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Wikileaks is big news now, governments are all flustered, they’re revealing all kinds of secrets…!

And i’m just feelin’ kinda “meh.”

I have nothing personal against Wikileaks… I just don’t think much of them.

First of all, their whole thing is to reveal secrets of criminal gangs (aka governments). I have a real hard time seeing that as anything but begging to have your ass handed to you on a fucking plate.

Apparently, the founder/operator of Wikileaks spends a significant amount of resources to keep his location and personage secret, because revealing the secrets of organizations that routinely steal, imprison, and murder is very dangerous business.

I can’t honestly lend my support to people who spend massive amounts of energy charging headlong into the oblivion of the state, which is how Wikileaks comes across to me.

I came up with this quip a couple days ago that has set some people off:

It’s hard to see how Wikileaks matters if you’re afraid to expose your own family’s secrets.

For me, this is coming out of uncovering some pretty heavy duty secrets in my own history and within myself… and exposing those secrets takes real courage, because those things are going to change real things within my own life.

If I spent time reading Wikileaks, it wouldn’t change a damn thing.

I realize this is a little disjointed–it’s late and I really ought to be sleeping anyway… but I just have one last thing to point out about Wikileaks (kind of an argument):

When it comes to arguing against the government, the argument from morality is entirely sufficient. If you are debating with somebody who will not agree that initiating violence against others is immoral, no amount of evidence will change their mind, and if they agree to it, evidence may be helpful but still not necessary to close the case that government is immoral.

As it happens, however, we are practically drowning in evidence that the government is immoral from the hundreds of millions of lives destroyed in wars to the millions incarcerated in a horribly violent prison system, from entire economies being destroyed to the futures of the unborn being sold off to the highest bidder… the amount of objective evidence that the governments themselves admit to is absolutely staggering! The exact numbers may never be known but no sane person will contravene this evidence.

Wikileaks is, to my mind, a particularly weak form of evidence. I’m not sure how you can fully reliably verify these leaked documents, especially since they take on electronic form (please note that I am not saying that I believe they are forgeries, but that the possibility is quite high). Also, you’re dealing with government documents, so you’re automatically in crazy-land. Furthermore, leaking secrets is an age-old political tactic that is used to attack one’s opponents.

Wikileaks may help some people shake off the shrouds of indoctrination, which is great for them… but real change does not start there.

Real change starts when you make changes to your actions in your personal life. Going to therapy, getting good relationships, working to know yourself, acting with courage, being honest with yourself, acting in ways that evoke self-pride… these are the things that matter.

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4 Comments »

Comment by Joey

2010-12-01 07:47:31

Excellent stuff. I couldn't have put it better myself. "Real change starts when you make changes to your actions in your personal life. Going to therapy, getting good relationships, working to know yourself, acting with courage, being honest with yourself, acting in ways that evoke self-pride… these are the things that matter." I especially agree with that part.

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Comment by James Pyrich

2010-12-01 13:17:14

Thanks for your comments, Joey :)

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Comment by jadinvt@gmail.com

2010-12-05 20:22:59

Great post. I have a tendency to get caught up in these sorts of events, especially writ so large. It's very grounding to be reminded of the reality of the situation, stripped of romantic narratives.

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Comment by James Pyrich

2010-12-06 12:28:23

Thanks so much, I'm glad you found it helpful! :)

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