Anti-Americanism has given birth to some of the most obnoxious ideologies, like genocidal relativism, dictatorial apologism and international conspiracyism. Its latest product is the re-definition of a serious criminal offence: rape.
Hatred of America is so strong and the urge to destroy its reputation and integrity so intense that Assange’s supporters are prepared to give him impunity for his alleged crimes.
If Assange had exposed the corruption inside the Palestinian Authority, Pakistan’s collaboration with Al Qaeda or Iran’s attempt to mislead the international community over its nuclear programme, would the same people have jumped to his defence?
Don’t hold your breath!
But the result of their blind embrace of anti-Americanism is that celebrities like Michael Moore and Jemima Khan offer to pay for Assange’s bail; former Ambassador Craig Murray violates the most basic code of moral conduct by naming and shaming one of the alleged victims live on television; and a Republican Congressman and British Member of Parliament re-define the concept of rape. Todd Akin is so misguided that he resorts to an obvious oxymoron: legitimate rape. And George Galloway declares that one does not “have to ask for consent for every insertion”.
But having had sex before does not give a man the right to have sex again without the explicit consent of the woman. Men have been prosecuted for raping their own wives and it can be just as devastating to be raped whilst asleep by someone you know as by a complete stranger in a park.
Rape is rape – a brutal, destructive, abhorrent and immoral act against anyone it is forced upon. No ifs, no buts.
Assange must face court and answer sex crime allegations in Sweden. He cannot hide behind the pretence of political persecution forever. It is about the right of the women involved to have their allegations dealt with within a legal framework. Selfishly publishing classified material of America’s secrets does not put him above the law. This is not about Wikileaks stupid!
Did you mean to say “persecuted” or prosecuted? Excellent column, btw, as usual! I agree with nearly all of it (yet I can’t help wondering about those couples one hears about whose interactions are by their nature not exhaustively characterized at every moment by explicit, transparent and unambiguous discussions of “consent before insertion”: is all legitimate sex liberal/Rawlsian in other words?). Galloway has the mind of a thug and Akin is an idiot (guys like Akin are the best argument for anti-Americanism, in my view). Well in any case, as you say, rape is rape and it is never “legitimate” in any way, shape or form — unless it’s linked to anti-Americanism, apparently, and then those same type of folks who are properly critical of Senator Akin’s recent remarks come out of the woodwork.
Or as is sometimes said-”no means NO!”
Is it just me or does anyone else recognize the fact that Todd Akin simply grabbed the WRONG WORD in the process of ad-libing a conversation with an interviewer? ….What would the media and half the “commenting” internet be commenting on today, if he would have grabbed the RIGHT word….the one he was actually reaching for ….what would be different right now if, in the process of differentiating between “Accused” and “Actual”, instead of using the word “Legitimate”, he would have said “Authentic Rape” or if he would have said “Genuine Rape” ???? Would he still be as stupid, backwards, neanderthal, cold-blooded, chauvinistic, misogynistic right-wing extremist……and just simply deserving of ostracization from LIFE if he would have used a different adjective? ?
Of course no means no and it is fatuous to focus on a deliberately naive interpretation of what is going on here. Neither is it of any help towards people who have or who may be victims of the terrible crime of rape. Indeed, to support this travesty of politically correct, pseudo-justice is to abandon and devalue those victims.
Conflating the idiot Akin with the frequently rather silly George Galloway is also unwise, particularly as in this case Galloway is pretty much correct, except in his choice of words.
The American government has amply demonstrated its contempt for justice and truth in recent years and it is self-evident that one can be totally opposed to its actions without being “anti-American”, just as one can abhor the Israeli state without being anti-Israeli.
Honestly Julie, you’re far too smart to pull the wool over your own eyes about the dirty tricks that Assange is subject to. He’s clearly irresponsible and a loose cannon but I think it’s a better world with Wikileaks rather than without.
This is interesting information from Lysander Spooner:
Why had Assange been in custody for two years and the authorities refused to interview him? He is not charged with any crime and remained in Sweden for over a month after the incident specifically to answer the charges. It is obvious Anna Arden was a CIA asset. She worked in Cuba and was deported for being part of an anti-Castro movement. She also worked in Miami with anti-Casto forces there. She was a secretary for the Socialist Democratic party and was used to pass information to the CIA regarding the Swedish government’s support of US and NATO intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Arden, one of Assange’s “accusers” even stopped cooperating with prosecutors. She was also a radical feminist who wrote an internet guide on how to bring false charges against a man who “screwed you over”.
If you type in “Anna Arden CIA” you will see all the info connecting her to US intelligence. She was also a radical feminist and “Gender Equality Officer” on a college campus where her co-accuser of Assange, Sophia Wilen, worked for her. All this has been kept from the media but is available in the book “Assanage and Government in a Wikileaks World”. Arden also goes by the name Bernardin and has been known to have moved to the West Bank to work in a program involving Christian outreach to Palestinians. So, it seems between being a secretary for the Democratic Socialist Party, an anti-Castro activist and forming contacts with Palestinians, she has time to meet with the CIA to create “honeypot traps” for her CIA handlers. This is why she no longer works for Sweden’s main political party anymore. Everyone knows she was a CIA asset.
Arden asked Assange to stay in her home, had sex with him, took him out to eat, introduced him to another sex kitten, Sophia Wilen, who also had repeated sexual relations with him, then had a meeting with her accomplice/co-accuser and finally made these charges against Assange weeks later. Assange stayed, answered all charges, had in fact not been charged in two years and has never been interviewed even while having been in custody for two years. Does the American government, -my government, the UK’s government and the Swedish government think the rest of the world is stupid or is it they just don’t care how brazenly they now abuse power?
Also, Arden, the girl who introduced Assange to Sophia Wilen, had Wilen stalk Assange and then when she was not able to meet him after his speaking engagements, had Arden personally introduce Assange to Wilen. This was all caught and posted on a Youtube video. Also, the website page Arden made to exact revenge by bringing false charges against a man who “screwed you over” tried to hide her website, but it was mirrored and activists reposted all over the internet.
So, all Sweden has to do is guarantee it will not extradite Assange and I am sure he will return to Sweden, There is no case against him and Arden has ceased working with prosecutors. The regular prosecutor would not even bring the charges and Arden had to rely on a political crony to even get them to decide to question Assange, something the Swedish government has now refused to do in over two years.
To see why this fiasco is going on, go to the Facebook page “Jews Against Zionism and War with Iran”.