Wikileaks

[Fira-Astrali]

Wikileaks. Thoughts?

[Milkyway64]

My thoughts are I have little idea what this thread is about. Mind explaining a little?

[Robert Monroe]

I appreciate what they do, but I abhor their pretentiousness about it. They seem underhanded, and lack any tact in giving away said leaks.

["User"]

My thoughts are I have little idea what this thread is about. Mind explaining a little?

You need to follow the news and current events more.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WikiLeaks

As far as Wikileaks is concerned, transparency is a good thing.  However too much of it isn't.  Also, one congressman wants the site to be classified as a terrorist organization.  Personally, I enjoyed reading some of the cables.  

Robert, in the past they've shown restraint when deciding what information to release.  Most recently with the Afghan documents concerning individuals names as to not endanger national security.

[Fira-Astrali]

I appreciate what they do, but I abhor their pretentiousness about it. They seem underhanded, and lack any tact in giving away said leaks.

that's not actually true. It is my understanding they have policies in place when it comes to releasing information that protects information that could directly endanger people's lives, namely soldiers, which are the ones people are obviously most concerned for.

My thoughts are I have little idea what this thread is about. Mind explaining a little?

Thanks User for the link. This topic comes after the international uproar that has hit the news last night involving Assage, the man who created Wikileaks. He released cables between the US and Canada showing that their government doesn't think particularly highly about us Canadians.

My first question is, he has flooded the internet with information about what the military is doing in Afganistan, has a host of videos showing mistreatment... and a bunch of diplomatic cables between the US and Canada is what gets him on the news? I mean, the whole friggin world knows that the US gov't thinks Canada is a joke,  you didn't need to declassify cables for that >.>

But now there is an international warrent out for his arrest. I've talked to some, and they think he should be shot and pissed on. My next question: If he is doing it in the right way, as he claims, and his policies are not releasing information that could be used to hurt soldiers, why is this website such an abhorrance?  Why is demanding truth from your governments wrong? If they are doing things that are horrible and underhanded and sneaky, and if we the public found out about them we would be horrified and disgust, why are we letting our governments do them?

[fox1235]

This guy might be the only guy spreading the truth.

EDIT:It seems that Interpol put him on there most wanted list. But on most likely false charges of rape.

Also this guy can become Time Person of the Year.

["User"]

Thanks User for the link. This topic comes after the international uproar that has hit the news last night involving Assage, the man who created Wikileaks. He released cables between the US and Canada showing that their government doesn't think particularly highly about us Canadians.

Not the government, but mainly diplomats from various embassies (U.S. embassy in Canada I'd think).  The opinions of a few diplomats with diplomatic immunity should not = a government's overall opinion of someone or another sovereign nation.  Besides, only 2,000 something of the 250,000 documents are related to Canada.  The rest were related to the almost 200 countries that the U.S. has diplomatic relations with. 

My first question is, he has flooded the internet with information about what the military is doing in Afganistan, has a host of videos showing mistreatment... and a bunch of diplomatic cables between the US and Canada is what gets him on the news? I mean, the whole friggin world knows that the US gov't thinks Canada is a joke,  you didn't need to declassify cables for that >.>

Like I said, roughly 1% of the documents relates to Canada.  Furthermore, I'll guarantee you that we and our government overall think more poorly of Americans and their government then vice-versa.  I mean, we are America's biggest trading partners and share many of the same long term goals and objectives.  If they considered us a "joke" then their viewpoints on almost every country on Earth would be considerable worse.

But now there is an international warrent out for his arrest. I've talked to some, and they think he should be shot and pissed on. My next question: If he is doing it in the right way, as he claims, and his policies are not releasing information that could be used to hurt soldiers, why is this website such an abhorrance?  Why is demanding truth from your governments wrong? If they are doing things that are horrible and underhanded and sneaky, and if we the public found out about them we would be horrified and disgust, why are we letting our governments do them?

Because a lot of the information that is being released is classified/secret and has nothing to do with government accountability and shouldn't just be thrown around like candy on Halloween.  As for the broadest aspect of your question, that's politics for you.  I'd get into this part more but it's hard for me to explain, perhaps someone else can?

