| Author | Message | ||
     Blake |
A whistle-blower reports on specific acts of illegal or unethical behavior or policy. Releasing an entire database of confidential communications is not whistle-blowing. It is theft and treason aimed at anarchy. Exactly what crime or ethics issue has been revealed by the leaks that was previously unknown? That sometimes American diplomats and military act in opposition to the political views of some? That is not news, nor demonstrating illegal behavior/policy. It is personal agenda aimed at harming American interests. Nor does stealing confidential information and publishing it en masse qualify as free speech or freedom of the press. Then comes the cabal of hackers, the "Anonymous" DDOS perpetrators, pretending to defend freedom of speech/press by attacking Visa, MC, PayPal, Amazon, and even Sarah Palin. Huh? People behaving like juvenile delinquents vandalizing private property and attacking individuals because they disagree with them. Hitler's Brown Shirts would applaud them. Are they anything but self-righteous, self-appointed cyber-vandals looking to hurt those with whom they disagree? My view is that they are fascists, disgusting. Who elected these people as defenders of freedom? To whom are they accountable? Not a problem? In response to those with whom they disagree, they wage devastating cyber-attack against web sites and divulge private information. God forbid they ever disagree with you. It would be sweet justice if all the wikileaks folks and their "Anonymous" cabal of cyber-vandals were to have all their personal private information leaked for all to see, medical records, financials, grades, criminal records, all email, posts, text messages, phone conversations, commerce, travel, etc. I wonder how they'd feel about freedom of speech and press then? If you believe that the ends justify the means, then beware; your opponent may take up the same attitude. If it comes to that, war I mean, I prefer just killing the enemy. Target acquired? RE: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100014240527487034 93504576007182352309942.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopSto ries http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_wikileaks_cyberwarfa re_amateur?cmtnav=/mwphucmtgetnojspage/headcontent /main/nmus_wikileaks_cyberwarfare_amateur//date/de sc/11/s43026176 http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/12/ex clusive-palin-under-cyber-attack-from-wikileaks-su pporters-in-operation-payback.html | ||
| Carbonbigfoot |
Well stated. I'm still on the fence, cause there are at LEAST 2 different sides to this issue. Just purely devils advocate here: You can make the case that if the Government is doing sneaky shit, they need to get called on it. If this is a revolution in that sense, you can make a case for it. We can't ever assume that the Government will know it's place, and stay there. Governments never do. R | ||
| Rwven |
I'll confess to having mixed feelings on this whole Wikileaks saga. Some secrets should not be kept while others should be. Wikileaks hasn't been a very good arbiter of which is which thus far in my opinion. If Wikileaks has something on the banks or pharma showing a systematic defrauding of the American taxpayer I sure would like to see that come out. Whether it be out and out fraud or backroom political dealings. | ||
| Blake |
>>> You can make the case that if the Government is doing sneaky shit, they need to get called on it. "Sneaky"? I have zero issue with our government or military or intel community being "sneaky." In fact, that is exactly their job in many cases. If they are lying to the American people, or if they are breaking laws or pushing a corrupt policy, then I would support announcing it to the world BUT it would need to be a very specific, targeted release of information, not an entire database, and absent threat of reprisal should I be apprehended for criminal activity. | ||
| Sayitaintso |
I don't understand how anyone that's knowledgeable about the Constitution can make a case of treason against Julian Assange. Here's an article that explains what I'm saying as well, or better than I can. http://www.nysun.com/editorials/wikileaks-and-trea son/87163/ | ||
| Blake |
>>> Some secrets should not be kept while others should be. What secrets revealed by wikileaks should not have been kept secret? Who's job is it to decide that? Unelected anarchists, or the representatives who we elect to represent us? | ||
| Blake |
>>> I don't understand how anyone that's knowledgeable about the Constitution can make a case of treason against Julian Assange I agree. He's not an American citizen. He may be an enemy of the state, but he's not a traitor. The folks in Australia, being our excellent allies, may view his behavior as treasonous. | ||
| Sayitaintso |
He's not even Australian any more....he's Icelandic | ||
| Sayitaintso |
or the representatives who we elect to represent us? It sounds like you're awefully close to professing blind faith in those who have been elected. I'll admit I'm conflicted on the whole issue around wikileaks. I believe in the necessity of secrecy in certain aspects of government operations...... at the same time though i don't trust my government any further than I can throw Representative Rangel. | ||
| Blake |
I don't trust them either. I'd welcome some leaks of their insider nonsense. They are held accountable, which is the point. Not nearly well enough as the Rangel situation exemplifies, but the two party system seems to hold some semblance of balance and accountability. If only more media were less biased in their agenda and reporting, we'd be so much better off. Every so often we get a good leak. Recall the "Americans clinging to their guns and religion" statement that got out. | ||
| Reindog |
Guantanamo-ize 'em if they aren't citizens. Execute 'em if they are. Are you listening Bradley Manning? We are headed on the road to anarchy while this Wonderful Government leads us to financial ruin. Historically, dictatorships step in once this happens. I prefer common sense and Conservatism to correct this situation before true calamity befalls us. Can you say Weimar Republic? Liberals better wake up and smell the gunpowder. | ||
| Blake |
The point being, that we know who they are, where they live, and how to take away their power/influence. They weren't self-appointed, self-righteous judges of what is right like the wikileaks goons imagine themselves. Some cheer the leaks. If the organization is done away with by murder, others will cheer that. Both are cheering poor behavior and illegal acts. | ||
| Moxnix |
