The unintended consequences of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks

Julian Assange, like it or not, is a publisher. He is also an idealist and quite possibly an anarchist. According to INTERPOL’s Red Notice, Assange may have a dark side no one could defend, a personal side quite apart from WikiLeaks where he’s published damaging information about countries like the U.S., Kenya, China, Iraq and others. Many Americans are calling for his head. But the persecution and/or prosecution of Assange could have devastating consequences that might seriously injure civil rights in the U.S. and abroad.

Assange’s publication of state and military secrets has no doubt further damaged the US image.

Diplomats whose musings were divulged aren’t as troubling as the military data released because conservatives do not want to see any action place our troops in more danger than they are already in.

Quite frankly, most of the diplomatic cables made public make our diplomats sound like they’re doing lines in a sitcom. The term educated fool comes to mind.

A keystone in the limits of government in the U.S. is the first amendment. Although Assange may not technically have published the leaked documents here, that amendment should be in the front of our minds as an ideal—as something valuable. Freedom of the press is, in part, what helps Americans stay free.

We may not like Assange’s message—we may despise the fact he delivered it. But unless there is evidence Assange himself breached a security system or broke into a data file, the only thing we know for sure is that he’s published a lot of information the government wanted to keep secret.

Without a leaker, Assange would have nothing to drip. Bradley Manning, with his troubled record, should have never been placed in an intelligence role. Furthermore, the military records should have never been available to so many people.  

Why was Manning given the opportunity to copy so much data? Did he act alone? Is there a greater conspiracy ongoing in an effort to further undermine US power? Who manipulated Manning?

Equally important are questions about the abilities of those running our sprawling government infrastructure.

Equally intriguing is the question of who funds WikiLeaks. How does Assange fund his fugitive status travel? Hundreds of questions arise about all the actors in this state drama.

The WikiLeaks release has created a crisis of sorts and that’s where unintended consequences come in.

For several years Democrats in Congress and the White House have given the impression of hostility to all but select media—advocacy for restoring the unconstitutional Fairness Doctrine, efforts to regulate the Internet, naming conservative talk show hosts (and conservatives in general) as the enemy and pushing sweeping, poorly written legislation to give the president control of the Internet in a national emergency.

When someone eyes an action that conflicts with the First Amendment, a free people should show great concern. That amendment is a wall between government and our rights. As the WikiLeaks crisis has preoccupied media and the populace, Democrats have pushed for troubling legislation giving the government more power over the private sector (food industry), states-related amnesty (DREAM Act), healthcare, and a tax increase so they can spend more on all the entitlements they’ve passed or hoped to pass.

Even as Democrats carp about the so-called cost of taxation on the “wealthy,” they spend more on a daily basis, or try to. Our government has continued to upsize when the critical need is downsizing. Yet that critical issue is submerged in the murky waters of WikiLeaks.

We should be reminded to not let our hearts—our love for our country—run away with our heads. We should be reminded to fiercely safeguard our rights to material made public about our country.

We should remind our leaders that in this day and age, Big Brother may be watching us, but we’re turning an eagle eye on him as well.

Until more is known about everyone involved, we cannot convict Assange prematurely on any legal matter.  

Our anger might lead us down a dangerous path with completely unintended consequences. And those in charge of our government might be only too happy to seize even more power than they have already taken, trampling on our constitution and on our rights.

There’s another crisis afoot and we should be vigilant.

These leaks, particularly the military leaks, are another breakdown in a government too large to govern efficiently and in some cases, morally. That issue should be on the front burner sizzling right by the WikiLeaks pot.

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[Commentary by Kay B. Day/Dec. 2, 2010]