WikiLeaks

[Aliantha]

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

National Review

Aliantha, Zen: could you two inform Mr. Assange what an article of incestuous personnel he's being? He might believe it more if it's coming from two Australians. He's got too much of a desire to smirch and impair the hope of the world. He's making Australians look bad. He does not seem to grasp that.

If I could catch him to tell him so, I'd be doing better than the AFP, so not much chance of that happening I'm afraid.

Originally Posted by Brianna

I was wondering why Ali hadn't jumped to Mr. Assange's defense - the shit he is doing is right up her line of liberal blahblahblah but she is AWOL it seems. I would think making the US look stupid would make her, literally, swoon with glee. but, since merc is having none of it, perhaps she's just making herself scarce.

I thought you might have grown up a bit by now.

Since you obviously have been missing me, the reason I've not been around to comment is because there has been a death in my family and it has certainly taken precendence over the likes of Mr Assange and yourself.

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

Hmm. I don't get that off of Ali. While she prefers Oz to all other lands of her experience, what of that? It is unremarkable -- many Americans who have experience of Australia can certainly understand why she might. At its worst Oz may be a tetch flyblown and has some very unsympathetic reptiles here and there (some of them hanging around in the boozers going from twolegged to legless), but it's no pesthole.

That's pretty much all true UG. And I certainly don't get any glee out of seeing the US look bad. I suppose there are those who obviously will never believe that even though quite clearly, even in this little space, I have American friends. Why would I measure them all the same? There are arseholes in America that's for sure, but there are plenty of pretty special people too.

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

I don't think he is making Australians look bad any more than Bush makes all Americans look bad. But I would be interested in what their government thinks about it and if they would have any suggestions on how to stop him.

Our government is just as eager to catch him as yours is Merc. He's causing all sorts of headaches for those in power.

Originally Posted by classicman

Complete and Utter Bullshit.

Agreed!

[xoxoxoBruce]

He's in England, they'll take anybody.

[skysidhe]

Originally Posted by Brianna

I was wondering why Ali hadn't jumped to Mr. Assange's defense - the shit he is doing is right up her line of liberal blahblahblah but she is AWOL it seems. I would think making the US look stupid would make her, literally, swoon with glee. but, since merc is having none of it, perhaps she's just making herself scarce.

The only time I think people are gleefully sucking up bad news about the U.S. is when they constantly say, 'you merkin's' more than they address any one person. Leads me to think they don't see individuals, but a whole cast of people not up to their level. I don't see that in Ali.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Originally Posted by skysidhe

Leads me to think they don't see individuals, but a whole cast of people not up to their level.

Cast or caste, do you think?

[BigV]

Well, we have a limit of two terms as president, so, we got that going for us, which is nice.

We survived him, we'll survive this guy too.

[classicman]

If that is proven she will probably have no choice.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Nonsense, she told them to do, or failed to tell them not to do, what every other embassy has been doing since embassies were invented. Anyone who's been paying attention in this country, has know that since the height of cold war, and anyone that read up on international relations long before that.

[Aliantha]

Yeah, it's my understanding that the hunt is in the hands of interpol now.

One question I did wonder about are his actions being labled (by the US) as treason. If he's not a citizen of the US, doesn't that mean the crime must fall under some other lable? I agree he's not helping anyone much with the sort of leaks he's responsible for, but it'd seem to me that the worst the US could get him for are computer crimes.

I don't know much about the law though, but I did wonder.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Or espionage? I think the treason was referring to the soldier that stole the information, and treasonous for the act. At least that's the way I read it, but journalists and bloggers have been throwing so much shit around it's hard to tell who said what.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Or espionage? I think the treason was referring to the soldier that stole the information, and treasonous for the act. At least that's the way I read it, but journalists and bloggers have been throwing so much shit around it's hard to tell who said what.

I think that is the route to go, co-conspirator in an act of espionage. Treason is only for American citizens and has some pretty high benchmarks as defined in law. I was listening to a talking head on NPR yesterday about this very subject. It was pretty interesting.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/...ge-act-charges

[Trilby]

funny how old sweetie pie pants showed up just when she did...weird.

[DanaC]

I don't see why Ali's been dragged into this tbh.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by DanaC

I don't see why Ali's been dragged into this tbh.

Dana, what is your take on the whole Wiki thing? From UK point of view.

[Stormieweather]

I get the feeling that most people have no idea what Wikileaks is or who it is.

Julian Assange is on the board and has become the spokesman for Wikileaks as director (and appears to be taking the majority of the heat), but he isn't alone in the decision making. Other members of the board include:

Phillip Adams - Australian film producer, writer, broadcaster

Wang Youcai - one of the student leaders in the Tiananmen Square protests

Ben Laurie - creator of The Apache Software (encryption)

Wang Dan - another leader of the Tiananmen Square protests and leader of the Chinese Democracy Movement

Chico Whitaker - an exiled Brazilian social activist who also has served on the advisory board of UNESCO

Wikileaks has revealed much in the way of governmental and industry corruption, as well civil rights violations. They have won several awards. The list of documents/reports they have released is long and varied.

WikiLeaks states that its "

primary interest is in exposing oppressive regimes in Asia, the former Soviet bloc, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, but we also expect to be of assistance to people of all regions who wish to reveal unethical behavior in their governments and corporations.

Whether or not I agree with the release of the Iran war documents or the US diplomatic cables, I personally believe that the only way to minimize corruption and civil rights violations is to have a way for the truth to be told. I do not agree with hiding or supressing facts. The truth has nothing to fear.

Yes, I'm aware that this position will be unpopular here. Please keep your guns holstered.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by Stormieweather

I personally believe that the only way to minimize corruption and civil rights violations is to have a way for the truth to be told. I do not agree with hiding or suppressing facts. The truth has nothing to fear.
Yes, I'm aware that this position will be unpopular here. Please keep your guns holstered.

I agree with you for the most part. but, I dunno how to say this - I want the truth/facts to be told as well, but where do you draw the line or don't you. I mean to what benefit is it knowing that one delegate thinks another country's leader is a jerk. Or that privately one country is trying to support what it thinks is best for the region while not trying to damage its relationship with another... I dunno maybe I'm having difficulty writing what I'm thinking because it doesn't make sense.