By John Ballard
As of this morning I'm excusing myself from further study of Julian Assange and the Wikileaks phenomenon. My plan going forward is to watch and read the fray from a distance much as one might attend a sporting event or a concert. I long ago accepted my personal limitations including patience, focus and intellect. That said, here are three essential readings regarding Julian Assange and Wikileaks that any serious commentator should read, study and inwardly digest (including numerous comments, both insightful and shallow).
?Two essays attributed to Julian Assange. Dated four years ago, these two essays, twelve pages pdf in all, are almost identical and are the only Codex Sinaiticus scholars have in various attempts to discern the mind and intent of Julian Assange. My personal, somewhat jaundiced view is that these attempts to understand the writer are like trying to understand J.D.Salinger by studying a single chapter ripped from Catcher in the Rye.
?Julian Assange and the Computer Conspiracy; �To destroy this invisible government�, posted November 29 by Aaron Bady, a very bright young man blogging under the charming pseudonym of Zunguzungu. He has since posted a more reflective followup,�Two-handed engine�: Wikileaks, the Defense of Diplomatic Secrecy, and East Timor, two days ago, December 7.
?Charli Carpenter's On The Wikileaks Manifesto at Lawyers, Guns and Money links to Bady's first post, using it as a springboard for discussion Her post is not too long but the comments thread draws her into a protracted discussion, including one by Aaron Bady (above), which I haven't the patience to sift through.
She makes and elaborates on three points
- Assange Discounts the Importance of Secrecy For Good Governors, and Overstates the Impact of Leaks on Bad Governors.
- Assange�s Uses the Terms �Authoritarian� and �Conspiracy� in a Sweeping and Circular Way.
- Assange�s Supposedly Brilliant �Theory� of Conspiracies is Simply a Rudimentary Theory of Networks, in Which Any Network Counts As A Conspiracy.
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All that runs to thousands of words for starters, and readers have access to a blizzard of material now sweeping the media. Moreover, these three pieces are apt to be drowned out by heavy hitters. I feel like someone in the bleachers in a crowd of screaming kids who imagine that louder cheering or jeering will have an impact on the outcome of the game.
Inside I worry about the future of net neutrality and the threat this sequence of events can have on those who make decisions about that issue (not yet on the mainstream radar but the next logical target to be tracked).
Given a choice between a dedicated cadre of Jacob Applebaums and a bleacher full of screaming kids, I choose the kids.
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Just for grins, via a Tweet, here is a Taiwanese animated summary of the story so far.
Lots more fun than the heavy stuff.
I think you've summarized all we need to know about Julian Assange, John.
ReplyDeleteBut people who have a flawed theory or approach can still make a big difference.
What I've seen so far doesn't look like it, though.
I couldn't agree more.
ReplyDeleteA quick look at Assange's two versions of the same three-page effort at a manifesto reveals a sophomoric grasp of ideas that have bedeviled great thinkers since the beginning of time. His careless use of of conspiracies and justice is primitive at best. Charli Carpenter's criticisms are spot on, which is what helped me move on to other subjects.
And your point about people with flawed reasoning making a difference is underscored most recently by Sara Palin. We do live in interesting times.