Why blame WikiLeaks?

[Conan The Librarian]

People seem to be missing the point that Wikileaks is just a publisher. It took one or more spies to leak the information to WikiLeaks and the various newspapers. Congress is blaming a mere publisher in an age when anybody can cheaply and instantly publish anything. Meanwhile America's security apparatus leaks like a sieve. WikiLeaks is doing nothing that isn't routinely done by any news source that comes into provocative information. Note that several papers are publishing the information too, but they have a primitive medium and can't publish it all efficiently or economically.

[Cabin4]

Our government has become an illegal entity and it's in a condition of total and utter failure. They (our government) are to blame for any leaks. Imagine how much classified information is leaked and we never hear about it???

Our government has too much money (our tax dollars) and they find garbage programs to spend it on so they can employ millions of idiots to do senseless BS work.

"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government."
Thomas Jefferson

[subdjoe]

People seem to be missing the point that Wikileaks is just a publisher. It took one or more spies to leak the information to WikiLeaks and the various newspapers. Congress is blaming a mere publisher in an age when anybody can cheaply and instantly publish anything. Meanwhile America's security apparatus leaks like a sieve. WikiLeaks is doing nothing that isn't routinely done by any news source that comes into provocative information. Note that several papers are publishing the information too, but they have a primitive medium and can't publish it all efficiently or economically.

Using that reasoning, why blame anyone for anything?  Just do away with all laws.  I mean, heck, there are lots of rapists out there, why hold one more accountable?  Same for child molesters or muggers.  After all, there are others doing the same thing, right? 

[powderman]

I suppose then that if an untrustworthy news source had found out about dday and told the Germans when and where we were landing it would have just been doing it's job??? Baloney, these people are doing it for money, and they don't care who, or how many dies, just as long as they get their money. POWDERMAN. 

[MGMorden]

Baloney, these people are doing it for money, and they don't care who, or how many dies, just as long as they get their money.

Wikileaks isn't making money. Sites like those aren't displaying ads, and are barely scraping up enough money to pay the server bills based pretty much solely on donations (and often times making ends meet by the people running the site adding funds themselves).  Question their motives if you like, but it's certainly not money.

[powderman]

If not money there are few other possibles, a hatred of America or prestige among low lifes comes to mind. I asked about DDAY, would that have been acceptable??? Just printing the news??? POWDERMAN. 

[Cabin4]

Wikileaks is irrelevant. There will always be some idiot or idiot group out there that will try an exploit a leak of classified information they way they have. The goal should be to stop the leaking of classified information at the source. Wikileaks is just simply exposing the leak, they are not creating it. The people that wanted the leaked information will have it regardless of what’s published by Wikileaks or other similar group. If it were not for Wikileaks, you would never know this stuff is leaking to begin with. Comparing this rape is ridiculous.

[scootrd]

Wikileaks is irrelevant. There will always be some idiot or idiot group out there that will try an exploit a leak of classified information they way they have. The goal should be to stop the leaking of classified information at the source. Wikileaks is just simply exposing the leak, they are not creating it. The people that wanted the leaked information will have it regardless of what’s published by Wikileaks or other similar group. If it were not for Wikileaks, you would never know this stuff is leaking to begin with. Comparing this rape is ridiculous.

+ 1

[Conan The Librarian]

A little stroll down memory lane will show that news stories compromising the WWII efforts was not rare at all. Secrecy was of paramount importance, yet leaks were pretty frequent, and some were published with grave consequences.

[teamnelson]

So first, assuming that there are reasonable and customary safeguards in place most of the time, one must ask Cui Bono?
Secondly, one must ask who is NOT being attacked/affected by these wikileak leaks...?
Thirdly, tracking funding is always a good idea...?
Fourthly, our government's apparatus must suspect who they work most closely with to find the sources of the leaks....and assume from the volume of leaks that there are many sources working in concert...somebodies here and abroad privy to our information.
Fifthly,,,if we are going to have a government/military of secrecy, they ought to learn to shutup and not share anything with anybody.

