Uncle Scam expressed some skepticism or doubts about WL. I have much sympathy for that attitude.
WL is in a way part of mainstream. Or has become so, natch. Its fibre is embedded in our times and dependent on it – globalization, the internet, propaganda, information wars, new citizen initiatives, the death throes of traditional politics in the Western democracies.
They are information warriors, very similar to animal rights ppl, hyper green types, NGOs, smart, educated ppl with skills, living well, entering the media arena, counting on a wave of support from some top sections. (The caviar-left, rich ppl with computers, etc.)
Their politics are indeterminate or considered of no import, a mix of libertarianism, anarchism, free-market hype, in homeopathic doses – anti-establishment within a largely unquestioned global order.
This is a hall-mark of one-issue groups or parties, which have been gathering adherents like crazy since 15 years or so. WL adopts a steadily neutral position pointed only to freedom of the press, open information, rending secrets public, and so on. A freedom of Information Act request delivered free right to your screen!
WL is a conduit, that is their calling card, their strength, all we do is inform. Then others make the best of it, or nothing. WL is an outcome of the global village, they are information technologists. That doesn’t mean that what they do is not radical or won’t have far reaching effects.
The Americans are hysterically offended because their low-level secret diplomacy turns out to be pretty much what one would expect: not very smart, up-to-date, innovative, or even ‘secret’. Not at all surprising, it is banal. Embassies (only a part, i know of the wl cables) are really soft-cushion places with over-paid officials who have been by-passed by modern technology and relations over their heads (before int’l travel, etc. they did an essential job) converted into spying of an ineffectual kind, as they are isolated and incompetent. Bush J. for ex. nominated ambassadors who made large contributions to his campaign, straight quid pro quo. (What? This lady can’t read and she is my boss??)
Power endures partly through image, bluff, and information asymmetry – it is best to pretend to have secrets or inside information when one has none. (Not to deny that there is important information in these cables – but that is not what the general public is capting.) The US is a laughing stock. The emperor is seen to wear only boxer shorts with emblazoned cucumbers and hearts.
The reaction only reinforces that image – a petty, vicious crusade of revenge against one individual, Assange – as if that is legitimate or would change anything at all. The US has Lost the plot as my gran, were she alive, would say. Witch hunt against internet warriors? What are they going to do, put them in Gitmo and then horse trade for other countries to take them?
Assange collaborated with the NYT for X’s sake.

Posted by: Noirette | Dec 17 2010 19:45 utc | 4

regard the guardians double jeu today – its implicit attack on assange using documents held by right wing swedish paper expressen that i think nearly everone has been aware of this last ten days – combined with its threatening editorial suggesting wikileaks ought not to widen the net of papers it is using – because they at the guardian are professionals
if i was not so sick already i would vomit even more bile

Posted by: remembereringgiap | Dec 18 2010 0:27 utc | 6

The WikiLeaks saga demonstrates how little the West supports the idea of “rule of law”.
The USA is now trying to get their their hands on Assange through the Manning connection.

Posted by: Joseph | Dec 18 2010 11:41 utc | 8