WikiLeaks controversy... (two, or more sides of the same coin...)

Since it's inception in the late 2006 the WikiLeaks and it's director Julian Assange were a subject of a great and sometimes disgusting to witness controversy.  The controversy was not only on the grounds of releasing potentially damaging (to a leak subjects) information, but by the way of obtaining the data, association with the international (in big degree Chinese) hackers community. 
I am not going to bore you by repeating the info available on Wikipedia.org and other sources about the organization itself and it's activities.  Everybody can do it at will.

I am going to focus on the latest indiscretion - the release of the Diplomatic Cables, and the preceding spill - the release of the 400,000 classified documents relating the the Iraq War, and the Afghan War.  And again, not about the particular details of this act, but the issue surrounding it.

At first when I learned about The Leak - it infuriated me extremely.  I couldn't understand how anybody with a conscience could commit such an act of treason.  Yes, treason, even though Julian Assange is an Australian self-proclaimed whistle-blower, not an American.  No matter how anti-war in general and how much anti-this-particular-war I am, releasing these documents didn't bring us closer to the end of this struggle.
It's not the Viet-Nam War, unpopular and despised to the point of redirecting the nation's hatred toward the participants of the conflict - soldiers themselves.  It's a different war.  Although the soldiers of the Viet-Nam War shouldn't have been deprived from a compassion and support of the Nation - this time around - these soldiers are not.  We have hundreds of thousands of troops coming to all 4 branches of the Army from all parts of the population.  In general, brave and doing well their job.  The job which was given to them by the President of the United States.
We can discuss the factors which brought us to this (Iraq) war... Oh, no, no point discussing it.  We all agreed already that we entered the Iraq War (last one) on the false pretenses.  Again, I am not going to dwell on a subject of real reasons for this war.  Maybe some other time...
As stated before: there are hundreds of thousands of personnel (both the active duty and the support) who risk their lives on daily basis.  There are thousands of Special Forces operators, Intelligence Community members (both the operators and the assets), who risk their life in this conflict every day.  It doesn't take much to jeopardize their existence even in greater degree.  It's enough to make certain classified information available publicly.  Published indiscriminately by WikiLeaks may have become the ultimate weapon against our troops - their nooses.
Of course some of these documents brought to the day light the abuses and the irregularities of the War Machine.  No one can deny that, but in the general account the results of The Leak produce more danger than it's all worth.
Most of the leaked Diplomatic Cables are probably completely benign (if they weren't heavily encrypted), but if they get published in such a manner, they may bring harm to the Diplomats and in the long run the Country.

Assange is the name we all know and associate with this leak.  My fury as the fury of all who felt betrayed and vulnerable was directed toward him instantly.  But, was it rightfully so?
After a moment (I admit: a long-few-days moment) it dawned on me.  Besides his anterior motifs to harm the America, to harm the Modern Society (I am not going to speculate farther what was his real anterior motif), he did only what a JOURNALIST (no matter if self-proclaimed or not) could and should do.  Freedom of the PRESS is one of the most important rules of our Democracy (almost democracy as I noted before).  The First Amendment to The Constitution is the most important part of the Law Of The Land.  It should be protected, and it should be implemented no matter if your personal feelings say the contrary.  It should be obeyed even if you are revolted by perpetrator who wishes you and us very badly. 

If Julian Assange published the materials provided to him (or his staff) and not coerced or actively stolen by him or his staff - then he shouldn't suffer any legal consequences of his act (otherwise repulsive and wrong).  This protection by the 1st Amendment is conditional - provided that he didn't have anything to do with the act of obtaining this documents at the first place.  And for his safety and the future I sure hope that he hasn't have.
It's a bit suspicious that right after the Leak become public Assange was charged (sorry, wasn't charged, just indicated as a 'person of interest') with the sexual crime in one of our allied countries, Sweden?  How convenient. 
Michael Moore offered his own $20,000 to post a bail for Assange.  Again I was infuriated (but it was before I came to the Reason) by this act.  But, if this is a 'smear campaign' (which J.A.  claims to be, and from the perspective it resembles), one should not be punished for 'speaking out'.  Again we come around to the same Constitutional dilemma.

It brings us to the last issue inter-weaved with this affair - the act of stealing of these classified documents.  I am not going even to mention the name of the low rank military archivist who perpetrated this crime.  Was it his idea, or he was 'inspired' by Assange? Or by anybody else? 
He is directly responsible for putting great number of people at risk.  No matter what his motifs were, there is no justification in my mind for this act of treason.  He should be prosecuted and answer for this crime to the fullest of the available law. 

But Assange... If he hasn't been involved in the theft of the documents - he walks...  And that's better than making a dangerous precedence persecuting a member of the Press for publishing anything.

I am sure the Saga will continue...

NEW YEAR 2011 came with the new hopes for the State of The Union.

During the last 10 years we haven't been pampered by the Fate, to say the least.  The political Reality kept exceeding the worst nightmarish expectations.  I am not going to list all the calamities which forced us to rethink ourselves.  Let me throw just a few:
George W took the Oval Office.
The Markets proved that the Gravity is an undeniable force - much stronger than artificially blown Internet Stock Bubble.
911.
Afghanistan War started.
Another proof for the proverb: 'if you want to hit the dog, you will find the stick..." - even if you can't find the WMDs.  And the Iraq War (second) started.
More than 4000 of our troops killed - and for what?.
More than a million of Iraqis perished.
Sub-Prime mortgages.
Someone has to pay for the War expenditures - welcome to the Worst (yet) Recession of Our Lives.
A sudden breath of the fresh air (although not too long lasting euphoria) - Obama elected the President of the USA (definitely the most Positive Fact of the Decade)
'Birthers'
Tea Party, and 'I am no witch' promise...
Sara Palin (yes - a calamity).
Democrats lost the Majority in the Congress - the elections which only proofed that 'deeply frustrated people' lose the perspective view on politics.  In such an emotional stage the differences between 'a friend and a foe'  are completely blurred.
Tax compromise.
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Of course there were a few bright moments in this past decade.  It's almost ironic that some of them we may associate with the 'Lame Duck Session' of the US Congress,
like 'Repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy'. 

Coincidentally the last decade was also the period when I tried to run a new, established in 1999 business (after quitting a full time job at Sotheby's).  Perfect timing.
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I wanted to start this blog right after the Presidential Inauguration in 2008 - on a positive note.  I procrastinated to the moment when I couldn't calmly take it anymore.  So, the blog is officially started.  Not on such a positive note, but with the HOPE for the improvement of our economical and political situation in the new Decade which has just started.  The blog started also with the HOPE for improving of our American perception in the World.  Putting aside any extreme Anti-Americanism in the Middle East, or Far East - we are not any more the most 'welcome' nation in the World.  Hopefully we can change it.  Let's try.