Wikileaks to release more info

[MysticCat]

^^^ True. I was reading more into what you said than what you actually said.

[starang21]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

Right - but that's the downside more to the leaking than to a general increase in transparency and accountability, isn't it?

It feels like changes to that end as a result of this activism would lead to a better armed forces, and less power for activists/leaks of this sort. Win/win.

there are some things that the general public shouldn't be privy to.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

The downside comes if anything released places our troops (or civilians) at greater risk than they already face. Perhaps I don't always trust government or military officials to draw that line in the right place, but I probably trust some activists like Julian Assange operating on their own agenda even less.

Exactly what is Assange's agenda? He leaks anything he's given. This is just by far one of his more high profile leaks.

If nothing else, this whole episode tells us what B.S. government secrecy is. With much of the stuff being released, there's no real reason why any of it should be secret.

With the embassy leaks (which I think are a bigger deal), I think those can be very embarrassing. But maybe they should be.

I've heard nothing to really substantiate that any of these leaks will place our soldiers in harm's way, so I'm assuming that as usual, the military and their mouthpieces are full of s***. Fool me once and such.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Exactly what is Assange's agenda? He leaks anything he's given.

That is his agenda as far as I can tell: The public should have access to everything.

I've heard nothing to really substantiate that any of these leaks will place our soldiers in harm's way, so I'm assuming that as usual, the military and their mouthpieces are full of s***. Fool me once and such.

Just because you haven't heard anything to substantiate it means it not so?

I won't say I've heard anything specific either that these leaks will place troops in greater risk, and maybe they won't.

But I do see the potential with leaks of this kind, and I see no reason to think that Jullan Assange or anyone connected with Wikileaks will be a better judge of that risk than the military is.

[PiKA2001]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Exactly what is Assange's agenda? He leaks anything he's given.

Well, the Wikileaks website claims their mission is to expose governmental and coporate corruption. Does that qualify as an agenda? I don't believe that the man has a personal vendetta against anyone or any Corp or gov entity, but that doesn't mean a hacker or a submiter of info doesn't. Look at who hacked into Palins email account and submitted it to Wikileaks and tell me there wasn't any political motives involved.

[AGDee]

When the first documents came out, it was reported on the news (and I didn't read all the thousands of pages leaked because I just don't want to support that site in any way, shape or form) that they did include names of people in Pakistan and Afghanistan who were helping us which does put them in grave danger.

[Drolefille]

^^^ to what Dee said, that was my biggest complaint with it.

[starang21]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/11/29/wik...ex.html?hpt=T2

[DrPhil]

I really think this is dumb.

[starang21]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I really think this is dumb.

i think the concept that "strained diplomatic relationships" don't affect national security is dumb.

[PeppyGPhiB]

I find the latest Wikileaks extremely amusing. I'm not sure why everyone's talking about how bad this makes the U.S. look. To me, all the countries who publicly bitch about our actions around the world and then privately turn to us to gossip about their supposed allies come off looking worse. Particularly Saudi Arabia! (We don't like Iran. We would secretly be delighted if you, U.S., were to bomb them off the face of the Earth. But of course we would never say that, because we like for them to believe that we're in this Jihad with them."). Same goes for Egypt, which apparently has been making nice with Israel!

Wikileaks to me just demonstrates how full of crap EVERYONE is, not just the U.S. They're all just upset that we spilled their gossip. Maybe if they all were just straight with each other instead of whining to the U.S. about it, we could all be a little more productive in the world.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

I find the latest Wikileaks extremely amusing.

I don't. I have a problem with a person (Assenge) or an organization (Wikileaks and the news organizations that have worked with it) that elects itself as the arbiter, without any check, of what classified documents should be made public.

But hey, at least Wikileaks is busy enough with all this that maybe it's not posting certain other esoteric/secret information anymore.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I don't. I have a problem with a person (Assenge) or an organization (Wikileaks and the news organizations that have worked with it) that elects itself as the arbiter, without any check, of what classified documents should be made public.

I agree. The hypocritical part is that Assenge is conveniently unable to be located.

Originally Posted by MysticCat

But hey, at least Wikileaks is busy enough with all this that maybe it's not posting certain other esoteric/secret information anymore.

If only occupying their time was so easy. They are probably excellent multitaskers.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

If only occupying their time was so easy. They are probably excellent multitaskers.

Yeah, but they're posting so many government documents, I'm hoping they decide they don't have space for documents related to . . . say . . . non-political organizations for college students and alumni.

[BluPhire]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I don't. I have a problem with a person (Assenge) or an organization (Wikileaks and the news organizations that have worked with it) that elects itself as the arbiter, without any check, of what classified documents should be made public.

I agree and its neither neat, cool or cute in my eyes. Doesn't matter what other countries say behind closed doors, its what they do in public that matters. I mean like the whole China wouldn't mind if Korea was unified under the South.

Just give the crazy man trying to get a nuclear program together more reason to destabilize the region.