I find the recent Wikileaks saga most conflicting. The data dump will have the effect that diplomats will rarely write candidly for fear that their words will end up in The Guardian. Diplomats are the oil in the international system. It is impossible to know what damage, if any, has been done or will be done.
On the flip side, we should never forget the first Wikileaks release, Collateral Murder, available here. If you haven’t seen it, I can tell you that it is footage of the pilots of a US Apache helicopter executing civilians and journalists. When the US authorities were asked how two reporters had died, the US lied and then obfuscated. Thankfully, the footage was leaked and those who lost loved ones will know the truth: they were mown down by trigger-happy Americans in an illegal, immoral war.
Make your own mind up of the video: you should know what our combatants are doing in your name; the pornography of war should be seen. If you support the war, you should see the impact of your actions.
So, the Wikileaks releases has made it harder for our representatives to mislead, and who can be against that?
