Wiki Leaks and Freedom of Information

[Navarre]

There are plenty of sexually related crimes going on out there. But people, especially in the US, have this over-exaggerated reaction to anything sexual and also equate any mention of a "sex crime" with some sort of violent pedophilic predator.

So, without enough information to form a valid opinion, it does make me wonder about the timing and nature of these crimes in light of the scandal itself. I wonder what sort of information Wiki Leaks would uncover if it went looking for such crimes among some of the politicians crying for this man's incarceration?

[Gaumer]

I really think the whole thing is sort of silly.

Maybe I've been listening to Coast to Coast for too many years, but is it a shock to anyone that the governments of the world lie or don't really care for each other or are sneak thieves? If you aren't, in a way, I wish for that sort of childish ignorance. It may be better than the sense of jaded hopelessness I've seemed to have developed.

But WL gives me hope. Especially with the current state of everyone in the world. So much bad stuff is happening to everyone in the world and more and more people are prone to it and aware of it than ever before.

Bring on the bank info! And, is danger of making myself really look like a goof, I hope WL also puts out the UFO info they claim to have obtained.

http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978757653

[Slappy]

The president has few to blame other than himself and the system for the leaks.  The system has been run by people who are not computer geeks and probably do not think about what can go out.
Secondly on day one of his administration, the president made it more difficult to classify information & he made it easier for the information to be shared.  This allowed mor people to look at things they shouldn't be allowed to see.  In all likelehood many of these documents were probably not classified when downloaded and should make the case interesting.
I also doubt that it was that one low-ranking private who did all of this.  But I do like getting some of these feelings out in the air.  I enjoy politics as a spectator sport, but do not personally indulge in the practice because I do not have the stomach to be so disingenuous.
This openness is both good and bad I believe.

[Addicted2aa]

I really think the whole thing is sort of silly.

Maybe I've been listening to Coast to Coast for too many years, but is it a shock to anyone that the governments of the world lie or don't really care for each other or are sneak thieves? If you aren't, in a way, I wish for that sort of childish ignorance. It may be better than the sense of jaded hopelessness I've seemed to have developed.

Coast to Coast?

[Gaumer]

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/

A radio talk show that has focused on conspiracy theory and 'fringe' news for decades.

The president has few to blame other than himself and the system for the leaks.  The system has been run by people who are not computer geeks and probably do not think about what can go out.
Secondly on day one of his administration, the president made it more difficult to classify information & he made it easier for the information to be shared.  This allowed mor people to look at things they shouldn't be allowed to see.  In all likelehood many of these documents were probably not classified when downloaded and should make the case interesting.
I also doubt that it was that one low-ranking private who did all of this.  But I do like getting some of these feelings out in the air.  I enjoy politics as a spectator sport, but do not personally indulge in the practice because I do not have the stomach to be so disingenuous.
This openness is both good and bad I believe.

I've read some conspiracy theory stuff that agrees with that, and also says that is was by design the way Obama kept the chains off the lock-box of secrets.

I understand keeping things secret for security purposes. You can't have the enemy knowing how you're screwing them over. Except it feels like, now more than ever, that the governments of the world see their own citizens as the enemy.

As I see it, this is bad only because of the danger it puts soldiers on the ground in. But I'll go as far to say that the way governments treat their citizens is just as dangerous. Is there another avenue of 'bad' I'm not seeing?

[Slappy]

That was not the reason he did it.  The purpose was to be more transparent and speed up the process of government.  Unfortunately he may not have considered the security concerns or access by low ranking people.

[Gaumer]

That was not the reason he did it.  The purpose was to be more transparent and speed up the process of government.  Unfortunately he may not have considered the security concerns or access by low ranking people.

I said it was a conspiracy theory; meaning the reasons given for doing so would be a lie from the start. WL is certainly making things transparent.

As I see it, this is bad only because of the danger it puts soldiers on the ground in. But I'll go as far to say that the way governments treat their citizens is just as dangerous. Is there another avenue of 'bad' I'm not seeing?

