EDIT: This post is not calling into question the video discussed elsewhere on the YALiberty blog.
How do we know when WikiLeaks has it wrong?
Bonnie's post has me thinking of the circumstances around which I first learned of WikiLeaks.
Sometime after I was initiated into a fraternity, I learned that its Ritual had been posted at WikiLeaks. This was interesting for a time, but after perusing an official copy of the Ritual in person and comparing it to the document posted at WikiLeaks, there were glaring discrepancies. Neither I nor any other member of my fraternity would feel especially threatened by an outsider reading our Ritual because it must be experienced to be understood and the Ritual as written leaves certain words, phrases, and descriptions blanked out so that they can only be passed on via word of mouth.
WikiLeaks has uncovered scandal and stores raw information that might otherwise be removed from the internet. For those fighting for transparency it is indeed a valuable resource. If I were to speculate, I would guess that public trust in the information released via Wikileaks is much higher than public trust in the nightly news reports. But, as in the case of my fraternity's Ritual, how do we know when WikiLeaks has it wrong?
This video was verified and confirmed by those who would know. That's how we know Wikileaks didn't get it wrong. Now what are you trying to hide about your secret fraternity you dirty dirty boy?
This post was not about the video of the two Reuters journalists dying. The point was about the thousands of documents on Wikileaks and their validity. Wikileaks anonymity is a blessing and a curse. While it protects the leakers, it also undermines transparency. Ironic, isn't it?
It's my understanding that the first commandment of counterintelligence is to be offensive. What better way to subvert a movement or government than "leak" incriminating documents or videos that cast that movement or government in a bad light?
EDIT: I edited the post to explain that it is not about the video posted elsewhere on the YAL blog.
Post new comment