Re: [ubuntu-uk] Fwd: WikiLeaks: Stop the crackdown - incredible response!

2010-12-11 Thread Avi Greenbury 
At the risk of nit-picking

Jacob Mansfield wrote:

> > *Reasonable people can disagree* on whether WikiLeaks and the
> > leading newspapers it's partnered with are releasing more
> > information than the public should see. Whether the releases
> > undermine diplomatic confidentiality and whether that's a good
> > thing. Whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has the personal
> > character of a hero or a villain. *But none of this justifies a
> > vicious campaign of intimidation to silence a legal media outlet
> > * by governments and corporations.

I rather think that it does. Were someone to view this leakage as
something generally bad for society, it's a bit odd to expect them to
support its legality.

And, given the stated intention of the leaking, I think it's a bit rich
to expect of the targeted governments anything but attempts to stop it.

I'm also having trouble understanding why this is entirely legal, but
I've never been particularly good at identifying legal loopholes.

-- 
Avi.

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[ubuntu-uk] Fwd: WikiLeaks: Stop the crackdown - incredible response!

2010-12-10 Thread Jacob Mansfield 
gust got this on the gllug, thought somebody might find it interesting
Jacob Mansfield
Programmer



On 10 December 2010 10:20, da...@gbenet.com  wrote:

>
>
> Ricken Patel - Avaaz.org wrote:
>
> *Incredible - nearly 400,000 signatures in one day for press freedom! Join
> the massive outcry and forward the email below -*
>
> Dear friends,
>
>  The
> chilling intimidation campaign against WikiLeaks (when they have broken no
> laws) is *an attack on freedom of the press and democracy.* We urgently
> need a massive public outcry to *stop the crackdown -- let's get to 1
> million voices* and take out full page ads in US newspapers this week!
>
> [image: Sign the 
> petition]
>
>
> The *massive campaign of intimidation* against WikiLeaks is sending a
> chill through free press advocates everywhere.
>
> *Legal experts say WikiLeaks has likely broken no laws. Yet top US
> politicians have called it a terrorist group and commentators have urged
> assassination* of its staff. The organization has come under massive
> government and corporate attack, but WikiLeaks is only publishing
> information provided by a whistleblower. And *it has partnered with the
> world's leading newspapers (NYT, Guardian, Spiegel etc)* to carefully vet
> the information it publishes.
>
> *The massive extra-judicial intimidation of WikiLeaks is an attack on
> democracy.* We urgently need a public outcry for freedom of the press and
> expression. *Sign the petition to stop the crackdown and forward this
> email to everyone* -- let's get to 1 million voices and take out full page
> ads in US newspapers this week!
>
> http://www.avaaz.org/en/wikileaks_petition/?vl
>
> *WikiLeaks isn't acting alone* -- it's partnered with the top newspapers
> in the world (New York Times, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, etc) to carefully
> review 250,000 US diplomatic cables and remove any information that it is
> irresponsible to publish. *Only 800 cables have been published so far.*Past 
> WikiLeaks publications have exposed government-backed torture, the
> murder of innocent civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan, and corporate
> corruption.
>
> The US government is currently pursuing all legal avenues to stop WikiLeaks
> from publishing more cables, but *the laws of democracies protect freedom
> of the press.* The US and other governments may not like the laws that
> protect our freedom of expression, but that's exactly why it's so important
> that we have them, and why only a democratic process can change them.
>
> *Reasonable people can disagree* on whether WikiLeaks and the leading
> newspapers it's partnered with are releasing more information than the
> public should see. Whether the releases undermine diplomatic confidentiality
> and whether that's a good thing. Whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange
> has the personal character of a hero or a villain. *But none of this
> justifies a vicious campaign of intimidation to silence a legal media outlet
> * by governments and corporations. Click below to join the call to stop
> the crackdown:
>
> http://www.avaaz.org/en/wikileaks_petition/?vl
>
> Ever wonder why the media so rarely gives the full story of what happens
> behind the scenes? This is why - because when they do, governments can be
> vicious in their response. And when that happens, *it's up to the public
> to stand up for our democratic rights to a free press and freedom of
> expression. Never has there been a more vital time for us to do so.*
>
> With hope,
> Ricken, Emma, Alex, Alice, Maria Paz and the rest of the Avaaz team.
>
> SOURCES:
>
> Law experts say WikiLeaks in the clear (ABC)
> http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2010/s3086781.htm
>
> WikiLeaks are a bunch of terrorists, says leading U.S. congressman (Mail
> Online)
>
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1333879/WikiLeaks-terrorists-says-leading-US-congressman-Peter-King.html
>
> Cyber guerrillas can help US (Financial Times)
>
> http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d3dd7c40-ff15-11df-956b-00144feab49a.html#axzz17QvQ4Ht5
>
> Amazon drops WikiLeaks under political pressure (Yahoo)
>
> http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101201/tc_afp/usdiplomacyinternetwikileakscongressamazon
>
> "WikiLeaks avenged by hacktivists" (PC World):
>
> http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/212701/operation_payback_wikileaks_avenged_by_hacktivists.html
>
> US Gov shows true control over Internet with WikiLeaks containment
> (Tippett.org)
>
> http://www.tippett.org/2010/12/us-gov-shows-true-control-over-internet-with-wikileaks-containment/
>
> US embassy cables culprit should be executed, says Mike Huckabee (The
> Guardian)
>
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/01/us-embassy-cables-executed-mike-huckabee
>
> WikiLeaks ditched by MasterCard, Visa. Who's