When Truth Becomes Treason

Fw: When Truth becomes Treason
From:
avinash sahay
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To: IT BHU
Cc: rajib hota ; "rk; vaibhav sharma" ; ravindra singh ; vijoy kumar ; pratyush kanth ; harmeet singh ... more



We must salute this editorial in the Hindu of 6th Dec and the comments from all over the world condemning the attacks on WikiLeaks by the U.S govt.They are scared because their misdeeds stand exposed before the citizens of the world and the high moral ground they take are found to be hollow.The thinking apparently is that they should be allowed full rein to rain devastation on the world ,but in secrecy. But, thanks to the Internet, and WikiLeaks, the citizens of the world now know better,what was always told about the U.S. govt by intellectuals such as Noam Chomsky.
Friends, we should also understand the bigger picture.The super elites of this world have brought untold misery on this Earth in the name of nationalism.They have invented war and,now,Terrorism with a capital T, to force the vast majority into submission.These super elites cut deals with each other with gay abandon,across nationalities, for their super profits.Their militaries are only insruments of their power play and super profits.These have nothing to do with us, the vast majority.
The good thing is that we are now getting to see the games they play. But the real fun will begin when we take back the power we have given them and empower ourselves for the common good of humankind and of our Mother Earth.In the meantime, let us celebrate the smaller battle in the larger war which has yet to be fought and,hopefully, won.




Digital McCarthyism

SHARE · COMMENT (43) · PRINT · T+
It has been one long battle for WikiLeaks merely to exist on the Internet since it started publishing the U.S. diplomatic cables. The cat-and-mouse game that it has had to play to retain an accessible address in cyberspace is the result of a virulent attack launched by right-wing lawmakers in America and their supporters, and commercial entities such as Amazon, which caved in to the pressure. But more fundamentally, the WikiLeaks saga represents the acid test for free speech. With each tranche of documents published online, the world is witnessing the total loss of dominance of secretive governments over information. The backlash has come swiftly, with bellicose American Senators engaging in plain intimidation to get commercial entities to stop offering services to WikiLeaks on the ground that it is distributing material it does not own. Some politicians have made a jingoistic pitch and called for the execution of the source of the leaks. This is nothing but Digital McCarthyism. Were it not for the threat it poses to the free Internet, it would even appear amusing. Earlier this year, President Barack Obama was ‘troubled' by the cyber attacks on Google, which were said to originate in China, and wanted those responsible to face the consequences. The more freely information flows, the stronger society becomes, he had said during an earlier visit to China. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was also strongly critical of Internet restrictions in China. Now the boot is on the other foot. Concern for free speech is nowhere in evidence as extra-legal methods are deployed to deny Americans their First Amendment rights.

The campaign against WikiLeaks is a clear move to censor political material on the Internet and, potentially, on other media. The first moves made by lawmakers such as Senator Joe Lieberman, who chairs the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, have no legal foundation and yet have succeeded with Amazon and PayPal. What has followed is shockingly repressive and obscurantist. The Library of Congress blocked access to WikiLeaks across its computer systems, including reading rooms, and Columbia University students aspiring for diplomatic careers have been advised not to comment on, or link to, the whistleblower website's revelations. It is doubly tragic that such concerted attacks are securing support from countries with a progressive legacy such as France. The intolerant response to WikiLeaks is a potential threat to all media and must be fought. Senator Lieberman and other lawmakers have introduced legislation that proposes to make the publication of an intelligence source a federal crime. Already, U.S. law allows the shutting down of some Internet domains managed in that country on grounds of infringement of copyright. The threat to the publication of inconvenient material, even with responsible redactions, is all too real.

