The recent WikiLeaks dump of US Diplomatic cables has really thrown a monkey spanner in the world works. The major governments which are supposed to stand for free speech and freedom of expression are aghast and are actually threatening criminal action against Assange.
While there are different takes on the issue - whether it is a whistle blowing act or an act or irresponsibility or a criminal act or an act which violates whatever form of Official Secret Act which exists , or totally harmless as claimed by Assange, the mad.madrasi take is slightly different (has to be, isn’t it?).
What if we had had WikiLeaks during the time of the hype about WMD in Iraq? After all wasn’t that hype about WMD in Iraq which finally pushed President Bush to go to war?
Suppose, just suppose, we had had WikiLeaks in 2003 and we had a huge document dump! Wouldn’t it have been better all over?
BTW even after my original blog post, I still hold that the world would be a better place if people who seem to have talked ‘in-confidence’ to US diplomats had stated their beliefs openly. To take just 2 examples -
So even though I am against leaking of official documents or information (subject to PISS), WikiLeaks diplomatic cable dump might end up doing something good.
But in the 1st place, since I cannot find (till now) any criminal or illegal activity in/from those cables (except for the alleged request to spy on UN officers), I am yet to be convinced about the release itself.
Even if it does end up doing something good, in my view, the ends do not justify the means.
While there are different takes on the issue - whether it is a whistle blowing act or an act or irresponsibility or a criminal act or an act which violates whatever form of Official Secret Act which exists , or totally harmless as claimed by Assange, the mad.madrasi take is slightly different (has to be, isn’t it?).
What if we had had WikiLeaks during the time of the hype about WMD in Iraq? After all wasn’t that hype about WMD in Iraq which finally pushed President Bush to go to war?
Suppose, just suppose, we had had WikiLeaks in 2003 and we had a huge document dump! Wouldn’t it have been better all over?
BTW even after my original blog post, I still hold that the world would be a better place if people who seem to have talked ‘in-confidence’ to US diplomats had stated their beliefs openly. To take just 2 examples -
- wouldn’t the Saudi King talking openly about the menace of Iran’s nukes made that cranky Ahmadinejad act more responsibly, instead of threatening Israel with destruction every which way?
- wouldn’t an open Chinese perception of Korean Unification under the South tempered the North Korean attitude and perhaps prevented the recent naval torpedo or the island strike?
So even though I am against leaking of official documents or information (subject to PISS), WikiLeaks diplomatic cable dump might end up doing something good.
But in the 1st place, since I cannot find (till now) any criminal or illegal activity in/from those cables (except for the alleged request to spy on UN officers), I am yet to be convinced about the release itself.
Even if it does end up doing something good, in my view, the ends do not justify the means.
Wikileaks has promised lotsa entertainment nwdays.. Bringing out the skeletons..as well as humans frm closets.
ReplyDeleteDo chk this artcl on Assange.. good one. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/06/07/100607fa_fact_khatchadourian
I feel that with cable-leaks he has gone too far. you've to remember one thing - right wing govts 'can' be soft on leaks/whistle blowers; but left wing/centrist govts never are - even if they are even right-of-centre like current US govt. Just wait & watch.
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