The Assange affair is certainly disgusting, but does the US have widespread political persecution the way Russia does?

Shall we really rattle off a list of political persecution in the USA? Because, honestly, you can't be so ignorant .. YES: The WEST DOES have political persecution the way Russia does. There is, literally, NO DIFFERENCE.

Of course, we don't have evidence of a thousand Russian secret torture sites, like we do for the CIA (thanks Julian, thanks Edward), so there is some validity to the position that in fact the Wests' oppression apparatus is factually worse than Russia's, since those torture sites are spread across the globe, repressing, literally, dozens of other lesser sovereign states deemed unworthy by America's own utterly fascist military junta ..

> The WEST DOES have political persecution the way Russia does. There is, literally, NO DIFFERENCE.

There is a difference between "the west persecutes" and "the west is just as bad as Russia". I think just because the west does something bad does not immediately put them on the same level as Russia. Yes, both sides claim they are nigh-perfect and the other side is the worst ever. Just because both sides aren't near perfect doesn't mean that therefore both sides are equally bad.

As a side-note. One of the sides has unilaterally invaded another country with intention to annex the last year. Whilst the other countries latest invasion is 20 years old, and now generally admitted to have been a bad and illegal invasion.

Yemen? Somalia?

Genocide is happening under NATO's watchful gaze, from its bases, with its resources.

Again: the moral authority you claim, simply does not exist.

> Because, honestly, you can't be so ignorant .. YES: The WEST DOES have political persecution the way Russia does.

With all due respect which is none, I don't think you personally know someone who was persecuted in some way or another. I do know several. (Assuming you're in the US)

> Of course, we don't have evidence of a thousand Russian secret torture sites

https://meduza.io/en/news/2021/12/20/human-rights-project-gu...

Also, you're exhibiting survivor bias: Russia had no Assange of its own, but this does not mean it doesn't have this kind of dirty secrets.

This is about picking a side. Luckily, people are free to move to the side they prefer (somehow Russia does not seem as popular as the "West"...).

If you prefer the Russian system - move there. If you are totally indifferent, maybe make a coin toss.

Actually, its about choosing peace instead of picking sides.

And yes I have left my 5-eyes birth nation, and abandoned any and all ties to nationalist mental disease, over this particular issue. You should, too.

Nationalist, perhaps, but seem to have replaced it with several other varieties.

Thankfully, an acceptance of blind coffeeshop psychological evaluations from random strangers is not one of them. Also, no irrational war-/blood-lust, nor xenophobia, in spite of a continued association with such clearly inflicted individuals.

There is a difference between his case, leaking state secrets, and jailing journos for a disagreement. I don't agree with how he's been handled but there is zero moral equivalence.