My enemy's enemy

There is a common fallacy that "my enemy's enemy is my friend."

A variant of this fallacy can be found in the modern left. In What's Left Nick Cohen asked how it was that the modern left defined itself as being "anti-American".

He rightfully pointed out that a consequence of this had been the tendency of the left to side with despotic rulers, and misogynists, because these people like the left despised the US. The single most notable example, of course, was Saddam Hussein. It was indeed bizarre to see the left luvvies out in force supporting his regime in Iraq merely because he was anti-US.

This is not the post for me to expound my new theory of the left, but it is an opportunity to talk of other cases of the "pseudo left." Gerard Henderson has long done a fine line in identifying the unreconstructed commies who were fellow travelers with Stalin.

He did a sterling job in today's SMH of outing the lovers of the new darling of the left, Julian Assange.

Henderson notes that Assange voluntarily traveled to Sweden. In fact he based himself there because of their slightly odd approach to freedom of information. Unfortunately for him they have an equally odd approach to sexual assault laws.

The most bizarre part was Assange's press conference last week where he bemoaned the fact that he hadn't yet been allowed to defend himself of the actual charges since the extradition action had focussed on the lawfulness of his arrest given that police did not seek his voluntary co-operation first.

If Assange wants to defend the charges he must go to Sweden.

But to Assange and that other horrid Australian John Pilger there is automatically some link to the US and the machinations of the White House. He somehow fears that a return to Sweden facilitates a rendition to the US.

Assange is no hero, but nor is he a villain. He decided to use the laws of Sweden to run a website for the publication of leaked information. He hit pay dirt with a very large number of quite innocuous US cables.

The rest of us need to decide the status of Assange on the facts of Assange, not to laud him on the basis of our perception of the attitude of the US administration.

Novae Meridianae Demetae Dexter delenda est