A Fascinating Profile Of Julian Assange: A Man Without A Country

Julian Assange is a complicated man. The founder of Wikileaks, his release of sensitive documents have rocked the globe — contributing to the uprising in Tunisia, which sparked the Arab Spring, and potentially swaying the presidential election in the United States in favor of Trump, which may have murky ties to Russia. He's also been accused of sexual assault by two different women, and has an outstanding warrant for his arrest from the Swedish government. 

Today, Assange is physically a recluse — he's spent the past 5 years hidden away in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he's claimed asylum — yet manages to remain a global political force to be reckoned with.

In this New Yorker piece, reporter Raffia Khatchadourian writes a riveting profile Assange, from a drifter living out of a backpack to a notorious global figure who's published millions of documents — including hacked emails from corporations and public figures — that have rocked the world. He writes:

"Whether you see Assange as a 'fallen man' depends on how you viewed him to begin with. He has detractors who believe that he is a criminal, or a maniac, or both, and supporters who consider him an immaculate revolutionary. There have been calls for his assassination, and for him to be given a Nobel Peace Prize. Assange often describes himself in simple terms — as a fearless activist — but his character is complicated, and hard to reconcile with his considerable power. He is not merely the kind of person who will wear socks with holes; he is the kind of person who will wear socks with holes and rain fury upon anyone who mentions the holes in public. He can be mistrustful to the point of paranoia, but he can be recklessly frank. He tends to view human behavior as self-interested, driven by a Nietzschean will to power, but he runs an organization founded on the idea that individuals can be selflessly courageous."   

Whatever your opinion of the man behind Wikileaks, it's a fascinating read.