Leaky Wiki

Hey guys, I'm doing a short write-up about the recent "big news" surrounding the international scene - WikiLeaks. Flip any newspapers for the past week or two, you will see at least a column dedicated to the development of the event.

Now if you haven't been reading the news and don't know what I'm talking about, it's okay, I don't know what am I talking about either. LOL. Ahem, okay, let's move on.

So the founder and editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, was arrested and then released on bail just a few days ago.

Wanted: Raped Sweet Swedes 

He is now currently charged with a sex offense by the Swedish judiciary, and many governments, especially the States, are vying to get hold of him so that he can be tried and be put away once and for all for leaking thousands of secret documents.

If I may comment on this issue, I must say, I really applaud his courage for standing out in the face of the controversy. One may argue that it had done much good to the world, that people and nations will benefit from the information transparency. There are people who hail him as a hero, leading the revolution against the oppressive governments (Huah, just like the movie V for Vendetta).

But as much as I want to give him ALL the credit people think he deserves, I have to point out that this is not his victory; it is the victory of the people and the information technology.

WikiLeaks (or a common misconception, Julian Assange himself) will not be where it is right now had not the people submitting the documents. Where else did you think the WikiLeaks team get their materials for publication?

Also, another thing that WikiLeaks couldn't have triumphed without - the information technology itself. The global communications network has grown to the point where information can easily travel half a globe away with just a few clicks of a button. Certainly you couldn't imagine doing that with telegrams or even telephones can you? And, if it wasn't for the technology, he couldn't have garnered massive support from people around the world (imagine if Jesus had the internet and facebook at his time).

So before we all jump to label him as a (and the only) freedom fighter for information libertarianism, think about what I said. He is not the sole hinge in overthrowing information secrecy of the governments, he is just a lightning rod, taking the hits for the cause. However, again, I do have to say I applaud him for his courage even though it means putting his life on the line.



Moving on, I do have to criticize WikiLeaks on their recent leak of US diplomatic cables. The leak of the diplomatic cables (the communication between the US government and US embassies in other countries, sometimes including criticisms of the host countries of the embassies) not only does no good to the international community at large, it stirs up tension between the US and the other countries, which was uncalled for and unnecessary. To put it in a perspective that is more relatable, it's like someone recording the conversation between our PM and DPM saying that Chinese and Indians are pendatang and releasing it to everyone in Malaysia intentionally, even though that does nothing but to spread animosity.

The purpose of diplomacy is to create good relations between countries. Regardless of what the countries think of each other, a peaceful relationship will always benefit both parties more than a hostile one - less military spendings, more economic growth. So for once, I must disagree with WikiLeaks for leaking the diplomatic cables, they should have known better than to create more bickering between nations in the already-nearing-World-War-3-world (oh yeah, read about North and South Korea, I'm afraid they are near boiling points. If they go to war, I'm sure China and US will get involved too. :S ).



Alright. That's all for today, time for me to go stoning.



Till next time, cheers.