PaulL, when you say that vast majority of the “cables are NOT particularly edifying”. You may well be right however, might I suggest you add the rider, so far! And don’t forget, we do not have to share any agenda Assange might have to get public value from his revelations.

We are dealing with the reactions of the MSM, public broadcasters, politicians and general commentariat to Wikileaks.

Jennifer Wilsons’ article raises the valid point, why are we getting this reaction?

If this is the reaction to “not particularly edifying” content, why the paranoid reaction?

Nothing to see here folks, move right along please!

Could it be, just a suggestion, only an idea of course, nothing concrete, just asking a silly question?

What if the people who actually sent these cables know what was in them? Ridiculous I know, anyway they wouldn’t have kept copies would they?

Anyway I don’t suppose they are furiously going through every cable to see what “might” come up in the next release so they are fully prepared with excuses, sorry mitigation, sorry reasons, no, just a simple explanation that we will all love and understand?

What if those who know they are on flaky ground, have possibly, dare I say it “misled” the public, or might just have something to hide from the public in relation to incompetence, duplicity, censorship, failure of public duty, bias or prejudice?

The reactions so far might less to do with “not particularly edifying” and more to do with OMG what if “this” gets out?

One could suggest that only those with something to hide would react this way. Silly I know.

Jennifer Wilson is asking a very valid question, “Exactly what narrative is the ABC working to produce about Wikileaks?

The same question must be asked of the many others who are trying to shoot the messenger. Thanks to Jennifer’s observations we can clearly identify those who have something to hide.

Jennifer, can I suggest your next article covers possible motivation?

I just Luuuuuve serious journalists, Juicy, yes?

As a brief aside for those who doubt the 'killing' mentality of some of those on the Conservative Far Right.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKnw-V5fjBI

More evidence that truth is often stranger than fiction and it is this mentality that often shapes foreign policy.

Should add that Brett Solomon was probably not the best person to interview on this topic but so far GetUp has raised $350K as part of the Wikileaks campaign including an Ad in the New York Times; and collected 90,000 signatures.

Gotta love the bit where the American woman states that the idea of "stopping governments from lying to their citizens" is juvenile.

PaulL

Landauer isn't calling for the abolition of the state. He calls for a re-organisation of relationships within the state, but he seeks to maintain the state.

Assange is in the business of regime change.
Regime change is just that, change. A regime remains in place, its just a differently organised regime.

Assange's position is internal to the structure of the global politic. The USA is a key player in the structure of the global politic. Therefore Assange is a whistleblower. On a global scale.

I don't accept you premise that Assange has deserted Manning. There is nothing anybody can do for Manning now. Wikileaks did everything possible to protect him. Manning allegedly revealed his actions to a fellow soldier, who shopped him.

Do you argue that there is no correlation between social justice and the greater "truth?" Because I can't agree with that, though it is far too big a subject to address here.

America is indeed bleeding from a thousand cuts. But these are the consequences of self harm. America is bleeding from the inside. I go to the US twice a year, and each time I can see how much worse things are becoming there. But this is nothing to do with Assange, or any outside influence.

Spindoc - http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/42176.html

Great article yesterday on the psychological motivations.

You can judge a person's true position by the PROTESTERS who support him or her.

Hard core left wingers seem to be supporting Assange... that must tell you something.

This is just part of a much bigger....longer term program of seeking a 'surrogate for the working class' to use as a divisive/hegelian dialectic issue and forment revolution.

Max Horkheimer said it in the 1930s as head of the Frankfurt school.
Now.. wikileaks is just a small player, but an important one.

Dear Al,

Did you happen to catch Judge Andrew Napolitano on Glenn Beck's show recently. Much to his host's chagrin, the judge came down heavily in favour of and applauded the exposure of the truth. He attacked the U.S. government, saying that it had behaved reprehensibly by intimidating the vendors who did business with Wikileaks, adding that such engagement was prohibited by the constitution.
Would you consider Fox News' regular legal guru as a rabid left-winger?