Keywords: WikiLeaks, cablegate

RELATED

TOPICS
WikiLeaks

diplomacy
international relations

internet
world wide web

politics
espionage and intelligence

COMMENTS:
Thank you for your editorial. The Hindu is a thinking person's newspaper unlike most in the USA. I personally donated money to Wikileaks and continue to do so to make sure it survives.
from: Kamal
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 00:07 IST
Excellent article.
from: Murray S
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 00:09 IST
What all these countries are doing to Wikileaks is so typical of these bully tactics. They cause the problems with their interference then project their guilt on the ones who expose them. It is only the corrupt evil minded people who have much to hide,that would criticise and condemn the information being leaked. Assange is a hero and all that support him and assist him should be given medals of honour.
from: savita
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 00:19 IST
What can one say? Anyone with any sense already knew that the USA was as far removed from democracy and transparency as you can get. All of its high ideals ie of the founding fathers et al have long since gone. The US itself became the 'evil empire' probably from before MacArthyism and Hoover's FBI.
At least this is making the hypocrisy transparent :)
from: Peter Jones
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 00:29 IST
I support Wikileaks and Mr. Assange. Let us join hands to protect the freedom of expression in all countries. Till date I have been an admirer of the freedom of expression that the American society has, thanks to the spirit of democracy it has. I am really disappointed to see all that is happening and the US citizens not rising in protest. It is the government's job to keep its documents secret. It is the media's job to keep exposing the government as well as its documents. Truth never endangers anyone's life. Lies and trickery endanger millions of lives all around the world. I salute Mr. Assange and I salute Wikileaks.
from: Raju
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 00:31 IST
From the dawn of history, diplomacy (as practiced by ALL nations) involves double-speak, uncharitable jibes at leaders, saying things which one does not mean and meaning things which one does not say.
from: Jay Ravi
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 01:14 IST
In a society where truth becomes treason, we are in big trouble.
from: Indy
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 01:39 IST
Thank you for this article, it places the global phenomenon of WikiLeaks' work in the correct context - the 'acid test for free speech.'As an independent (Australian) journalist with the values of a world citizen, that we are one human family, I am tremendously heartened by WIkiLeaks' trailblazing efforts as a cyber based non-profit media organisation. We are now on the cusp of a new era - one where the power of governments, especially militarily engaged superpowers, to misinform and mislead their constituents, of exactly what is being done in our name and with our tax money to inflict ongoing suffering to our fellow human beings in the name of power and profit and without accountability, has changed forever. WikiLeaks' offerings of truth are therefore a gift to humanity, with the potential to change the wielding of power in our world - for the better. I am especially encouraged that WikiLeaks have taken meticulous steps to ensure their mission to disseminate truth and promote transparency will prevail. Never mind the adversarial government, cyber and financial attacks - the information, with the blessing of the internet, now has a life of its own, a conduit which can never be captured. Behind the public face of founder Julian Assange, WikiLeaks have over 800 people on their team and 100 000 people worldwide with encrypted copies of their leaks. Should WikiLeaks be brought down, by technical or legal means (and both are long shots) the leaks will continue anyway - to humanity's benefit. I applaud the work of WikLeaks - the truth genie is out of the bottle and can never be contained again.
from: Kia MIstilis
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 01:44 IST
Excellent summary. This has to be brought to attention of the
General public.
from: Shaun Quigley
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 01:45 IST
Dear Sir/Madam,

Your editorial is interesting. As a free companies of free country Indian companies should host wikileaks website and provide all possible support to wikileaks organization. It is time to show the world which country is free country without any consideration for results. There are few things in the life one need to follow without any thoughts of consequencies or results. Truth and freedom are of course few of those things. Gandhiji never hide truth or changed it for any purpose, so nation of Gandhi can do it.
Good luck to wikileaks.
from: Raj Patel
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 01:48 IST
This is the best comment I have read concerning WikiLeaks. The first one in Europe, who used a newspaper to citisize the government was Victor Hugo in France. He wrote the famous article : J`accuse. And he was the one who informed the french public about the affair Dreyfuss. Acording to that tradition, WiKi Leaks is working and this is the tradition of a free press function in a democracy. As a citizen from Germany in know, how the oppression of the press is an indicator for the oppression of the people and I´am glad, that we are on a, mor or less, better way!
Thank you for your article
Thomas Häfele
Germany
from: TOM
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 02:06 IST
Funny how the United States is targeted in your leaks. How about some information on Chavez, Putin or Castro?
from: D Chastain
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 02:09 IST
Those US politician are too worried about this leak :D let them be worried once in their lives, at last some FREE SPEECH!

Long live Wikileaks!

From Uruguay, Latin America.

Marcos.
from: Marcos . Uruguay.
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 02:14 IST
Hello sirs ,

Great post.
How is this western reaction ANY different from Iranian reaction over Rushdie????

