Some Interesting Facts You May Not Realize When You Think About Julian Assange

Most people when they hear the name Julian Assange immediately think of his publishing work through Wikileaks. They may think of his illegal detainment for nearly 7 years in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. You may only know his work from the 2016 US Presidential election. There is more to this man than just a journalist however. Not only is he a son, father, brother and friend, Assange is a pioneer, an author and a courageous soul full of heart.

When Julian was only 25 years old, he helped the Australian police bust a huge pedophile ring. That alone makes the man a hero and in most people’s case, the end of hearing about them. Assange wasn’t done changing the world though. With an IQ rumored to be over 170 and a knack for computers, he was destined to make a difference.

In 1997 Julian co-wrote a book with Suelette Dreyfus called “Underground”. The book was about a group of hackers from the 1980s and 1990s. He also helped create cryptography and wrote a book called “Cypherpunks.” From the Guardian article by Assange himself dated the 9th of July 2013, (article seen here):

“The original cypherpunks were mostly Californian libertarians. I was from a different tradition but we all sought to protect individual freedom from state tyranny. Cryptography was our secret weapon. It has been forgotten how subversive this was. Cryptography was then the exclusive property of states, for use in their various wars. By writing our own software and disseminating it far and wide we liberated cryptography, democratised it and spread it through the frontiers of the new internet.“
“Our work in WikiLeaks imparts a keen understanding of the dynamics of the international order and the logic of empire. During WikiLeaks’ rise we have seen evidence of small countries bullied and dominated by larger ones or infiltrated by foreign enterprise and made to act against themselves. We have seen the popular will denied expression, elections bought and sold, and the riches of countries such as Kenya stolen and auctioned off to plutocrats in London and New York.“

Julian Assange literally pioneered new ways to investigate journalism, verify facts and documents, protect sources and educate the public. His belief in truth and justice changed journalism as we know it. He has fought for democracy and human rights while the injustice being done to him would cripple most.

Imagine the world without Wikileaks. The news today is full of government propaganda, fake news and reporters who just repeat the same storyline. The truth is often avoided or stretched so far for ratings it doesnt even resemble itself when they are done. Assange is one of the last of a dying breed who actually showed us the facts and let us decide what to do with them.

Assange has fought for human rights,whistleblowers and hacktivists including Edward Snowden and Lauri Love. He created the organisation Courage Foundation to help legally fund whistleblowers who had bern arrested as well as journalists and hacktivists alike.

The picture the media paints of him is far from true and pictures a narcisstic egomaniac who cares only for himself. Regardless of these smears, Julian Assange is a hero and a courageous strong man who gave a damn. He has given the best years of his life to save a world of people from corruption and the injustice of evil governments hell bent on destroying people through wars. We truly are Julian Assange inside.