tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11762786.post8344796082415701794..comments2023-08-19T09:43:10.626-05:00Comments on cloud no. 9: Wikileaks: more bad than good?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12315663514824685182noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11762786.post-80918894863933806822010-12-22T19:07:21.949-05:002010-12-22T19:07:21.949-05:00Hatred for the American state? Couldn't it be ...Hatred for the American state? Couldn't it be a real belief in transparency? When the New York Times published information from the cables does that show the Times hates America? There's a certain journalistic mantra that says, people are better off knowing the truth and deciding for themselves than for some cabal to decide what people "should" know, and while that mantra does know limits, Assange is just a person who draws the line further than others.<br /><br />In particular, he has exposed leaks from many countries before this US leak, and no one made a big fuss. Does he hate all those countries?<br /><br />What the cables achieve is a fairer understanding of what governments are thinking. That knowledge is interesting and valuable in an of itself. Is that value worth the harm done to America? I tend to think not, but then again, I think America is generally a force for good, so that may reflect my own biases. If someone had released China's secret diplomatic cables, would I also be upset? Not at all.<br /><br />Openness is one of the great advantages of democracies, as the US likes to lecture China and Russia about.Noamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00491217364851975822noreply@blogger.com