Wiki Leaks and stuff

With a docile and toothless press, where are we to turn for information? Keep this in mind. Basically only six companies control the press here in the USA and they have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. Do this yourself sometime. Flip through the news channels and watch how they all cover virtually the same events. Today (May 24, 2011) it is tornado clean up; Obama goes to Europe, Ratko Mladic and as always The Middle East. Detailed coverage is virtually non-existent. We get the Youtube two to three minute versions of events (followed by advertising for denture creams, drugs and tanning lotions). This past Sunday, the self styled hard hitting 60 Minutes spent two thirds of the broadcast talking about charges of Lance Armstrong doping. I don’t know about you, but I could care less. It would be great it this was really our most pressing problem. Let’s not think about contractors killing people and blood money in Pakistan, possible links between sever weather and climate change or the very real dangers of nuclear power. Real news is hard to come by. It is sad but we have a pressing need for wikileaks.

This Julian guy gets the idea to create a website for whistle blowers. Sounds good. Send us info on corruption, genocides etc and we will post it for the whole world to see. When there is nowhere else to turn, this is a good and useful option. The only problem is it is also run by human beings all carrying their own baggage and axes to grind. Who gets to decide what stays secret and why? I think there is a need for state secrets staying secret. I don’t need to know where the missiles are our all about our latest bio weapons. That said, how do I know corruption, abuses and worse are not being hid behind the wall of state secrets? How can we keep tabs on this and all the conflicting interests? It is not a black and white situation with heroes and villains. This is taking place in the real world with real people who have mixed motivations and agendas. Frontline did a pretty good story on Bradley Manning recently.

Bradley Manning, a young US Army Intelligence Officer, turned over everything he could, even the kitchen sink, (American expression) to wikileaks. Some things needed to come out like shooting up Iraqis just standing around by US helicopter gunships. But why include Iraqis and Afghans working with the United States? Why include masses of diplomatic cables? The US Army did a very poor job in keeping track of data and helping Mr. Manning deal with his personal life. Not his being Gay but his unhappiness and anger. I can see him as both a hero and a villain. Freed Bradley Manning? Forget it people, it is not going to happen. He broke his oath, the law and pissed off some of the most powerful people in the world. My guess (and it only a guess) is he did it for mixed reasons. He came to hate the Army and he also saw terrible wrongs. It could also be he is serving the role as scapegoat. Could one low level Intelligence Analyst have had access to so much and leaked it all? This is also problematic. I have no problem with abuses getting out and find it sad this is how we find out. Keep reporting on Lance and other nonsense 60 Minutes!