I'm not sure what to make of the latest WikiLeak leak. I'm rather annoyed on one hand, and feel that anyone who is surprised at secretive dealings between countries really doesn't have a clue about diplomacy at all.

On the other hand, when I see what is coming out of those cables, I am angry at things that are allegedly being done in the name of 'National Security'.

I am not an 'either you are for transparency' or 'you support the evil empire' kind of person. In the coming days, you will see people splitting up into these camps. I have decided that I will take each piece of news as a case by case situation. I have a lot of questions, and I hope I can find some answers to them as they arise.

For example: Iran has bought long range missiles from North Korea. -- Perhaps that is a true security threat? Will transparency on this issue help to end the constant drumbeat to war with Iran, or will it only force them to delve further into the darkness? Will our diplomatic ties to other countries be permanently damaged as a result to these cables? Somehow I doubt it. But that really isn't too important to me.

We talk about net neutrality here in this nation. We talk about the threat of cyber security. We talk about how the terrorists could take down our nation with a cyber attack. These are real and fair things to be concerned with. Then I found this: Secret Internet Protocol Router Network. Siprnet: This system failed. It failed because a so called secure network has proven to be anything but secure. Why? Perhaps this is why: There are OVER 3 million people that we know of that have access to Siprnet. Is this all just more security theatre? Has this system really made us safer? Was this a situation that was just waiting to happen? Was a system built to be secure exploited by the very people who it was created for? I don't know.

I don't know what the fallout is of these cables. I feel differently about them than I did regarding the Wiki War leaks. But Dan Gillmore made some very important points last June, in particular: There are those that say this furthers the democratization of the Media -- and perhaps they are correct in that so much of our traditional media is corporate-owned. That said I do find some of what WikiLeaks is doing troubling. I don't think - in the long term -- it will aid in the democratization of the internet OR the media. There are already calls in DC to pass laws to stop this from happening -- that is the exact opposite of what pro-transparency people want. (of which I consider myself a part). Take a look at the great work that the Sunlight Foundation does. They don't steal company or government property to get and publish information. Same thing with websites like ThinkProgress. They gather information legally. I do not know if what Wiki leaks did was illegal or not -- I suspect it is legal, considering this information was not considered "Top Secret" -- only a simple 'secret'. It's all a little too 'gossip girl' for me, but I digress.

It may be a bit of a straw-man, but I know a lot of people were VERY angry that the former administration outed Valerie Plame -- a covert CIA agent. I am one of them. I still feel more people should have faced jail time for that treasonous act. Shouldn't we feel the same way about what WikiLeaks has done? People are outraged at the treatment of Sibel Edmonds. She is a whistleblower who has had first hand experience with what she speaks. Julian Assange and WikiLeaks do not. Someone 'procured' information that was not theirs and made it public.

Like the last information dump, there could be a case to compare this to the Pentagon Papers. That would seem to be a fair comparison with the exception that Danielle Ellsberg did actual reporting. This cable leak does no such thing. It was an information dump. One where EVERYONE who has access to the internet can pick and choose what part they want and create their own narrative: Was it conspiracy? Is it fascism? Is this our nation protecting Americans? Pick and choose whatever you need and write the story around it -- this is what has already begun to happen. People are doing an online version of dumpster diving to find SOMETHING that will fit the narrative that fits a political world view. I find that a bit troubling.

Perhaps real reporting will occur as the result of what has once again happened. That would be nice, but based on past experience, I am doubtful that will occur.

I have lots of questions, I know. I think most media and people will end up focusing on the more salacious tidbits that came from these cables. Personally, I would like to know more about the who, what and why this is happening. We talk about cyber security as individuals, and yet our own government was so insecure that this has happened - AGAIN. We talk about the failing of the media and the misinformation. There has been talk that what WikiLeaks is doing is the great equalizer. How many people will be responsible with this information?

Some may think this information dump is a good thing, for our freedom, for transparency. I can't disagree with that from an idealistic point of view. From a pragmatic point of view, I don't know. I am personally concerned of a bigger clampdown of information. Sometimes there is a right way of going about things and a wrong way -- it doesn't have anything to do with what's legal. It has to do with what is best for our fragile democracy.

What do you think?

and
Raine