Poll: WikiLeaks - Good or bad?

[Timbydude]

(Search bar approved, as far as I can tell.)

So, unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard quite a bit about the recent WikiLeaks scandals. If you haven't: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WikiLeaks

Do you people think that this leaking of information is a good thing or a bad thing? On the one hand, it sheds light on corrupt government dealings. On the other, it raises global tensions in a world that really doesn't need it right now.

I'm personally quite against the idea of the site. Confidential things are confidential for a reason, and revealing the secret dealings of two of the "good guys" in the world (the UK and the US, although from what I hear, a lot of the world doesn't think that we Americans are all that "good" for some reason) is not going to help anything. I would be shocked if almost every other government didn't do the exact same things; however, the leaked information doesn't really do anything other than to sew distrust in governments that really (if you look through the documents) didn't do anything wrong.

Your thoughts?

EDIT: Ignore the poll. It's not letting me add any more choices or change the one that's being displayed.

 

[thejboy88]

I think its a good thing. Whenever diplomats or heads of state play nice with other countries you just feel that they are doing it throigh gritted teeth. Now with the leaks, we can all see what we really think of each other, no more living a lie, get it all out into the open.

Plus, its particularly good for my country the UK because if the public outrage over the USA's opinion of us is anything to go by there is no chance in hell we will be dragged into another of their wars. Hell, go even further with that and my country's army might actually pull out of the current ones right now.

 

[KiKiweaky]

Well from what I've heard on the news the whole 'inquiry' into the war in Iraq is basicly pointless, as the uk government basicly said we will conduct this 'and not harm america's interests' basicly meaning we wont look where you don't us to.

If that isnt worth being leaked, I dont know what is. It's a complete waste of money if nothing else.

 

[lostzombies.com]

Things used to be rightly marked top secret, eg locations of military installations. Nowadays countries slap top secret on embarressing things. like killing members of the media or shelling civilians.

Governments should be held accountable for these things.

Wikileaks is doing something that the media should have been doing

 

[Ambi]

It's better for the public to be given insight into certain issues that could affect them and thus be empowered to act. I really don't like the idea of people feeling like they don't have a place to divulge important information because some people with an agenda are threatening their safety or dignity. I really like having an alternative news source like wikileaks. It's good to be reminded that even the "good guys" have flaws and that we shouldn't blindly trust any authority.

 

[Deepzound]

It is never good to keep people in the dark. Politicians who are corrupt and make shady deals "under wraps" are not good politicians.

Lying to the public about whether the CIA have prisoner transports going through your country (like in my county), or about official deaths in a war ( civilian deaths vs. insurgent deaths) just so you can "save face" and look good is morally reprehensible.

For the world to be a better place, with a democracy, you need complete transparency between what goes on at the top and the bottom. Sadly, if the politicians do have the option to lie, they will, and for me at least, I want to know who the liars are as they do not deserve my vote for having no integrity at all.

So yes, in my opinion Wikileaks are good. In the short run some of the revelations might not be good for the US foreign affairs, but in the long run we need to stop people from covering up the truth.

 

[wulfy42]

I live in the USA and we all know our politicians are a bunch of corrupt idiots already but I don't think it's a good idea to let the rest of the world know (ok they already knew but this was beating them over the head with it). If the knowledge would do anything at all positive like help change our government or something I would say good job.

As it is I think it'll just make relations between many nations even worse, especially between the US and many of them and I can't see that as a good thing.

I'm all for letting in the light and I think the stuff that goes on is horrible but at the same time I think we need more positive news right now, not things that will possible hurt the worlds economy even more. Things are tough where I live, no jobs for many of my friends, no health care for me at all (can only afford to pay for my wife), no retirement at all at this point etc. I would rather everyone concentrate on trying to balance budgets, create more jobs, fix our broken education system and find a way to make health care affordable for everyone who works full time (Which it totally isn't right now).

Too many people that I know are barely holding on. Some have lost their homes, jobs and even family members. The news and government says we are coming out of the recession and things are getting better but thats not what I see at all. Wiki-leaks is just another negative pilled on top of too many other things right now. Focus on the positive and solutions, not on blaming people or which party has power etc. I can't believe how much time, money and effort is wasted because of politics in my country.