1. Safeguards have eroded drastically since I walked in my first SCIF in 87; primarily due to the civilianization of the security apparatus.
2-3. The questions no one is officially asking ... but good ones, I'll admit. WikiLeaks may not be profiting, but somebody is.
4. Our biggest leaks in recent history have been disgruntled individuals, usually along ideological lines. During the surge, I noted that an increasing number of our new recruits are ideologically opposed to their government, nation & military and were philosophically driven to break it from the inside out. Most of them wind up talking to me for evaluation before separation, but some are pretty clever.
5. Rather than a government of secrecy, a government that wisely protects information that could result in the harm of its citizens would be a good place to go back to.

[Pat/Rick]

Maybe the gooberment shouldn't walk such a fine edge. If questionable tactics are used for the gain of a few, whats the problem? Is wiki leaking national secrets or just waiting, watching to see who's face gets slapped. If its a problem maybe the state dept should conduct its affairs more above board and within constraints of the Constitution. As long as troop movements aren't discussed I have no problem at all with the public seeing what they're buying with their tax money. You know, Transperancy. If this nations "leaders" would be more concerned with the USA they shouldn't have that much to worry about. Are all the closed door foreign affairs deals benefitting the USA? If so, why are we freaking bankrupt? Folks got caught with their fingers in the cookie jar. Too bad.

[teddy12b]

If anything, I can see these leaks exposing the lies and hypocracy of our politicians.  All this did was get all the secrets and lies both good and bad out in the open for everyone to know.  Maybe if this happens more often people in our government will remember that we live in a time without secrets and that we're accountable to the voters who put us in.   I don't see this endangering our troops because there's no secret that we're at war.  If the leaks were giving away the plan of attack the night before that'd be one thing, but we've been overseas for almost 10 years now, what exactly is so secret about that?

[woodchukhntr]

Although we don't notice it at home like in WW II, we are at war.  Anybody who leaks secret or classified military or state information is either a spy (if foreign)  or a traitor (if a citizen) and should be treated as such.  It's a tough world out there and our enemies are always looking to get the upper hand on on us.  Any media outlet that publishes information that is leaked is as guilty as the one who leaked it.

[wreckhog]

They targeted Russia, China and Italy too.

[Junior1942]

The leaks made our enemies very, very happy.  The leaks aided their cause.  Someone or several someones committed treason, and in my opinion they should face a noose or a firing squad.

PS: And the editors of Wikileaks and the New York Times should be arrested and charged with treason.

[woodchukhntr]

The leaks made our enemies very, very happy.  The leaks aided their cause.  Someone or several someones committed treason, and in my opinion they should face a noose or a firing squad.

I agree!

[Pat/Rick]

The TOPICS of the leaks may have aided the cause of our enemies.Don't shoot the messenger........ The elite elected demegogues are the one coming up with the TOPIC. Does our Constitution enable them to make "deals" or is it a, just because it doesn't say we can't,  doesn't mean we can.  Or is it a, long as it isn't found out its okay to do, type of thing? I am glad to see it personally, shows how screwed up our gooberment really is. maybe this will make for a few more MORE informed voters.  demicans /republicrats, different train, same destination.

[Spirithawk]

To print secret info, that you know by doing so will likely cost lives and endanger the security of your own Country, is nothing less than treason no matter how you candy coat it or how you obtained it. For what ever reason Wikileaks published it you can bet they didn't have our best interest at heart or things wouldn't have been so carelessly published at all. The leaks would have been reported and the info turned back over to rightful authorities. But aparently world wide prestige is more important to them than the lives of fellow Americans.

[Cabin4]

If Wikileaks ia comitting treason, then lets see our justice department go after them for that. The reason they are likly not going to do this is it would mean they would ave to go after the people in our government that are leaking this information to Wikileaks for treason as well.

[squirrellluck]

Correct me if I'm wrong but wiki isn't an American site. Not treason. The American or Americans that provided the classified documents are traitors guilty of treason and during a time of war. Eligible for the death penalty. However if any of our personnel are put at risk or in harms way because of these documents wikileaks and company should be removed. 

