i'm really curious as to what's in this "insurance file"
i've been hearing about it all dayHurricane2k9 wrote:
i'm really curious as to what's in this "insurance file"
rumors are it's got something to do with gitmo... (although I have no idea how these rumors could have even started)
as much as I'd rather it not released, it's interesting to see what makes it their "poison pill"
Assange is suggesting that the Pentagon has said no one in Afghanistan has been put in harm's way by the leaks.
That would be a rather strange assertion....
http://www.dailytech.com/Taliban+Murder … e19250.htm
That would be a rather strange assertion....
http://www.dailytech.com/Taliban+Murder … e19250.htm
I feel like Assange wouldn't be hounded the way he is right now if he'd released them more judiciously. That is, if he'd released things that are embarrassing (e.g. Hillary wanting diplomats to get the credit card numbers of people) and not dangerous (e.g. the identities of informants).
shit like this makes the entire affair really quite farcical, actually. it just becomes some personal celebrity-figure thing, assange's way of being a snide bastard and masturbating in the public light. this isn't a serious leak of information for 'information's sake', against some global conspiracy of power... it's just one guy, making theatre. this sort of thing should be kept to shitty, predictable tom clancy books.Poseidon wrote:
i've been hearing about it all dayHurricane2k9 wrote:
i'm really curious as to what's in this "insurance file"
rumors are it's got something to do with gitmo... (although I have no idea how these rumors could have even started)
as much as I'd rather it not released, it's interesting to see what makes it their "poison pill"
libertarian benefit collector - anti-academic super-intellectual. http://mixlr.com/the-little-phrase/
thats dumb
Is that site supposed to be serious? A lot of the things to be stuff we already knew. I can't really tell if it's a joke and saying that Wikileaks isn't really harming us or if they're genuinely trying to prove it's done good things.
DesertFox- wrote:
Is that site supposed to be serious? A lot of the things to be stuff we already knew. I can't really tell if it's a joke and saying that Wikileaks isn't really harming us or if they're genuinely trying to prove it's done good things.
WikiLeaks has released the most comprehensive and detailed account of any war ever to have entered the public record.
The sad thing is some people actually believe shit like that.
I completely support wikileaks.
Americans should know everything about their government, because you elected your president...right?
Dont you relize, they want americans to know less...for what reason. What are they hiding that they cannot show its own people.
We need more Wikileaks
Americans should know everything about their government, because you elected your president...right?
Dont you relize, they want americans to know less...for what reason. What are they hiding that they cannot show its own people.
We need more Wikileaks
yes its just america...lol{B-T}<babacanosh> wrote:
I completely support wikileaks.
Americans should know everything about their government, because you elected your president...right?
Dont you relize, they want americans to know less...for what reason. What are they hiding that they cannot show its own people.
We need more Wikileaks
What manner of 10-year old attitude is that "governments shouldn't keep secrets"? From what I've read, most of this stuff doesn't concern American citizens like you have thought. It's not like how the CIA tested LSD on mobsters during the Cold War and none of these documents show anything very incriminating like the government kidnapping, torturing and murdering dissident leaders inside the US.
Let's not lose sight of the fact that this information is stolen, too. It's not like they are investigative journalists who found evidence on their own through legal means. It was some prick who took advantage of the trust placed in with him to access such information and passed it to an unauthorized person. That's pretty much the definition of espionage right there. Just because you may be interested in the secret information doesn't make it any more right to steal it. That's the problem that people get when they associate "the government has secrets---they must be doing some shady, unethical shit".
Let's not lose sight of the fact that this information is stolen, too. It's not like they are investigative journalists who found evidence on their own through legal means. It was some prick who took advantage of the trust placed in with him to access such information and passed it to an unauthorized person. That's pretty much the definition of espionage right there. Just because you may be interested in the secret information doesn't make it any more right to steal it. That's the problem that people get when they associate "the government has secrets---they must be doing some shady, unethical shit".
A certain level of deception is necessary for running government in a practical way. The only reason we have democracy is because the alternatives are so shitty. This doesn't mean that democracy itself is so great.{B-T}<babacanosh> wrote:
I completely support wikileaks.
Americans should know everything about their government, because you elected your president...right?
Dont you relize, they want americans to know less...for what reason. What are they hiding that they cannot show its own people.
We need more Wikileaks
Basically, what it comes down to is that we elect people who are supposed to be qualified enough to run things, and part of that involves shady shit with regard to foreign relations. A certain amount of secrecy is both inevitable and necessary.
But an individual does not want the whole world to know their personal information or secrets though, do they?{B-T}<babacanosh> wrote:
I completely support wikileaks.
Americans should know everything about their government, because you elected your president...right?
Dont you relize, they want americans to know less...for what reason. What are they hiding that they cannot show its own people.
We need more Wikileaks
but what about when they croos the line? or another story like the helicopter attack that killed 2 stupid reporters.
Of course it happens, by why do you think it's necessary? And please, give examples.Turquoise wrote:
A certain level of deception is necessary for running government in a practical way. The only reason we have democracy is because the alternatives are so shitty. This doesn't mean that democracy itself is so great.{B-T}<babacanosh> wrote:
I completely support wikileaks.
