Artsy-Craftsy Mental Cracksy: Part 2

Gary McKinnon is fighting his extradition to the United States where he will be charged for hacking into the NASA computer system, copying and deleting many files, causing about $600,000.00 worth of damage.

McKinnon’s case has caught a lot of attention because he suffers one of the newer artsy-craftsy mental cracksy …‘Asperger’s Syndrome’.

For those who haven’t kept up with the never ending psychological maladies which explains one’s behaviour….it’s a version of autism. 

It is characterised by abnormalities of social interaction; like the obnoxious kids you went to school with…they probably had Asperger’s and weren’t diagnoised because in those days a good smack usually cured it.

Those who have Asperger’s can be identified because they have an intense peroccupation with a narrow subject, one-sided verbosity, restricted prosody and physical clumsiness. They also don’t seem to understand the emotions of other people; like the loud mouth who can’t shut up about Manchester United, doesn’t see you aren’t listening, and is so busy blabbing he misses a step and falls.

This brings me back to Gary boy, who had to hack into NASA, because he was searching for evidence to prove his belief in alien life. 

His lawyers argue that he shouldn’t be extradited to America where he could be sent to prison for up to sixty years but be tried in England where he’s likely, if convicted, have to stand in the corner until his porridge gets cold. 

Those who have Aspergers syndrome would ’suffer’ more in an American prison so should not be extradited.

The fact Gary McKinno hacked into NASA, destroyed files, didn’t just look at them, destroyed them, should be shrugged off, because he suffers from one of the many artsy-crafty mental cracksy syndromes.

In ancient days, or in third world countries, where there is either barking mad or sane, no one is much persuaded by psychological calesthenics.  The fourteen year old hacker is visited by the police, and his computer confiscated.

If he borrows another computer and continues his hacking, he’s removed to a ‘place of safety’ which is something like a concentration camp where he doesn’t even have access to a cell phone.

If he is over eighteen, he goes to prison.

A court would allow the defense to put up a battery of psychologists if they chose, (and the judge and jury try not to fall asleep) and the ‘expert testimony’ will carry very little weight.

As this was the case in ancient days and in third world countries, defendants don’t much bother with such ‘defenses’. 

One waits anxiously to see if the U.K. will ‘buy’ the artsy-craftsy mental cracksy defense, because it’s pretty easy to be diagnosed as suffering Asperger syndrome.

Killing your neighbor, (in the U.K.)  because you honestly believed he was under the control of Aliens, might result in your acquittal, (or a vastly reduced sentence…having to eat cold porridge).