Monday, November 29, 2010

WikiLeaks

WikiLeaks has released approximately 250,000 diplomatic cables from the past 3 years. The cables are fascinating reading but one has to wonder what, other than proving you can do it, is the point?

The release has initiated a criminal investigation by the Justice Department into exactly how the whistle blowing website managed to obtain the documents.

So what do I think about all this? It’s hard to see what the benefit is to anyone. It’s not preventing someone from being falsely prosecuted, it’s not releasing anyone unjustly imprisoned and it’s not exposing unjust wars nor nefarious plots. If anything, it’s jeopardizing a number of peace initiatives.

Did you really think that all diplomatic negotiations were open to public scrutiny? You can be sure that the most critical, and the most potentially productive, are being done under a shroud of secrecy.

So what has WikiLeaks accomplished? Absolutely nothing of value. I’m all for freedom of the press but the press has to be responsible as well. If they did anything illegal to obtain this stuff, I say throw the book at them.

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