WikiLeaks - Official Thread

Thief the issues are the same. If you talk about China and expose its atrocities you receive the Nobel prize in Sweden. If you talk about USA and expose its atrocities (and not even - just its bitchiness) you are arrested in Sweden. You're using twisted rationalization. Wat?

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Originally Posted by Thief Silver

No, they're very different, this guy is using stolen information that is the Govt's property. But I guess according to you I can just go into your house or hire someone to do so, steal personal information and then publish it. And you shouldn't be able to do anything about it.

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See this is where you have it wrong. You're assuming information of officials where it pertains to PUBLIC domain deserves the same if not more privacy than that of the every day man/woman in his or her own house. And that's completely backwards. Government should be held accountable for its actions. Including infringing on individual privacy rights.

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Originally Posted by Yoshi

There's no doubt that more blame belongs with the actual people who leaked the documents to WikiLeaks than with them. However, WikiLeaks to me is basically doing the global equivalent of yelling "fire" in a crowded theater. They are potentially putting lives in danger through their irresponsibility. I am not familiar enough with the law to know what the specific charge would be, but I think it is appropriate that there be one.

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I disagree - it's freedom of the press. That's basically saying you can't do anything to make the government mad. In the grand scheme of things this guy has done nothing wrong - which is exactly why he's not being arrested or tried for it. They needed to drum up completely separate charges to silence him. Also maybe the government shouldn't be doing things it's ashamed of in such high volume.

Drewbacca, how would you feel if somebody posted your bank statements and social security number online for all the public to see? I get what you're saying, but publishing private information is a scumbag thing to do, whether it's for a government official or for a regular person. This man is trying to do harm with his website and if you don't think so, you're a fool. Should he be brought up on charges? That's a stickier question to answer, but he certainly doesn't deserve to be defended by anybody.

Drewbacca is a private citizen not acting in an official elected capacity for any constituency.

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Originally Posted by Doc Holliday

WikiLeaks is as irresponsible as Op. Iraq Freedom. That put lives in danger for the concept of democracy. This puts lives in danger for the concept of transparency. Both were/are unpopular during the early days of acceptance and dirty work and both will be praised when their goals of a cleaner government have been fulfilled. There's no difference, and honestly WikiLeaks will probably kill less people. It's a new, cleaner kind of warfare.

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We're talking about US law here. WikiLeaks has the potential to kill American civilians. Iraqi Freedom does not.

I think we should all start spelling government with a capital G.

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Originally Posted by Yoshi

We're talking about US law here. WikiLeaks has the potential to kill American civilians. Iraqi Freedom does not.

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WAIT WHAT

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Originally Posted by dave is ok

Drewbacca is a private citizen not acting in an official elected capacity for any constituency.

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It's still a similar concept and a perfect example of how some information is better life out of the public light.

I already said that releasing hundreds of thousands of documents is pointless and they should have just released the meat of it. But value is relative, someone might really want to know about Putin chasing a rabbit around.

And go ahead and find me one persons bank account and social security number on Wikileaks.

It's completely different. One is black, one is white. If you are an elected official, and have your GOVERNMENT SALARY and GOVERNMENT BUSINESS brought to light there is nothing wrong. That's how it should be. I am a private, completely independent citizen in a free country and I deserve to go about my business without being hassled or questioned without a probable reason behind it.

The recently elected Mayor of Toronto posts his staffs pay, positions and everything on his website willingly. Most politicians don't but they should. Also it turns out city officials get a 58,000 expense account for no reason. He refuses to use his because it's a waste of tax dollars - and the government refuses to take it back. Openness of information is almost always better for freedom. The fact that you're so scared off by it shows just how brain washed you are by fear.

Public officials are there because of their constituents (the people that elected them) and have a responsibility to be true to the campaign / ideals that put them there. Simply making a livable salary isn't incriminating in any way.

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Originally Posted by Thief Silver

No, they're very different, this guy is using stolen information that is the Govt's property. But I guess according to you I can just go into your house or hire someone to do so, steal personal information and then publish it. And you shouldn't be able to do anything about it.

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Wikileaks didn't steal anything. Some guy did. Do we punish the news organizations that reported on the leaks as well? Or do we only punish the first entity to report on the leak?