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poliphiloThus far there's been nothing in the Wikileaks revelations that comes as a huge surprise. The Saudis hate the Iranians, the US State department spies on the UN, Russia is a kleptocracy, China mounts attacks on the Web, most of the aid that enters Afghanistan goes straight into Swiss bank accounts, Netanyahu is slippery, Merkel is dull, Sarkozy a blowhard, Karzai weak and paranoid, Prince Andrew obnoxious . These aren't secrets that are being disclosed. At most they confirm our best guesses. As someone on a Guardian thread put it, "Diplomats say in private what Joe Public thinks!"
is it right that this material should have been leaked? Oh yes. People have a right to know what the governments that represent them are doing in their name. That's why democracies allow a free press. It's part of the contract between ruler and ruled. Most of the time government manages to hornswoggle and subvert the press. Once in a while the press manages to hit government where it hurts.
Government says lives have been endangered by the leaks. That's an example of hornswoggle. These revelations are embarrassing and inconvenient to government- that's all.
is it right that this material should have been leaked? Oh yes. People have a right to know what the governments that represent them are doing in their name. That's why democracies allow a free press. It's part of the contract between ruler and ruled. Most of the time government manages to hornswoggle and subvert the press. Once in a while the press manages to hit government where it hurts.
Government says lives have been endangered by the leaks. That's an example of hornswoggle. These revelations are embarrassing and inconvenient to government- that's all.
