[World on Fire] Tastes like...mouthwash

[MilitiaJim]

Probably just for this reason.

Or provide evidence implicating the Guardian in the conspiracy of Governments against the People.

No understand!

If the Guardian prints nothing, or very little, of this round of WikiLeak documents then they are part of the conspiracy.

[glimmerrat]

The Guardian - the newspaper

[Crafty_Alex]

I didn't really mean for this conversation to drift towards an implication of the One World Government crushing the Freedoms of the Common Man for Undefined Evil Purposes... 

I just thought it was weird, and the reaction from governments trying to shut off the signal fascinating.

[Morgenstern]

Well, to me the basic premise of Pitfall is that all these tyrants have always existed, but things happen that allow them to opperate publicly - doing the same stuff they've always done, just without the need to do so largely out of sight. In that regard this whole exercise fits in quite well - poke the shadowy overlords hard enough and they forego the shadowy part as they secure and maintain their power.

Me, I'm always a bit disapointed when my shadowy overlords can't be bothered to stay out of sight - that's really all I ask of anyone ruling my world: Don't rub my nose in it. I know they're there. I have just enough contact with the world of the mega-wealthy to have a feel for just how detached my middleclass existence is from the turning gears of real power. But ussually they maintain a polite distance and at least the facade of non-existence .

[glimmerrat]

It had to happen eventually, but i'm surprised to hear assassination discussed so openly.

So much for the western world's freedom of speech and freedom of the press. What a load of shit.

[Nepenthe]

It had to happen eventually, but i'm surprised to hear assassination discussed so openly.

So much for the western world's freedom of speech and freedom of the press. What a load of shit.

Never mind due process etc. I think I referenced that earlier in this thread, though, good (or, well, disturbing) to see the video...

[glimmerrat]

Yeah. It turns out that your freedom of speech is valid only so long as it doesn't threaten those in power. Cos then they'll just kill you. They'll even discuss it openly, whilst trying to gag your website and issuing bullshit arrest warrants.

Fuck me, anonymous needs to get on this more than anything else.

[Krensky]

Do you guys honestly think it's EVER been any other way?

Other then the levels of stupidity shown by a few right wing politicians who don't have any actual power anyway.

[glimmerrat]

Do you guys honestly think it's EVER been any other way?

Hey, i'd like to think so. I may be a pessimist, but inside every pessimist is an idealist who was let down.

[Nepenthe]

inside every pessimist is an idealist who was let down.

Thumbsup

[Mister Andersen]

[glimmerrat]

Assange has been arrested and denied bail, pending deportation to Sweden. And when they're done with him, the US want him on charges of espionage.

Did I mention that Mike Huckabee, a former State Governer and Presidential Candidate has called for Assange's execution? For what? Telling the truth? That's a great message for the kids - tell the truth and we'll fucking kill you.

These people are elected by the people, for the people, and yet they've got their panties in a twist over all this crap that they don't want us to see. And here's me thinking that transparency in government is a good thing?

[Morgenstern]

There are some legal distinctions between "telling the truth" to people of the same country and broadcasting it around the world. I don't have any particular expectation that other countries' governments should be transparent to me . I've worked with all kinds of material, technical and simply procedural, that is simply and flattly not for the viewing pleasure of foriegn nationals.

I'm more astounded at the idiocy of the military member that downloaded it. There is simply no way he read all those documents and thoughtfully considered the importance of each - he just pulled a digital smash and grab and passed/sold it off to a foriegn national. That man's going to disappear into a black hole at Levenworth for the rest of all time (if he isn't just draged out and shot for espionage).

[Dace]

Assange has been arrested and denied bail, pending deportation to Sweden. And when they're done with him, the US want him on charges of espionage.

Did I mention that Mike Huckabee, a former State Governer and Presidential Candidate has called for Assange's execution? For what? Telling the truth? That's a great message for the kids - tell the truth and we'll fucking kill you.

These people are elected by the people, for the people, and yet they've got their panties in a twist over all this crap that they don't want us to see. And here's me thinking that transparency in government is a good thing?

He's wanted for espionage. A crime that in most places is punishable with death. Sure maybe he was telling the truth, but it wasn't his truth to tell.

Those documents were marked classified and whether or not anyone agree's with them being classified it doesn't change that they were and the publication of it was a crime.

Whats in those documents are the kind of things that can get people killed. Not just one or two people but hundreds. It can damage diplomatic relations and making keeping peace more difficult.

Also, never do anything in life if you're not willing to deal with the consequences. He'd have had to have been a fool to think he could publish all of that and then be left alone.

Full transparency is, in my opinion, a bad thing. Governments do very very bad things so that I can enjoy the good life I lead. I sleep much better at night not knowing what it is they do.

[MilitiaJim]

Governments do very very bad things...

This is in fact a problem.