Bangladesh Canada and Beyond: The WikiLeaks Does It Again, Grossly

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

The WikiLeaks Does It Again, Grossly

This time the WikiLeaks, the whistle-blowing website, has touched the inner sanctum of the US government -- mainly the diplomatic mails and telegrams -- which every country considers most secret and sacred at the same time and guards them viciously.

Data journalism is sometimes necessary for the greater good of the citizens of a country. But, if this journalism, which is mostly illegal and immoral in its approach, goes overboard, like this time, is a cause for concern no doubt.

Total transparency in everything cannot work. Every person, family, community, organization, institution, and country has to maintain some secrecy to function in this world. If every one knows everything, there would be the chaos of the first order. Irresponsible transparency is no transparency at all.

The WikiLeakers themselves are acting against the "principle of transparency in everything." They are maintaining secrecy before placing the data to the world public through their website. They are not releasing the name or names of persons who handed over the unauthorized data to them. Julian Assange, the head leaker of the WikiLeaks, himself does not let his whereabouts known.

This time, on November 28, the WikiLeaks dumped more than 250,000 US diplomatic cables and mails for the world public. These leaks have removed all the layers of clothing from the body of the US government. The denuded government felt total embarrassment in front of ogling world governments and public.

Earlier in last July, the WikiLeaks exposed US government documents on its war in Afghanistan.

Such data journalism, in specific cases, can be an effective tool for gaining justice when certain injustices cause maximum harm to the interests of the citizens of a country or countries. That does not mean all and everything, although unrelated to the cases, must be exposed.

Let's see below how cartoonists look at the recent leaks.