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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

#41

Post by nhangen »

mquander wrote: post #33
nhangen wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is representing an opinion being a troll? Fact is, I don't like the guy, I don't trust his intentions, and I think Wikileaks is a worldwide disaster. I just don't understand why reasonable objections are so quickly criticized here.

OK, look at the comment you originally replied to. It's a "reasonable objection" about Wikileaks. It also has actual content and a point that it makes, as opposed to, say, being a one-line opinion with no support. Now look at your comment.

I replied to a comment in the thread, re-enforcing that commenters opinion. I'm sure people don't like it, and that's fine, but to consistently be downvoted every time I post a negative reaction to Assange is absurd. I wish we, as a community, could elevate ourselves above the infighting reminiscent of an MSNBC or FOXNews.

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

#42

Post by trotsky »

nhangen wrote: post #19
nhangen wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

A lot of people use the down button to say "I disagree". No real news there, but it's best not to take downvotes to mean anything more than you have less than a 50% popular opinion.

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

#43

Post by ErrantX »

jacquesm wrote: post #32
ErrantX wrote: post #22

I'm not Assange's biggest fan (r.e. how he controls Wikileaks) but some of the nonsense coming from the US establishment (and elsehwere) is appalling. It probably even vindicates what Wikileaks stands for. This is one of those cases where damage limitation is the sane and sensible response; they've lost those cables, we are going to see them. Deal with it. They need perspective; in the grand scheme of things it is hi…

Which makes me wonder what is in the leaks that we haven't seen yet. After all if highly placed officials are getting their panties in a twist based on what we've seen so far then they are over-reacting to put it mildly. Time will tell. Some of the responses from politicians are beyond the pale and what bugs me more is that nobody even thinks of calling them to account over this, or so much as distancing themselves f…

There is that. On the other hand it could be that they just can't see themselves reacting to it other way, and are just too short sighted.

I feel that if anything explosive was to come then Assange would have hinted at it by now - he has done in the past.

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

#44

Post by ceejayoz »

jacquesm wrote: post #32
ErrantX wrote: post #22

I'm not Assange's biggest fan (r.e. how he controls Wikileaks) but some of the nonsense coming from the US establishment (and elsehwere) is appalling. It probably even vindicates what Wikileaks stands for. This is one of those cases where damage limitation is the sane and sensible response; they've lost those cables, we are going to see them. Deal with it. They need perspective; in the grand scheme of things it is hi…

Which makes me wonder what is in the leaks that we haven't seen yet. After all if highly placed officials are getting their panties in a twist based on what we've seen so far then they are over-reacting to put it mildly. Time will tell. Some of the responses from politicians are beyond the pale and what bugs me more is that nobody even thinks of calling them to account over this, or so much as distancing themselves f…

Politicians overreacting hardly needs an ulterior motive of super-secret documents. Just try flying in an airplane if you want an example...

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

#45

Post by yread »

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 would imagine that the cables mention the targets because they actually have some security - since they are critical (or perhaps Echelon is looking for their mentions?). So if I were a terrorist and be looking for a target I would certainly avoid those. Besides it doesn't look like the terrorist have any problem with coming up with important and visible targets.

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

#46

Post by nhangen »

trotsky wrote: post #42
nhangen wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

A lot of people use the down button to say "I disagree". No real news there, but it's best not to take downvotes to mean anything more than you have less than a 50% popular opinion.

There's some irony in that no?

Thanks for the sentiment, you're right, but it's frustrating nonetheless.

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

#47

Post by TheAmazingIdiot »

jacquesm wrote: post #32
ErrantX wrote: post #22

I'm not Assange's biggest fan (r.e. how he controls Wikileaks) but some of the nonsense coming from the US establishment (and elsehwere) is appalling. It probably even vindicates what Wikileaks stands for. This is one of those cases where damage limitation is the sane and sensible response; they've lost those cables, we are going to see them. Deal with it. They need perspective; in the grand scheme of things it is hi…

Which makes me wonder what is in the leaks that we haven't seen yet. After all if highly placed officials are getting their panties in a twist based on what we've seen so far then they are over-reacting to put it mildly. Time will tell. Some of the responses from politicians are beyond the pale and what bugs me more is that nobody even thinks of calling them to account over this, or so much as distancing themselves f…

It honestly wouldn't shock me that the restarted attacks on North and South Korea weren't because of Wikileaks. Or for that matter, I'd be surprised that the US isn't having setbacks on many diplomatic processes.

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

#48

Post by [deleted] »

ra wrote: post #2

Quote - "In its landmark ruling in the Pentagon Papers case, the US Supreme Court said "only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government". The swirling storm around WikiLeaks today reinforces the need to defend the right of all media to reveal the truth."

[deleted]

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

#49

Post by joshuaheard »

The "truth" has limits on publication: privacy, confidentiality, privilege, security, etc. Just because something is the truth, does not mean it is right to publish it. Assange is not a whistle blower. He is not exposing any misrepresentations or cover-up. He is simply exposing America's secrets in order to hurt America. That is criminal.
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