In speaking about the WikiLeaks release of over 250,000 secret diplomatic cables, Noam Chomsky told Democracy Now's Amy Goodman that the chief thing that the world has learned is "the profound hatred for democracy on the part of our political leadership." It is a damning statement to make, but in light of the information being released, it is hard to deny that it is on point.
If you think Chomsky is being overly harsh, all you have to do is to look at the response of those who occupy the leadership positions. Are they acting embarrassed over the revelations or have some come out to pledge to be more transparent in the future?
Get real! There are no mea culpas. There is no hand wringing regarding the blatant hypocrisy. No, the unified response has been to shoot (quite literally, in some instances) the messenger. There have been calls to designate WikiLeaks as a "terrorist organization." It is a sad day when truth is considered a weapon of terror!
Others have called for WikiLeaks spokesman Julian Assange to be executed or assassinated. Now we know why the American mainstream media has become spineless; no editor and few reporters want to land on a Congressional "hit list"!
The reason our elected leaders and political elites are so outraged is that this situation reminds many of the pivotal scene in The Wizard of Oz. While Dorothy and her friends (the American populace) are trembling in fear at the fiery visage of the wizard (political elites), little Toto (Assange) is pulling back the curtain to reveal the truth (US hypocrisy).
However, unlike the classic movie, we don't have the benefit of a good witch to send us home. We're stuck here and the powers-that-be are working swiftly to put the curtain back into place before too many folks notice.
If you think Chomsky is being overly harsh, all you have to do is to look at the response of those who occupy the leadership positions. Are they acting embarrassed over the revelations or have some come out to pledge to be more transparent in the future?
Get real! There are no mea culpas. There is no hand wringing regarding the blatant hypocrisy. No, the unified response has been to shoot (quite literally, in some instances) the messenger. There have been calls to designate WikiLeaks as a "terrorist organization." It is a sad day when truth is considered a weapon of terror!
Others have called for WikiLeaks spokesman Julian Assange to be executed or assassinated. Now we know why the American mainstream media has become spineless; no editor and few reporters want to land on a Congressional "hit list"!
The reason our elected leaders and political elites are so outraged is that this situation reminds many of the pivotal scene in The Wizard of Oz. While Dorothy and her friends (the American populace) are trembling in fear at the fiery visage of the wizard (political elites), little Toto (Assange) is pulling back the curtain to reveal the truth (US hypocrisy).
However, unlike the classic movie, we don't have the benefit of a good witch to send us home. We're stuck here and the powers-that-be are working swiftly to put the curtain back into place before too many folks notice.
I'm drinking a lot of coffee so sorry about all the replies today...
ReplyDeleteI agree, I like the exposure and the flow of information. I find it dispicable (sp?) that the leaders are saying, well, we have to lie, that's how diplomacy works!
But to play the devil's advocate: I heard on NPR today a guy saying how if the negotiations and secret channels used during the peace talks Re: northern Ireland were exposed like this, the peace would never have happened. That could be true, or false, since it's all conjecture.
But it makes sense. The two parties were deadly enemies, their supporters probably wouldn't understand their talking behind the scenes as anything but treason to the cause.
So though I know democracy depends on a well informed public, the question is whether this info is truly necessary for that. And also whether or not openness and honesty of that kind will really work in geopolitics, in actually acheiving peace.
It kills me to even think of it, though. Can "evil" means attain a good end? Is that truly possible, or are the ends then corrupt from the start?
Even the WikiLeaks folks acknowledge that some level of secrecy is needed in the realm of politics. However, when secrecy is nothing more than rampant hypocrisy, then you got a problem and that's what they seek to expose.
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