Shame on all of them!
from: Ronny
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 02:14 IST
How would India react if such a thing happened with Indian govt. communications? I doubt it would behave any differently.
from: vengu
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 02:26 IST
The United States is showing itself to be more concerned with its forward power projection than with the principles of freed upon which it was founded. We the people must stand and protect democracy. We the people are the masters of governments. Government must not be allowed by us to be our masters.
Long live Democracy! Long live Freedom!
from: Stephan G. Patterson
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 02:35 IST
If this is true , we have to start a boycot against AMAZON and Paypal to!!!
from: roberto vargas
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 02:40 IST
Excellent. You are saying what other journalist in the us wish they could say in the mainstream news. I have not seen any papers here tell it like it is. The compliance with the gov's propaganda is astounding.
from: agirlinnewyork
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 02:46 IST
Very well written summary of the situation today.
It is very disturbing that US politicians are doing acts they themselves have condemned in other countries (e.g. China).

I live in Sweden, and for the first time in my life have I been searching for alternative mirrors of a website (i.e. Wikileaks) because it was taken down by politicians in my own western sphere of the world. Now I know a little bit how it must feel to surf the web in China or Iran.
from: Henrik
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 03:06 IST
Digital McCarthyism! Brilliant!
from: Frank G
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 03:25 IST
This has been an eye opener how pathetic some American "leaders" are. In fact, the whole nation is now being brain-washed through American media, which is trying to portray Mr Assange as a criminal, when really it is their government that's been commiting crime and braking and exploiting law for decades.
from: Mario
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 03:31 IST
I know what Wiki-Leaks did was illegal - hacking into government computers to access the "secret" info but we have been lied to since FDR and frankly I'm sick of all the secrets. Run Assage Run but run to a neutral country and publish, publish, publish. In the name of FREE SPEECH I applaud you - I almost did not come to this decision but I realize once Hillary Clinton had egg on her face - she was coming after you.

Bonju Patten
NJ - USA
from: Bonju Patten
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 03:45 IST
What a blunt and effective article. Call a spade a spade. I was getting a little concerned about the nature of India's coverage vis a vis Wikileaks as compared with newspapers that were really making an effort to provide exact quotes from cables and link to the originals so that the readers could verify for themselves. This makes me feel much better. As a whole, I have found the Indian stand on this issue to be Pakistan centric (or China) with little significance to the impact on the world and what it means for us as a country desiring to influence the world with growing power. I see it as crucial that India stop the taped assurances and neutrality and speak out over what is happening in the world.
from: Vidyut
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 04:25 IST
A well pointed out statement from the bigger perspective of those recent events and the potential impact Wikileaks may have on all of us.
from: Jens Rogala
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 06:03 IST
Viva Assange!!!
from: Tara Devi
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 07:40 IST
Let the Keystone cops (and their hacker friends)continue to run. It is getting more and more evident that they cannot suppress anything on the internet, and anyone with some gumption and a server seems to be replicating the WikiLeaks data. Being exposed here is the pathetic attempt of the king to pretend that he is indeed wearing clothes. And the tail-between-legs posture of Amazon and Paypal(E-bay)and multiple other entities who used to enjoy some sort of esteem in the minds of the world is the most enjoyable spectacle yet. This is the same world that castigated Google for collaborating with the Chinese regime. This is the same world that crowed that any autocratic regime's attempts to hide information would crumble in the face of the onslaught of modern technology (remember Tiananamen - faxes were the weapons then). This is the same world that celebrated Woodward and Bernstein.
from: Jayadevan
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 07:42 IST
Very timely and bold...hats off HIndu...keep it going!!!
from: James
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 08:04 IST
Forget about Ron Lieberman, It is Ron Paul from GoP who seems to have hit the nail on the head. He says when revealing the truth becomes treason, that might just be the beginning of the end of the much vaunted 'free era'. 'When truth becomes treason', I am afraid it already is. This is one of the very few newspapers where Roy has a got a thumbs up for her political stance. The political right is a despicable breed.
from: Gautam Ganapathy
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 08:07 IST
Thank you for this bold editorial which speaks honestly against the shockingly repressive and obscurantist movement on US government part.
from: Sadiq Alam
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 08:27 IST
Raising the issue of freedom of speech to defend Wikileaks is untenable. What Wikileaks has done is equivalent to publishing someone's personal correspondence after stealing it or getting it from someone who stole it. Equating it to restrictions posed by the Chinese government on its citizens for accessing informatioon from the internet or facilitating the attack on Google is also preposterous. The aggressive aattitude of some of the US rightwingers on Wikileaks is deplorable but one should not condone Wikileaks for what it has done.
from: Pattabhi Raman
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 10:51 IST
Freedom of speech and expression should on no account should be curtailed in any corner of the world so as to keep the masses informed.
from: SRAVANA RAMACHANDRAN
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 12:40 IST
The Wikileaks saga reveals the US to be no better than the Taliban in suppressing the truth and subverting dissent and is an eye opener to the world on the true nature of the US empire. The legislation that the US proposes is no better than the laws that existed in communist USSR and the Nazis of Germany. The 'shining light' of freedom has certainly gone out in what was once a great democracy. Certainly an ominous sign of what may befall us in India.
from: Rajasekar Thunghabadra
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 12:59 IST
The kind of response Wiki leak has generated among the governments of different countries proves to be a vital stat for its authenticity. The attitude of the American government to curtail the websites reach is not acceptable . Shall the public of the America and the world should assume that the revelations by Wiki leaks are genuine and the denial mode of the American Senate on many of the leaks' revelation is just an effort to cover up ? The American Government seems to be forgetting the statements made by its Head of State President Obama regarding the Google episode. The wiki leaks are so real and audacious that it has effected the memory of the senators. Talking of Democracy in Myanmar and missing the main attribute of it " Freedom of Speech" by American Senate is unacceptable.
from: Rohit Nayal
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 13:33 IST

