WikiLeaks Isn't The Problem

The “for profit” mass media is on a feeding frenzy again. They've gotten together with the “flag waving” mob rulers to accuse an Australian of being a traitor to America. (Of course, since he's a Australian, that law doesn't apply.)

The American mass media has been endlessly debating whether Julian Assange, the man behind WikiLeaks, is a terrorist, a spy, or a hero. This is a distraction.

WikiLeaks has been the story. But it is the leaks that are the real news.

Now, before we get to the real news, allow me to address a couple of accusations that have been made.

• They say; “American lives have been endangered.” Maybe. But nobody has died as a result of the leaks. If someone had, we never would have heard the end of it. The right wing mob would have been calling for murder charges. No lives have been lost. Which makes the endangerment argument sound rather hollow.

• Julian Assange has been accused of rape – a by a woman who has ties to the CIA. These sure look like trumped up charges to me.

• The flag waving fake Newt Gingrich has accused Julian Assange of being an “information terrorist”. For what? Revealing the truth? I'm not familiar with that kind of terrorist. And of all people, Newt Gingrich; the man who outed CIA operative Valarie Plame (with definite endangerment of American lives consequences).

I'm not going so far as to say WikiLeaks did the right thing. But that isn't really what bothers me. What bothers me is why is it so important that, in a supposedly open society, these leaks are so important?

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has stated that the practical impact of the leaks in terms of security and compromised diplomacy is negligible. So, what's the big deal?

It appears that someone doesn't want Americans to know the truth.

And what is the truth? Maybe you should look for yourself. I did.

I checked into a document about Haiti.

I knew there had been some fishy stuff going on in Haiti when popularly elected President Aristide was removed from office in 2004. (“Kidnapped” in his words – by U.S. forces.) For two years after that, an unelected official ran Haiti. And in 2006, Rene Preval was elected president of Haiti.

The leaked document I read was a response to a call for a comprehensive assessment of President Preval. Nobody was going to die from this information getting out. However, the assessment was embarrassing. Not so much because it said unflattering things about President Preval, but because of America's attitude towards Haiti.

Example:

“Preval's … reflexive nationalism, and his disinterest in managing bilateral relations in a broad diplomatic sense, will lead to periodic frictions as we move forward our bilateral agenda. Case in point, … He is likely to be tempted to frame his relationship with Venezuela and Chavez-allies in the Hemisphere in a way that he hopes will create a competitive atmosphere as far as who can provide the most to Haiti.”

President Preval wants the most for Haiti? How could he?

And that Hugo Chavez and his allies - grrrr... by the way, how do you become overwhelmingly popularly re-elected dictators?

One more thing; what the hell is a bilateral agenda? Why don't these bureaucrats speak English? Deniability, of course. So, I looked it up. It has to do with Free Trade Agreements. For example; “Bilateral free trade agreements are seen by the agricultural biotechnology industry as an important conduit for spreading genetically modified organisms around the world. … and locking governments into even tougher standards to ensure expanded profit margins and monopoly control.”

So, let me get this straight: Back in 2007, the President of Haiti, Rene Preval wanted what was best for Haiti (the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere)... and this was seen as a potential problem for the United States.

No wonder they keep trying to distract us from the real news.

...Oh, by the way; don't forget World Press Freedom Day!

(Sorry, that's just freedom for the "legitimate" for-profit mass media press - controlled by the powers that be.)

You can celebrate by downloading all those leaked documents.