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WikiLeaks Archive — Cables Uncloak U.S. Diplomacy

nytimes.com

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Re: WikiLeaks Archive — Cables Uncloak U.S. Diplomacy

#241

Post by badkungfu »

hugh3 wrote: post #86
d2viant wrote: post #81

What surprises me most is that Julian Assange has lasted this long. This isn't OBL, where he's living in a cave somewhere -- this guy is known to travel between first world countries. I can understand those countries may not be willing to hand him over, but the US has lots of experience with rendition and I'm surprised some three-letter agency hasn't snatched him up yet.

And this actually proves an important point about the various three-letter agencies: they're not really the nefarious organizations that exist in the imaginations of people who have seen too many movies. Jason Bourne's CIA would has assassinated Julian Assange a long time ago. The real one just grumbles.

It's worth mentioning WikiLeaks insurance file here, an already-distributed file which they claim contains some really juicy secret(s).

http://www.google.com/search?q=wikileaks+insurance

Re: WikiLeaks Archive — Cables Uncloak U.S. Diplomacy

#242

Post by badkungfu »

Aloisius wrote: post #217
gamble wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or it might cause a political shit-storm and undermine American credibility, while giving a moral imprimatur to future leaks. Wikileaks is more powerful as an idea than an organization. They've legitimized the idea of web-based distribution of leaks, much like Napster legitimized file-sharing services. That genie isn't going back into the bottle. Shutting down Napster only gave rise to a host of unaccountable, decent…

Yes, because I'm sure professionals would find it so very difficult to make it look like an accident, self-inflicted or frame someone

Maybe it's in the works. We'll see what the outcome of the rape charges are. Could give him a good reason to "off himself".

Re: WikiLeaks Archive — Cables Uncloak U.S. Diplomacy

#243

Post by shin_lao »

zemaj wrote: post #195

It seems to me that Wikileaks is disruptive to Governments in the way that Napster was disruptive to the Music Industry. While Wikileaks may not survive in the mid term, I believe what it represents may have far reaching, long term consequences. The internet has democratised information to the point that an unhappy individual with mid level trust in an organisation can expose the organisation's "sensitive" informatio…

Sure anybody can post on the Internet sensible information, but for this information to make its way up to you, that's another story.

There's more and more information. Relevant and reliable information is harder and harder to discriminate.

News are faster and faster but less and less reliable.

Re: WikiLeaks Archive — Cables Uncloak U.S. Diplomacy

#244

Post by wslh »

blaines wrote: post #237
wslh wrote: post #233

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think so. WikiLeaks is mainly targetting US because their infrastructure and their culture enables the society to uncover this kind of activities. I am waiting WikiLeaks for the other hundreds of countries around the globe.

The front page has articles in various languages from many countries... http://mirror.wikileaks.info/

Please, count the number of countries targetted by WikiLeaks...

Re: WikiLeaks Archive — Cables Uncloak U.S. Diplomacy

#245

Post by foffen »

tibbon wrote: post #190
cabalamat wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> When you comment that these cables are mundane in nature, you are assuming that you yourself are indicative of the audience as a whole. I don't think they're mundane -- some are quite amusing, such as the Afghan vice president trousering $52 million. > If you do not believe that millions upon millions of people will read this, you are mistaken. I'm sure millions will read them. > And many, if not the vast majority,…

I'm curious- how does one actually carry $52mm on your person? In $100 bills I calculated that as roughly 170 feet deep of bills (at .1mm per $100).

If you have "$52mm on your person" you don't carry it, you have ppl carrying it for you. =)

Re: WikiLeaks Archive — Cables Uncloak U.S. Diplomacy

#246

Post by foffen »

bl4k wrote: post #58

today it was confirmed that the US knows about everything, everywhere, in every corner of the world

wrong. If that was true then the cables would have included reports on alien activity and the US connections with the aliens walking amongst us.

Now, where did I put my tin foil hat.

Re: WikiLeaks Archive — Cables Uncloak U.S. Diplomacy

#247

Post by foffen »

Helianthus16 wrote: post #43

What is interesting about this is not the damage it does, which will likely be minimal as it's really just embarrassing. What's interesting is the look into the hidden minds of countries. I didn't know, for instance, that so many Arab countries urged US intervention in Iran, or that Israel has been monitoring Iran's nuclear program so closely--as indicated by their pressing warning that 2010 specifically is a key yea…

"What is interesting about this is not the damage it does, which will likely be minimal as it's really just embarrassing." I believe that you underestimate the insanity of some of the individuals that have been insulted. I'm certain that many of these megalomaniacs put their ego at such high regard that they go to war and kill people for less then a personal insult.

Still, I'd rather see a war fought over humanitarian values like freedom of speech and the rights of wikileaks then for money and oil.

/Setec Astronomy

Re: WikiLeaks Archive — Cables Uncloak U.S. Diplomacy

#248

Post by foffen »

wslh wrote: post #244
blaines wrote: post #237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The front page has articles in various languages from many countries... http://mirror.wikileaks.info/

Please, count the number of countries targetted by WikiLeaks...

Wikileaks has leaked all sorts of interesting documents like scandals related to the economic collapse of Iceland etc. It's just that this current affair is of such a magnitude that it overshadows all other leaks.

It's also a matter of global interest. If these where cables leaked by Belgians written in German they wouldn't have received the same attention because no one really cares about Belgium, and Belgium certainly has little to offer on the matter of global politics that could be of interest and have implications for all other western nations.

Re: WikiLeaks Archive — Cables Uncloak U.S. Diplomacy

#249

Post by misterm »

aneth wrote: post #173

The most interesting thing about reading these cables is how the US comes out well - reasonable, rational, and analytical - not the nefarious evil satan that it is portrayed by our enemies and domestic extremists. This snapshot of the inner workings of American diplomacy actually make me feel much better about how things are being managed, and should undermine efforts to portray some nasty plot to dominate the world.…

If you think the United States "try to act ultimately for good and that there be minimal self-enrichment", then I am just going to have to frown.

American foreign policy has a very rich history of being very abusive to other countries when their agenda is at odds with ours. The irony of us going after Saddam Hussein recently was thick enough to cut with a knife, after all, we did in fact forcefully put him into power.

I welcome the release of the diplomatic wires personally, because right now all we get is a facade of fake transparency. We only know what they want us to know after all.

Re: WikiLeaks Archive — Cables Uncloak U.S. Diplomacy

#250

Post by rdtsc »

aneth wrote: post #213
glenstein wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think telling German officials to "consider the implications" of enforcing an arrest warrant against C.I.A. officers implicated in the kidnapping of a German citizen makes the U.S. look good.

It was an honest mistake and arresting CIA officers for making a mistake in their job, one which they corrected and admitted to, would hardly be without implications.

Just wondering, do you honestly believe that or do you not believe that, but are just patriotic and want the CIA to look good?

Well it is a rhetorical question, I can guess how you'll answer it...

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