 

[Dags90]

I think it's somewhat misleading to generalize so heavily that the U.S. government is "good". That there might not be bad people within even a "good" national entity is just silly. That "good people" are necessarily doing "good things" is naieve.

I think it's useful, a lot of the stuff going on looks only quasi-legal.

 

[The Cheezy One]

It is the wikipedia of leaking info. Might be good, might be wrong, but a grain of truth in everything

 

[Timbydude]

I think it's somewhat misleading to generalize so heavily that the U.S. government is "good". That there might not be bad people within even a "good" national entity is just silly. That "good people" are necessarily doing "good things" is naieve.

Sorry, I wasn't trying to classify the government itself as "good", but rather the country as a whole. I was essentially trying to convey the idea that we're pretty set on not letting the world explode. Obviously, other countries are doing that too, and I'm obviously biased as an American myself, but from where I am, it doesn't really seem like the U.S. is doing anything explicitly bad that we're not desperately trying to fix right now.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Things used to be rightly marked top secret, eg locations of military installations. Nowadays countries slap top secret on embarressing things. like killing members of the media or shelling civilians.

Governments should be held accountable for these things.

Wikileaks is doing something that the media should have been doing

Y'know, instead of showing us what some stupid celebrity had for breakfast yesterday.

Oh and, lack of poll options.

 

[Dags90]

Sorry, I wasn't trying to classify the government itself as "good", but rather the country as a whole. I was essentially trying to convey the idea that we're pretty set on not letting the world explode. Obviously, other countries are doing that too, and I'm obviously biased as an American myself, but from where I am, it doesn't really seem like the U.S. is doing anything explicitly bad that we're not desperately trying to fix right now.

I think it's quite silly to immediately identify people with their government. The U.S. isn't to be shamed here, the U.S. government is, specifically the State Department. There are some serious accusations in the leaked documents, Brazil's government is accused of charging suspected terrorists with false drug charges. The U.S. government appears to know of this horrible civil rights violation.

 

[qwijiboenator]

This:

http://is.gd/i0udB

Why do you think there is an international arrest warrant out for Assange? One man's website has all the liars, cheats, psychopaths, narcissists, theives and scoundrels who try to subjigate, mislead and control the human race for their own betterment absolutely petrified; and they want him dead - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqtIafdoH_g

 

[electric discordian]

Well this morning it was announced on the news that the creator of the Wikileaks sight has been accused of a "sex crime" and is being hunted by the authorities! I will lay bets now it's released he's a Peado this will ensure an absolute discrediting of anything he has to say as no one will defend a "nonce"

He has committed a sex crime he has screwed about a hundred politicians!

 

[Ziadaine_v1legacy]

I wonder when they'll dig up dirt on Michael Atkinso- Oh wait they did a few years ago.

(Google it, I can't be arsed hunting it down from a few years ago, Was a sex scandal or something.)

 

[Actual]

I admit I haven't read through the recent war diaries posted on there, but I did read the last big release they had; the torture manual for the prison camps of of U.S. soil.

The site is good, it tries to keep governments from doing whatever the hell they like no matter how immoral or illegal and just pasting top secret on it.

 

[Stratigo]

Wow, I am surprised at how easily people are riled up.

Guess what, there are no evidence of civilian bombings or illegal extraditions in any of the files wiki leaks has. What the files it has are things like "We don't like Putin" "We think Islamists have too much power in Turkey". Eg, really really minor shit that most people could guess anyways.

 

[Woodsey]

Necessary, although I don't think I can assign it good or bad.

 

[bladeofdarkness]

its absolutely horrible, and will end up severely damaging Diplomatic relations between many different states.
bad enough when this was just about the U.S's dirty secrets, but now WikiLeaks is exposing everyone's dirty secrets.
which sounds nice on papar, until you realize that if people feel that they can't discuss their real concerns openly for fear that they will end up in the press swiftly afterwards, then it lowers diplomatic discussion to a very low level.