Re: <nettime> Questions concerning Wikileaks

["Patrice Riemens" <patrice@xs4all.nl>]

> I might be missing something, but I don't quite get why Internet
> activists keep defending Wikileaks as part of their perceived community.
> How many people are aware of the facts that:
>
> - There is no Wiki in Wikileaks?
> - There is, currently, no Wikileaks Internet service for
>   leaking documents at all?
> - That the above wasn't a result of external pressures but internal
>   trouble and schisms in the Wikileaks project?
> - Wikileaks' collaboration with news media such as The Guardian and Der
>   Spiegel was based on payments to Wikileaks, with Wikileaks working as
>   an 'information broker with a funny name' (Dmytri Kleiner)?
> - Assange signed a one million dollar book contract?
> - In May 2010, Assange announced a $100,000 defense fund for
>   Bradley Manning but not a single cent was ever paid? (according
>   to Daniel Domscheit-Berg)

The only part of the catalogue that is not entirely true. According to DDB
in his book (Inside Wikileaks) $15.500-something was paid out to the BM
defence fund - but that only fairly recently.

Both DDB and JA have promised full financial transparancy in past,
present, and future Wklks/OL dealings. We are still far of ...

however, the Wau Hoilland Foundation, the most above-board outfit in this
particular galaxy, should provide some accounts for their part of the
donation business.


> Why does noone discuss whether it wouldn't be safer for whistleblowers
> to directly contact a news medium like The Guardian instead of using an
> intermediary? (Credits to Dmytri again.)

It not only would, it is. BUT (i) whistleblower business is quite tricky -
there are many ways to find you out, both tech and social (or combo).
basically whistleblowing means burning the bridges; (ii) the mainstream
media have their own agenda, characterized, aot, by a perverse craze for
exclusivity and a pathological aversion to sharing - with each other and
with the public.

Cheers, p+3D!

SUPPORT BRADLEY MANNING!
http://www.bradleymanning.org/
http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/





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