Wikileaks Party gives preference to fascists and MRAs.

[Crux]

There are plenty of articles.
Here's a few:
The Wikileaks Party Lurches To The Right: Preferences Fascists, Mens-righters and Gun-lovers above the Greens (http://ausvotes2013.com/2013/08/18/the-wikileaks-party-lurches-to-the-right-preferences-fascists-mens-righters-and-gun-lovers-above-the-greens/)


Wikileaks Ideology problem (http://overland.org.au/2013/08/wikileaks-ideology-problem/)

WikiLeaks Party’s ‘administrative errors’ incense Greens (http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/08/19/wikileaks-partys-administrative-errors-incense-greens/)

[kashkin]

Both the Wikileaks Party and the Sex Party have given higher preferences to the One Nation Party (the second most racist party running in the elections, behind the Rise Up Australia party) than to the (relatively) left wing Greens. The Sex Party, in Victoria at least, gave higher preferences to the Labor Party and Katter's party (anti-abortion and anti-equal marriage rights, but for some reason supports collective bargaining and nationalisation of transport, energy and water) than the Greens. In regards the Wikileaks Party, I think Copland summarises the problem well.

In the case of the Sex Party, it is no surprise. It is a party of the bosses in the sex industry, Fiona Patten, their main leader person, is a capitalist. While they talk well about civil liberties, siding up with racists and neo-fascists is completely unprincipled. The only reason they have even become a party worth talking about is because the name plays off a high level of depoliticisation in society and the fact that they have managed to keep their right wing links out of the limelight.

The Sex Party have justified it with:
A) voters should vote 'below the line', personally place their preferences where the voter wants them, despite the fact that over 80% (depending on the state) of voters vote 'above the line', allow the party they vote decide the preferences themselves

B) That Pauline Hanson (head of the One Nation Party) is unlikely to get in, despite the fact that last election, the last seat for the NSW senate seats was a runoff between Hanson, A Greens candidate and someone else.

That said, the Greens aren't too much better.

[Crux]

Sure, haven't got much love for the Greens, but it does say something about the Wikileaks Party. Here's the full preferences list. (http://www.davidjackmanson.com/publicwiki/index.php/Wikileaks_Party_Senate_Preferences_in_the_2013_Aus tralian_election) Not sure how to decipher that fully as my knowledge of minor parties in Australia is a bit limited. That the Nazis (AFP) beat out the Northites (SEP) by one is kind of amusing to me though. I gather most above that are either single-issue and/or libertarian (in the U.S sense) inclined?

[Jolly Red Giant]

And it has to be said that Clare Daly has made a serious error in judgement in calling on 'Irish Australians' to vote for the Wikileaks Party in the Australian elections.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/tds-wallace-and-daly-meet-julian-assange-in-london-1.1495505

[Crux]

And it has to be said that Clare Daly has made a serious error in judgement in calling on 'Irish Australians' to vote for the Wikileaks Party in the Australian elections.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/tds-wallace-and-daly-meet-julian-assange-in-london-1.1495505
Was a good PR opportunity though, right? It's a bit like endorsing Ron Paul. Just don't.

[The Intransigent Faction]

Erm...a whistleblower organization endorsing fascism?
What...the...fuck?

[Red Commissar]

Erm...a whistleblower organization endorsing fascism?
What...the...fuck?

Some of the people involved with the wikileaks current come from that bizarre strand of politics that calls itself "libertarian" but more often than not seems to associate with right-wing nuttery, especially when it comes to minorities, feminism, immigration, labor, etc.

[kashkin]

Sure, haven't got much love for the Greens, but it does say something about the Wikileaks Party. Here's the full preferences list. (http://www.davidjackmanson.com/publicwiki/index.php/Wikileaks_Party_Senate_Preferences_in_the_2013_Aus tralian_election) Not sure how to decipher that fully as my knowledge of minor parties in Australia is a bit limited. That the Nazis (AFP) beat out the Northites (SEP) by one is kind of amusing to me though. I gather most above that are either single-issue and/or libertarian (in the U.S sense) inclined?

In case anyone is interested, full details of all the preferences for all parties in all the states can be found here: http://www.aec.gov.au/election/downloads.htm

Both parties are libertarians; Wikileaks is made up of people calling for more open and transparent government, which Copland points doesn't necessarily force the government to be more left-wing, one can be very right wing and be very open about it.

