I came across this opinion piece regarding Wikileaks and I was curious about what you think of it. The author discusses how Wikileaks has changed the face of whistle blowing. He seems to suggest that the anonymity that Wikileaks provides essentially challenges the validity and integrity of those who choose to speak out against the government. I am not so sure I agree with this. It is true that Wikileaks makes dissent virtually faceless, but isn't that a good thing. To me, this forum provides a safe space for dialogue and accountability and would not function in the same way if it wasn't anonymous. What are your thoughts?
- Chibuzo
I do agree that Wikileaks is useful in that it makes dissent virtually faceless. However, I do understand this author's concern with anonymity challenging the credibility of information put on the internet. The internet is a vast forum where anybody can basically say anything. For all its flaws, the United States isn't a totalitarian regime or dictatorship-- free speech is a fundamental leg of our constitution. Therefore, at least for now, persecution of dissenters is relatively unthreatening.
ReplyDeleteMy main concern is that anonymity allows people to be irresponsible with confidential information. It's akin to releasing a billion ball bearings onto the road and then driving away. Maybe this information will do some damage, maybe it won't. Either way, you probably should think real hard about it if you're going to release information on a whim. Anonymity when it comes to high-security information maybe not be in the public's interest... particularly if it's by someone who has other incentives outside of societal welfare.
In the end, I think Wikileaks is a testament to the power of the United States form of governance. A episode like this could have easily toppled the governments of many other countries but because of the way the U.S is structured, it has already achieved an extremely high level of transparency with its citizens. Yes, there have been problems in the past (politicians who lie, information that is mishandled) but these things have often come to light because the government takes responsibility for its actions. Jullian Assange can rail against the press and the government all he wants but during the Iraq war
the truth came out and the press and the government performed their duties.
Ultimately, I don't feel that Wikileaks has had a momentous affect people's perceptions of our government. Fundamentally, we still trust our government to provide for the safety and welfare of American citizens.
- Connie