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Octafish

(55,745 posts)
37. What has Wikileaks ever taught us?
Tue Dec 11, 2012, 11:41 AM
Dec 2012


A blast from the DU past that has relevance for today and tomorrow:

How often have we been told in world-weary tones that Wikileaks has revealed nothing new - especially by those who want to appear to be in the know? Here is an aide-mémoire of a few of the highest profile revelations.

by Ryan Gallagher
17 February 2011
OpenDemocracy.net

Since 2006, whistleblower website WikiLeaks has published a mass of information we would otherwise not have known. The leaks have exposed dubious procedures at Guantanamo Bay and detailed meticulously the Iraq War's unprecedented civilian death-toll. They have highlighted the dumping of toxic waste in Africa as well as revealed America's clandestine military actions in Yemen and Pakistan.

The sheer scope and significance of the revelations is shocking. Among them are great abuses of power, corruption, lies and war crimes. Yet there are still some who insist WikiLeaks has "told us nothing new". This collection, sourced from a range of publications across the web, illustrates nothing could be further from the truth. Here, if there is still a grain of doubt in your mind, is just some of what WikiLeaks has told us:

SNIP...

•The Obama administration worked with Republicans to protect Bush administration officials facing a criminal investigation into torture (see Mother Jones)

SNIP...

•More than 66,000 civilians suffered “violent deaths” in Iraq between 2004 and the end of 2009 (see the Telegraph)


CONTINUED with LINKS...

http://www.opendemocracy.net/ryan-gallagher/what-has-wikileaks-ever-taught-us-read-on

Gee. No wonder they want to shut up Assange and the Internet he rode in on.

PS: The picture above is of Jose Padilla in his sensory deprivation goggles.

PPS: You are most welcome, LiberalLovinLug! Thank you for caring about stuff like Democracy and the First Amendment and the future of the nation and planet.
For some, the truth is greatly overrated. For some, having a big "D" and a certain gender is enough. AnotherMcIntosh Dec 2012 #1
Toshiba is a reminder of the relationship of money to loyalty - corporate, national, personal. Octafish Dec 2012 #4
I remember Toshiba was supposed to suffer a two year trade sanction penalty oasis Dec 2012 #19
A Norwegian firm also prospered. Octafish Dec 2012 #26
How many US jobs does Westinghouse maintain? Robb Dec 2012 #2
Is this about 'national' interests or 'corporate' interests? leftstreet Dec 2012 #3
It's about jobs, really? Octafish Dec 2012 #5
No surprise here. blm Dec 2012 #7
You got a long memory, blm. Octafish Dec 2012 #8
It's kind of odd how that investigation petered out hootinholler Dec 2012 #14
US Attorney Carol Lam got fired by Karl Rove's body. Octafish Dec 2012 #24
Oh, I was thinking of Debra Wong Yang hootinholler Dec 2012 #29
You are a marvel, Hootinholler. Octafish Dec 2012 #32
I should dust off my file of notes hootinholler Dec 2012 #39
Was Carol Lam Targeting The White House Prior To Her Firing? Octafish Dec 2012 #40
That's news to me. hootinholler Dec 2012 #41
It's OK to say "I don't know." Robb Dec 2012 #18
Thanks for remind me, Robb. How many jobs does Westinghouse provide in the United States? Octafish Dec 2012 #20
9-10K, a little less than half of that in the nuke division. Robb Dec 2012 #25
Thank you! As many as 10,000 jobs? Octafish Dec 2012 #35
watch it, Octafish, or you will be called a "hater" or something. Thanks for that. nt antigop Dec 2012 #6
What I hate is war and secret government. Octafish Dec 2012 #9
and thank you for your posts. I have learned a lot from them. nt antigop Dec 2012 #12
K&R Scuba Dec 2012 #10
One thing trumps peace. Octafish Dec 2012 #16
What bullshit. Let them lobby on their own, WTF. Thanks Octafish. nt Mnemosyne Dec 2012 #11
Ask Cass Sunstein, the nuclear lobby is a really interesting thing. Octafish Dec 2012 #22
Who? The Senator from Tata? The same people she has always worked for. K&R n/t Egalitarian Thug Dec 2012 #13
When it comes to promoting the nation's interest, odd how often it coincides with one's own. Octafish Dec 2012 #27
Just a series of wild and random coincidences. Nobody could possibly be that clever. n/t Egalitarian Thug Dec 2012 #33
Thanks for this Octafish LiberalLovinLug Dec 2012 #15
What has Wikileaks ever taught us? Octafish Dec 2012 #37
They circle the globe locks Dec 2012 #17
Bernie Sanders. n/t Egalitarian Thug Dec 2012 #34
The Cashberg Octafish Dec 2012 #38
what good would it do to break up the soviet union if the satellites stay within the russian orbit? HiPointDem Dec 2012 #21
K&R for more exposure woo me with science Dec 2012 #23
This stuff never gets old, and it never reaches its half-life. Not in our lifetime, anyway. leveymg Dec 2012 #28
k/r marmar Dec 2012 #30
Thank you Octafish Trailrider1951 Dec 2012 #31
Kick Le Taz Hot Dec 2012 #36
K&R. I didn't realize Westinghouse had been sold so long ago. Overseas Dec 2012 #42
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