Evo said:
To the people that appove of Assange's actions, let me ask specifically what good this did for conditions in the world? Be specific. What has it fixed? Don't respond with hand waving about oh, but it's wrong to have secrets. What benefit to world relations did it have?
I think sometimes a short term conflict, may vent, and prevent longer terms larger conflicts. As I see it, the information leaked, will not lead to major conflicts (such as larger wars) right now. I think partly because somehow no one is surprised because everyone konws, everyone has secrets. That's why it's more embarrassing than surprising.
I think global democracy me be strenghetened in the long run. For democracy to work properly, as many as possible, needs as complete information as possible, in order to use their voice correctly. The fact that governments use dirty tricks under the surface to execture certain things, is IMO something that the democractic system might not approve if its was known.
It's also a big point to prove that information that shouldn't leak, did leak. This will lead to improving these problems. There are two reactions - escalation, such as in even more secrets, harder and more brutal methods to protect this! Or the insight that our actions, and diplomacy must be more clever and try to have a real dialogue with others, rather than only "tactics".
To be honest, I think both things will happen. Everyone will learn, that it is REALLY difficuly to actually KEEP secrets. So a strategy that doesn't rely too heavily (there will still be secrets of course) on secrets may be more stable, and less prone to leaks. Everyone will ALSO learn, that some things that someone for various reasons relaly need to be kept secret will be have to handled better, AND that any such act, is in fact a risk. Whatever game strategy that is played, must evaluate the RISK that information is leaked and what price it will have.
But don't blame free journalisms for publishing leaks when it occurs. It was not Assange that stole information as far as I know. Someone who was trusted with this information did reveal it. If something is the bad guy this is the one.
I think that the general respons to information is always a potentail "conflict" but as long as this conflict isn't fatal (which I don't think Assanges is - because then my opinion would differ) then it will strenghten the long term stability. Many small conflicts is part of negotiations, and may be what prevents a large fatal conflict (big world war).
/Fredrik