tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post5286005822830208460..comments2023-09-15T04:27:57.129-04:00Comments on Commentarama: WikiWrap-Up On WikiLeaksAndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-80921604720246911972010-12-07T15:23:41.642-05:002010-12-07T15:23:41.642-05:00Ed, I saw that. I saw also that Time is planning ...Ed, I saw that. I saw also that <i>Time</i> is planning to make him their Man of the Year, though I don't think that means much anymore. Still it's pathetic.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-24464681603673976072010-12-07T13:48:08.334-05:002010-12-07T13:48:08.334-05:00Ed, I just saw that they arrested Assange. I hear...Ed, I just saw that they arrested Assange. I heard about "rape" charges, but I didn't know it had to do with a condom breaking. When did that become "rape"? Of course, now that he's arrested, I'll bet they send him to the US to be charged with releasing this information!Ednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-49460260275318549362010-12-07T10:25:53.386-05:002010-12-07T10:25:53.386-05:00DUQ, As long as the MSM consists of leftists from ...DUQ, As long as the MSM consists of leftists from top to bottom, it will continue to play the game of situational right and wrong, because hypocrisy is a standard trait among leftists.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-56436335477952688432010-12-06T23:25:53.715-05:002010-12-06T23:25:53.715-05:00It doesn't surprise me the MSM would treat thi...It doesn't surprise me the MSM would treat this differently than they did under Bush. I remember them blasting Bush even when the first disclosure was made. They have no shame.DUQnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-15031953189848199132010-12-06T20:12:18.253-05:002010-12-06T20:12:18.253-05:00Crispy, How can you be shocked by that? Did you n...Crispy, How can you be shocked by that? Did you not live through the Clinton years? 8-PAndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-34725250105501236962010-12-06T19:57:10.689-05:002010-12-06T19:57:10.689-05:00Well, speak for yourself! Personally, I was shocke...Well, speak for yourself! Personally, I was shocked - SHOCKED!! I tell you, at this - "Many governments are run by sexual predators, incompetents or criminals."CrispyRicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07302075204880024936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-34153582457886876852010-12-06T16:57:10.937-05:002010-12-06T16:57:10.937-05:00Ed, If there was a good death penalty case for spy...Ed, If there was a good death penalty case for spying, this would be it. There is no telling how many people will die because of the disclosure of this information.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-63731396571223410372010-12-06T16:43:18.769-05:002010-12-06T16:43:18.769-05:00No problems, I knew you would get around to it! Lo...No problems, I knew you would get around to it! Lol! I'm with Joel though, forget this prison garbage, let's proceed to execution.Ednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-7297270017116371952010-12-06T15:47:41.975-05:002010-12-06T15:47:41.975-05:00Joel, That is what they used to do with traitors a...Joel, That is what they used to do with traitors and spies, and I'm not going to disagree. It's fairly clear that they have endangered the lives of thousands of civilian informants and who knows how many intelligence officers or soldiers, so it's hard to say that a death sentence would be unjustified. To me though, that's just one small part of this, which is why I didn't really write about the punishment.<br /><br />To me, the more interesting issues are those mentioned above, that (1) it's stunning the government created a situation where someone could do this, (2) this release has been almost like a clean bill of health for our supposedly secretive government in that it proved that all the whining about our government doing secret things we know nothing about is just not true, and (3) imagine the outrage if Bush was still in the White House when this happened. I think those are the more interesting issues. And I think that by focusing on Assange entirely (as the MSM is doing), they are covering up the real questions here.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-76319184750327739852010-12-06T15:37:21.471-05:002010-12-06T15:37:21.471-05:00Andrew,
I am kind of old fashioned. I think the s...Andrew,<br /><br />I am kind of old fashioned. I think the soldier should be executed and Assange should be assassinated. That is what should happen to traitors and enemies.Joel Farnhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15856960977033430002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-36626096694225520892010-12-06T15:15:49.570-05:002010-12-06T15:15:49.570-05:00Ed, I just realized I didn't answer your quest...Ed, I just realized I didn't answer your question.... my apologies.<br /><br />The Army specialist is facing espionage charges and is likely to end up with a 50-70 year sentence in military prison, which is a good deal harsher than civilian prison.