Wikileaks reveals shocking documents.

[Vulpes Abnocto]

Our founding father (US) wanted a transparent government, a government that does not withhold information.

You mean like Benjamin Franklin, our first spy?
I doubt he was particularly forthcoming with all of his information.

 

[monkat]

Our founding father (US) wanted a transparent government, a government that does not withhold information.

Idealistic rubbish. Even if it was true that the founding fathers wanted a 100% transparent government, allowing their own secrets to become available, it's just not reasonable with a country this size (in terms of actual size, population, and global power).

The more information that the government reveals, the more those who want to hurt us know - intelligence is the most important thing in warfare.

I may not be the biggest fan of the way our country does things, but I do owe them a huge debt (literally and figuratively), and I want the country to survive.

 

[TrolleyDave]

I love them. I absolutely love them like I do few things in life. If I had money I'd donate to them. If they forshamed me someday and I'd still support them. I believe them to be one of the most powerful democratic forces in history! I fully support everything they've done and I do not believe to date ONE person was jeopardized, injured, or killed from the documents they've released. They're as damn close as they can get to being my heroes!

Completely and utterly agree with everything you've said here. The people running Wikileaks deserve awards for preserving free speech. Free speech is the right to tell the truth unhindered by prosecution or persecution. All these people these days who argue that free speech is the right to say what ever they want don't actually understand or appreciate the history of free speech. Wikileaks is a shining example of what free speech is. Always remember, you can't be a supporter of free speech until someone tells a truth that you don't like and you still argue their right to say it.

 

[monkat]

I love them. I absolutely love them like I do few things in life. If I had money I'd donate to them. If they forshamed me someday and I'd still support them. I believe them to be one of the most powerful democratic forces in history! I fully support everything they've done and I do not believe to date ONE person was jeopardized, injured, or killed from the documents they've released. They're as damn close as they can get to being my heroes!

Completely and utterly agree with everything you've said here. The people running Wikileaks deserve awards for preserving free speech. Free speech is the right to tell the truth unhindered by prosecution or persecution. All this people these days who argue that free speech is the right to say what ever they want don't actually understand or appreciate the history of free speech. Wikileaks is a shining example of what free speech is. Always remember, you can't be a supporter of free speech until someone tells a truth that you don't like and you still argue their right to say it.

Absolutely, you're correct.

While I don't think much of anything released was of any importance, bad as though it may have been, there is a difference between having the right to do something, and whether or not you should be doing something.

Imagine the information was more like, "The U.N.'s forces weapons can be turned off with this noise!" (ridiculous, but regardless...). Potentially millions would die because of your right to do something. With every right comes a responsibility, not only to use it, but to use it wisely.

 

[Sterling]

I love them. I absolutely love them like I do few things in life. If I had money I'd donate to them. If they forshamed me someday and I'd still support them. I believe them to be one of the most powerful democratic forces in history! I fully support everything they've done and I do not believe to date ONE person was jeopardized, injured, or killed from the documents they've released. They're as damn close as they can get to being my heroes!

Completely and utterly agree with everything you've said here. The people running Wikileaks deserve awards for preserving free speech. Free speech is the right to tell the truth unhindered by prosecution or persecution. All this people these days who argue that free speech is the right to say what ever they want don't actually understand or appreciate the history of free speech. Wikileaks is a shining example of what free speech is. Always remember, you can't be a supporter of free speech until someone tells a truth that you don't like and you still argue their right to say it.

Absolutely, you're correct.

While I don't think much of anything released was of any importance, bad as though it may have been, there is a difference between having the right to do something, and whether or not you should be doing something.

Imagine the information was more like, "The U.N.'s forces weapons can be turned off with this noise!" (ridiculous, but regardless...). Potentially millions would die because of your right to do something. With every right comes a responsibility, not only to use it, but to use it wisely.

Absolute worse case scenario. However, even less sensitive leaks can have potentially similar consequences.

 

[TrolleyDave]

Absolutely, you're correct.

While I don't think much of anything released was of any importance, bad as though it may have been, there is a difference between having the right to do something, and whether or not you should be doing something.

Imagine the information was more like, "The U.N.'s forces weapons can be turned off with this noise!" (ridiculous, but regardless...). Potentially millions would die because of your right to do something. With every right comes a responsibility, not only to use it, but to use it wisely.

Totally agree that there's a difference between a right and what's right. I've been saying for a long time now that people are more concerned with protecting someones right to do something than whether it's right or not. However, in the case of Wikileaks discretion has been used when releasing stuff. If you go back through past interviews you'll see that they've been given information where the release of it could put real people in real jeopardy and have declined it's publication. They are using their right responsibly so deserve to be supported. The American government are showing their fascist colours over the site by declaring him a terrorist, it's a real "toe the party line" ideology.

 

[Sterling]

Absolutely, you're correct.

While I don't think much of anything released was of any importance, bad as though it may have been, there is a difference between having the right to do something, and whether or not you should be doing something.

Imagine the information was more like, "The U.N.'s forces weapons can be turned off with this noise!" (ridiculous, but regardless...). Potentially millions would die because of your right to do something. With every right comes a responsibility, not only to use it, but to use it wisely.

Totally agree that there's a difference between a right and what's right. I've been saying for a long time now that people are more concerned with protecting someones right to do something than whether it's right or not. However, in the case of Wikileaks discretion has been used when releasing stuff. If you go back through past interviews you'll see that they've been given information where the release of it could put real people in real jeopardy and have declined it's publication. They are using their right responsibly so deserve to be supported. The American government are showing their fascist colours over the site by declaring him a terrorist, it's a real "toe the party line" ideology.

I heard a little bit ago that if they are shutdown, they have way more sensitive documents that have been encrypted and distributed with their normally downloaded files. All they have to do is release the password. I honestly have no qualm with the release of with held information, but as Monkat has said, there is a difference between the right information being released, and information that has deadly consequences for everyone. WikiLeaks has to draw the line, but where will the line be drawn.

 

[TrolleyDave]

I heard a little bit ago that if they are shutdown, they have way more sensitive documents that have been encrypted and distributed with their normally downloaded files. All they have to do is release the password. I honestly have no qualm with the release of with held information, but as Monkat has said, there is a difference between the right information being released, and information that has deadly consequences for everyone. WikiLeaks has to draw the line, but where will the line be drawn.

I've not heard anything about the encrypted documents. Sounds kind of fishy to me to be honest. People would have noticed these documents already I'd imagine, even if they couldn't decrypt them. As for where the line is drawn, they've already said they draw the line at releasing info that could put peoples lives in jeopardy. None of the documents revealed so far do that. All the information is relevant to showing cover-ups, dodgy dealings, corruption and the like. It's relevant truths, and relevant truths should always be told.

Take for example the recent release of information concerning the marine that killed the hostage. The US govt said that there was nothing they could do to stop the death as the kidnapper had a suicide vest on. The information was completely false. Everyone knows that hostage situations are tricky at the easiest of times, if they'd have told the truth they probably still would have gotten the same amount of support. There have been several incidents in the past in regards to PLO hijackings where hostages were killed during a standoff. People understood that those hostages would have died anyway. Instead the US govt made an attempt to turn the marine into a hero through false propaganda that demonised the hostage taker. No demonising was really necessary, everyone already knows how evil hostage takers are. They should simply have told the truth.

Think of Wikileaks as more of a war on false propaganda than anything else.