These sensational leaks whether they are true or false, have atleast set all the sleuths in all countries to sit up and take note and see to it such leaks do not take place in their own. To scorch them would amount to truly a Digital Maccarthyism of a different kind.
from: Sambasiva Sivaramakrishnan
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 13:39 IST
One thing i would like to specify here is that we all are getting to know the stuff from wiki-leaks and just being acknowledged every time.But the thing here matters is that a response in right time, at right place. GREAT JOB wiki-leaks
from: pavan kumar
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 13:42 IST
Just because Wikileaks has published dirty secrets in the realm of global politics and diplomacy does not mean confidentiality and discretion are not legitimate requirements in every field of human activity. The freedom of the media is grossly overrated and the media itself is pretty hypocritical when applying this principle. For example does the media not take shelter behind confidentiality while protecting its 'sources' for different stories? Can it be then argued that the 'public' has a right to know media sources as well if the press is to authenticate every story? I completely detest the kind of persecution the US and the world has unleashed on the Wikileaks founder. It just reiterates what we already know that powerful people all over the world will go to any lengths to muffle dissent. This is not unlike what happened after the ‘Tehelka’ episode in India. But the bogey of unrestricted freedom of the media and digital media should not be raised to justify all kinds of irresponsible acts and sensationalism. For example how will the Wikileaks exposes actually benefit mankind? How will knowing the dirty secrets of international diplomacy help public discourse?
from: Salil Desai
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 14:42 IST
All wishful thinking!! The powerful interest in US and elsewhere will anyhow block these type of free information exchange.As you see the people are fooled by the double face and rhetoric of the Uncle Sam. Most dangerous is the unawareness of the general population of USA and other first world countries. They do not know how they are being manipulated with the help of powerful media in their own countries. We in third world countries remain prey to these vultures!!
from: kalpana
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 14:45 IST
Brilliant Article! Can the editor show same enthusiasm to support Liu Xiaobo, 2010 Noble Peace Prize Winner?
from: Ravi K
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 14:57 IST
Thanks for Wikileaks in letting every one know what's U.S foreign policy towards others nations.I am not pleased how American Government is handling this issue,and hard to understand why the surpass "RIGHT TO SPEECH".
from: Satya
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 16:00 IST
Excellent article!
from: Mohammed
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 16:09 IST
America has gained its dominance in the global arena by playing its manipulative politics, use of military power and by wielding swords of financial clout. However this dominance has taken a plunge after its unilateral war against Iraq. It is widely believed that this war was actually waged for taking control of oil power in the guise of security threat to the mankind. To safeguard its egotistical motives, manipulation by America extends to almost all the countries in the world. None of the nations including their friendly ones are sacrosanct. Leaks by Wikileaks now threaten to expose the big daddy’s real face to its friends and foes.
from: Kiran Kumar Das
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 16:14 IST
I remember tehelka.com which brought tehelka into the whole Indian community but later was declared as a foul website with false content by the government. Also, no actions were properly taken against the ministers caught red handed.
from: Rohan Gupta
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 16:41 IST
That was supposed to happen as the truth is always bitter. Good example is when US attacked Iraq on the excuse of chemical weapons, but the truth is they had eye on Oil reserves.
from: puneesh
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 17:02 IST
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Digital McCarthyism

