Julian Assange is not the hero many want him to be

Assange supporters, High Court in London, 24 January 2022 [Alisdare Hickson CC BY-SA 4.0]

Some are celebrating the release of Julian Assange while others beg to differ. Were his actions those of a whistleblower interested in calling out war crimes and human rights violations? Or were his actions those of a traitor? Was it freedom of the press or a childish action by a self-centred activist with financial interest that threatened the lives of our military personnel and the lives of our allies?

The Unfiltered newsletter had this to say:
The Assange coverage continues today, not only with pieces from the World section, which includes Terry Barnes’ less than enthusiastic coverage of the WikiLeaks editor, but also of Speccie regular Michael de Percy and his co-writer Sascha Dov Bachmann. They disagree with other writers we have had on the topic, and instead argue in favour of state secrets for the purpose of protecting military activities and the men and women who put their lives at risk in these foreign countries.

The Morning Double Shot newsletter had this to say:

Your scribe upset some readers yesterday in being appalled about Julian Assange’s treatment as a returning journalistic hero and martyr for his cause. My commentary, however, is mild compared to this brutally honest piece by Michael de Percy and Sascha Dov Bachmann. Read it and judge Assange’s Wikileaking against the de Percy-Bachmann yardstick. UK contributor Mary Dejevsky has also raised serious questions about the Assange freedom deal itself. 

My latest in The Spectator Australia with Professor Sascha Dov Bachmann, Julian Assange is not the hero many want him to be.