[BlueTemplar]

Assange became a Russian asset *while* in a whistleblowing-related job.

(And he is also the reason why Snowden ended up in Russia. Though it's possible that the flight plan they had was still the best one in that situation.)

[Matl]

So exposing corruption of Western governments is not worthwhile because it 'helps' Russia? Aha, got it.

I am increasingly wondering what there remains of the supposed superiority of the Western system if we're willing to compromise on everything to suit our political ends.

The point was supposed to be that the truth is worth having out there for the purpose of having an informed public, no matter how it was (potentially) obtained.

In the end, we may end up with everything we fear about China but worse infrastructure and still somehow think we're better.

[BlueTemplar]

No, exposing Western corruption is all well and good, but the problem is that at some point Assange seems to have decided "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", which was a very bad idea when applied to Putin's Russia.

[observationist]

Obama and Biden chased him into a corner. They actually bragged about chasing him into Russia, because it was a convenient narrative to smear Snowden with after the fact.

It was Russia, or vanish into a black site, never to be seen or heard from again.