The Assange case is suddenly about redefining rape - it is unearthing an ugly and dangerous misogyny in leftist politics that must be stopped
Suddenly and inexplicably the debacle surrounding the arrest, detention and possible extradition of the Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has become a chaotic scrabble to define or redefine the criminal act of raping someone. I use debacle here in its literal sense - this calamity of New World Order proportions is dividing the already fractious leftist groups, reinforcing the position of the imperialist United States and painting Wikileaks as a fringe group of lunatic activists. Somewhere along the line it's all gone wrong; and I say this as a staunch supporter of Wikileaks and the way it has transformed the act of whistleblowing - until Julian Assange is free to face the serious allegations against him then their cause will ultimately be side lined and ignored like an atheist at a Tea Party convention.
The most prevalent and divisive issue surrounding the case is the idolism of Assange. The awkward truth about the "left" in any collective sense is that most of our "heroes" (although we should frown when using such a term) are either dead or dying. Most people, who have influenced the course of leftist politics, divided it or inspired generations of activists are no longer, save a few, walking the Earth. That said when Assange arrived like a pale, Australian and rather uninspiring John Wayne, shooting down United States agencies and campaigns like there was no tomorrow, we couldn't help but clap our hands gleefully at our good fortune - finally we have a hero in our midst! The phrase most appropriate here is: failing at the first hurdle. Asssange is, unfortunately, patient zero in the forgotten struggle against the dangerously captivating culture of idolising the celebrity to the extent that nothing else matters.
Now, I'm going to be honest here - this blog post is the result of a self-actualised epiphany for me. I'm guilty as charged (pardon the inappropriate pun) for idolising Assange as a saviour for digital journalism and I've had my opinion changed over the past week. Much like I can't blame others for doing so, I hope I can't be criticised too much for my initial, rather naïve, assessment of the circumstances surrounding this rather peculiar and unique situation. The fact of the matter is that the serious and life changing allegations brought against Assange represent a precedent for all rape cases across the globe - they should not, and cannot, be ignored. The result of these allegations, and the case as a whole, has created barrage of wannabe experts (ranging from embattled feline George Galloway to the Dame Dinosaur herself, Helen Mirren) commenting on what constitutes as rape and when it is appropriate to report it - couple that in with the Moron of the Week, Todd Akin, and you've got a misfit panel of judges who either don't understand liberation issues (or flatly don't understand human biology) or just like the sound of their own voices (I'll let you decide who's who).
So here's the crux - those who fear for Assange's future and a possible extradition to the United States do so not without foundation. There is serious evidence, not just tin-foil dossiers, which suggest Assange's immediate extradition from Sweden, upon his arrival, is on the cards. There's also evidence which doesn't quite add up; the Swedish prosecutions refusal to send representatives to the Ecuadorian embassy in London, despite having done so in similar cases, for one.
However, and this is not a difficult however, allegations of rape must be taken with the upmost seriousness that even the blinkered leftist idolism of the greatest whistleblower in history must come to a screeching halt. Rape isn't a politically loaded issue, but instead a rather simple one: sex without consent is rape. There are no degrees of rape, no legitimate or illegitimate rape and no accidental rape. Sex without consent constitutes rape - it is for the person whom has been raped to decide to press charges. It is not for the alleged rapist nor his/her defence to decide, it's not for George Galloway nor Ken Clarke to decide and it's certainly not for the public to decide. Our definition of rape is clear as day - and our pursuit of justice must be equally transparent.
What I ask of anyone reading this is that we must, for once, trust the legitimacy of the legal framework that is established in Europe. Nobody wants another Bradley Manning - nobody should, despite allegations, want Julian Assange to face unlawful detention or capital punishment. Ideally, in the rationally thinking journalistic bubble, that shouldn't need to be said. Nevertheless, the course of justice must be followed to the letter or else we'll have nothing left to rely on when the powers that be reload their weaponry and we're staring down the barrel.
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