4 ms·

What's the value in protecting one's identity if colleagues are going to release it to the (possibly corrupt) government and media? If he does return, there's n

by alttag 14y ago

What's the value in protecting one's identity if colleagues are going to release it to the (possibly corrupt) government and media? If he does return, there's no way he can continue with the pseudonym, and in the (unlikely?) event of a safe return, it sounds as if he'd now be in jeopardy for past reporting. It seems there's no positive end game, even if he is found safely.

sirclueless 14y ago
Well, the value is in never giving up your identity and never being found, at least until your cause is no longer opposed. Now that it's clear that his opponents know who he is, his colleagues decided he would be more valuable as a symbol if his real name was known. Whether that is actually good for his health or not is anybody's guess. It's entirely possible that he is safer this way, as now his body can't turn up anywhere without a whole bunch of raised eyebrows.
s8qnze982y 14y ago
Right now he's very likely been cut to pieces already, as previous bloggers have been in similar situations. Very sad, but this is how things now work in Mexico. The real name has probably been used as last desperate attempt to find any bit of information.
tzs 14y ago
There are four possible states for someone in his profession. 1. Identity is secret. This is his ideal state. 2. Police know his identity, drug cartels do not. Not as good as #1, as he has to worry about corrupt police working with the cartels, or poor police security letting his identity out. 3. Police do not know his identity, but the drug cartels do. This is the worst possible case. The cartels can target him, and the police cannot help him. 4. Police and drug cartels both know his identity. Worse than #1 and #2, but better than #3, as he might get some help from the police. If he had disappeared voluntarily (for instance, if he had gone on vacation), he would have told his colleagues. We can thus infer that he was probably taken by the drug cartels. That means he's in state #3 or #4. By making sure the police know his identity, his colleagues ensure he is in state #4, not #3, which is better for him. The positive end game for him if he is found safely is moving away from Mexico (or at least from the drug cartel territories), assuming a new identity, and trying to live a normal life doing some job other than reporting on drug cartels. The moment he was taken both his pseudonym and real identity died--the only question now is if that also means the end of his life.

by alttag 14y ago

sirclueless 14y ago

Well, the value is in never giving up your identity and never being found, at least until your cause is no longer opposed. Now that it's clear that his opponents know who he is, his colleagues decided he would be more valuable as a symbol if his real name was known. Whether that is actually good for his health or not is anybody's guess. It's entirely possible that he is safer this way, as now his body can't turn up anywhere without a whole bunch of raised eyebrows.

s8qnze982y 14y ago

Right now he's very likely been cut to pieces already, as previous bloggers have been in similar situations. Very sad, but this is how things now work in Mexico. The real name has probably been used as last desperate attempt to find any bit of information.

tzs 14y ago

There are four possible states for someone in his profession. 1. Identity is secret. This is his ideal state. 2. Police know his identity, drug cartels do not. Not as good as #1, as he has to worry about corrupt police working with the cartels, or poor police security letting his identity out. 3. Police do not know his identity, but the drug cartels do. This is the worst possible case. The cartels can target him, and the police cannot help him. 4. Police and drug cartels both know his identity. Worse than #1 and #2, but better than #3, as he might get some help from the police. If he had disappeared voluntarily (for instance, if he had gone on vacation), he would have told his colleagues. We can thus infer that he was probably taken by the drug cartels. That means he's in state #3 or #4. By making sure the police know his identity, his colleagues ensure he is in state #4, not #3, which is better for him. The positive end game for him if he is found safely is moving away from Mexico (or at least from the drug cartel territories), assuming a new identity, and trying to live a normal life doing some job other than reporting on drug cartels. The moment he was taken both his pseudonym and real identity died--the only question now is if that also means the end of his life.