Assange

A post on this topic is as hard and controversial as it is overdue. Julian Assange is imprisoned. WikiLeaks is not. The whole WikiLeaks matter has more thorns than a hedgehog, and Assange's persecution is but a small part of it.

Governments owe their constituents transparency, honesty and diligence. The business of running a government, however, becomes nearly impossible if it is constantly scrutinized, because then every statement is made with accountability in mind, rather than factual correctness or intended effect. The whole idea of diplomatic communication is that, because it is privileged, it can give an honest picture of the situation abroad. If a diplomat cannot afford to slight a leader by assessing him honestly, he is of very little use to his home base in providing an accurate appraisal of his host.

Is the idea behind WikiLeaks a good one? Most certainly. A bit of proper journalism keeps even the best of governments just a bit more honest than they would be when completely unsupervised.

Is the publication of the diplomatic cables a good idea? Most certainly not. We can be all anarchist about it and celebrate proof that 'governments are evil' and 'diplomats are phonies and spies', but the fact of the matter is that the diplomatic service, and diplomatic secrecy exist to keep the peace and make sure that countries can communicate out of the spotlight, as is sometimes necessary, and it works rather well. Diplomatic relations have suffered a great deal for no good return: We know nothing about Medvedev or Karzai or Obama that CNN and BBC and what have you didn't already tell us many times.

Of course diplomats are covert operatives and used to gain every possible advantage abroad. Better to be completely infested with diplomats than with paratroopers. Of course things are secretly said about heads of state which wouldn't be misplaced on Saturday Night Live or The Roast. Better to call a crook a crook than to call him a good man and be cheated. Of course there are secret places, bases, people and plans. WikiDepartmentOfDefense doesn't work, nor does drawing attention to your weak spots.

WikiLeaks should cherish a world which allows it to exist, and never forget that the much lambasted American government and it's allies still allow them, and many of us, a lot more freedom than elsewhere in the world, and abusing this freedom opens the door to a system that is not so kind. Publish the helmet cams, the controversial statistics, and as many blacklists as you can find. Fight censure and misinformation. Don't publish these cables. It's does lot of damage to things that matter too much, in return for very little we didn't already know or could safely assume.

So what about this arrest? A smear campaign? Duped by a honey trap? It seems likely. The timing is just too damn convenient. However, what point and purpose does his arrest now serve? As if Wikipedia would stop working two days after Jimmy Wales gets busted for having a really penetrating gaze. As if the revelations are less important because the founder of the site is an alleged rapist.

An arrest on bogus charges would be strange move by the powers that be. Kick a bear, expect a swipe. In that sense it is not unexpected for governments to pursue Assange. But because it does not ease the sting of the publications nor stop their continuation, it is really rather pointless to arrest him.

And as unlikely as I think that is, maybe Assange did some things he shouldn't have done to some nice ladies in Sweden. If so, he should stand trial and do his time. If it is indeed a trumped-up charge, he will be free soon enough. I have that much faith in the judicial system.

Either way his arrest and persecution are now so public that it would serve everyone's best interests, including that of the United States, Sweden and the United Kingdom, to make sure Assange stays alive and well for very long time hence. If cablegate becomes killergate Assange will justly become a martyr for the freedom of information and WikiLeaks will be mirrored, imitated and expanded beyond all power of censure. That's why I think he is fairly safe for the time being.

Meanwhile the infowar continues, and brave servers everywhere are bearing the load of titanic efforts designed to take out WikiLeaks. It will be interesting to see what legal changes this battle engenders, as the issue of control over the internet is once again front and center in the minds of policy makers. Governments fear and mistrust the internet like never before. Assange's legacy is assured.