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-10914276434411336522010-12-06T15:14:07.339-05:002010-12-06T15:14:07.339-05:00Bev, That's my point number one -- the real is...Bev, That's my point number one -- the real issue here is not Assange, but how the heck did an Army Specialist get his hands on all of this information, how did they create a system that let him download it, and how were they not able to catch him until he decided to go bragging about it? That needs to be addressed immediately, and the focus on Assange is covering that up.<br /><br />"honest dialog" -- excellent choice of words! Very accurate.<br /><br />In terms of the Swiss, it seems that no one wants to help him.... good. I suspect Assange will find himself arrested soon enough and will be convicted of conspiracy and sent away for 5-10 years.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-77184713835284213162010-12-06T14:48:47.799-05:002010-12-06T14:48:47.799-05:00For me there is a much bigger picture. How did so...For me there is a much bigger picture. How did some lowly private sitting a room get access to all of these confidential and "top secret" documents in the first place? Allegedly he was pretending to be surfing the web and downloaded all of these docs?<br /><br />But, you are absolutely right that there are conversations that need to be kept private and confidential for the sake of having an honest dialogue.<br /><br />BTW, it has been reported that the Swiss have shut down all of Assange's accounts. And Assange has threatened to release the really bad stuff, if anyone tries to arrest him.BevfromNYChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14953050916932306270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-82042971481543939682010-12-06T13:52:11.494-05:002010-12-06T13:52:11.494-05:00Ed, Very true. It also shows that on a fundamental...Ed, Very true. It also shows that on a fundamental level, the deals that are being made are made on self-interest/national interest, not some altruistic concern for the environment or world peace or any garbage like that. So when the left tells you that if only we would stop resisting, the whole world would suddenly become this peaceful, happy, environmentally friendly world, you can point to this as evidence to the contrary. If anything, it shows that we're still the most fair dealer in the world. AND it emphasizes how vital the US is in every region of the world, even as we're told the US has lost its importance.<br /><br />In other words, nothing you've heard from the MSM about our standing in the world or our supposedly rotten behavior is true.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-47345024935195467352010-12-06T13:48:40.353-05:002010-12-06T13:48:40.353-05:00That's exactly what I'm thinking. Everythi...That's exactly what I'm thinking. Everything they released shows that our way of thinking is what makes the world go round and this goofy can't-we-all-just-get-along way of thinking is nowhere to be found. Also, look at the stuff that this dispels. We're told about "Arab unity," but that's not true. We're told that China is a peaceful country and we have nothing to fear, but this shows they're engaged in cyberwar against us.Ednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-18446130538312965842010-12-06T13:46:16.891-05:002010-12-06T13:46:16.891-05:00Lawhawk, Very true, too much has been classified, ...Lawhawk, Very true, too much has been classified, but the answer to that is to change the system to narrow what gets classified. The answer is not to dump a half million documents into the public domain with little worry about the consequences.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-28691402548651514012010-12-06T13:44:22.942-05:002010-12-06T13:44:22.942-05:00Andrew: The reasoning behind keeping diplomatic c...Andrew: The reasoning behind keeping diplomatic conversations secret is much the same as the priest/penitent, doctor/patient and attorney/client privilege. Planning solutions to problems, spiritual, physical or legal is best worked out among the principals without outside interference and only becomes public domain when action is actually taken. For too long, things that should not have been secret were "classified" for no good reason, but that doesn't mean that we should go to the other extreme and allow every private conversation and/or negotiation to be spread all over the front pages of the New York Times.LawHawkRFDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17800255923675295515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-6729331887985342322010-12-06T13:34:59.307-05:002010-12-06T13:34:59.307-05:00Ed, I think the media and the Democrats and all th...Ed, I think the media and the Democrats and all the human rights groups would be protesting in the street screaming obscenities and whipping out the Bush=Hitler posters. As it is, they will remain silent.<br /><br />On your other point, that's very perceptive. It's interesting, isn't it, how everyone we thought was a danger is in fact a danger and how despite the left's claims/hopes that Obama would abandon "Realpolitic" for utopian diplomacy, Obama's diplomacy is just as dirty as everyone else's. It really does confirm that the conservative view of the world is what dominates out there.