Julian Assange – who and what did he really jeopardize?

Unless this past month you’ve been living under a rock, you have heard of what Julian Assange and Wiki links have been up to.  Wiki links has released thousands of pages of government documents; some potentially harmful to the security of the nation.  Though my curiosity often gets the best of me, I do understand the need to withhold certain classified documentation from the public’s view.  Whether it’s Wiki links or the government employee, who actually stole and copied classified documents, who should be prosecuted…well, that decision is not up to us.  Though I do admit I enjoy government officials squirming around and crying “bloody murder” in response to some of the ridiculous blunders and idiotic mistakes they’ve been called up to. 

One thing that I think about with this whole dilemma unfolding, is how it is going to shape the government’s take on transparency and secrecy. One of the reasons for organizations to reframe their structure is the change in technology, but also changes in oversight.  (Bolman and Deal)   The problem is that in today’s world of sophisticated and widely accessible technology, our government might chose to employ various instruments of surveillance, some of which have thus far made many of us uneasy.  In order to fight espionage and any further leaks, we might have to surrender our privacy and comfort to the government.  Phone tapping, airport security scanning, what is next…no habeas corpus?  

 Regardless of what the leader of Wiki links – Assange, has been accused of, I believe that his premise was not to cause any government s’ collapse, but to shed light on some of the wrong – doings of our political representatives.  Saying that, I also found a blog on the Huffington Post site that brings up another potentially harmful result of Wiki links endeavor.   Other than the U.S government, there were several countries, international organizations and other entities that were exposed by Wiki links; some of which, let’s just say...don’t deem human rights all that necessary.  In the least in U.S, U.K or Australia, Julian Assange will get a trial, a lawyer and support from millions of his followers.  Those living in countries of anarchy and terror might soon find that their governments show even less transparency, and obliterate anything that could risk their exposure.   That might have been something Assange wanted to consider…

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yoani-sanchez/wikileaks-and-empty-archi_b_795038.html

Gabriela J.

December 11^th, 2010