Americans should know everything about their government, because you elected your president...right?
Dont you relize, they want americans to know less...for what reason. What are they hiding that they cannot show its own people.
We need more Wikileaks
Basically, what it comes down to is that we elect people who are supposed to be qualified enough to run things, and part of that involves shady shit with regard to foreign relations. A certain amount of secrecy is both inevitable and necessary.
Well for starters, the general public doesn't even understand the basic workings of government. We're talking about people who can barely balance their checkbooks much less understand foreign policy. You can feed most of them a big bucket of bullshit, and they wouldn't know the difference. Hell, how else do you explain most flag-waving retards?DrunkFace wrote:
Of course it happens, by why do you think it's necessary? And please, give examples.Turquoise wrote:
A certain level of deception is necessary for running government in a practical way. The only reason we have democracy is because the alternatives are so shitty. This doesn't mean that democracy itself is so great.{B-T}<babacanosh> wrote:
I completely support wikileaks.
Americans should know everything about their government, because you elected your president...right?
Dont you relize, they want americans to know less...for what reason. What are they hiding that they cannot show its own people.
We need more Wikileaks
Basically, what it comes down to is that we elect people who are supposed to be qualified enough to run things, and part of that involves shady shit with regard to foreign relations. A certain amount of secrecy is both inevitable and necessary.
I'm not really concerned with giving the average person that much "transparency in government" because most people can't tell the difference between facts and propaganda. What it really comes down to is that we have various economic interests throughout the world, and every country is looking for an angle at influencing markets. We play by the same rules as everyone else. The only difference with America is that we've got the most money and the biggest military, so it's not surprising if we flex our muscles more often than most.
Are our actions unethical? In many cases, yes. Is our competition unethical? Most definitely.
Humans can be a rather disgusting species a lot of the time, but that's just life. And if you think we're bad, get a load of the shit that China and Russia pull.
"humans" is a very loose term. the thing is, when organisations humans organize into reach certain critical mass in number of members, they inevitably loose all human traits and become money/power producing mechanisms. it always happens. to expect nation as a whole to behave according to ones personal notions of good and evil is preposterous.Turquoise wrote:
Humans can be a rather disgusting species a lot of the time, but that's just life.
all nationas are the same in their dealings with each other. usa is no different from the rest.And if you think we're bad, get a load of the shit that China and Russia pull.
Last edited by Shahter (2010-12-09 01:14:21)
if you open your mind too much your brain will fall out.
You neither gave examples nor explained why it was necessary, all you did was try to justify was it's not so bad. Just because the average person is dumb as dogshit, does not give you the right to withhold information, especially about things which will directly or indirectly influence their lives. The simple fact of the matter is, the government is elected by the population to work for them, and as such any going ons in the government should be freely available to the people they are working for, and by the various freedom of information laws, they already should be.Turquoise wrote:
Well for starters, the general public doesn't even understand the basic workings of government. We're talking about people who can barely balance their checkbooks much less understand foreign policy. You can feed most of them a big bucket of bullshit, and they wouldn't know the difference. Hell, how else do you explain most flag-waving retards?DrunkFace wrote:
Of course it happens, by why do you think it's necessary? And please, give examples.Turquoise wrote:
A certain level of deception is necessary for running government in a practical way. The only reason we have democracy is because the alternatives are so shitty. This doesn't mean that democracy itself is so great.
Basically, what it comes down to is that we elect people who are supposed to be qualified enough to run things, and part of that involves shady shit with regard to foreign relations. A certain amount of secrecy is both inevitable and necessary.
I'm not really concerned with giving the average person that much "transparency in government" because most people can't tell the difference between facts and propaganda. What it really comes down to is that we have various economic interests throughout the world, and every country is looking for an angle at influencing markets. We play by the same rules as everyone else. The only difference with America is that we've got the most money and the biggest military, so it's not surprising if we flex our muscles more often than most.
Are our actions unethical? In many cases, yes. Is our competition unethical? Most definitely.
Humans can be a rather disgusting species a lot of the time, but that's just life. And if you think we're bad, get a load of the shit that China and Russia pull.
I think turq is talking about knowing enough just to be dangerous. Personally I don't see how this is changing much. Good or bad.
Xbone Stormsurgezz
Has the State Department shut down the New York Times or something?
Xbone Stormsurgezz
irony maybe?
Irony is generally applied to events of happenstance. Hypocrisy.
Xbone Stormsurgezz
Exactly.Kmar wrote:
Hypocrisy.
The United States is pleased to announce that it will host UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day event in 2011, from May 1 - May 3 in Washington, D.C. UNESCO is the only UN agency with the mandate to promote freedom of expression and its corollary, freedom of the press.
The theme for next year’s commemoration will be 21st Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers. The United States places technology and innovation at the forefront of its diplomatic and development efforts. New media has empowered citizens around the world to report on their circumstances, express opinions on world events, and exchange information in environments sometimes hostile to such exercises of individuals’ right to freedom of expression. At the same time, we are concerned about the determination of some governments to censor and silence individuals, and to restrict the free flow of information. We mark events such as World Press Freedom Day in the context of our enduring commitment to support and expand press freedom and the free flow of information in this digital age.