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-37904323079228804452010-12-06T13:24:23.750-05:002010-12-06T13:24:23.750-05:00Also, did you notice that all this information kin...Also, did you notice that all this information kind of confirms the conservative view of the world?Ednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-4356385261671661502010-12-06T13:23:31.208-05:002010-12-06T13:23:31.208-05:00So true, I've heard all of this stuff before i...So true, I've heard all of this stuff before it was released, and the media would be insane if this was Bush. Any idea what's going to happen to the soldier who leaked this information?Ednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-76422935021056535342010-12-06T10:46:26.857-05:002010-12-06T10:46:26.857-05:00Jed, Make no mistake, this is a crime. The soldie...Jed, Make no mistake, this is a crime. The soldier is facing up to 70 years in prison for espionage, and Assange can and will be arrested as a conspirator if they can get their hands on him.<br /><br />Interestingly, some are trying to justify this as "whistleblowing." But it's not. Whistleblowing involves the disclosure of illegal or improper conduct, but it must be disclosed to the proper authorities, not handed over to a journalist or quasi-journalist. None of this qualifies for that under either prong.<br /><br />And you're right about the hypocrisy, our media seems to specialize in it. But I do agree that the public is catching on.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-57346754963605475242010-12-06T10:43:06.799-05:002010-12-06T10:43:06.799-05:00Anon, There is information that needs to stay conf...Anon, There is information that needs to stay confidential and there is information that should remain confidential. If you fail to protect certain information, you get people killed and you keep people from working with this government.<br /><br />I assume you are a liberal. So let me ask, how happy does it make you that (1) green technology companies won't share their trade secrets with the government if that information can be released, (2) if we end up dealing with dictators because we can't get an honest assessment from diplomats, or (3) if soldiers start covering up everything they do that might look bad.<br /><br />Also, the government reaction to this won't be "gee, let's just accept it." The government reaction will be to be more heavy-handed. If you can't figure out which of 5 people is a terrorist, then you take them all into custody. If you can't get information on which house contains the bad guys, then you destroy them all.<br /><br />And if you want open government, it's obvious that this will lead to less information being recorded, i.e. a government that turns to secrecy and acting without documentation to protect itself.<br /><br />None of that is a good thing. So think twice.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-76443609019324343562010-12-06T10:37:22.241-05:002010-12-06T10:37:22.241-05:00Patti, I'm glad to hear you agree, and you are...Patti, I'm glad to hear you agree, and you are absolutely right. The hatred that would be spewed forth about Bush would be incredible. EVERY news show, talk show and interview done by anyone on the left would be about the "horrors" and "war crimes" of the Bush Administration. There would be talk of impeachment. They would talk about giving Assange the Nobel Prize. And there would be international condemnation of every aspect of this.<br /><br />Instead, we get a unified chorus telling us that Assange is a monster with no mention at all of Obama.<br /><br />It's funny how that happens, isn't it?AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-63771105425601548322010-12-06T09:24:48.586-05:002010-12-06T09:24:48.586-05:00I agree that a government needs to be able to rece...I agree that a government needs to be able to receive advice anonymously. Government leaders need to be able to have private conversations and negotiate with other countries privately. Certainly in a time of war, a government needs some protection of it's confidential strategies etc. But, like most people, government should be as open as possible.<br /><br />As much as I appreciate freedom of the press, releasing stolen material that is properly classified and failing to identify the source should be a crime and prosecuted.<br /><br />There is no question the main stream press will always be two-faced and hypocritical about things like this depending who is in power at the time. At least most of the public is getting better at spotting the hypocisy.Tennessee Jedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-64001694538249769082010-12-06T09:08:43.250-05:002010-12-06T09:08:43.250-05:00Fact: Secrets are hard to keep. Cork out of the bo...Fact: Secrets are hard to keep. Cork out of the bottle. post-it-all 1-to:world. Yous school or corporate emails? Problem ? Just as much the printed book once was. Main question: what’s next: E-Power to the people. Maybe it is good thing, because together we can control what no government can (ie. the global society we need to survive) Technology is a thread, it always was.. it always was unstoppable. So live with this and let's discussAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com