Wikileaks

All this outrage, including those against Wikileaks and the corresponding parties from the revelations are understandable. These secrets, which those involved have worked so hard to keep under the covers, have been exposed overnight. The volume - the sheer physical volume of these revelations and the import of what the contain are all staggering. Naturally, people tend to polarize to two different groups. I think it is very very hard to maintain a middle ground.

As for Julian Assange, he makes some very valid points in his latest article - "Don't shoot the messenger...". It's only up to his conscience to decide whether he has a vested interest in all of what is going on or if he is really sincere about maintaining transparency.

For me, Wikileaks is of personal significance. It is all fine to get riled up about what we're seeing. But imagine for a moment - if all we thought and did was open for public scrutiny, how would we fare? It is not a social necessity, for we are all entitled to our own privacy provided we do not harm anyone else. But this is the irony we're facing. These acts that were perpetrated were done so under the assumption that they were "private" and they were changed overnight by these revelations. These revelations are not jokes. I think they are best used by each one of us for our own introspection.

As for these revelations:

- I agree there is a fine line in deciding whether what Wikileaks did is legal or not. It is akin to trespassing into someone's home and peeping in. But in the end you find that the guy inside the house was building a nuclear bomb to blow up the planet? How to tell right from wrong here? Additionally, the analogy is not 100% true. Someone from inside the house leaked information outside about what he considered to be a danger for everyone. What was eventually uncovered is there for everyone to see. Under the circumstances, the decision is a no-brainer!

- There is no doubt that there will be more fervent gating processes to avoid such leaks. We're already seeing changes in US military to react to these revelations. But is it right on their part to still play police on what should happen to Wikileaks? Shouldn't the roles be reversed?

- All those who have been exposed should be held accountable. We've seen Governments doing one thing and lying to their own public about what happened. People have been kept in the dark about what really went on. But who to take up this job? I have no doubt that majority of the Governments will be in the same boat if exposed. And I personally wish they are.

- I think the best thing for people to do is to call for transparency to be built into day to day Government and corporate frameworks. Classification is currently synonymous to "we don't want you to see what we're doing". Probably a review of all classified items should happen to see if it is really necessary.

- Finally, we need peer organizations doing what Wikileaks is doing. Fearless journalism is becoming a rarity. Instead of them sucking up to Governments and major corporations, if more are more news networks take up the job of exposing the truth, the scale of such events will make it much harder for Government's to intimidate.  Doesn't the fact that there are over 1600 mirrors for Wikileaks in case the main site is forced shut show an indication of what people really want to see? The best place for that to start is for people who are naturally setup with that infrastructure - the media! Instead of sensationalism, why not push for the truth and in turn transparency?

In the end, Wikileaks is about you and me. Introspect! Align yourself to the truth you wish to see on the outside! Whether Julian Assange himself falls into that category is for him to decide.