Autonomy

Curious to know the thoughts of the bored, not about Mr Assange, but on whether the current Wikileaks "cablegate" is warranted and justified or illegal and potentially harmful to human life and a crime of espionage.

Millhouse

Millhouse is not a supporter.


edit - Wikileaks has it's place and releasing the information about the dumping of the chemicals on the African coast that was covered up was it. What is being done now is just stupid.

Boomhauer

I support them despite not seeing any explosive news from their leaks.

shakh your bootie

As good old Socrates had it - "the unexamined life is not worth living". If one takes that to it's logical conclusion, what is true for the individual must also hold true for the collective. Ergo, one should expect one's Government to stand naked without fear of close scrutiny, in as much as one ought demand the same from oneself. Let's all get naked, people....

DadAgain

As far as I can see wikileaks and Assange are simply doing what any decent investigative journalist used to do...

back in the days when there was a 'free press' unconstrained by the ugly restrictions of 'commercial concerns'.

If you believe in the concept of pluralistic democracy, (and its a fundamental assumption of most of the western world) - then proper investigative journalism is ESSENTIAL.

I tip my hat to J.Assange for having balls of steel and being prepared to martyr himself in his stand against the global repression of information.

Heres a fine example of the kind of information he's brought to light. warning - if you can watch this and no feel sick there may b something wrong with you:
http://collateralmurder.com/

meauxna

This is wild now.. they have set up a poison pill.. if anything happens to him or the organization, documents will be automatically released.

Ethos83

DT article today. Wikileaks released emissaries from the Brit ambassador in Libya saying if we didn't release Megrahi then "Libya would cut us off at the knees" from an economic perspective.

Pretty much confirms that there's no such thing as principles left anymore. Everything is up for sale, including a country's integrity and belief in the values that supposedly constitute who we are.

The long term consequences of wikileaks - a more jaded and bitter populace and greater mistrust of government.

Bahtatboy

Theft.

Autonomy

Almost correct - except it was the underhand deceit of governments that has been rightfully exposed by wikileaks that will lead to a short term mistrust of government that will have to rebuild its constituents trust by acting in an open and more transparent manner and in the interests of its constituents...

all wikileaks has done is publish the truth of the thoughts and actions of others. In a factual and scientific, researched manner with the full support of some of the most respected newspaper and journalists. This should not be and never was a crime....

I support Wikileaks.

Ethos83

The problem with wikileaks is that some of it is relevant whereas other parts aren't.

Releasing the thousands of emissaries between ambassadors, state departments/foreign offices and the diplomatic corps makes it far harder for future diplomats to gather information. Wikileaks is destroying this necessary secrecy and the long term implications could be profound if fact finding is completely hindered by greater distrust.

While I genuinely admire the concept of an open society where the government and its agents hold no secrets from the general populace, I also accept that because the world is an imperfect place, the government, even our government, may at times have to act in an imperfect manner (within reason). Espoinage, undercover agents and spying is one area where I tolerate government secrecy and classified information.

shiva

**** em, "the truth will out"

funny though how it was a lot of angry rhetoric and not much else until assange announced the next leak is bank of america, then the shit hit the fan.

the kkk can have paypal and visa but wikileaks cant


the absolute best bit of all is the the us announced it plans for international press freedom day yesterday! you just couldnt make it up

lionheart

My worry is that nobody will have the guts to say or do anything confidential any more in case it gets leaked. I prefer the old, traditional style of diplomacy...lying and deceit.

Millhouse

If anyone thinks this will result in more open politics or government then frankly they are naive - it will result in more closed doors and the distribution of material to an ever smaller group of people - i.e. it will have the exact opposite effect to its intentions.

Spugsy

Fair enough, he could easily 'have an accident'

I think it's brilliant what he's done, its scaring the shite out of politicians all over the world, in this day and age they now know that these sort of things can get out. Superb.

Confucius

I'm afraid all my PMs and cybersex convos will all be out in the open...Many homes will be wrecked...