How to prevent the public from becoming informed, responsible citizens

Skybird · 04-04-10, 04:05 PM

http://file.wikileaks.org/file/us-intel-wikileaks.pdf

Quote:

This document is a classified (SECRET/NOFORN) 32 page U.S. counterintelligence investigation into WikiLeaks. ``The possibility that current employees or moles within DoD or elsewhere in the U.S. government are providing sensitive or classified information to WikiLeaks.org cannot be ruled out''. It concocts a plan to fatally marginalize the organization. Since WikiLeaks uses ``trust as a center of gravity by protecting the anonymity and identity of the insiders, leakers or whistleblowers'', the report recommends ``The identification, exposure, termination of employment, criminal prosecution, legal action against current or former insiders, leakers, or whistleblowers could potentially damage or destroy this center of gravity and deter others considering similar actions from using the WikiLeaks.org Web site''. [As two years have passed since the date of the report, with no WikiLeaks' source exposed, it appears that this plan was ineffective]. As an odd justification for the plan, the report claims that ``Several foreign countries including China, Israel, North Korea, Russia, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe have denounced or blocked access to the WikiLeaks.org website''. The report provides further justification by enumerating embarrassing stories broken by WikiLeaks---U.S. equipment expenditure in Iraq, probable U.S. violations of the Chemical Warfare Convention Treaty in Iraq, the battle over the Iraqi town of Fallujah and human rights violations at Guantanamo Bay.

Oberon · 04-04-10, 04:08 PM

China bans access to anything that might be informative, and I'm surprised North Korea even lets its people have internet lest they discover the outside world

Can't say I'm particularly surprised about Russia either, and honestly Sky, I wouldn't be surprised to see Australia add itself to that list before long.

Jimbuna · 04-04-10, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oberon

China bans access to anything that might be informative, and I'm surprised North Korea even lets its people have internet lest they discover the outside world

Can't say I'm particularly surprised about Russia either, and honestly Sky, I wouldn't be surprised to see Australia add itself to that list before long.

Fair assessment

CaptainHaplo · 04-04-10, 04:46 PM

The point is that this was a US internal memorandum - showing that at least some elements inside the US government, have concerns over information being released (regardless of its lack of security implications) because the public would raise immortall H E double hockeysticks...

Just one more example of the government thinking that they do not answer to the people.

Thanks Skybird -good find. I can't say I am suprised.

Oberon · 04-04-10, 04:53 PM

I don't think there is any government on this planet that truly feels a need to answer to its people and hasn't been for some time. The government sets the rules and we follow them or get persecuted. S'how they roll.

Skybird · 04-06-10, 08:21 AM

BBC has a story on WikiLeak:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8605055.stm

I first stumbled over it when they published a German document about the health insurrance system in germany. It was a government-ordered study of the private health inssurance companies - coming to results the government did not want to have after the liberal FDP entered the coalition. the liberal'S cloients are - amongst others - private insurrance companies, and the study found them to be far, far more uncompetrtive and cost-expliding and expensive than the mandatory state insurrances most people have. The FDP minister's reaction was quick and telltaling - he took the study and put it in a safe, wanting to hide it.

For examples like this, I support wikileaks. It and investigative jorunalism is urgently needed in a poltical system that is haunted by omni-present corruption and massive abuse of power, rendering th term "election" and "democracy" almost meaningless.

I am still with them on stories like the BBC mentions, the video evidence for Apaches intentionally shooting civilians, and the crews applauding the act (http://www.collateralmurder.com/).

But I understand that there is sensitive information that could put interests of state reason at risk, that are legitimate security interests and not of a nature linking their covering with corruption and absue of power. In such cases, responsible journalists and wikiLeask should indeed voluntarily act reasonably and weigh factual, legitimate public interest against legitimate factual security interests of a nation and it's society. Political parties' power interests, covering scandals etc, are NOT legitimate public interests. They should get unmasked indeed, asnd for that independant, ungagged journalism is a must.

August · 04-06-10, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oberon

I don't think there is any government on this planet that truly feels a need to answer to its people and hasn't been for some time. The government sets the rules and we follow them or get persecuted. S'how they roll.

Yeah but there are limits Oberon. When they get crossed stuff like this happens:

04-04-10, 04:46 PM	#4
CaptainHaplo Silent Hunter Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 4,404 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 0	The point is that this was a US internal memorandum - showing that at least some elements inside the US government, have concerns over information being released (regardless of its lack of security implications) because the public would raise immortall H E double hockeysticks... Just one more example of the government thinking that they do not answer to the people. Thanks Skybird -good find. I can't say I am suprised. __________________ Good Hunting! Captain Haplo

04-06-10, 08:21 AM	#6
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,602 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	BBC has a story on WikiLeak: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8605055.stm I first stumbled over it when they published a German document about the health insurrance system in germany. It was a government-ordered study of the private health inssurance companies - coming to results the government did not want to have after the liberal FDP entered the coalition. the liberal'S cloients are - amongst others - private insurrance companies, and the study found them to be far, far more uncompetrtive and cost-expliding and expensive than the mandatory state insurrances most people have. The FDP minister's reaction was quick and telltaling - he took the study and put it in a safe, wanting to hide it. For examples like this, I support wikileaks. It and investigative jorunalism is urgently needed in a poltical system that is haunted by omni-present corruption and massive abuse of power, rendering th term "election" and "democracy" almost meaningless. I am still with them on stories like the BBC mentions, the video evidence for Apaches intentionally shooting civilians, and the crews applauding the act (http://www.collateralmurder.com/). But I understand that there is sensitive information that could put interests of state reason at risk, that are legitimate security interests and not of a nature linking their covering with corruption and absue of power. In such cases, responsible journalists and wikiLeask should indeed voluntarily act reasonably and weigh factual, legitimate public interest against legitimate factual security interests of a nation and it's society. Political parties' power interests, covering scandals etc, are NOT legitimate public interests. They should get unmasked indeed, asnd for that independant, ungagged journalism is a must. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert. Last edited by Skybird; 04-06-10 at 09:10 AM.

04-04-10, 04:08 PM	#2
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20	China bans access to anything that might be informative, and I'm surprised North Korea even lets its people have internet lest they discover the outside world Can't say I'm particularly surprised about Russia either, and honestly Sky, I wouldn't be surprised to see Australia add itself to that list before long.

04-04-10, 04:53 PM	#5
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20	I don't think there is any government on this planet that truly feels a need to answer to its people and hasn't been for some time. The government sets the rules and we follow them or get persecuted. S'how they roll.