Wikileaks?

[garth]

Has anybody tried accessing content on Wikileaks http://wikileaks.org/?
the reason i ask is because i can't get beyond the homepage and am wondering if it's because their servers are going into meltdown (due to recent revelations) or because they have been interfered with by US govt agencies.

[jim]

I read somewhere they are experiencing a denial of service attack. Draw your own conclusions.
Although if that were the problem I wouldn't think you could even get the homepage.

[garth]

Thanks Jim.
I wondered why the homepage would still be up if the site had been shut down, but the US govt is mildly unhappy with them right now, so who knows,

[settingsuns]

Originally Posted by garth

Thanks Jim.
I wondered why the homepage would still be up if the site had been shut down, but the US govt is mildly unhappy with them right now, so who knows,

Try the mirror site Garth. It nearly always loads, slowly though.

Switzerland mirror;
http://mirror.wikileaks.info/

Hope it helps.

[George]

Not surprised that it is overloaded. But why would I go there in the first place. I already knew that my government sucks and that all my politicians have personal issues..

[bo.elam]

Even though I don't live in Europe or the US I am a Westerner and
the way I see it is that our side needs some border line guys doing the
dirty work against the bad boys. Square, clean guys will not do what
it takes in the fight against the bad guys. Wikileaks hurts the West
by revealing this secret information. Thats their role.
I believe in total unrestricted freedom of press but peoples lives are
endangered by Wikileaks actions and that, in my opinion, is not right,
is irresponsible and should be punishable by law.


Bo

[garth]

Originally Posted by George

I already knew that my government sucks and that all my politicians have personal issues..

Same

Originally Posted by bo.elam

I believe in total unrestricted freedom of press but peoples lives are
endangered by Wikileaks actions and that, in my opinion, is not right,
is irresponsible and should be punishable by law.


Bo

For telling the truth? I see it the other way round Bo, and the governments tasked with guarding our safety behave in such irresponsible ways it is them that put us in the most grave danger. In my view my freedom of speech is one of the few rights not granted me by society, i was born with it and it is mine alone. Tyranny is perpetuated by secrecy and it is often only through interventions by private individuals that the freedoms we have are preserved. If the truth is kept hidden the lessons are not learned and tyranny is forever. I don't necessarily support the actions of Wikileaks, but i don't condemn them either. Sometimes the truth is ugly and sometimes it's deadly, but without it we are lost.
A few years ago a British citizen was charged and convicted (under the British "Official Secrets Act") for revealing the type of biscuits (cookies) preferred in the British houses of parliament.....i don't intend to trivialise the potential effects of the WL revelations, but you catch my drift?

Thanks guys

[Taurus]

Originally Posted by bo.elam

Even though I don't live in Europe or the US I am a Westerner and
the way I see it is that our side needs some border line guys doing the
dirty work against the bad boys. Square, clean guys will not do what
it takes in the fight against the bad guys. Wikileaks hurts the West
by revealing this secret information. Thats their role.
I believe in total unrestricted freedom of press but peoples lives are
endangered by Wikileaks actions and that, in my opinion, is not right,
is irresponsible and should be punishable by law.


Bo

Well said Bo and I agree 100%. I believe it was a member of our U.S. military stationed in Iraq that had access to the documents and provided them to Wikileaks. In my opinion, that's treason and punishable by law.

[MidnightCowboy]

The film A few Good Men highlights well the type of people and practices (played by Jack Nicholson) we would all like to live without until of course we need someone to stick his head up over the wall

I've been in some of these places and the thing that sticks in my mind most is that there's often more battles going on between the various agencies than out in the field. Trust doesn't exist in anyones vocabulary and if it did someone would be looking to exploit it for their own agenda.

Wherever humans are involved there will always be distasteful practices. Bring politicians into the mix and you might as well throw everyone's rule book out of the window.

Whilst some might applaud Julian Assange's motives I guarantee that if it was his son being held for ransom somewhere he would'nt care how much a suspect was waterboarded to obtain the location. He won't care either how many sons are going to be without fathers as a result of the information he has now published.

Double standards exist wherever you look and I'm not seeking to add myself to the pure pile. By example a UK neighbor became really angry when I wouldn't sign her petition for a light controlled crossing in our village after her son was killed by a speeding car. The reason I didn't sign was because she always drove at around 50 mph thorough the same 30pmh limit and often drove home after a night out with the girls and could hardly walk back into the house.

As I see it, if we choose to live in a society then we should support those who we entrust to maintain it for us. If we don't like their methods then there's an opportunity to change it at voting time, or at least for some of us.

I do believe in open accountability but also appreciate that for good to triumph over evil, sometimes evil means become necessary.

This issue is far more complex than can be resolved by publishing confidential government material and IMO if you elect to work within that field then your obligation is to respect the confidentiality that you sign up for.