What the Hell is it with Wikileaks?

So, I know that this was supposed to be a revision of a previous blog post. However, this is a blog post I have been meaning to write for a while. So let us consider this a revision of the half-formed morasses from my mind.

I think the title line sums it up quite well; what the hell is it with Wikileaks? The whistleblower site has released at least three large caches of government papers. In April 2010, WikiLeaks posted video from a 2007 incident in which Iraqi civilians and journalists were killed by U.S. forces, on a website called Collateral Murder. In July, WikiLeaks released Afghan War Diary, a compilation of more than 76,900 documents about the War in Afghanistan not previously available for public review. In October, the group released a package of almost 400,000 documents called the Iraq War Logs in coordination with major commercial media organisations. In November 2010, WikiLeaks began releasing U.S. State department diplomatic cables.

None of this, in my opinion, should have been done. This is a huge ethical wrong, even though it’s showing the horrible atrocities that the US has committed in these wars, and the secrets that it conceals. And yet, they are secrets for a reason. The release of the documents is a crushing blow to the image of the US, and prevents the success that much of the world seeks in the two crucial wars of Iraq and Afghanistan. The release of these war documents makes the attempt of winning the hearts and minds of the civilians in the two war-torn countries completely uncredible.

Not only this, but as these leaks claim to be a humanitarian gift from God, they are anything but that. These documents are absolutely insensitive to the lives of the people on our side, the collaborators and our own soldiers, while protecting our enemies. The documents name a lot of collaborators, who can now expect a bloody and brutal retribution; a fine way to be repaid, and an excellent way to prevent others from helping us. Many also contain detailed operation plans; this is worse than when Confederate plans were found in a cigar box before Anteitam, which let McClellan drive Lee out of the Union. The insurgents now know our every move, and can efficiently counter anything that was already planned, putting the lives of countless of our soldiers in danger. Ultimately, one wonders if Wikileaks should be considered another insurgent group.

Wikileaks claims to be exercising their freedom of speech, and insist upon not being censored. However, there is legal precedent against this type of free speech. There is a difference between the black arm bands of the Tinkers, which were ruled constitutional, and these leaks. Charles T Schenck, in 1917, was put on trial for disseminating pamphlets that opposed draft for WWI. The landmark court case decided that there is a limit to free speech, and established censorship in times of “clear and present danger.” This is the case of shouting fire in a crowded theater. While the intentions may be good, ultimately it ends in thousands trampled. Wikileaks, take a good look at what you’re doing.