Wiki-gate

Although the current Wikileaks-fever seems to be slightly off-topic to a Slovak blog, nevertheless I cannot help to hook up on these developments, and finding out that still we have a big issue here as well.

While the whole diplomatic world is baffled and slightly annoyed - to use an understatement - I cannot help but frown: A mass media howling has been unleashed of putting thousands at risk, claiming that disclosure is a criminal offense and I could go on. In my view a slight wrong message.

As I am currently working on an anti-corruption audit, the very same problem arises; the more secrecy there is, the more hidden i.e. corrupt practices are possible and transparency can disclose such malpractices and prevent further. An organisation, which is not willing to disclose information is suspicious, and classifying something as "secret" is the easiest way to manipulate. Under current western legislation it could even be trespassing the law. 

Despite my full understanding of the unease of disclosure of let's say military classified data, I do not see any harm in the vast majority of information that has appeared on Wikileaks. The attributes labelled to Putin, Berlusconi or Kom Jong-Il are far from a surprise to me, and I do not the US State Department telegrammes to confirm that. But in return, neither I myself was pleased how meekly European governments had to provide the Bush Administration with data on citizens in their so-called war against terrorism - which in my view was for a great part instigated by Mr Bush and his fellas' arrogant behaviour in the first place. 

What disturbs me is the statements of several politicians, or Canada's Prime-Minister's advisor, who even uttered that Mr Assange should be put to death or not to forget one of Slovak parliament members Mr Šebej muttered that he should be put behind bars. For what?! Are we now starting to pronounce hysterical fatwahs to a right of information? And frankly, there's much that needs to be answered on the world political level. And to Mr Šebej, who knows quite well how it was to live under a secretive totalitarian regime that kept records on suspicious citizens. So where is the borderline? Are we now supporting such totalitarian practices again? Let's not play the overly conservative more than pro-American ally here and let's remain a clear head.

This very moment, Slovakia's government is still hanging on one thin thread, due to the repeatedly failed elections of the next General Prosecutor. It is a great disgrace, and visibly a few people have an interest that the dubious Mr Trnka remains in place, perhaps to be able to keep their murky businesses from the past under the carpet. This all at the expense of the present Cabinet, that was supposed to be the hope for better reforms. My question therefore is; is being sheepishly meek and allowing a selected few to do murky, foul business at our expenses the current ideology of being a free democratic (global) society?

The Wikileaks are a sore on the wrong spot so to say, but such things happen if you play with fire. It is in no way the end of the world, and admittedly, I do feel a certain sympathy for Obama and Clinton, for they inherited much of this from the previous administrations, so personally they are not directly responsible for most of it, but politically they have to bite the dust a bit. The world will turn on, but hopefully a world, where we have realised, that we all have a right to these information. The signals given now by officials are more than uncalled for.