Why do so many dismiss the sex assault allegations against Assange?

[xmas74]

Just curious. I've been in an argument about it on Facebook and the most common argument is that women lie all the time about rape.

[jberryhill]

1. Because Assange supporters are basically nuts

Most of the Assange troll army has left DU by this point, so you are unlikely to land very many of them with this bait.

[marble falls]

3. What bait should one use?

[jberryhill]

7. I dunno

I found out my backyard squirrel is not fond of Brazil nuts, so I'm back to Cheerios today.

I'm not what you call a master baiter.

[marble falls]

14. Does the squirrel ever wonder why you give him stale little donuts with no powder sugar? ...

Lord knows what he thinks the Brazil nuts are.

[jberryhill]

19. I only put out just a few

Because I'm not entirely sure it would be good for him/her to eat a lot of processed oats, and I'm not looking to be the primary source of his/her nutrition.

I do wonder what is the squirrel's hypothesis about my behavior.

I work at a desk next to a patio door that leads to my deck. On the deck, I've positioned a patio chair so that the squirrel can bound up the chair and literally bang on the screen to get my attention. Then he/she jumps off of the chair and runs over to the kitchen window to make sure that I'm getting some nuts or cheerios. When I step outside, without fail, the squirrel comes running at me, suddenly realizes I'm really big, backs off, and waits for me to leave a treat on the railing.

I don't do it consistently, so the squirrel is not depending on me.

If he/she gets particular brave, I scare him/her away, to avoid conditioning him/her to approach humans. I'm thinking of setting up an obstacle challenge course of some kind, but for a variety of reasons, this particular squirrel (who lives in a tree not far from my deck) doesn't strike me as particularly bright.

[tblue37]

15. Sometimes, as a special treat, I leave out (unsalted, or course!) cashews or almonds for the

squirrels outside. They do love them.

[marble falls]

18. No wonder we have more squirrels in our back yard ...

[xmas74]

16. If this was bait I would have posted something

More outlandish.

This is about responding to a post on my wall on Facebook and having three white men post over 250 comments in a short time, all claiming that women are liars.

I'll never understand where it comes from.

[jberryhill]

20. On unrelated topical forums

There seems to be a recent influx of angry Assange defenders.

Dunno what's driving it.

[xmas74]

22. It's been crazy.

My settings had to be changed yet again because the people posting were all friends of friends, all middle class white males and all convinced that women lie about most rape charges.

Interesting part was when a man defended me they ignored him and kept attacking me.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

30. If he had been innocent of the charges, there'd been no need to him to

go into hiding in the Ecuadorean Embassy. These are not the actions of an innocent man.

I have always believed that he was guilty of the charges against him.

[Eyeball_Kid]

2. If I recall correctly, Assange is accused of

deceiving his sex partner by having UNPROTECTED sex. Sweden has a different definition for committing an offense. There must be complete consent. If the victim doesn’t consent to unprotected sex, it’s a crime. In Assange’s case, his sex partner reportedly did not object to sex, but was victimized because Assange did not use a condom.

[hlthe2b]

5. I seem to recall that as well. The case isn't as straight forward as some would have you think...

I detest Assange, so I am in no way defending him. If they can charge him, they SHOULD. But, those who want to cling to "MeTOO" for EVERYTHING without reviewing the facts of each situation are doing us NO favors.

[hack89]

8. You recall wrong - look up the four actual charges on his arrest warrant

It was real, forced sexual assault.

[xmas74]

17. This is correct.

[struggle4progress]

27. He was accused of having sex with a woman who was asleep: there's no question of consent there,

and it is considered rape in a number of jurisdictions

[Spider Jerusalem]

31. And also allegedly woke up to find him penetrating her which she didn't consent to (n/t)

[obamanut2012]

4. Because of what you said

Those lying women wanting to take down their hero Jules. Lots of them, including MANY on DU, like to argue it "wasn't really rape," and it's okay to have sex with someone when they are asleep.

[MineralMan]

6. His supporters simply overlook that because supporters.

I have no doubt that Julian Assange is a thoroughly unlikable person in many ways, but he served a useful purpose, according to some, so all negative things are forgiven, because ends justify means.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

9. Because sexual assault allegations aren't taken seriously in general.

[SamuelTwain]

10. Because "boys will be boys" or something.

[hunter]

11. There's going to be a movie about this whole sordid mess someday. Assange will be a minor character.

I'm looking forward to the part where Assange comes to the dreadful realization that he is the patsy, not the player, and that no, not everyone admires or wants his dick.

[scarytomcat]

12. Timing

Just when he hits the scene with bad stuff about the bush crime family he gets accused.

[jberryhill]

21. Lol

I see.

And specifically when did Assange "hit the scene with bad stuff about the Bush crime family" and to what specific "stuff" are you referring?

[scarytomcat]

24. I believe it was war crimes, water boarding, that stuff that should have sent shrub to the Hague

if memory serves me right

[jberryhill]

25. Oh Assange was responsible for that?

Do tell about how Assange blew the lid off of water boarding.

[scarytomcat]

28. I am not siding with Assange, I will wait for a trial verdict

it was a long time ago and my memory is not alway good but it looked like retaliation as I remember

[jberryhill]

29. Uh-huh

And can you recall who was president of the United States at the time?

For extra credit, perhaps you might try to name the US Secretary of State at the time that Assange collaborates with Manning to obtain and publish US State Department communications.

[ScratchCat]

13. I'll post this again:

When this originally came up, singer/activist Graham Nash was on either Olberman's or Shultz's show and stated that, in his opinion, it was all a set-up and was based upon Karl Rove having a very close relationship with the premier/prez/king(whatever you call him) of Sweden. All available info pointed to the Bush Admin officials trying to shut him up.

[jberryhill]

23. Ah, well, of course Graham Nash would know

[emmaverybo]

26. At that time, before we knew he wanted to take down Hilary, he was something of a darling to

some on the left and so it was felt that “the government” had conspired to destroy Assange.