[Navarre]

It is hard to see any secrets as good. They inevitably seem to cause harm to someone.

I have never found the harboring of secrets to make my life better nor be ultimately conducive to my larger goals. It is funny that governments seem to thrive on them.

[Larry King]

Amazon's servers has dropped wikileaks of congressional staffers question amazon's involvement, and paypal has cut off wikileaks' account so no funding, this little coincidence is blowing up to be a global conspiracy, the banks don't want their illegal dealings out in the world. I just hope to see the UFO doc's before all is said and done.

[greyman24]

I had a history teacher in college who was very smart. I loved his lectures and the books he published were fascinating.

He once said, "If you're trying to figure out why something happened and it's a choice between a secret conspiracy and that someone, somewhere, screwed up, you should go with the idea that someone screwed up."

[Gaumer]

I had a history teacher in college who was very smart. I loved his lectures and the books he published were fascinating.

He once said, "If you're trying to figure out why something happened and it's a choice between a secret conspiracy and that someone, somewhere, screwed up, you should go with the idea that someone screwed up."

Occam's Razor? I buy into that almost every time. But with this? We have seen just way to much happen exactly as everyone thought it would happen for this to be that close of a shave

Stuff is leaked and everything that could be construed as a conspiracy takes place. Charges brought up on Assange; the site getting hit hard by attacks; Amazon and PayPal crap on them quoting their own EULA and applying it so vaguely that anything could be applied to it. All it needs is a pretty little red bow and a shiny box.

If its not a conspiracy and someone did truly simply screw up, I think the governments of the world covering up the fact that they screwed up IS a conspiracy to hide the truth from citizens.

[Fizzy]

I dont see any real conspiracy here. A whistle blowing website has made fools of the worlds governments, with more coming out every day. Naturally the powers that be want to stop this from happening so will get Assang on something. Once he is in some judicial system somewhere it will give people ways to find ways to charge him and issue extradition papers. Even if they dont have a case they can tie him up for years in legal BS.

I think it is a lot like closing the bard door after the horse has bolted. If anyone thinks that Assang is so stupid that the next set of leaks is ready to go, or that his is acting alone they are very naive.

Just sit back and enjoy the show folks!!!

[Gaumer]

conspiracy - an evil, unlawful, treacherous, or surreptitious plan formulated in secret by two or more persons; plot.

Do not be desensitized by our governments long history of dishonesty and underhanded methods.

I agree with you though, that Assange is not working alone, but, back to the conspiracy thing, they need a figure-head to shit on, (here we go) just like they needed one for the war on terror. With the track record for catching figure-heads, Assange should probably relax.

And it IS a show and it is fun to watch everything unfold, but I don't think this is so much about WikiLeaks. Sure, the stuff they are putting out is deserving of the attention it is getting, but the way it is being retaliated against would make any future whistle blowers that much more apprehensive about speaking the truth and putting themselves in danger.

For me, its more about the retaliation than the actual leaks. The leaks, for me, only reinforce what I've presumed for a long time. I hope the leaks do force others to open their minds a bit more to the idea that some of these "crazy conspiracy theories" are, in fact, true.

[Navarre]

With the track record for catching figure-heads, Assange should probably relax.

Funny. 

Making an example of someone is a good way for one to make sure the same problem doesn't happen again.

[Fizzy]

With the track record for catching figure-heads, Assange should probably relax.

Making an example of someone is a good way for one to make sure the same problem doesn't happen again.

Im not sure they are going to be able to make that much of an example of him. Send him to jail? People have given their lives to achieve a lot less than what Assang has done. And honestly what has he really done except expose those who would take the moral highground with us for the hypocrits/diplomats they really are? He might be in trouble if someone other than the Americans get their hands on him. The way the the Russians delt with Litvinenko was pretty scary. But even then there will always be people like Assang and this whole thing will only make them bolder.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisoning_of_Alexander_Litvinenko