Is Julian Assange a misogynist, or just seething with rage against Hillary Clinton? We wonder

[DonViejo]

Assange once described Sweden as "the Saudi Arabia of feminism," and has focused his rage on one woman

MATTHEW ROZSA

It’s time to admit that there is a sexist pattern to Julian Assange’s behavior. It’s impossible to truly understand his motives, or his election-shaping hatred of Hillary Clinton (he was even tweeting about her this week), without first looking at his views on women.

It’s not that misogyny is the only characteristic that defines Assange, or even the primary one. He is the most emblematic of the early 21st century internet radicals, a man who has literally cut himself off from the rest of the world (remember, he is at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London by choice) and constantly bombards himself with online information.

This is why — although his place in history will perhaps be most infamous for his willingness to sell out his ostensible beliefs to become a Russian propaganda arm — we shouldn’t be surprised that he reflects the ideological misogyny that is so ubiquitous to the modern era’s online political culture.

“He’s kind of an OG of the particular perception, the show-offy, dude-ly internet,” Amanda Marcotte told me recently. “They lean right, they lean left, but what they have in common is all this internet-y lingo. This attitude like they’re involved in derring-do, kind of a clique-y nature, and yeah, it’s very bro-y. Very contemptuous of feminism, very sexist.”

Writer Sady Doyle echoed that view. “The only difference between Julian Assange and GamerGate is that Julian Assange once had credibility on ‘the left.’ If he still does, it’s because people are refusing to see the pattern,” she emailed me.

more
http://www.salon.com/2017/04/16/is-julian-assange-a-misogynist-or-just-seething-with-rage-against-hillary-clinton-we-wonder/

[jodymarie aimee]

1. All the gossip mags

have him dating Pamela Anderson, how's that for a hoot....she confirmed it.

[sharedvalues]

2. Wait. Assange is a Russian agent, that's why he hates Hillary

He'd hate Trump if that served Putin's interests.

It's not clear that WikiLeaks started as a Russian tool, but it is one now. They only release leaks about the West and most/all leaks come from Russian hackers.

[yardwork]

3. I think your post contains the suggestive inherent contradiction.

It's clear that Assange is an agent of Russia now. But did he start out that way? Or did his unreasoning hatred of Hillary Clinton put him right in Putin's hands because their goals overlap?

[sharedvalues]

4. So was he initially driven by hating HRC?

Yes I see what you're saying.

I don't have much insight into Assange, but it's thought that Russia encouraged Manning and recruited Snowden. So even at that time Assange probably was working with Russia.

Then there is this argument on motivations:
https://mobile.twitter.com/undefined/status/852892733983346688

Basically, Russia and Putin make it ok to be sexist and racist so if you're a white supremacist who hates women you naturally want to help Russia and harm America.

[sharedvalues]

5. Russia home base for racism and sexism

Text from my link above

14. I've met folks, even in working in higher ed in Russia, who view it positively as a place where they can be freely racist and sexist.

Apr 14
Christopher Stroop? @C_Stroop

15. If you want to understand Russia's leadership role in global "traditionalism" and the far Right's infatuation with it, this is key.

[yardwork]

6. I've noticed that about Russia.

They recently repealed domestic violence laws. And of course, torturing and murdering gay people.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

7. Rapists are usually quite misogynistic

So I'm guessing he is too