WikiLeaks Needs To Go!

 

     The issue of WikiLeaks is extremely interesting in the overall scheme of cyber war.  It begs questions such as: Aren’t some things better left unsaid? Should information be shared or censored?  In a sense WikiLeaks in nothing new, the information is just more sensitive.  While premeditated leaks and other types of unauthorized disclosures are nothing new, he adds, digital technology makes it much easier for "one disgruntled individual" to unleash massive troves of information almost instantaneously.  As mentioned in previous posts, I am an advocate of Free Speech, but WikiLeaks is dangerous and should be eliminated.   

     The relationship between government and citizens in terms of shared information has been tense for years.  We, the citizen, have been on a “need to know” basis since this country began.  There are obvious reasons, our safety being one. Alas, we have always had this sense of revolt, or need to fight the establishment.  Riots, demonstrations, protest, have been our main forms of rebellion before the Internet.  The most obvious lesson [of the WikiLeaks case] is that it represents the first really sustained confrontation between the established order and the culture of the internet. There have been skirmishes before, but this is the real thing.  Sustained being significant in that protests, riots, and even peaceful demonstrations have always come to an end.  Shutting down WikiLeaks only momentarily solves a small battle in cyber war.  Other websites will be created and eliminated, in this ongoing battle, but this is different than grass root protest. 

     Because the Internet delivers information at such high speeds a website can create devastation in mere minutes.  Picture this, before the internet a group of 20 people are angered and decide to demonstrate on the U of M Dearborn campus.  They are peaceful, non-offensive, but just as annoying as a swarm of mosquitoes.  Within 20 minutes the police arrive, break-up the protest, and by mid-afternoon everything returns to normal.  Now, imagine the same scenario but these individuals have access to the Internet.  A Facebook post about the demonstration goes viral, and 20 becomes 100 in minutes!  Now it is understood why WikiLeaks, and cyber war is like the tsunami that hit Japan.  Another important aspect of WikiLeaks is in the root of the word, Wiki.  The Internet is fantastic in the abundance of information readily available, but we never consider that information’s creditability.  How many times have you used Wikipedia as a reference only to find the information was wrong?  This may be extreme, but what if WikiLeaks was wrong due to someone’s political agenda and started WWIII.  I don’t know about you, but I am not willing to hide in the mountains with Patrick Swayze (yes I know he is dead) and Charlie Sheen (although could be fun) because some cyber activist posted the wrong information.

     According to The WikiLeaks Battle: Should Information Be Shared or Censored, it does boil down to trust!  I unfortunately trust our government.  I have been on this earth 35 years, and even in the aftermath of 911, I have never feared for my safety.   In the aftermath of the WikiLeaks furor, Pentagon and State Department officials have said some foreign officials now seem reluctant to trust U.S. officials. "We have already seen some indications of meetings that used to involve several diplomats and now involve fewer diplomats," said State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley. "We're conscious of at least one meeting where it was requested that notebooks be left outside the room." Other countries need to trust America in order to preserve peace.  Some have a more difficult time than others, and we do not need websites like WikiLeaks pissing in our Kool-Aid.  This is already happening and needs to be squashed immediately!