I don’t really know, where I stand on WikiLeaks. I think that the content that has been disclosed shows how ill-advised so much of the United States and our, excursions into the Middle East have been. But we knew that anyway!
Whether Julian Assange did sexually assault the two Swedish women, for which that country is seeking extradition, is up to the Swedish courts to decide. I think that even if he is found guilty, he has nothing much to fear. Even in the UK, he’d probably not face a sentence of more than a few years, if found guilty for a similar offence.
His problem though is the United States, its courts and punishment system. They are so out of line with other countries like his own; Australia, Canada and most of Europe. He would probably get a total life sentence for disclosing the US diplomatic cables. Even in this country, I suspect he would get a sentence, but it wouldn’t be that long, as no-one is actually accusing him of stealing the information in the first place. In fact, it could be argued that he did the same as the Daily Telegraph did with MPs expenses. Was anybody prosecuted for their part in that affair? Only a few MPs, who had done wrong.
But then the United States is vindictive with a vengeance rather than a justice system in many instances.
So the Assange case is a bit like trying to make a reasoned decision in a room with a vicious bully outside. Remember too, that Obama has a difficult election coming up, and he would not want to appear soft. Ask Mormon Mitt on the right day and he would say that US troops should invade the embassy, if the British won’t do it.
As it stands at the moment, whilst he is in the Ecuadorian embassy, it’s all a bit difficult. Let’s face it, if Assange had been a citizen of that country and had published some of their secrets, he’d at least be in jail by now. Ecuador doesn’t come across to me, as a beacon of democracy
The only thing we can do, is persuade Assange to go to Sweden and face trial there. If we use force, then we’ll put all our diplomats around the world in danger.
I think there’s a fair chance, that when we have the next General Election, Assange will still be where he is now!
August 19, 2012
Posted by AnonW |
News | Barack Obama, Julian Assange, Justice, Mitt Romney, Secrets, Sweden, United States |
6 Comments
Mormon Mitt seems not only to have a lack of diplomacy, but also the common sense, one needs to avoid trouble. Just read this piece by the respected BBC correspondent, Mark Mardell. Mark also questions whether his wife’s horse will go down well with blue-collar Republicans.
It is safe to say that dressage does not have the same place in the heart of the American blue-collar worker as Nascar racing or baseball.
It would appear though that the wags out there are already having great fun. Just type “moron Mitt” into your preferred search engine.
I particularly liked this one.
The size of the hole gets bigger every minute.
So make sure you’ve got a few hours or even days to spend. It will be an ideal pastime for sport-phobics in the next couple of weeks.
July 27, 2012
Posted by AnonW |
News, Sport | Mitt Romney, Olympics, Politics, United States |
2 Comments
This statement of Barack Obama is very easy to say after the massacre in Aurora.
If America is thinking then they should change their culture and attitude to firearms. I read this article by Rod Dreher on the BBC’s web site. He is an American Conservative and makes some strong and well-thought points.
It shows how the problem is a lot worse than anybody in the UK thinks.
I do think though that spillover from American culture is behind some of the gun crime in the UK and other countries.
July 23, 2012
Posted by AnonW |
News, World | Barack Obama, Crime, Guns, United States |
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Jimmy Carter has attacked Barack Obama over human rights and especially assassination of possible terrorists using drone attacks. It’s here in the Independent.
I’ve always felt that Jimmy got a bad hand, when he was US President and is seriously underrated. On the other hand, Barack Obama is proving one of the most disappointing Presidents, I have witnessed. And I go back to Ike!
July 4, 2012
Posted by AnonW |
News, World | Barack Obama, Human Rights, Terrorism, United States |
4 Comments
And it would appear everything else!
Accordiung to a report on BBC Breakfast Time, a third of the obese people in the world, live in North America. But only six percent of the world’s population live there!
I think that the answer is a no brainer!
June 18, 2012
Posted by AnonW |
Health, News | Canada, Obesity, United States |
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Then he shouldn’t have beaten his wife. It’s here in the Telegraph.
June 14, 2012
Posted by AnonW |
Food, News, Sport | Abuse, Boxing, Prison, United States, Water |
1 Comment
This was said by Boris Johnson on American television, when he was promoting his book. There’s a video of it here.
Have we ever had a politician like Boris before?
Boris hints that he could be President of the United States as he was born in New York.
I suspect, he’d make a better fist of it, than some of second-raters, who’ve held the job in my lifetime.
June 7, 2012
Posted by AnonW |
News | Books, London Mayor, Politics, United States |
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This article on the BBC web site, discusses the problems of California. Theirs may not be as large sums, but because of the way their political system works cutting the state’s $16billion deficit is going to be very difficult, due to American’s complete aversion to the raising of taxes.
I wonder how many other states are in a similar states.
June 5, 2012
Posted by AnonW |
News | California, Politics, Tax, United States |
2 Comments
I’m unsure, that having a leader of a country with strong religious beliefs is a good idea. They need strong humanist principles, that are probably subscribed to, by most good people, but that is all.
After all, with the exception of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, I don’t think, we’ve had a Prime Minister in recent years, who went anywhere near a church, except for the usual ceremonial duties, like weddings, funerals and affairs of state.
You can argue, whether we did better under a leader, who regularly went to church or we didn’t. However, in my view to belong to a church with strong political views is wrong, as they might try to divert you from important policies. For instance, we have the stance of the Roman Catholic church on contraception.
I don’t think the leaders in countries like France, Germany and other well-respected nations have outrageous religious views.
So to have a US President, who is a Mormon like Mitt Romney, might just upset the balance in the world. Let’s hope the good citizens of the United States see sense and return Barack Obama for a second term, otherwise it might find itself in a minority of one on the world stage.
Read Mark Mardell’s view of Mitt Romney here. Here’s a paragraph from the article.
The Obama team also wants to promote the image of Mr Romney as very right wing.
Not simply conservative but old-fashioned. The out-of-touch old guy who would bring back the past. In an excellent, if long, article the New York Magazine quotes an unnamed Obama strategist: “He’s the fifties, he is retro, he is backward, and we are forward—that’s the basic construct.”
“If you’re a woman, you’re Hispanic, you’re young, or you’ve gotten left out, you look at Romney and say, ‘This guy is gonna take us back to the way it always was, and guess what? I’ve never been part of that.'”
He sounds the sort of guy, that most British politicians would instantly not warm to.
May 30, 2012
Posted by AnonW |
News | Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Politics, United States |
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Some of the news just gets worse. Take this story about Mexicans trafficking women to the United States and other places for the purpose of prostitution and sex slavery.
Some of the figures in the report are horrendous.
$32 billion – Annual turnover of human trafficking industry
9.8 million – Total involved in unpaid work or prostitution
800,000 – People trafficked across borders each year
79 % – Of those trafficked are women or girls
And then we have the Shafilea Ahmed case, where she was murdered because, she wouldn’t agree to a forced marriage to someone she’d never met in Pakistan.
To me there is little difference. In my view to use threats and violence to exploit women makes those that do it, the lowest of the low.
We probably can’t do much about the problems in Mexico and the United States, but we should put lots of teeth behind the views of Baroness Warsi, her father and everyone, who believe that women have the right to choose how they lead their life.
May 22, 2012
Posted by AnonW |
News | Marriage, Mexico, Pakistan, Slavery, United States |
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The Anonymous Widower 