Am I alone in thinking wikileaks is a GOOD thing?

[Liability]

I don't think it's quite that easy. But I don't know what the law is..and how it applies internationally.

In any case..this brings up the crux of the problem with having so many classified documents. It's extremely hard to manage.

I wonder how many nations permit their diplomatic cables and inter departmental communications related to international relations to be "open" public documents?

My hunch is that the number is roughly -- zero.

Not sure about it..but this is probably correct for some limited time period.

Maybe it is limited. Whatever we said about that strange little man over in Germany prior to WWII is probably safe to disclose -- now.

But we aren't talking about some old historical documents concerning Adolf fucking Hitler. We are talking about what our State Department crew and our Diplomats have RECENTLY been saying about our allies, our nominal friends our enemies and a variety of folks falling in between those groups. It probably doesn't surprise President Ahmanazinutjob that we deem him to be a fucking diseased prick. And we likely don't give a shit if he is surprised or even if he cares.

But it might not be in our national interest to permit our present day contemplation of requests from Arab State leaders concerning the destruction of Iran's nuclear facilities to get so widely distributed. I'm gonna go way out on a limb here and suggest that some of those Arab leaders are now plenty worried about pay back and blow back.

Were these documents properly secured? Not by a long shot. Obviously. Does that excuse the criminal behavior of the private (assuming he did it)? Not in the slightest. And does it excuse the criminal behavior of Assange and Wikileaks? Not even a little.

 

[Midnight Marauder]

Does that excuse the criminal behavior of the private (assuming he did it)?

He admits he did it and even told how.

And does it excuse the criminal behavior of Assange and Wikileaks? Not even a little.

Let's get an indictment under the EA and haul him in and try him.

 

[MikeK]

last I checked that was richard armitage, I don't know what the heck you're referring to.

Armitage was involved at some level and Libby's unwillingness to testify against Cheney and Rove left Fitzgerald's investigation frozen at that point.

You choose to believe that Armitage was the principal player because that's what the Bush Administration wants you to believe. But if that were true, why was Libby the only conspirator in that act of treason prosecuted?

and what was the "valuable Intel asset" that was lost?

Valerie Plame was running a covert false flag operation known as the Brewster/Jennings Corporation, which had agents planted in several countries, including Iran, and was actively monitoring the sales and transfers of various components useful in the production of nuclear weapons. When Plame was outed as a CIA operative the entire operation was unmasked and it's been suggested that lives were lost as one consequence.

You can learn more here: Tip-off thwarted nuclear spy ring probe - Times Online

 

[Liability]

last I checked that was richard armitage, I don't know what the heck you're referring to.

Armitage was involved at some level and Libby's unwillingness to testify against Cheney and Rove left Fitzgerald's investigation frozen at that point.

You choose to believe that Armitage was the principal player because that's what the Bush Administration wants you to believe. But if that were true, why was Libby the only conspirator in that act of treason prosecuted?

and what was the "valuable Intel asset" that was lost?

Valerie Plame was running a covert false flag operation known as the Brewster/Jennings Corporation, which had agents planted in several countries, including Iran, and was actively monitoring the sales and transfers of various components useful in the production of nuclear weapons. When Plame was outed as a CIA operative the entire operation was unmasked and it's been suggested that lives were lost as one consequence.

You can learn more here: Tip-off thwarted nuclear spy ring probe - Times Online

Armitage outed Plame. Period. It is nothing less than a miscarriage of justice that Libby got convicted of lying for the sin of not having a perfect memory -- especially where the special counsel's witnesses had sketchy memories themselves but didn't get prosecuted.

Plame did NOT "run" Brewster Jennings, either. That fake business entituy was merely her NOC. And she thought so little of it, she gave it out as her place of business when she made political contributions to liberal Democrat candidates (while serving allegedly as a CIA covert operative). Yeah. That's right.

There has NEVER been one single solitary shred of credible proof that Plame was actually anything but a mere CIA ANALYST.

 

[oldercat]

The information released so far shows a very consistent US policy. Why the big deal? I think it was contrived so the nations on the 'outside' get the picture of the reality of the future.

 

[MikeK]

we know he was a hacker. and we know what he himself has said. given that no possible good can come from any of this, then his motivation is to hurt and embarrass the U.S.... which, again, does not a bit of good.

it achieves nothing but assange's 15 minutes of fame.

1) What has him being a hacker have to do with why he is doing this? Or his motivation?
2) A lot of good has come from this (IMO). I now know a lot of different things that I suspected, but now know to be fact.
3) I think he wants to hurt and embarass people who lead deceptive and Machiavallian lives that affect all of us. And I'm over the moon he is doing so.
4) Trust you Yanks to be so self-indulgent that you think it is all about you. There are other countries who are going to be embarassed, including Australia.
5) Well his 15 minutes has gone on for the best part of 6 months. I have already told you this in another form of communication that they interviewed a journo who had spent some time with Assange over the past couple of months. He said he is thrifty and he is not doing it for money, and that he is a very intense guy. From what he could make out, what motivates him appears to be in my point three.

I fully agree with your assessment of this situation.

Unfortunately, Assange's apparent motivation is beyond the one dimensional understanding of his critics, whose lack of concern about our government's arrogantly arbitrary exercise of secrecy over everything shows them to be subjects rather than citizens. The importance of transparency eludes them. It doesn't occur to them that the People have a right to know the vast majority of things their government conceals from them. What their government does in their names doesn't matter to them.

 

[Synthaholic]

If the State Department had wanted these documents classified and encrypted, they would have done so.

 

[8537]

It is nothing less than a miscarriage of justice that Libby got convicted of lying for the sin of not having a perfect memory -- especially where the special counsel's witnesses had sketchy memories themselves but didn't get prosecuted.

