Some WikiLeaks Contributions To Public Discourse 299
Hugh Pickens writes "The EFF argues that regardless of the heated debate over the propriety of the actions of WikiLeaks, some of the cables have contributed significantly to public and political conversations around the world. The Guardian reported on a cable describing an incident in Afghanistan in which employees of DynCorp, a US military contractor, hired a 'dancing boy,' an under-aged boy dressed as a woman, who dances for a gathering of men and is then prostituted — an incident that contributed important information to the debate over the use of private military contractors. A cable released by WikiLeaks showed that Pfizer allegedly sought to blackmail a Nigerian regulator to stop a lawsuit against drug trials on children. A WikiLeaks revelation that the United States used bullying tactics to attempt to push Spain into adopting copyright laws even more stringent than those in the US came just in time to save Spain from the kind of misguided copyright laws that cripple innovation and facilitate online censorship. An article by the NY Times analyzed cables released which indicated the US is having difficulties in fulfilling Obama's promise to close the Guantánamo Bay detention camp and is now considering incentives in return for other countries accepting detainees, including a one-on-one meeting with Obama or assistance with the IMF. 'These examples make clear that WikiLeaks has brought much-needed light to government operations and private actions,' writes Rainey Reitman, 'which, while veiled in secrecy, profoundly affect the lives of people around the world and can play an important role in a democracy that chooses its leaders.'"
What the **** has WikiLeaks done so far? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:What the **** has WikiLeaks done so far? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Just make sure to not talk about Zimbabwe (Score:5, Informative)
Just keep conveniently forgetting that his "political rival" happens to be a dictator that exemplifies all the bad connotations of that word.
What makes you think the other guy isn't? The West has a long history of supporting the 'other guy' because they can't be worse than what they have... only to discover that actually, they are.
Mao, for example, would have been wiped out by the Chinese Nationalists if the US government hadn't prevented them from doing so because they felt the Nationalists were corrupt.
Re:Well (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Well (Score:5, Informative)
He hid, by turning himself in to Scotland Yard?
Oh, he fought extradition. As was his right. Not the same as hiding, not at all.
Re:Just make sure to not talk about Zimbabwe (Score:5, Informative)
In other words, "damned if you do, damned if you don't."
We chose Mao - and the result is the shitty, slave-labor society called mainland China which boasts such illustrious achievements as the world's worst, most overpolluted city, most dismal human-rights record outside of african juntas, and companies so criminally assholish they cause mass suicides (looking at you, Foxconn).
On the other hand, who would have been leader had the Kuomintang won? Sun Yat-Sen, who was yet another Communist? The path of the nation wouldn't have changed significantly, we'd just have "Chairman Sun" hats instead of "Chairman Mao" hats [google.com].
The history of the US intervening in foreign conflicts is rife with this sort of thing. But that's because the history of wars and conflicts and revolutions is rife with this sort of thing anyways. I hate to use a wikipedia list, but it's a handy reference, so here, take your pick [wikipedia.org] of revolutions and do some digging.
British revolutions kicked out corruption to replace it with more corruption - didn't matter whether they were revolting against parliament or following a pencil-dicked king who was angry that the pope wouldn't give him a fifth annulment. French Revolution? See also "bloody war followed by corrupt leaders followed by more revolution." Go back way back, look at Julius Caesar and the general "line of succession" of leaders of Rome. Wander over to earlier China and see what happened with the Han, Yellow Turbans, et al.
It's a sad statement on human nature, but very true: usually, the leaders of a revolution turn out to be just as corrupt as the assholes they overthrew. Why? "Power corrupts..."
Re:Well (Score:5, Informative)
The only brave person surrounding Wikileaks appears to Assnage...
To find other brave wikileaks activists, just look at the names on the subpeona: Jacob Appelbaum @ioerror -Tor spokesman who subbed in for Julian Assange at the HOPE conference, and a lot has been written about him elsewhere, including Rolling Stone. He's on the way back from Iceland to Seattle today, so hopefully he won't be detained again. There's a crowd of wikileaks supporters waiting for him. Rop Gonggrijp @rop_g - Hacker/activist who helped produce and release the Collateral Murder video. He no longer works for wikileaks since he's spending most of his time cracking voting machines in India/Brazil. Birgitta Jónsdóttir @birgittaj - The Icelandic Parliament Member with an impressive history of activism.
All of these people have done more for the spread of democracy and freedom of speech than most of us ever will. No wonder they are under investigation by the DOJ.