Interesting that The Australian published this piece today by Julian Assange
Don’t shoot messenger for revealing uncomfortable truths
WIKILEAKS deserves protection, not threats and attacks. IN 1958 a young Rupert Murdoch, then owner and editor of Adelaide’s The News, wrote: “In the race between secrecy and truth, it seems inevitable that truth will always win.”
His observation perhaps reflected his father Keith Murdoch’s expose that Australian troops were being needlessly sacrificed by incompetent British commanders on the shores of Gallipoli. The British tried to shut him up but Keith Murdoch would not be silenced and his efforts led to the termination of the disastrous Gallipoli campaign.
Nearly a century later, WikiLeaks is also fearlessly publishing facts that need to be made public.
One positive outcome of Wikileaks could be the reshaping of our democracies and the reinvigoration of our media to begin behaving as it actually is meant to.
On The Standard I expressed disagreement with wikileaks publishing a list of worldwide infrastructure sites critical to the US. IMO at the time it was totally unnecessary to Assange’s ethos of making sure pollies stay clean.
Seems however there was a sting in the tail I had not realised – the list of critical infrastructure was compiled by the US asking its diplomatic staff in foreign countries. They were asked to gather intelligence on the key infrastructure sites in those host countries. This was apparently done without the knowledge of the host countries’ governments.
Ouch.
I must say I am somewhat aghast at the attacks and withdrawals relating to wikileaks which is, like shutting off money to a newspaper for printing information it obtained.
Remember when a newspaper “outted” the CIA agent wife of a US Ambassador? Did Visa and others cut off the paper’s money and so on?
There doesnt appear to be any proof that this guy actually ilegally obtained, hacked or stole the info, he published it.
On one level it doesn’t matter what happens to Julian Assange, Wikileaks or something similar simply isn’t going to go away in a hurry.
This particular genie is out of the bottle. Focusing on one individual shows the US government is out of touch with the reality and the way the world has changed.
Having said that, allowing Assange to become a martyr, would also be counter productive.
Who knew that revealing secret government information could be run like a soap opera?
Coming up next week-
Watching the watchers – civic duty.
Shoot the messenger ?
In the fuss still some subjects have not yet been touched.
There is much more room for revelations of corruption which common lay abiding people abhor.
Only a very few % of wikileak’s info have been released to the public. Much more to come.
Hopefully, especially for Assange, we won’t get to see the ‘Doomsday’ dossier, but I bet it’s a beaut of a read.
He’s such a brave guy
I saw the news that he was in custody without bail!
Like Bill Bennett said, going after Assange would only make him look like a hero. Thing is he more of a front man for wiki leaks.
This won’t ‘reshaping’ our democracies and ‘reinvigorate’ our media. Instead we will see a backlash and creeping paranoia.
Clare, In reaction some politicians (maybe even in NZ) will demand tighter rules/regulations regard things like this! Some in the US have already demand wikileaks be declared a foreign terrorist organisation.
Red under the Bed
We already have it with the govt using the Rugby World Cup to justify its timing over the bugging and stuff.
How many world sporting events have suffered from a terrorist attack since, say 11 Sept 2001?
Why do people need to be bugged?
It’s not right that this is happening at all 
Companies have done it for years Spud – industrial espionage. People like to pretend it doesnt happen, and not in NZ, but it does… and who are the people who the companies hire to do this stuff???
Former police officers, SIS etc etc
It’s not like we live in Colombia!
I can believe that companies spy on people, technology comes back to bite!
I suspect, but dont know, that it is about keeping our allies happy, that we remain a solid conduit in the flow of information, rather than a problem in that if we dont do this we are seen as a weak point and may enable/harbour certain communications which might lead to terror attacks.
So much for being an independent nation!
Wikileaks has certainly done more for Open Government than many official initiatives. Speaking of which, what is Labour’s position on Ministerial Services being subject to the OIA?
Worried about corporate surveillance? Read and weep, the Pork Board probably know where you have lunch in the weekends
http://tumeke.blogspot.com/2010/08/why-pork-board-wants-power-to-spy-on.html
“It said that under the law, council dog control officers would be able to enter homes to install a surveillance device” – I don’t get this, why should the bleepin dog control officers be able to spy on people in their own homes?
1984 anyone? 
And for what crime? 
The ACC thing is chilling, they already try to discredit legitimate claimants and try to throw them off the books and now they want to spy on people.
I mean what has ACC got to do with terrorism? 
Answer me that! 
He’s in “custody without bail” for the crime of Sexual Assault. NOT for running Wikileaks. Personally I won’t weep for him for this particular crime. There’s nothing “brave” about a sexual assault.
I read that something protective broke and that’s the basis of this charge.
I want him to release the report on the NZ tour to Bangladesh.
Personally I won’t weep for him for this particular crime. There’s nothing “brave” about a sexual assault.
The “brave” was in reference to his ability to reveal to the world, against the odds, a side of international diplomacy and relations that the public had never ever seen before.
So there’s no chance he’s going to end up in the custody or the power of the United States then?
You must be joking.
ah frak it, it was suppposed to read:
He is in jail because of the charges laid against him, there is no crime without a conviction.
And remember the charges were dropped for lack of sufficient evidence and then relaid – (no new evidence came forward).
“there is no crime without a conviction.”
Wut?
Dave doesnt believe in innocent til proven guilty…until he is wrongly charged with something, watch himpal up with the lefties then.
Did VISA Mastercard and Paypal cut his business off because of the charges? How does this fit in with Roman Polanski’s non extradition?
Quordlepleen – that’s a TINY report
Assange is being treated quite differently than you would expect a nobody to be treated in this circumstance. The Interpol notice is a huge red flag. What he is charged of does not normally trigger that level of international law enforcement response.
Paypal cutting him off and the Swiss bank too, for contravening various up to now ignored clauses in their service agreements.
They are channeling him towards being extradited to the US.
But somed fun, lightweight reading whilst waiting for the next aussie bashing ashes test.
“Perhaps more importantly, Wikileaks is a self-perpetuating phenomenon. Pre-Wikileaks, a would-be leaker’s only shot at wide-scale circulation was a newspaper or magazine. The problem with such outlets is that they tend to have their own views on how a story should be told. They interview corporate spokespeople and government officials to get their side of the story. They may bow to a censor’s request to suppress information. Wikileaks, on the other hand, promises mass distribution without the filter. And the more the organization proves it can get leaked information in front of tens of millions of readers, the more leakers will flock to it.”
Interesting article on how wikileaks will change governments and big corporates.
http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/80481/game-changer