He didn't just get convicted of lying. He got convicted of two counts of perjury and obstruction of justice as well.

 

[SFC Ollie]

Did I hear correctly that Assange is now wanted for rape?

 

[Jeremy]

Did I hear correctly that Assange is now wanted for rape?

You heard correctly.

 

[JWBooth]

And there is no reason to think that there is anything even a little bit fishy that these sexual assault allegations crop up at the same time this guy has most of the governments in the world after his ass?

I'm surprised that they aren't child molestation charges. After all, who is the least sympathetic of all the accused criminals in the world?

.

 

[Dr.Traveler]

Did I hear correctly that Assange is now wanted for rape?

Read up on it, its a really bizarre charge. He's faced it before, and its just...strange.

 

[Mr.Fitnah]

being a hacker requires a certain mindset. a combination of a sense of entitlement with a hatred of authority. i think that's exactly what assange has displayed. he's nothing but a grown up hacker, without consideration for the ramifications releasing information which he knows was stolen and wasn't his to release.

Oh, please do tell. How many hackers have you analysed psychologically? What tests did you give them? What were the results?

I absolutely think he has considered the ramifications, although from what I understand he doesn't care - not because of his ego, but because he honestly believes some people and govts think they are above the law. Just remember, if half these people weren't doing the shit they were doing, there would be no wikileaks...shrug...

do you really need a psychoanalyst to understand the mentality of someone who thinks he is entitled to access things that don't belong to him?

the weasel who stole the info had no business stealing it. and assange had no more business releasing it than i would have selling stolen property.

The only rules that matters is ,the ends justify the means.

 

[Liability]

It is nothing less than a miscarriage of justice that Libby got convicted of lying for the sin of not having a perfect memory -- especially where the special counsel's witnesses had sketchy memories themselves but didn't get prosecuted.

He didn't just get convicted of lying. He got convicted of two counts of perjury and obstruction of justice as well.

For having allegedly lied.

 

[Trajan]

last I checked that was richard armitage, I don't know what the heck you're referring to.

Armitage was involved at some level and Libby's unwillingness to testify against Cheney and Rove left Fitzgerald's investigation frozen at that point.

You choose to believe that Armitage was the principal player because that's what the Bush Administration wants you to believe. But if that were true, why was Libby the only conspirator in that act of treason prosecuted?

armitage was involved "at some level:"....uh yeah I guess you could say that ..

I am not taking this further as this isn't the thread topic...

and what was the "valuable Intel asset" that was lost?

Valerie Plame was running a covert false flag operation known as the Brewster/Jennings Corporation, which had agents planted in several countries, including Iran, and was actively monitoring the sales and transfers of various components useful in the production of nuclear weapons. When Plame was outed as a CIA operative the entire operation was unmasked and it's been suggested that lives were lost as one consequence.

You can learn more here: Tip-off thwarted nuclear spy ring probe - Times Online

did you read the article?

 

[Trajan]

Unfortunately, Assange's apparent motivation is beyond the one dimensional understanding of his critics,

so we are all blind in the land of the eyed men...gotcha..

so what is his 'apparent' motivation?

The importance of transparency eludes them.

I think you have the concept of transparency confused with 'minutia' that makes up part of 'what' is or not transparent.

It doesn't occur to them that the People have a right to know the vast majority of things their government conceals from them. What their government does in their names doesn't matter to them.

snip-
whose lack of concern about our government's arrogantly arbitrary exercise of secrecy over everything shows them to be subjects rather than citizens.

you should start your own thread since you are having your own conservation...

 

[Dr Grump]

[

but it's the U.S.'s classified documents that were released.

so you want to compare this hacker with woodward and bernstein?? woodward and bernstein served a public purpose.

what public purpose does this serve besides pure spite and anti-american sentiment?

and i know it's not all about us.

so you can save that one. pffffft

So are you saying if he got hold of classified documents from Germany, France or Britain he wouldn't put them up on Wikileaks?

I think he is also serving a public purpose. He is showing us insights into how our govt works for us. You know that those diplomats work for us, right?

Again with the anti-American BS....seriously, you are sounding like one of those right-wing nuts...

 

[jillian]

So are you saying if he got hold of classified documents from Germany, France or Britain he wouldn't put them up on Wikileaks?

I think he is also serving a public purpose. He is showing us insights into how our govt works for us. You know that those diplomats work for us, right?

Again with the anti-American BS....seriously, you are sounding like one of those right-wing nuts...

I only know his focus has been the U.S. And I know he has a history of wanting to get into things that he has no business getting into.

I see no public purpose in destroying our ability to communicate with other countries.

and you know i'm not a rightwingnut, so don't make me come out there and hurt you.

 

[Synthaholic]

It is nothing less than a miscarriage of justice that Libby got convicted of lying for the sin of not having a perfect memory -- especially where the special counsel's witnesses had sketchy memories themselves but didn't get prosecuted.

He didn't just get convicted of lying. He got convicted of two counts of perjury and obstruction of justice as well.

For having allegedly lied.

Bill Clinton was accused of lying for the sin of not having a perfect memory.

 

[SFC Ollie]

So are you saying if he got hold of classified documents from Germany, France or Britain he wouldn't put them up on Wikileaks?

I think he is also serving a public purpose. He is showing us insights into how our govt works for us. You know that those diplomats work for us, right?

Again with the anti-American BS....seriously, you are sounding like one of those right-wing nuts...

I only know his focus has been the U.S. And I know he has a history of wanting to get into things that he has no business getting into.

I see no public purpose in destroying our ability to communicate with other countries.

and you know i'm not a rightwingnut, so don't make me come out there and hurt you.

Oh hell go ahead and hurt him, he probably likes it.