WikiLeaks

This is the third time I’ve started composing a blog entry on Julian Assange and WikiLeaks – to say that I am ambivalent would be a serious understatement. The far left is ready to canonize him and the far right is ready to hang him (and may ultimately succeed, figuratively If not literally).

I have no great wisdom to offer. I have only questions.

What is the ultimate goal of international diplomacy?
How should we engage regimes with values antithetical to our own?
When – in international relations or in interpersonal relations – is confidentiality necessary?
When does confidentiality become deceit?
When is breaking a confidence justified?
What’s the difference between news and gossip?
Who gets to decide?
And finally, was anyone genuinely shocked by what was revealed?

This is not a Socratic exercise – I’m not trying to lead you to any conclusions with these questions… mostly because I don’t know what conclusions I’d want to lead you to.

But these are questions that need to be asked, and answered.