[teamnelson]

The director is an australian; it was founded by Chinese dissidents initially to leak information about the Chinese government but it has grown in scope and focus. Its "owned" by Sunshine Press, ostensibly. It is registered as an International Non-Profit, and is not a US corporation or property. Similar to Save The Children, PETA or GREENPEACE in its support base and operational philosophy, and completely unregulated.

Given that the millions of documents they purportedly host are continuously being mirrored to other servers, good luck shutting them down.

[Spirithawk]

I stand corrected, but putting inocent lives at risk simply for the sake of personal gain still isn't right no matter who does it and if not for personal gain then please give any other possible reason. Since not treason, espionage sure comes to mind. If a person knowingly recieves stolen goods are they not guilty of a crime? There's a whole lot of people in jail for that very thing is there not? You that cheer them on best remember that when it hits the fan your butts are in jepordy same as everyone elses and it's just a matter of time. It doesn't make sense to me to cheer on, or make excuses for, the very people trying to do you harm. Exposing a leak of classified information is a far differance from publishing the info for the whole world to see, enemies included!

[Conan The Librarian]

The information was supplied by a private working at the pentagon. That is the story worth dwelling on.

[wreckhog]

I stand corrected, but putting inocent lives at risk simply for the sake of personal gain still isn't right no matter who does it

That is called capitalism. Watch Nascar sometime.

[Spirithawk]

The information was supplied by a private working at the pentagon. That is the story worth dwelling on.

I agree but I don't think Wikileaks should go ignored either. Ones almost as guilty as the other. The private only more so because he betrayed his oath to his own Country.

[Spirithawk]

I stand corrected, but putting inocent lives at risk simply for the sake of personal gain still isn't right no matter who does it

That is called capitalism. Watch Nascar sometime.

Really? Comparing espionage to NASCAR? Those who's lives are put at risk in a sport do so quite willingly. So you honestly compare someone handing your Nation's secrets over to our enemies, putting the whole Nation at risk, to NASCAR? No more important to you than that? Did you really need someone to explain to you the differance?

[teddy12b]

I'm not trying to cheer anyone on, but what's done is done.  Once that info hits the internet there's no getting it contained.  Whether we like it or not our country just got embarassed because our elected leaders were some lieing pieces of $H!t.

[Spirithawk]

I'm not trying to cheer anyone on, but what's done is done.  Once that info hits the internet there's no getting it contained.  Whether we like it or not our country just got embarassed because our elected leaders were some lieing pieces of $H!t.

I agree with you there but the problem is that we are the ones who will pay any price as a result. Way mores so than any of our so called leaders. Fact is though that when a document is stamped confidential it should stay that way untill such time as it's release endangers no inocent person. Unfortunately there is very much a need for such things and we all dang well know it! To ignore that is to cut our own throats. We want and demand our security but then toss it away just for entertaiment or so some guy in Australia can puff out his chest and thumb his nose at us? Does that really seem a wise thing to do?

[teddy12b]

I don't deny that we need security, and apparently we don't have it now.  Whoever broke silence did commit treason.  What I fail to understand is, now that it's all out it just verified a lot of other theories that have been out there for a while but were given no credibility and were tossed aside as crazy conspiracy theories.  Now the truths out.

I understand what you're saying but every bill they pass even if for the greater good will have casualties and people will unintentionally get hosed by it.  This leak wasn't so much about the troops, it was about the two faced diplomats and politicians and it's fine with me if they get what's coming to them.

[The Hermit]

As expected, Hillary was on tv today condemning the leaks. She refused to comment on her internal memo telling US diplomats to spy on foreign diplomats at the UN. To me, she implied that she wanted to continue efforts to "unify the world". " she called other counterparts around the world, and they agree with her".  Ya, right.
That bothers me more than the leaks. Maybe this will be a wake up call to those folks who trust the current administration. Obama and Hillary et all, still don't get it.  God help us.

   The Hermit