Thursday, December 16, 2010

Wikileaks and authoritarianism

There is quite a lot about the response to Wikileaks that annoys me.  One example is when the most closed governments are the ones applauding it the most.  This struck me as I read Fidel Castro criticizing the U.S. government reaction to the leaks.  I think a debate in the U.S. about what constitutes espionage (or even what should be classified) and what to do about it would be beneficial.  However, it is hypocritical for dictatorships to make such criticisms.

You tell me how Raúl Castro would respond if a member of the Cuban army leaked classified documents and then handed them off to a foreigner.

5 comments:

ConsDemo 11:46 PM  

Julian Assange claims he would like to get a hold of Russian or Chinese secrets. This begs the question, has Wikileaks ever released secret documents from any authoritarian governments?

Tambopaxi 9:58 AM  

Don't know, but they should give it a try. It'd be great if they snagged some Venezuelan cables...

leftside 4:37 PM  

Fidel made clear that he is not applauding the leaks out of some expansive notion of freedom of speech or information. He applauds the leaks because "morally, he has brought it (the Empire) to its knees." He makes no bones about it. In a profoundly unjust world, Fidel has always believed that the weak should be permitted morally to take certain liberties and use certain tools that the powerful can not. You can disagree with this argument (which has antecedents in ethical philosophy as far back as it goes) but there is no hypocrisy in this line of argument. The only hypcrisy is if Fidel were to assert that all countries have no right to their secrets, which is absurd.

Tambo, Wikileaks has leaked things from all corners of the earth. They've truncated their webpage in lieu of the attacks, but I seem to recall Chinese secrets being on there. And to be clear, they are not out there "snagging" anything. Leaks require a leaker.

Slave Revolt,  1:21 AM  

Indeed, the US has engaged terrorism, t evisceration and repression od democratic movements that challenge it's favored dictator client states-- and Greg gets his thong in a bind Because Fidel applauds exposing the on-going depravity and criminality that is pat of the empires mafioso modus operandi for maintaing hegemony?!

LOL

Can anyone say "ball-less palace scribe"? How utterly weak and feckless.

The US has been leaking yellow stuff on browner people and nations for centuries-- and Greg goes into conniptions when his masters are exposed as the reprobates and murderers that everyone knows they are.

That effing tenure review board, it's a mutha!

I hope the ghosts of murdered Salvdorans and Guatemalans make your slide into eventual senility absolute hell, Greg.

Go interview and do a puff piece on Posada The US supported terrorist before he dies. Plenty of sycophants with your retarded ethics and lack of critical thinking skills will pat your little head (both of them--the one with hair and the other bald one). Should be exciting as watching the bombs raining down on Iraq in the schlock and awe bull crap movie.

Sad.

You are no lover of truth or human liberty. Word.

ConsDemo 11:54 PM  

"Slave Revolt", that's very impressive rhetoric, did you think it up all by yourself?

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