I haven't really been following the whole WikiLeaks saga, but it's been bandied about the blogosphere. Some folks think it's serious - pointing to the release of information about hard targets. Others do not - pointing out that what has been released is hardly earth-shattering nor new in any sense of the word. Still others wonder what this holds for the future of the internet and online freedom of speech. There's a lot to discuss, from what the US Government should or should not put online to whether it should or shouldn't be broadcast; whether the charges against the leaker are legitimate, retaliatory, or a warning; and plenty of other weighty issues.
What stands out at me is how utterly ridiculous the Truthers/Kennedy Assassination/Insert Nefarious Government Conspiracy Here groups look when viewed through this prism. I think the whole WikiLeaks kerfluffle is the tip of the iceberg with regards to what we're seeing from the .gov and their utter inability to keep anything quiet - the thought that there could be some massive government conspiracy to keep anything from the American public for more than twenty seconds is laughable at best. Any conspiracy involving more than a couple is bound to have someone willing to drop a dime (now THERE is an antiquated expression!) either out of general concern, spite, or a desire for their 15 minutes of fame.
Like we discussed in Vicious Circle, there truly is no privacy in the internet age. While this holds true for the individual, the knife cuts both ways for the government as well. YouTube highlights idiocy at the local level - how many times have we seen a city councilor utterly lose their s**t when confronted by a camera? - as well as the national level - review the video of Congressman Etheridge in SC. WikiLeaks shows that the government's "secrets" aren't - and anyone counting on someone to "do the right thing" is a naïf at best, a fool at worst.
The only way to keep something private is to not do it, ever, nor even tell anyone you were ever thinking about doing it - end of story.
That is all.
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5 comments:
"If we want to keep our nation's
secrets 'SECRET' store them where
President Obama stores his college
transcripts and birth certificate."
Heh.
Clearly this is why we should have a national registry of guns & gun owners.....
I say we keep the snitches in Hillary's snatch. No one would think to look there, nor would they want to.
The most troubling aspect of WikiLeaks is not the information that was released, nor even the potential fallout from it (although I have to point out that no one can cite any harm to those "vulnerable sources" they're wringing their hands over).
No, the most troubling part is how both businesses and foreign governments are simply caving in to us.gov and shutting down the associated accounts.
Lot of good it does. It's like swatting mercury - the harder you hit it, the further it scatters.
The hilarious part is hearing U.S. pols call for prosecuting Assange for treason. Ummm, 'scuze me, but I'm pretty sure that is Assange could commit treason, it would only be against Australia.
KBCraig,
No not treason but he can be charged with espionage and receiving classified information.
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