"Why has the public had to wait for WikiLeaks to find out how great power really operates?"

Are you serious Mr Pliger. I think a lot of people know just how power operates, although many of your fans may live in a world of make believe about how nice the world be if only we did this and that.

Yes, I have no problem with wikileaks, but I also understand why certain governments may wish to avoid such leaks in the future.

<< a lot of people know just how power operates ... >>

That may be so Chris Lewis but there is an argument that there are vastly more people that don't. The world is full of people who just don't know, don't want to know, bury their head in the sand, or like you say ... live in fantasy land.

Whether these are Pilger's fans or not has got absolutely nothing to do with it.

I don't have a problem with Wikileaks either, but security issues will be problematic. You raised the point - How should "certain governments avoid such leaks in the future"? Simpler said than done, obviously.

Fareed Zakaria, writing in the latest edition of Time Magazine, criticised the "new" data-sharing craze adopted by the U.S. government.
He says: "The leaks are in some ways an unintended consequence of Washington's finally getting its information act together."
He points out that the 9/11 commission exposed the fact that various government department computer systems were unable to share data.
Zakaria writes: "Well, the government solved that problem, allowing Defence Department computers to reach into foreign service's cable traffic."
Sounds like the U.S. government was the architect of its own porous security.

Why wars are not reported "Honestly" ? ? ?

Hmmmm maybe...just MAYBE, because of how

a)Truth is the first casualty of war
b)There IS no "honest" reporting of wars.
c)The Left, of which Pillage is a big part, used the media in a disgraceful and dishonest way, to win the Vietnam war...and shame the USA.

So.. PUH-LEASE don't insult our intelligence by calling on Honesty in reporting...I've READ a book of yours John!

The clear implication of Pillage's position is that he..."HE" will always report "honestly"....

yeah right... we've heard that one longggggg ago.

Dear Al,
Re: Truth being the first casualty of war.
I read this line somewhere recently in connection with Wikileaks...but it struck a chord...
Wouldn't it be good if "War was the first casualty of Truth."

Vietnam was a demonstration of what happens when the media are not given direction in a war. This dose not have to mean that the media is manipulated rather like children if you keep them occupied they tend not to cause trouble.
Government all around the world seem to have learned this lesson, inbedding of the media with combat units gives them a view of the action from a disciplined perspective. A well adjusted and well lead unit will give the media more than enough news to keep them busy and on side.
I don't believe for a minute that the general population don't know what is really going on in war, they simply don't care. It is in the interests of national security that we destroy iraq and afghanistan so that the general population can be kept safe from the truth.