good thing. Political propaganda and skulduggery lay the foundation for tyranny and exploitation by special interests.
Secrecy is antithetical to a free and open society.

[Alan H]

What Seyorni said.

[Nick]

Sadly, the world is not that simple. An open society may be a good objective, but sometimes confidentiality is essential. An example of that would be the early talks which led to the Good Friday Agreement. Likewise, an ambassador should be able to warn the PM (say) that President X is not to be trusted, without his opinion becoming common knowledge. If, as has been reported, China is agreeable to a re-unification of Korea, I think a fair bit of confidential spade-work would be a good idea, or else the Kingdom of Kim, repressive though it is, may disintegrate into anarchy.

[philbo]

.. the Kingdom of Kim...

Has a nice ring to it.. but it's not very close. Could we call it the "Kingdom of Far Kim"?

[animist]

Sadly, the world is not that simple. An open society may be a good objective, but sometimes confidentiality is essential. An example of that would be the early talks which led to the Good Friday Agreement. Likewise, an ambassador should be able to warn the PM (say) that President X is not to be trusted, without his opinion becoming common knowledge. If, as has been reported, China is agreeable to a re-unification of Korea, I think a fair bit of confidential spade-work would be a good idea, or else the Kingdom of Kim, repressive though it is, may disintegrate into anarchy.

well, I wonder what life would be like if nothing actually could be kept secret for long. Of course, in the real world as it now is, there have been times when secrecy proved its worth, but would openness not make planning war and other undesirable actions virtually impossible?

[Ken H]

I would expect there is far more going on then those wikileaks "revelations". I'm sure the important stuff is well encrypted.

Death penalty for Lasange? How about making him listen to Huckabee's band perform Freebird a few times!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkeflmkFCj0

[animist]

I would expect there is far more going on then those wikileaks "revelations". I'm sure the important stuff is well encrypted.

Death penalty for Lasange? How about making him listen to Huckabee's band perform Freebird a few times!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkeflmkFCj0

glad there are Americans like you, Ken

[thundril]

Sadly, the world is not that simple. An open society may be a good objective, but sometimes confidentiality is essential. An example of that would be the early talks which led to the Good Friday Agreement. Likewise, an ambassador should be able to warn the PM (say) that President X is not to be trusted, without his opinion becoming common knowledge. If, as has been reported, China is agreeable to a re-unification of Korea, I think a fair bit of confidential spade-work would be a good idea, or else the Kingdom of Kim, repressive though it is, may disintegrate into anarchy.

Quite true, Nick. Confidentiality has its place, and is sometimes vital. That's a long way from saying that people who break confidentiality, in however foolish of harmful a manner, should be executed.

[Nick]

Indeed, Thundril. No-one should be executed.

[animist]

.. the Kingdom of Kim...

Has a nice ring to it.. but it's not very close. Could we call it the "Kingdom of Far Kim"?

as my daughter is another Kim, I would prefer "the Queendom of Kim"; it would, however, be a quite a korea move for her

[Dave B]

I agree with Nick as well. Trouble is that though the leaders know damn well these things get said and (as Putin implied) their release into the public domain may provoke denials and cause policy changes, especially in those countries where "face" is important.

China, a country where "face" was once of extreme importance, is on a cusp, balanced on an edge between its old modes of thought and its need to grow its markets. I cannot afford N. Korea as an "ally" or an "enemy", dumping the problem on the South would be a good move for them, it will cost billions just to house and feed the people, let alone build a viable infrastructure. But the change-over would need a diplomatic and political delicacy of procedure that the revelations have possibly damaged.

Hmm, the Americans would come in heavy, who wants a potentially nuclear capable S. Korea?

[Nick]

as my daughter is another Kim, I would prefer "the Queendom of Kim"; it would, however, be a quite a korea move for her

I wouldn't like her Tibet on it.....

[getreal]

Shouldn't that be North Korea, Dave?

and in normal circumstances I am firmly against the death penalty, however, for posting that link, Ken......

[Dave B]

Shouldn't that be North Korea, Dave?

getreal, I was thinking of South Korea taking over responsibility for North Korea and thus gaining access to the N.K. nuclear plants etc. Though S.K. is a stable country that has concentrated (when not disturbed by N.K.) on making itself one of the top electronic researchers and manufacturers I cannot see the Yanks, or the Chinese, liking the idea of them gaining nuclear capability.

[Carja]

All those email nicknames for the leaders of certain countries made me wonder what email nicknames the leaders of those very countries have for our leader and other higher ups. I'd love to know what they are. It's Monday and I need a good laugh.

As far as execution goes, anyone ought to have more sense than to post something on the Internet that they don't expect might be released to the world wide public some day. And Huckabee is a far right wing fool.