Fallible Heroes

We’ve had an extended summer break this year, which I might post about at some point, but what’s stirred me from silence today is a feeling that I should pass some sort of comment on the Wikileaks/Assange/Ecuador situation.

But what can I say? The whole thing has become a complete mess, a veritable train-wreck of competing left principles that seems to force one to choose between excusing US imperialism or apologising for sexual assault.

It’s a false dichotomy though; it’s perfectly possible to support the fight for free information represented by Wikileaks while at the same time believing that individuals should be prepared to take responsibility for their personal actions.

It’s hard to see much positive in all this, but perhaps when the smoke clears the movement will take on board the lesson that mass collective action is much preferable to personality-focused politics, because nothing undermines a campaign like a figurehead who turns out to be a serious liability.