SHARE · COMMENT (43) · PRINT · T+
It has been one long battle for WikiLeaks merely to exist on the Internet since it started publishing the U.S. diplomatic cables. The cat-and-mouse game that it has had to play to retain an accessible address in cyberspace is the result of a virulent attack launched by right-wing lawmakers in America and their supporters, and commercial entities such as Amazon, which caved in to the pressure. But more fundamentally, the WikiLeaks saga represents the acid test for free speech. With each tranche of documents published online, the world is witnessing the total loss of dominance of secretive governments over information. The backlash has come swiftly, with bellicose American Senators engaging in plain intimidation to get commercial entities to stop offering services to WikiLeaks on the ground that it is distributing material it does not own. Some politicians have made a jingoistic pitch and called for the execution of the source of the leaks. This is nothing but Digital McCarthyism. Were it not for the threat it poses to the free Internet, it would even appear amusing. Earlier this year, President Barack Obama was ‘troubled' by the cyber attacks on Google, which were said to originate in China, and wanted those responsible to face the consequences. The more freely information flows, the stronger society becomes, he had said during an earlier visit to China. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was also strongly critical of Internet restrictions in China. Now the boot is on the other foot. Concern for free speech is nowhere in evidence as extra-legal methods are deployed to deny Americans their First Amendment rights.

The campaign against WikiLeaks is a clear move to censor political material on the Internet and, potentially, on other media. The first moves made by lawmakers such as Senator Joe Lieberman, who chairs the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, have no legal foundation and yet have succeeded with Amazon and PayPal. What has followed is shockingly repressive and obscurantist. The Library of Congress blocked access to WikiLeaks across its computer systems, including reading rooms, and Columbia University students aspiring for diplomatic careers have been advised not to comment on, or link to, the whistleblower website's revelations. It is doubly tragic that such concerted attacks are securing support from countries with a progressive legacy such as France. The intolerant response to WikiLeaks is a potential threat to all media and must be fought. Senator Lieberman and other lawmakers have introduced legislation that proposes to make the publication of an intelligence source a federal crime. Already, U.S. law allows the shutting down of some Internet domains managed in that country on grounds of infringement of copyright. The threat to the publication of inconvenient material, even with responsible redactions, is all too real.

