I know what you're thinking: is WikiLeaks a thing anymore? But really I feel like this blog wouldn't be complete without a post about good ole' Julian Assange, wherever he is.
Quick overview: WikiLeaks is a site dedicated to publishing incriminating news of government works. It received big press last year due to it being what would technically be called a massive gaping hole in U.S. informational security. Admist controversy of people shouting to close it down (threat to domestic security!), keep it up (transparency in government!), rebel against the status quo (I'm f'king V for Vendetta!), it's somehow magically still up and still publishing its anger-fuel.
If you want a quick example, they recently published a bunch of emails regarding Syrian involvement and how the Western world is responding (or rather, not).
The founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, was granted asylum by Ecuador's embassy in London. Great Britain is determined to reverse that decision, putting pressure on Ecuador to release him and send him off to Sweden for trial (or worse, the United States). He'd likely be charged for treason, with the penalty of jail time (at best) or death (at worst).
Thing is, some people think his actions are morally just. Why would a government have to hide information from its people? If it's acting legitimate then there's no fear of having its documents leaked, right?
That stance is, it turns out, extremely hard to support. Not to mention that most of the major publications don't even classify as human rights violations, but international affairs.
Some leaked documents two years back revealed China's disclosures to the U.S. about possibly turning on North Korea, letting South Korea overtake its totalitarian rival. Needless to say, Kim Jong Il wasn't fantastically happy about that. Another set reveals how Iran's neighbors tolerate Iran's nuclear program but secretly urge the U.S. to aggressively stop the program.
The site had well over 1 million articles within a year, and who-knows-how-many now. There's no debate: it's a massive hole in national security. But is it worth it?
After all, documents were also released revealing accounts of civilian casualties in Iraq. They also revealed how many detainees at Guantanamo Bay were being taken into custody and treated inhumanely for little-to-no reason. Surely these are human rights violations that deserve some form of recognition?
It's a pragmatism vs. morals problem and something that will be interesting to keep in mind as Assange's potential trial unfolds in the near future.
OH NO SCALE: Yes? No? Maybe?
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