Reporters Without Borders Condemn Attacks On Wikileaks

[sabrina 1]

Reacting to the vicious attacks on Wikileaks, Reporters Without Borders issued a statement condemning them:



Wikileaks Hounded

Reporters Without Borders condemns the blocking, cyber-attacks and political pressure being directed at cablegate.wikileaks.org, the website dedicated to the US diplomatic cables. The organization is also concerned by some of the extreme comments made by American authorities concerning WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange.

> snip


This is the first time we have seen an attempt at the international community level to censor a website dedicated to the principle of transparency. We are shocked to find countries such as France and the United States suddenly bringing their policies on freedom of expression into line with those of China. We point out that in France and the United States, it is up to the courts, not politicians, to decide whether or not a website should be closed.

> snip

Reporters Without Borders can only condemn this determination to hound Assange and reiterates its conviction that WikiLeaks has a right under the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment to publish these documents and is even playing a useful role by making them available to journalists and the greater public.

We stress that any restriction on the freedom to disseminate this body of documents will affect the entire press, which has given detailed coverage to the information made available by WikiLeaks, with five leading international newspapers actively cooperating in preparing it for publication.

They point out also that Reporters Without Borders has always defended 'the principle of "Net Neutrality", which means that ISPs and hosting companies 'should play no role in choosing the content that is placed online'.

With Joe Lieberman calling for an investigation of the NYT, America's News Media needs to decide whether to take a stand against this outrageous censorship of the press, or, risk losing all rights to freedom of the press.

Lieberman and others calling for the arrest of the editor and publisher of a news organization might want to read the decision in the Pentagon Papers, and while he's at it, the 1st Amendment before assuming that matters concerning 1st Amendment issues are settled by individual legislators. These matters are settled in the courts.



William O. Douglas

Justice William O. Douglas, concurring in New York Times v. United States (1971)

These disclosures may have a serious impact. But that is no basis for sanctioning a previous restraint on the press. . . . The dominant purpose of the First Amendment was to prohibit the widespread practice of governmental suppression of embarrassing information. A debate of large proportions goes on in the Nation over our posture in Vietnam. Open debate and discussion of public issues are vital to our national health.

So far, I have not been able to find any statements from the U.S. media condemning the assault on the award-winning news organization, Wikileaks, by Sen. Lieberman and others.

The silence of the Press on major issues like this threatens the very foundations of this democracy.

And this is how democracies die.

“Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms (of government) those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny” ~ Thomas Jefferson

[RandomThoughts]

1. I got a hunch, if you watch the TV show A team you will see metaphors of operations from the 70s

Just a guess, don't remember many of the episodes.

But many of the Sg1 shows are 'metaphors' of some groups views on what happens, although Sg1 is more spiritual metaphors.

And many of the 'history channel' shows are metaphors for current events.

History Channel is where I am seeing the most information for 'eyes only' groups in metaphor. Although much of it seems to be trying to reassure that group.


For instance, they had a show about the 'new Woodrow Wilson Bridge' 6 lane highway. A few metaphors in there, but seemed to be trying to reassure the 'globalist eyes only' groups. And was flipping a few things, just like the media been flipping some stuff to be opposite of what they say.

:shrug:

History channel is mostly current events told in metaphors of history from a 'structured control' perspective.

[sabrina 1]

2. I'm not sure I'm following you. Can you give an example?

[Celtic Raven]

3. K&R

Our free press has been bought & turned into the propaganda press by TPTB.

[Better Believe It]

4. K & R

[sabrina 1]

5. Yes, but in some ways I am now seeing what it would mean

if they were to report facts without Government approval. Look at what is happening to Assange and he is not even a U.S. citizen? I don't know if I would have the courage to speak out either.

After Lieberman suggested that the NYT should also be investigated under the Espionage Act for publishing the material from Cablegate, one if its reporters responded. But it was a very, almost apologetic response. Rather than attack back against that chilling assault on the 1st Amendment, perhaps in an editorial, naming Lieberman eg, he almost seemed to be trying to explain why they were covering the news that has been revealed in the documents.

Still, if you are a journalist, you do have a responsibility to report the news even when there is government pressure not to do so. We still have laws in this country and it might be a good idea to start testing them.

[EFerrari]

6. K&R

[glinda]

7. K & R n/t

[sabrina 1]

8. Thank you.

[azul]

9. Perverted tyranny

sounds livelier than tyranny of distortion and lies. Maybe sexed-up enough term to titilate tabloid news.

"in time, and by slow operations", good quote.

[sabrina 1]

10. Jefferson was self-aware, realizing the dangers of too much

power, even for himself. His fears have come true.

It is a good quote.

[leftstreet]

11. K&R

[malaise]

12. Bravo Reporters without Borders

Criminality is taking place in our name.

[sabrina 1]

13. Corporations own our media and they are used to be able to control

the message. Wikileaks can't be controlled by them, so they are lashing out trying to find a crime to charge him with.

Nothing has revealed how un-American the Corps that control our government more clearly than their reaction to Wikileaks. They do not even seem to realize we have a Constitution, so accustomed are they to stopping anything negative about themselves from getting into the news.

This reaction, as someone said recently, is 'deranged' in its fierceness and willingness to violate all the rights granted to the American people in the U.S. Constitution, and the silence of the U.S. media on this issue, where they are most threatened of all, confirms that control.

So, what can be done about it? It just cannot continue the way it is, that is for sure.