Keywords: WikiLeaks, cablegate

RELATED

TOPICS
WikiLeaks

diplomacy
international relations

internet
world wide web

politics
espionage and intelligence

COMMENTS:
Thank you for your editorial. The Hindu is a thinking person's newspaper unlike most in the USA. I personally donated money to Wikileaks and continue to do so to make sure it survives.
from: Kamal
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 00:07 IST
Excellent article.
from: Murray S
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 00:09 IST
What all these countries are doing to Wikileaks is so typical of these bully tactics. They cause the problems with their interference then project their guilt on the ones who expose them. It is only the corrupt evil minded people who have much to hide,that would criticise and condemn the information being leaked. Assange is a hero and all that support him and assist him should be given medals of honour.
from: savita
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 00:19 IST
What can one say? Anyone with any sense already knew that the USA was as far removed from democracy and transparency as you can get. All of its high ideals ie of the founding fathers et al have long since gone. The US itself became the 'evil empire' probably from before MacArthyism and Hoover's FBI.
At least this is making the hypocrisy transparent :)
from: Peter Jones
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 00:29 IST
I support Wikileaks and Mr. Assange. Let us join hands to protect the freedom of expression in all countries. Till date I have been an admirer of the freedom of expression that the American society has, thanks to the spirit of democracy it has. I am really disappointed to see all that is happening and the US citizens not rising in protest. It is the government's job to keep its documents secret. It is the media's job to keep exposing the government as well as its documents. Truth never endangers anyone's life. Lies and trickery endanger millions of lives all around the world. I salute Mr. Assange and I salute Wikileaks.
from: Raju
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 00:31 IST
From the dawn of history, diplomacy (as practiced by ALL nations) involves double-speak, uncharitable jibes at leaders, saying things which one does not mean and meaning things which one does not say.
from: Jay Ravi
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 01:14 IST
In a society where truth becomes treason, we are in big trouble.
from: Indy
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 01:39 IST
Thank you for this article, it places the global phenomenon of WikiLeaks' work in the correct context - the 'acid test for free speech.'As an independent (Australian) journalist with the values of a world citizen, that we are one human family, I am tremendously heartened by WIkiLeaks' trailblazing efforts as a cyber based non-profit media organisation. We are now on the cusp of a new era - one where the power of governments, especially militarily engaged superpowers, to misinform and mislead their constituents, of exactly what is being done in our name and with our tax money to inflict ongoing suffering to our fellow human beings in the name of power and profit and without accountability, has changed forever. WikiLeaks' offerings of truth are therefore a gift to humanity, with the potential to change the wielding of power in our world - for the better. I am especially encouraged that WikiLeaks have taken meticulous steps to ensure their mission to disseminate truth and promote transparency will prevail. Never mind the adversarial government, cyber and financial attacks - the information, with the blessing of the internet, now has a life of its own, a conduit which can never be captured. Behind the public face of founder Julian Assange, WikiLeaks have over 800 people on their team and 100 000 people worldwide with encrypted copies of their leaks. Should WikiLeaks be brought down, by technical or legal means (and both are long shots) the leaks will continue anyway - to humanity's benefit. I applaud the work of WikLeaks - the truth genie is out of the bottle and can never be contained again.
from: Kia MIstilis
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 01:44 IST
Excellent summary. This has to be brought to attention of the
General public.
from: Shaun Quigley
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 01:45 IST
Dear Sir/Madam,

Your editorial is interesting. As a free companies of free country Indian companies should host wikileaks website and provide all possible support to wikileaks organization. It is time to show the world which country is free country without any consideration for results. There are few things in the life one need to follow without any thoughts of consequencies or results. Truth and freedom are of course few of those things. Gandhiji never hide truth or changed it for any purpose, so nation of Gandhi can do it.
Good luck to wikileaks.
from: Raj Patel
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 01:48 IST
This is the best comment I have read concerning WikiLeaks. The first one in Europe, who used a newspaper to citisize the government was Victor Hugo in France. He wrote the famous article : J`accuse. And he was the one who informed the french public about the affair Dreyfuss. Acording to that tradition, WiKi Leaks is working and this is the tradition of a free press function in a democracy. As a citizen from Germany in know, how the oppression of the press is an indicator for the oppression of the people and I´am glad, that we are on a, mor or less, better way!
Thank you for your article
Thomas Häfele
Germany
from: TOM
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 02:06 IST
Funny how the United States is targeted in your leaks. How about some information on Chavez, Putin or Castro?
from: D Chastain
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 02:09 IST
Those US politician are too worried about this leak :D let them be worried once in their lives, at last some FREE SPEECH!

Long live Wikileaks!

From Uruguay, Latin America.

Marcos.
from: Marcos . Uruguay.
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 02:14 IST
Hello sirs ,

Great post.
How is this western reaction ANY different from Iranian reaction over Rushdie????

Shame on all of them!
from: Ronny
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 02:14 IST
How would India react if such a thing happened with Indian govt. communications? I doubt it would behave any differently.
from: vengu
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 02:26 IST
The United States is showing itself to be more concerned with its forward power projection than with the principles of freed upon which it was founded. We the people must stand and protect democracy. We the people are the masters of governments. Government must not be allowed by us to be our masters.
Long live Democracy! Long live Freedom!
from: Stephan G. Patterson
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 02:35 IST
If this is true , we have to start a boycot against AMAZON and Paypal to!!!
from: roberto vargas
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 02:40 IST
Excellent. You are saying what other journalist in the us wish they could say in the mainstream news. I have not seen any papers here tell it like it is. The compliance with the gov's propaganda is astounding.
from: agirlinnewyork
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 02:46 IST
Very well written summary of the situation today.
It is very disturbing that US politicians are doing acts they themselves have condemned in other countries (e.g. China).

