I hadn't noticed a thread on here yet about this though it's probably the biggest story of the year. I'm curious about people take on the site. Is it a criminal organization or a crusader for transparency in government.
Personally, i understand the need for certain information to stay secret but at the same time the information released has changed my understanding of foreign policy. How can citizens develop informed opinion on foreign policy issues without information?
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Perhaps someone (oh, say the President or Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) can answer this question: how...the fuck...does a PFC (Private, First Class) get access to every sensitive diplomatic cable from the past 5 years, then copy it from a government computer to a CD, then take it out of the building? Not searched. Not screened. Not questioned. Apparently, there was no software on this guy's computer to detect downloads of sensitive documents.
And in the meantime, loyal American citizens who simply wish to fly on a commercial airline are treated like they are disloyal Americans. See the discrepency yet, leaders??? Wonder why American citizens are disgruntled with the direction of the country?
WikiLeaks is no different than the New York Times publishing the Pentagon Papers. If the government is going to be so lax in security, guess what happens?
Not saying what Assange is doing is right, moral, just, or good (it's not), but shit--how do you give the equivalent of a minimum-wage cashier at KFC the Colonel's secret blend of 11 herbs and spices and expect that it will remain a secret?
posted by oldhometown on Dec 23, 2010 at 02:07:12 pm #
Wikileaks is just a brand name. What really matters here is that lots of information can be spread across the globe nearly instantaneously by anyone with a computer and an internet connection. I am surprised it took this long (since the inception of the internet) for this to become such a game changing event.
People need this type of outlet to keep their governments and other organizations in check. The press and people need truth and transparency to prevent abuses of authority by our leaders and the politically franchised from occurring.
Either this is a game changer for how governments operate forever or the government changes the internet to permit censorship. Please people, think about the long lasting effects before you take a side on this issue. It is just the tip of the iceberg.
posted by brainswell on Dec 27, 2010 at 02:02:02 am #
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