The Sex Party describe themselves as civil libertarians and at first glance their platform is appealing: Same sex marriage rights, drug reform and marijuana legalisation, greater abortion access (I think), proper sex education and no internet filters are their main points. This is appealing to a lot of young lefties who are only just getting interested in politics and are (rightly) disillusioned by the Labor Party and the Greens. However, it has been described as the political wing of the porn/sex industry, this article covers it well: http://theconversation.com/political-party-or-lobby-group-the-dark-side-of-the-australian-sex-party-8525

[Cayce]

The defence given by the Wikileaks Party was the allocation of preferences was an "administrative error". The defence also given is that voters should vote 'below the line'; as per Kashkin's comment above it is a minority of voters who actually do this.

With the Wikileaks Party calling for more open and transparent government the appearance, rightly or wrongly, of making preference deals, er, "administrative errors" that are not open and transparent is a significant problem.

The PiratePartyAu put a statement up on their website explaining their decisions regarding preferences.

[urstaat]

Some of the people involved with the wikileaks current come from that bizarre strand of politics that calls itself "libertarian" but more often than not seems to associate with right-wing nuttery, especially when it comes to minorities, feminism, immigration, labor, etc.

LibertAryan™

[Sea]

Erm...a whistleblower organization endorsing fascism?
What...the...fuck?They support stupid things like freedom, right? Of course this means freedom for me, me, me! Freedom for the capitalist. This conception of freedom is very in line with the groups they support -- they're individualists.

[Bea Arthur]

The Wikileaks people are a bunch of fascists and their leader is a rapist. People who would defend them are defending fascism, sexism, racism and imperialism. Shame!!!!

[Decolonize The Left]

I'll be honest, I didn't even know they had a party. Does anyone else here think that the fact that a website can form a political party is pretty damning evidence of the political party system?

[Crux]

I'll be honest, I didn't even know they had a party. Does anyone else here think that the fact that a website can form a political party is pretty damning evidence of the political party system?Eh single issue parties like that has been around for ages. Ad some "libertarianism" and there you go. I'll be unsurprised if the Wikileaks Party doesn't crumble before the next election. I mean it might not happen, they might stick around a while more but, yeah...

Also websites forming parties? Hmmm. Yes it's probably a terrible idea.

[Admiral Swagmeister G-Funk]

wikileaks have done great things outside of the remit of bourgeois elections.

outside of the remit of bourgeois elections.

the weirdos within *that* movement that wanna stand in elections and gain power are beside the point - we did (and still should) see wikileaks as a resource, not a political force.

we don't do party politics, but we do evidence! science relies on it, after all.

[Cayce]

Public statement of resignation from a Dr Leslie Cannold, Senate candidate in the Wikileaks Party, partly due to the prefencing debacle and outlining other issues within the Party.

Oh, I tried to attach a link but can't because my post count is too small.

Anyway it is on the crikey. com.au website.

[kashkin]

A The Age article on Cannold's resignation. There seems to be some friction between the leadership and the rank and file, or what exists of it.
http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/julian-assanges-wikileaks-party-running-mate-leslie-cannold-quits-20130821-2sb99.html

[nom de guerrevara]

The Wikileaks people are a bunch of fascists and their leader is a rapist. People who would defend them are defending fascism, sexism, racism and imperialism. Shame!!!!

Are you fucking kidding me?

Firstly, the wikileaks party are not fascists. They're opportunists, yes, and will quite clearly make preference deals WITH fascists, but to claim that they're the same is idiotic. You quite clearly have no idea what fascism is.

Secondly, the Wikileaks party in Australia are separate from Wikileaks (the organisation) and the pro-wikileaks protest movement over here. This much is made perfectly evident by the fact that high-ranking members of the Wikileaks Party publicly resigned as a result of the horrific preferencing deals.

But most importantly, Assange may be a rapist. He also may not be. That's for the bourgeois courts to decide. However, his personal actions, no matter how vile they are, do not discount us from defending him against the attacks by the US state.

Yes, he should face justice. But it should be on the condition that he will not face extradition to the United States, or any other country that would prosecute him for his whislte-blowing. And the fact that the Swedish authorities have refused to do this shows exactly how much they care about getting justice for the alleged victims.

It's quite clear that the imperialist states of the world, and their lackeys in the bourgeois media are attempt to silence Assange and all the whistle blowers who speak out about US war crimes, as evident by the recent sentencing of Bradley Manning. AND WE NEED TO DEFEND THEM AGAINST THIS.

It's not racist to do so, it's not sexist to do so and it's definitely not imperialist or fascistic. Rather, it is imperative that the left combat the authoritarianism and imperialism of the US state, and raise the call of freedom for political prisoners.

Would you like to back up any of your assertions? Or are you just happy to engage in baseless slander?

