This is not vigilante justice, everything which has occured is a civil matter.
If someone commits a polarizing action (which WikiLeaks certainly has), then it certainly is the right of those people who disagree to hurl insults at them, but by the same token it is the right of those who support that person to hurl insults right back. If it is EveryDNS' intention to slam shut their storefront as Assange approaches, they are going to have to deal with a little graffiti.
The internet companies which have decided to hamper WikiLeaks are committing civil actions, and more than that, unsavory and spiteful civil actions. A response to low and spiteful civil actions is another low and spiteful civil action. A question of the legality of EveryDNS v. DDoSer's actions is really an academic question and certainly not a distinction that is intended to be exploited to the benefit of either party. If you go around spitting in people's faces, don't run to the police when someone leaves dog poo on your stoop. One is illegal, yes, but that doesn't mean you don't deserve it.
I'd say it's a stretch to say this whole thing was cooked up by US intelligence, yes.
However, just because the two women were "sympathetic to the Wikileaks cause" doesn't really shoot that down. CoIntelPro was and is a real thing and being a "longtime activist" certainly does not preclude one from being a plant, especially if the cause is one which US intelligence deems dangerous. In fact, the "Social Democratic Party" sounds exactly like the kind of thing the CIA WOULD infliltrate. I think it's still unlikely, but by no means do the features you mention speak directly to that fact.
I don't think the media circus is really the problem (though it was handled pretty terribly, such as mentioning every announcement made by Assange as being made by "alleged rapist Julian Assange.") but only that the zeal with which Assange is being pursued is in no way commensurate to the deed. THAT at least I would attribute to the role of US interests in his capture.
For those who say this IS appropriate: Polanski got to fart around Europe for thirty goddam years before he even got as far as Assange is now.
To be fair, they issued a red notice, which is odd given that the crime he is charged with is actually not a crime in most other states. And it's not like he was fleeing justice: the charges have been twice brought before a judge and dropped. All in all, it seems strange to me the zeal with which he is being pursued
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This is not vigilante justice, everything which has occured is a civil matter. If someone commits a polarizing action (which WikiLeaks certainly has), then it certainly is the right of those people who disagree to hurl insults at them, but by the same token it is the right of those who support that person to hurl insults right back. If it is EveryDNS' intention to slam shut their storefront as Assange approaches, they are going to have to deal with a little graffiti. The internet companies which have decided to hamper WikiLeaks are committing civil actions, and more than that, unsavory and spiteful civil actions. A response to low and spiteful civil actions is another low and spiteful civil action. A question of the legality of EveryDNS v. DDoSer's actions is really an academic question and certainly not a distinction that is intended to be exploited to the benefit of either party. If you go around spitting in people's faces, don't run to the police when someone leaves dog poo on your stoop. One is illegal, yes, but that doesn't mean you don't deserve it.
I'd say it's a stretch to say this whole thing was cooked up by US intelligence, yes. However, just because the two women were "sympathetic to the Wikileaks cause" doesn't really shoot that down. CoIntelPro was and is a real thing and being a "longtime activist" certainly does not preclude one from being a plant, especially if the cause is one which US intelligence deems dangerous. In fact, the "Social Democratic Party" sounds exactly like the kind of thing the CIA WOULD infliltrate. I think it's still unlikely, but by no means do the features you mention speak directly to that fact. I don't think the media circus is really the problem (though it was handled pretty terribly, such as mentioning every announcement made by Assange as being made by "alleged rapist Julian Assange.") but only that the zeal with which Assange is being pursued is in no way commensurate to the deed. THAT at least I would attribute to the role of US interests in his capture. For those who say this IS appropriate: Polanski got to fart around Europe for thirty goddam years before he even got as far as Assange is now.
To be fair, they issued a red notice, which is odd given that the crime he is charged with is actually not a crime in most other states. And it's not like he was fleeing justice: the charges have been twice brought before a judge and dropped. All in all, it seems strange to me the zeal with which he is being pursued