4 ms·

What's the point of disabling wikileaks when anyone can access them from the biggest news sites? What's the logic behind this decision?

nkassis 16y ago
I'm wondering the same thing. Liebermann probably knows too. It's all a big show right now. As the economist said in the past few days, things have changed. You can store on a USB key the equivalent of truck loads(Stevenson would be proud ;p) of documents. It's going to be harder and harder to keep this information secure. I hope the Government accepts this and I think the current administration does. I wouldn't be surprised if they figure out a way to use it to their advantage. In WW2 purposely leaked information was used to confuse the Germans about the location of the beach landing on D-Day.
- jtbigwoo 16y ago
  I'm wondering the same thing. Liebermann probably knows too. People say this a lot about politicians and I wonder how true it is. Lieberman in particular has never shown himself to be particularly smart. He mostly repeats the conventional "centrist" line and seems to contradict himself fairly regularly. I seem to remember that he drove the Gore campaign nuts in 2000 by spouting off whatever popped into his head. Most politicians are not following a grand plan but are rather following a guideline of "What will Rush Limbaugh like?" (Conservatives) or "What will the editorial page of the Washington Post like?" (Centrists) or "What will my donors like?" (Pretty much everybody)
dtf 16y ago
a) to whip up public outrage about the leak by declaring it an attack on US interests, US security and and endangering of the lives of US military and diplomatic personnel. b) be seen by the public to be doing something about a), in an effort to convince them of their efficacy at protecting against enemies of the US. c) in keeping the biggest new sites and the public occupied with a) and b), distract as much attention as possible from the contents of the cables. If you look around the world, most governments are taking a similar strategy.
- pigbucket 16y ago
  I think this is right. While it's amusing to note the apparent heterogeneity in responses from representatives of the state to the leaks (criminal! boring! dangerous! nothing new!), looked on as a strategy of noise generation to drown out the signal (i.e., revelations of criminal activity by the state), the approach is cohesive and effective, and it demonstrates unrestrained contempt for the American people.

nkassis 16y ago

I'm wondering the same thing. Liebermann probably knows too. It's all a big show right now. As the economist said in the past few days, things have changed. You can store on a USB key the equivalent of truck loads(Stevenson would be proud ;p) of documents. It's going to be harder and harder to keep this information secure. I hope the Government accepts this and I think the current administration does. I wouldn't be surprised if they figure out a way to use it to their advantage. In WW2 purposely leaked information was used to confuse the Germans about the location of the beach landing on D-Day.

jtbigwoo 16y ago
I'm wondering the same thing. Liebermann probably knows too. People say this a lot about politicians and I wonder how true it is. Lieberman in particular has never shown himself to be particularly smart. He mostly repeats the conventional "centrist" line and seems to contradict himself fairly regularly. I seem to remember that he drove the Gore campaign nuts in 2000 by spouting off whatever popped into his head. Most politicians are not following a grand plan but are rather following a guideline of "What will Rush Limbaugh like?" (Conservatives) or "What will the editorial page of the Washington Post like?" (Centrists) or "What will my donors like?" (Pretty much everybody)

dtf 16y ago

a) to whip up public outrage about the leak by declaring it an attack on US interests, US security and and endangering of the lives of US military and diplomatic personnel. b) be seen by the public to be doing something about a), in an effort to convince them of their efficacy at protecting against enemies of the US. c) in keeping the biggest new sites and the public occupied with a) and b), distract as much attention as possible from the contents of the cables. If you look around the world, most governments are taking a similar strategy.

pigbucket 16y ago
I think this is right. While it's amusing to note the apparent heterogeneity in responses from representatives of the state to the leaks (criminal! boring! dangerous! nothing new!), looked on as a strategy of noise generation to drown out the signal (i.e., revelations of criminal activity by the state), the approach is cohesive and effective, and it demonstrates unrestrained contempt for the American people.