[ckaihatsu]

Yes, [Assange] should face justice.


This part presumes that someone witchhunted by the powers-that-be *could* somehow be treated in the interests of 'justice' rather than simply being scapegoated, which is what's actually happening.

[Crux]

Julian Assange: I'm A 'Big Admirer' Of Ron Paul, Rand Paul (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/16/julian-assange-rand-paul_n_3768841.html)


The current libertarian strain of political thought in the Republican Party was the "the only hope" for American electoral politics, Assange concluded.
Rand Paul on Bradley Manning Verdict: “I don’t have a lot of sympathy” (http://dlmagazine.org/2013/08/rand-paul-bradley-manning-verdict-i-lot-sympathy/)


“Even if you reveal it, you just have to have laws against that. What Manning did was just willy-nilly, just released millions of pages of things and I think some people have said there is potentially some harm from that."

[...]

“But even with the Snowden case, I still think you have to have laws against what he did. So he did break the law.”

[Rand Paul] makes the case that Snowden could have a defense of making officials accountable for their own actions, but the Senator would still have Snowden incarcerated for breaking the law.

[Jolly Red Giant]

Julian Assange: I'm A 'Big Admirer' Of Ron Paul, Rand Paul (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/16/julian-assange-rand-paul_n_3768841.html)

Saw that earlier - the political motivations of Assange and some of his supporters are clearly coming to the fore.

[Hexen]

Saw that earlier - the political motivations of Assange and some of his supporters are clearly coming to the fore.

Also Assange's true colors are showing.

[The Intransigent Faction]

Some of the people involved with the wikileaks current come from that bizarre strand of politics that calls itself "libertarian" but more often than not seems to associate with right-wing nuttery, especially when it comes to minorities, feminism, immigration, labor, etc.

True enough, but if you've read anything about Assange's origins...he's a flawed character, no question (regarding his behaviour toward women, whatever one feels about the rape allegations, they weren't the first strange encounter he had with women), but I'd never even considered someone in, um, his line of work and with his history as likely to support a movement or party that favours authoritarianism, given his persistent disregard for government secrecy.

Strange as the right-wing brand of so-called libertarianism is, hacktivists who at least for legal purposes consider themselves journalists supporting an authoritarian movement would be the height of strangeness.

[Ocean Seal]

Ladies and gentlemen: Libertarianism.
Where those who seek to enforce their power above those already subjected to it are granted the reign to expand it.
But yes we should watch for more developments.

[Geiseric]

This part presumes that someone witchhunted by the powers-that-be *could* somehow be treated in the interests of 'justice' rather than simply being scapegoated, which is what's actually happening.

He's not being scapegoated though, he actually might of raped somebody. Everybody knows that the U.S. has no right to be involved, the state department is too fucking stupid to realize that though and feels the need to flex their muscles because they obviously feel like the U.S. government is losing its reputation. Which is a good thing, they look completely weak freaking out about snowden and assange, and getting denied an extradition from other countries.

The U.S. however does extradite real terrorists such as Luis Possada who waged an entire campaign against Cuban civilians, and numerous contras from Nicaragua, along with scores of mass murderers from around the world who have backed U.S. interests. I would like it if somebody in the media would highlight that.

[ckaihatsu]

He's not being scapegoated though, he actually might of raped somebody.


This is merely alarmism, then -- does the severity of the alleged crime somehow "excuse" it from being typically mishandled by the courts of the bourgeoisie -- ?

I like this part of your response much better:





Everybody knows that the U.S. has no right to be involved, the state department is too fucking stupid to realize that though and feels the need to flex their muscles because they obviously feel like the U.S. government is losing its reputation. Which is a good thing, they look completely weak freaking out about snowden and assange, and getting denied an extradition from other countries.

The U.S. however does extradite real terrorists such as Luis Possada who waged an entire campaign against Cuban civilians, and numerous contras from Nicaragua, along with scores of mass murderers from around the world who have backed U.S. interests. I would like it if somebody in the media would highlight that.

[Mather]

This example is typical of parties like the Wikileaks Party and the Pirate Parties. Single issue parties who superficially pose as radicals opposed to the political establishment, yet they are devoid of any class analysis so it is not surprising that reactionaries find a space in these parties to push their politics. Such parties thrive in the absence of working class organisation and we are currently in an era when the level of working class organisation has never been lower.

[Crux]

A look from the inside:
Statement of Resignation from Wikileaks Party National Council (http://danielmathews.info/blog/2013/08/statement-of-resignation-from-wikileaks-party-national-council/)