Will AllenJun 13, 2023

I don't see nearly enough people talking about the staggering cost to the US and allies as a result of The Former Guy's theft.

Politics is one thing, but in the Intelligence and Counterintelligence communities, there are protocols. And one protocol you can take to the bank: When a man who is known to have back channel connections to literally every one of our enemies steals a trove of classified documents, you treat every single one of them as if they are now owned by our enemies.

Let the gravity of that sink in. Every single agent mentioned is now compromised. Every agent alluded to is compromised. Every combat plan is now available for all our enemies to develop countermeasures for. Every secret plan to develop intelligence on our enemies is now a dead end.

There were nuclear secrets in there.

How do you begin to calculate the impact and cost of the enemy knowing our nuclear secrets, including potentially our plans if Putin were to launch a limited nuclear strike?

We will never know the cost of it, because it's all SUPPOSED TO BE SECRET TO PROTECT US FROM OUR ENEMIES. But however much you think it cost, it was probably more.

The Defense Department and Intelligence Community don't have the luxury of hoping he didn't make the sales we all know he made.

They have to assume he sold all of it. Whether it's ever proven or not.

This is one of the worst crimes ever committed by a US citizen against the US.

Show threadKatz Podargus
@willallen I see the way US has pursued Assange (an Australian citizen) over far less damaging leaks, whilst ignoring the similar role the media took. The man is still rotting in gaol having never yet been found guilty. Will be interesting to see the different way a rich American, who was once president, will be treated by your legal system. I doubt he will be treated anywhere near as badly, even though his crimes are far, far worse & far more harmful. The whole world is watching this.
Jun 13, 2023 at 2:50amWeb
Show threadWill AllenJun 13, 2023

@katzpodargus I share your thoughts about the way it will be handled. There aren't a lot of precedents for spies being caught red handed dealing nuclear secrets in the US. The Rosenbergs were executed for it.

It seems to me it's almost impossible to effectively punish such an egregious crime. Every count he is charged with has a maximum monetary fine that wouldn't scratch his monthly Big Mac budget. Sending him to prison would certainly be appropriate, but it's hard to imagine him not still running his empire from prison.

To be blunt, I expect him to be convicted and given the Hitler Treatment. Maybe a couple years in prison with some kind of release program and maybe a paltry fine. (Paltry for him.) I'll be pleasantly surprised if it's anything more than that.

The other option, of course, is that the US will prove it is a fully failed state, and he will not be punished at all.

Show threadJDSJun 13, 2023
@willallen @katzpodargus or pardoned by the next, worse installation 😞