[Star Fox Runner]

I personally am more concerned with what this "Operation Payback" group is doing. Not what WikiLeaks has released.

These guys are launching Denial of Service Attacks against companies that pulled the plug on WikiLeaks, and they've been taking down the big credit card companies' websites. I don't think these guys realize that they could be screwing some things up seriously if they point their power in the wrong direction.

It's scary what they are capable of doing!

[Sarita]

I personally am more concerned with what this "Operation Payback" group is doing. Not what WikiLeaks has released.

These guys are launching Denial of Service Attacks against companies that pulled the plug on WikiLeaks, and they've been taking down the big credit card companies' websites. I don't think these guys realize that they could be screwing some things up seriously if they point their power in the wrong direction.

It's scary what they are capable of doing!

They're doing it for a really stupid reason in my opinion. It's the credit card companies' right to deny use of their card on certain things. That's one of the risks you take using a private company. FA recently went through this almost exact problem, which finally led to them fully banning cub porn...

I'm a little confused by what you mean, because the way I heard it, though, was that they were trying to donate to WikiLeaks and the credit card companies were stopping those payments from going through, which is what I'm basing my opinion on. :P

[Robert Monroe]

Operation Payback are a bunch of butthurt dopes who have been summoned by the almighty internets to do whatever. Its basically when 4chan went against Scientology but less you know, good.

[Scott7]

Personally, I think Most of What thy are doing is right. Operation payback I don't think was really necessary, though It might help Keep wikileaks stay a bit more settled and as much as I'd like that code and password It's still a bit heavy to be seen by everybody...

These last few weeks have been like an early Christmas for me, Most of my Suspections regarding the government and their Silent act's have been either confirmed or proved invalid.

There are still other things i'm waiting to hear about, Mainly what they're really doing about the war on drug's and possible Military Experements....

[DZComposer]

People are being arrested over Operation Payback. I've long held the position that the /b/tards would bark up the wrong tree one day, and it looks like they may have this time. The RIAA didn't do anything to them when they were targeted, but you don't fuck with Wall St. and expect to walk away unscathed. Had they actually managed to stop Mastercard and Visa from doing business, I guarantee the *Chan sites would have been taken down like the original Wikileaks was.

Wikileaks itself, however, is an important institution in today's world where the media wants to buddy up with the government and the corporations rather than tell the truth. What saddens me about the whole thing is that people are mad at Wikileaks instead of mad about what is in those documents.

[fox1235]

People are being arrested over Operation Payback. I've long held the position that the /b/tards would bark up the wrong tree one day, and it looks like they may have this time. The RIAA didn't do anything to them when they were targeted, but you don't fuck with Wall St. and expect to walk away unscathed. Had they actually managed to stop Mastercard and Visa from doing business, I guarantee the *Chan sites would have been taken down like the original Wikileaks was.

Wikileaks itself, however, is an important institution in today's world where the media wants to buddy up with the government and the corporations rather than tell the truth. What saddens me about the whole thing is that people are mad at Wikileaks instead of mad about what is in those documents.

Yeah, the guy who leaked those cables got court-martialed, on the Today Show they interviewed people from his hometown, alot of them said he should be executed.

[Robert Monroe]

The problem with leaking these documents is while freedom to know what they hold is true, compromising the security of the nation is not always the smartest choice to go about it. Yes I know the "Freedom for Security" quote an all, but there is still a need for some degree of security somewhere.

Not to mention Wikileaks tends to just publish this information with little or no regard of possible long-standing consequences, so while I can admire their goals, I find that sort of lack of responsibility inappropriate.

[Sabre]

But it could be argued that they brought this on themselves. That they are to secretive and abusing that secrecy.

[Star Fox Runner]

The way I see this, everybody is losing here. Wikileaks has posted stuff that could compromise national security, and the US government has been embarrassed by some of the things they have said in those cables.

So there you go.

[DZComposer]

The documents were carefully redacted before release. They were not dangerous. Embarrassing? Yes. Dangerous? No. Punishing people for embarrassing you is something deep totalitarian dictators do. It's "un-American" (geez, I hate that phrase, but I can't think of a better one).