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Don't shoot the messenger for telling the truth

theaustralian.com.au

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Re: Don't shoot the messenger for telling the truth

#11

Post by nhangen »

viggity wrote: post #7

If all wikileaks was doing was publishing information about illegal or highly suspect acts by the government it'd be one thing. But that isn't all they're doing, and it is these other releases that has really pissed me off. For instance, what legitimate purpose does it serve to release a list of infrastructure that are critical to national security? ( http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jWvPaI6hI... )…

I agree. I don't get it. Are we this desperate for a hero that we'll romanticize the average in order to have one?

Re: Don't shoot the messenger for telling the truth

#13

Post by 0x44 »

rorymarinich wrote: post #6

He talks about Murdoch's actions in "1958" but then says that his actions are happening nearly a century later. Was that date inaccurate? Because 52 years doesn't strike me as a full nearly-a-century.

Julian Assange mentions a young Rupert Murdoch writing in 1958 and suggests that the Murdoch's observation reflected on the latter's father's actions in World War 1 nearly 100 years ago. Within Australia the date is probably understood from cultural memory/context.

Re: Don't shoot the messenger for telling the truth

#15

Post by bambax »

rorymarinich wrote: post #6

He talks about Murdoch's actions in "1958" but then says that his actions are happening nearly a century later. Was that date inaccurate? Because 52 years doesn't strike me as a full nearly-a-century.

No.

He's talking about Rupert Murdoch's writings, in 1958, reflecting on Keith Murdoch's revelations about Gallipoli.

Keith Murdoch was Rupert's father. The Gallipoli campaign happened during WWI, in 1915-1916, nearly a century ago.

Re: Don't shoot the messenger for telling the truth

#17

Post by cromulent »

viggity wrote: post #7

If all wikileaks was doing was publishing information about illegal or highly suspect acts by the government it'd be one thing. But that isn't all they're doing, and it is these other releases that has really pissed me off. For instance, what legitimate purpose does it serve to release a list of infrastructure that are critical to national security? ( http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jWvPaI6hI... )…

Here's the Australian infrastructure that is listed as critical to US national security:

"Australia: Southern Cross undersea cable landing, Brookvale, Australia Southern Cross undersea cable landing, Sydney, Australia Manganese -- battery grade, natural; battery grade, synthetic; chemical grade; ferro; metallurgical grade Nickel Mines Maybe Faulding Mulgrave Victoria, Australia: Manufacturing facility for Midazolam injection. Mayne Pharma (fill/finish), Melbourne, Australia: Sole suppliers of Crotalid Polyvalent Antivenin (CroFab)."

Maybe if you worked at the Crotalid plant making rattlesnake antivenin and you might like to know that you were a possible terrorist target due to your role in safeguarding the US.

Or if you worked at a nickel mine somewhere.

How critical are these, exactly - I'm not sure.

Re: Don't shoot the messenger for telling the truth

#18

Post by lkjhgfvhjk »

viggity wrote: post #7

If all wikileaks was doing was publishing information about illegal or highly suspect acts by the government it'd be one thing. But that isn't all they're doing, and it is these other releases that has really pissed me off. For instance, what legitimate purpose does it serve to release a list of infrastructure that are critical to national security? ( http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jWvPaI6hI... )…

To show how ridiculous some of the secrets are and to dissuade governments for keeping so many of them?

The post office tower - a 600ft tall microwave relay with a revolving restaurant on top - in central london is secret. It didn't appear on maps and any mention of it was removed from parliament reports.

Re: Don't shoot the messenger for telling the truth

#19

Post by nhangen »

nhangen wrote: post #11
viggity wrote: post #7

If all wikileaks was doing was publishing information about illegal or highly suspect acts by the government it'd be one thing. But that isn't all they're doing, and it is these other releases that has really pissed me off. For instance, what legitimate purpose does it serve to release a list of infrastructure that are critical to national security? ( http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jWvPaI6hI... )…

I agree. I don't get it. Are we this desperate for a hero that we'll romanticize the average in order to have one?

And so it seems that the surest way to get downvoted on Hacker News is to say something bad about Julian Assange. Boringly predictable.

Re: Don't shoot the messenger for telling the truth

#20

Post by resdirector »

ffffruit wrote: post #3

"In a time of universal deceit — telling the truth is a revolutionary act" G. Orwell I find the calls to get him assassinated or kidnap his son simply appalling.

Who's been calling to kidnap his son? I did a quick (1 minute) google search, but couldn't find a source.
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