I live in Sweden, and for the first time in my life have I been searching for alternative mirrors of a website (i.e. Wikileaks) because it was taken down by politicians in my own western sphere of the world. Now I know a little bit how it must feel to surf the web in China or Iran.
from: Henrik
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 03:06 IST
Digital McCarthyism! Brilliant!
from: Frank G
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 03:25 IST
This has been an eye opener how pathetic some American "leaders" are. In fact, the whole nation is now being brain-washed through American media, which is trying to portray Mr Assange as a criminal, when really it is their government that's been commiting crime and braking and exploiting law for decades.
from: Mario
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 03:31 IST
I know what Wiki-Leaks did was illegal - hacking into government computers to access the "secret" info but we have been lied to since FDR and frankly I'm sick of all the secrets. Run Assage Run but run to a neutral country and publish, publish, publish. In the name of FREE SPEECH I applaud you - I almost did not come to this decision but I realize once Hillary Clinton had egg on her face - she was coming after you.

Bonju Patten
NJ - USA
from: Bonju Patten
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 03:45 IST
What a blunt and effective article. Call a spade a spade. I was getting a little concerned about the nature of India's coverage vis a vis Wikileaks as compared with newspapers that were really making an effort to provide exact quotes from cables and link to the originals so that the readers could verify for themselves. This makes me feel much better. As a whole, I have found the Indian stand on this issue to be Pakistan centric (or China) with little significance to the impact on the world and what it means for us as a country desiring to influence the world with growing power. I see it as crucial that India stop the taped assurances and neutrality and speak out over what is happening in the world.
from: Vidyut
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 04:25 IST
A well pointed out statement from the bigger perspective of those recent events and the potential impact Wikileaks may have on all of us.
from: Jens Rogala
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 06:03 IST
Viva Assange!!!
from: Tara Devi
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 07:40 IST
Let the Keystone cops (and their hacker friends)continue to run. It is getting more and more evident that they cannot suppress anything on the internet, and anyone with some gumption and a server seems to be replicating the WikiLeaks data. Being exposed here is the pathetic attempt of the king to pretend that he is indeed wearing clothes. And the tail-between-legs posture of Amazon and Paypal(E-bay)and multiple other entities who used to enjoy some sort of esteem in the minds of the world is the most enjoyable spectacle yet. This is the same world that castigated Google for collaborating with the Chinese regime. This is the same world that crowed that any autocratic regime's attempts to hide information would crumble in the face of the onslaught of modern technology (remember Tiananamen - faxes were the weapons then). This is the same world that celebrated Woodward and Bernstein.
from: Jayadevan
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 07:42 IST
Very timely and bold...hats off HIndu...keep it going!!!
from: James
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 08:04 IST
Forget about Ron Lieberman, It is Ron Paul from GoP who seems to have hit the nail on the head. He says when revealing the truth becomes treason, that might just be the beginning of the end of the much vaunted 'free era'. 'When truth becomes treason', I am afraid it already is. This is one of the very few newspapers where Roy has a got a thumbs up for her political stance. The political right is a despicable breed.
from: Gautam Ganapathy
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 08:07 IST
Thank you for this bold editorial which speaks honestly against the shockingly repressive and obscurantist movement on US government part.
from: Sadiq Alam
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 08:27 IST
Raising the issue of freedom of speech to defend Wikileaks is untenable. What Wikileaks has done is equivalent to publishing someone's personal correspondence after stealing it or getting it from someone who stole it. Equating it to restrictions posed by the Chinese government on its citizens for accessing informatioon from the internet or facilitating the attack on Google is also preposterous. The aggressive aattitude of some of the US rightwingers on Wikileaks is deplorable but one should not condone Wikileaks for what it has done.
from: Pattabhi Raman
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 10:51 IST
Freedom of speech and expression should on no account should be curtailed in any corner of the world so as to keep the masses informed.
from: SRAVANA RAMACHANDRAN
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 12:40 IST
The Wikileaks saga reveals the US to be no better than the Taliban in suppressing the truth and subverting dissent and is an eye opener to the world on the true nature of the US empire. The legislation that the US proposes is no better than the laws that existed in communist USSR and the Nazis of Germany. The 'shining light' of freedom has certainly gone out in what was once a great democracy. Certainly an ominous sign of what may befall us in India.
from: Rajasekar Thunghabadra
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 12:59 IST
The kind of response Wiki leak has generated among the governments of different countries proves to be a vital stat for its authenticity. The attitude of the American government to curtail the websites reach is not acceptable . Shall the public of the America and the world should assume that the revelations by Wiki leaks are genuine and the denial mode of the American Senate on many of the leaks' revelation is just an effort to cover up ? The American Government seems to be forgetting the statements made by its Head of State President Obama regarding the Google episode. The wiki leaks are so real and audacious that it has effected the memory of the senators. Talking of Democracy in Myanmar and missing the main attribute of it " Freedom of Speech" by American Senate is unacceptable.
from: Rohit Nayal
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 13:33 IST