DSM (Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Axis 2, Cluster B (paranoia, narcissistic disorder, antisocial personality disorder). Smart, but weird, that Assange chap. But if he's so smart, why get himself lynched in public? On the other hand, he pinched Wikileaks from some Chinese dissidents, took the focus off Asia, went global with his promise to expose secrets, got some folks to give him a product to leak, and lives as a great international man of mystery on donations. Please refer to DSM manual above. Con men and sociopaths often get such diagnosis. | ||
| Blake |
The biggest mystery... THIS guy  managed to coerce two consenting women to have sex with him? Really? | ||
| 2008xb12scg |
If his guys whole point is there should be no secrets then why wont he reveal his sources. Hypocrite. He proves he has no moral agenda just by that alone. To got mo with his. @$$ Are wikileeaks and wikipedea related? One fought is that if you have to many secrets and to many people keeping secrets then there are no secrets... | ||
| Blake |
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/12/08/wikileaks.poison. pill/index.html?hpt=C1 I like the closing paragraphs... The government would be wise not to focus on the technical, and instead concentrate on finding and talking with people who were around Assange in the last few years, the people who he trusts. | ||
| Sayitaintso |
We are headed on the road to anarchy while this Wonderful Government leads us to financial ruin. Historically, dictatorships step in once this happens. I prefer common sense and Conservatism to correct this situation before true calamity befalls us. Seems to me we are running toward a Oceania/1984 type country more so than anything else... being pushed there by both ends of the political spectrum (for different reasons), through the use of 1/2 truths and inflammatory language to further their political agendas and pander to their supporters. | ||
| Rwven |
"I don't trust them either. I'd welcome some leaks of their insider nonsense." Beggars can't be choosy. | ||
| Blake |
I didn't say I'd welcome leaks of a mass collection of their personal communications. I stated that I'd welcome some leaks of their insider nonsense, nonsense meaning corruption and illegal behavior. You know, whistle-blowing. So I'm neither begging, nor choosing. I'm supporting justice. | ||
| Blake |
This guy? Really?  | ||
| Moxnix |
I believe Assange claims he is an "editor" for the purpose of gaining esteem from those in the news trades. If one is to "edit" a criminogenic enterprise, young Julian's aloof, vaporous and other-worldly posture is the the perfect ethical presence to enjoy the trichotomy of power, money and sex it spawns. If one studies Assange's bio, his early years amongst people involved in "thought reform processing" (brainwashing of children) plant a possible seed for his becoming a "guru" finding lots of folk pre-disposed toward disequalibrium regarding right and wrong. He's a bi-modal manipulator and a successful one at that, if you call his current situation success. (Message edited by moxnix on December 09, 2010) | ||
| Blake |
MENSA eggheads with no experience in actually producing anything of tangible benefit/value for humankind. They feel worthless so take up great crusades against the establishment. Yep, target America, not N. Korea, or Communist China, or the thugs running Russia, or the financiers of islamist militancy, or... How lame. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
The issue is that these self appointed models of global altruism have as their nearly singular target the United States. There is no case for a charge of treason, but these operations should be treated as enemy combatants of the United States. It's time we pressed our "friends" to take care of the problem. | ||
| Rwven |
"the financiers of islamist militancy" Like this? http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503543_162-20024653-50 3543.html Our so called friends....How do you like your $100/barrel oil now? | ||
| Moxnix |
Assange changed Wikileaks from a regional entity to a global one, an income stream where the secrets handed to him cost nothing and lots of petty neo-anarchists send in money via "donations." It's about money, power and sex. Withholding criticism of the real billigerents around the world is his global act of cowardice. Pulling the trigger on his document dump of our military and diplomatic activities was akin to a megalomaniac shooting himself in the foot. Just wait and see. | ||
| Blake |
>>> Like this? Uh, no. I mean like naming names and leaking the confidential communications between the Saudi Wahabis and al qaeda. You didn't know that Saudi Wahabi islamists were financing al qaeda before that cable was leaked? Really? Might want to try reading what our government reports on concerning the war. Or wattch Fox News once in a while. They've been reporting on it for years. | ||
| Fast1075 |
I was a member of MENSA at one point...encouraged by my teachers in junior high to join...not for long...I found most to be pompous self centered asses...I said screw it and went riding...I had and have no desire to engage in any sort of "my lobes are bigger than your lobes BS"... But not all the people I met were jerks and dorks...some we level headed and surely went places as adults..some didn't even belong there...they lacked the single thing that identifies the truly intelligent...the gift of abstract thought. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
The Saudis have oil. We need oil. We'd drop them like a hot rock if we could. I'd rather drill ANWR and explore our own resources, but we aren't allowed to. | ||
| Blake |
The fact that Julian Assange can sleep soundly in his cell knowing to a certainty that he’ll see the next dawn is a tribute both to the fact that he didn’t choose to screw with the Israelis – who don’t take his kind of crap – and to the fact that America’s defenders are nothing like the brutal clowns Hollywood loves to portray. If they were, Julian Assange wouldn’t be headed back to Sweden but to a shallow grave somewhere – in little pieces. >>> I had and have no desire to engage in any sort of "my lobes are bigger than your lobes BS"... >>> some didn't even belong there...they lacked the single thing that identifies the truly intelligent...the gift of abstract thought. Dude. Are you listening to yourself? MENSA is just another business out to get money catering to those with elevated IQ who value pre-organized socializing. Meh. | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
I don't think Mr. Assange is a citizen of the United States, so, I'm not sure how you conclude he committed treason |
