• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
 Julian Assange and Wikileaks: What is lost, what is gained
by Frank Kaufmann -New York
 
On November 28, 2010, Julian Assange, editor in chief of Wikileaks (founded2006) released 251,287 US diplomatic cables including many labeled classifiedor secret.
 
Espen Moe
 Julian Assange This is an important matter with serious ramifications, not to be ignored nor takenlightly. There is much at stake.
Who is affected?
 The primary players whose actions now stand trial as a result of the documentdump are theUnited States, whose diplomats suddenly find themselves as nakedas passengers at a US airport, and the established media, who surely soon willdrag us into their next angst-ridden ceremony of self-examination, trying yetagain to find their own rights and wrongs.In an important sense, the third community on trial will be all countries, bothmajor powers and small countries, who dodged the bullet this time. By grace theywere spared for now from the likes of a Mr. Assange, and were not exposed. Howthey behave
vis a vis
the US and their diplomatic counterparts will be important.US diplomats stand trial for their foibles, their
faux pas
, their candor, and theirarrogance. But to revel and delight in this, and to wag a soiled finger in 'there-theres' during America's embarrassing moment is short-sighted, ill-advised, andplain wrong.
Frank Kaufmann on Assange and Wikileaks, p. 1of 3
 
Is there a soul alive who could withstand having all our most private utterancesexposed? Who among us would pass muster if everything we've ever uttered,even about family and friends were exposed to enemies, those jealous of us andwish us ill, and a gang of just plain lascivious, prurient gossips? Yes, allies, and even opponents and naysayers are hurt by the inevitablerevelations of disrespect and suspicion coming to light from Mr. Assange's dump.But now is not the time to pile on, to moralize, lecture, and berate the US. Let shewho is without sin cast the first stone.
What is learned?
  There is nothing new or to be learned that such communications are the fabric of international, political relations dominated as they are by unvarnished, nationalself interest? Are there people around who actually believe that global, politicalaffairs are characterized by pure, innocent, upright and forthright, open, sincererelations? Everyone already knows national self interest and the surreptitiousbehavior of governments looks ugly. No one should pretend otherwise. All nations,includingPutin's Russiashould exercise restraint, stay quiet, sympathetic, andthank the good lord above that for the time being, their own diplomatic secretshave not been put on display by sneaky children like Mr. Assange and hisaccomplices. The real sin and the real crime of the US is not the embarrassing and at timesgeopolitically harmful content of the leaks. It is rather the ineptitude and outrightfailure to secure sensitive material. If friends and foes are in the mood to lecturethe United States, it need not be in the shallow pretense of shock that diplomacyis as everyone already knows it is, but rather it should be for what should evokegenuine anger, namely that the US has proven so lax, disordered, and inept in itscapacity to protect sensitive materials. For those who can't resist the chance tobeat a man while down, and can't resist the chance to gloat, beat and gloat atleast not in a chimera of bogus righteousness. The lecture at his hour is oversecurity, not over the fact that diplomats act like diplomats, and that internationalrelations extend the ugliness of national self-interest. On the matter of security,Paul Kennedy of the Times of Londonrecommends: The best way to head off this damage would be to instruct allambassadors to send confidential reports to the State Department bythe sealed “diplomatic bag”, and handwritten at that, so that there canbe only a single copy. Let’s get back to scribbling. Electronic stuff isunsafe. It has been since about 1940.
Is Assange a hero?
 And what of Assange? Is he a hero? A messiah? A harbinger of a new world of openness, honesty, and freedom? Of course not. The sure and guaranteedoutcome of his behavior will be just the opposite. Will this dump help a singleeveryman who is affected and oppressed by the closedness of systems and
Frank Kaufmann on Assange and Wikileaks, p. 2of 3
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...