These sensational leaks whether they are true or false, have atleast set all the sleuths in all countries to sit up and take note and see to it such leaks do not take place in their own. To scorch them would amount to truly a Digital Maccarthyism of a different kind.
from: Sambasiva Sivaramakrishnan
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 13:39 IST
One thing i would like to specify here is that we all are getting to know the stuff from wiki-leaks and just being acknowledged every time.But the thing here matters is that a response in right time, at right place. GREAT JOB wiki-leaks
from: pavan kumar
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 13:42 IST
Just because Wikileaks has published dirty secrets in the realm of global politics and diplomacy does not mean confidentiality and discretion are not legitimate requirements in every field of human activity. The freedom of the media is grossly overrated and the media itself is pretty hypocritical when applying this principle. For example does the media not take shelter behind confidentiality while protecting its 'sources' for different stories? Can it be then argued that the 'public' has a right to know media sources as well if the press is to authenticate every story? I completely detest the kind of persecution the US and the world has unleashed on the Wikileaks founder. It just reiterates what we already know that powerful people all over the world will go to any lengths to muffle dissent. This is not unlike what happened after the ‘Tehelka’ episode in India. But the bogey of unrestricted freedom of the media and digital media should not be raised to justify all kinds of irresponsible acts and sensationalism. For example how will the Wikileaks exposes actually benefit mankind? How will knowing the dirty secrets of international diplomacy help public discourse?
from: Salil Desai
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 14:42 IST
All wishful thinking!! The powerful interest in US and elsewhere will anyhow block these type of free information exchange.As you see the people are fooled by the double face and rhetoric of the Uncle Sam. Most dangerous is the unawareness of the general population of USA and other first world countries. They do not know how they are being manipulated with the help of powerful media in their own countries. We in third world countries remain prey to these vultures!!
from: kalpana
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 14:45 IST
Brilliant Article! Can the editor show same enthusiasm to support Liu Xiaobo, 2010 Noble Peace Prize Winner?
from: Ravi K
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 14:57 IST
Thanks for Wikileaks in letting every one know what's U.S foreign policy towards others nations.I am not pleased how American Government is handling this issue,and hard to understand why the surpass "RIGHT TO SPEECH".
from: Satya
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 16:00 IST
Excellent article!
from: Mohammed
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 16:09 IST
America has gained its dominance in the global arena by playing its manipulative politics, use of military power and by wielding swords of financial clout. However this dominance has taken a plunge after its unilateral war against Iraq. It is widely believed that this war was actually waged for taking control of oil power in the guise of security threat to the mankind. To safeguard its egotistical motives, manipulation by America extends to almost all the countries in the world. None of the nations including their friendly ones are sacrosanct. Leaks by Wikileaks now threaten to expose the big daddy’s real face to its friends and foes.
from: Kiran Kumar Das
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 16:14 IST
I remember tehelka.com which brought tehelka into the whole Indian community but later was declared as a foul website with false content by the government. Also, no actions were properly taken against the ministers caught red handed.
from: Rohan Gupta
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 16:41 IST
That was supposed to happen as the truth is always bitter. Good example is when US attacked Iraq on the excuse of chemical weapons, but the truth is they had eye on Oil reserves.
from: puneesh
Posted on: Dec 6, 2010 at 17:02 IST
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