Why the world needs WikiLeaks

http://www.ted.com/talks/julian_assange_......aks.html


Or why not depending on your point of view I guess.

How many of the Journolist members who object to the release of their e-mails regarding the 2008 presidential campaign will spend the next several days gloating over the publication by WikiLeaks of over 90,000 classified military documents regarding the war in Afghanistan?

I want someone in the military to tell me what even HALF of 90,000 pieces of information that really need to be classified are?

I've said it before mi amigo, it is the nature of the beast. Rather than determining what is or isn't classied you simply make everything classified. Example, we had a guy get a message (this was before email or cell phones) that his wife had had a baby and the info like time, weight, all that. He was given the original message which the radioman had written the translation in plain English. That radioman was prosicuted on board because by Navy standards by having the hard copy he had passed on Top Secret information to somone not authorized to see a hard copy. Now you know why, it is just the way it is.

Scott, that is a great point. It is fun when these nob reporters scream "the people have the right to know!" then if you ask them "so, who told you about the XXX that took place last week?" they scream "It is secret! No one has the right to know!"

So the serial rapist, child abuser and drug dealer wants to know who ratted them out? Not that they would do anything to harm the rat themselves but maybe they have friends who could pay a visit to rat's friends and loved ones to straighten out some misunderstandings.

It's as if some here believe that if you don't yell "wolf" to get help while a wolf is eating one of your sheep it will go away rather than call the rest of the pack over for dinner.

Now do you have a clue as to why journalists try to protect sources or must you learn after finding yourself in a lousy position and having to decide whether or not to tell about what you were coerced into doing and how you were treated?

It seems as if the death of civilians has to be 'classified'.
A lot of lazy journalists do just trot out whatever they are told.
Even if the 'official' figure is higher as is shown in some of these documents.

Actually if you want to know who ratted you to the police that is public record usually, cool huh?

I forgot to say if these documents were classified and 'leaked' the individual doing it is basically no better than a spy. He or she needs to be tracked down and prosecuted and then spend the remaining days in a good ol' Federal prison where he can write letters on behalf of people who will be out before him, like Chuck Manson.

Huge difference between a spy and a whistleblower. At great risk to himself Assange leaked information about the criminal actions of the US to the US public.

If you think it's old news, then there's no harm done; if it's new to you, then you should be demanding that those Americans responsible for the war crimes should spend the remaining days in a good ol' Federal prison where they can write letters on behalf of people who will be out before them, like Chuck Manson.

No, stealing and releasing classified material is a major offense. I have no idea what was released, most of it is likely harmless, but what if lives are lost due to the information? Wouldn't you think the thief is then a murderer?

They can put people who committed war crimes (?) in prison if they are prosecuted and found guilty and they can be cell mates with who ever stole and basically by way of wikaleak gave the information to our enemies.

Who is Assange?

And a war crime is what, stepping in a puddle that contains an endangered species while investigating a person who might grow up to be an enemy?

Asssange - from a two second google search: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Assange

The truth will out but I am yet to meet the the man that likes facing it.

Santa, it was not news to our "enemies." They've been attending their children's funerals for some time now. The only people this might be news to are Americans who don't want to know. It also gives the government one less cover of deniability for its actions.

If the U.S. was like Russia we would just kill the people that leak such classified documents by slipping them radioactive material or by other methods.

Oh Kay

http://www.entertonement.com/clips/lqtyfrbsty--Senators-and-Presidents-don't-have-men-killedAl-Pacino-The-Godfather-Michael-Corleone-Diane-Keaton-

That was surprisingly interesting interview. If you haven't tuned in yet, it is definitely 19 minutes well spent. Thanks.

John

There is no truth in the field. The truth changes with the wind. When I was in Beirut we bombed hospitals, villages, and herds of cows. Were we being evil war criminals? Nope. We were going by the best information we had at the time and it happened to come from scumbags that wanted the hospital, village, and cows blown up to stir up things more.

When I first saw this I thought the military had released the documents, regardless of what is on them the person behind it needs to be dealt with, period.

Yes,the person behind it should be given a medal.

He should be given a medal for stealing documents, putting the lives of people in harms way, and basically spying for the Taliban? There is a great line most know from that movie about military lawyers, when the guy said "Truth? You can't handle the truth" the character was right. If CNN knew operation plans they would release it, if they existed in WW2 and they knew about D Day they would have interviewed Hitler to get his thoughts on the upcoming invasion and had cameras set up to film it.

If you want to get right down to it the person could be executed.