Wikileaks --> Tunisia -->Egypt. And we are still supposed to think there is "nothing new here"?

[underpants]

Listening to NPR this afternoon I heard that the successes of the Tunisian revolt encouraged the Egyptians to take the same actions.

On the other hand as much as I support the people of Egypt and I do an unstable Egypt takes into an unknown area. Okay maybe Wikileaks really does threaten national security.....eh I'll still side with the people demanding a lack of corruption on such a scale and actual self-rule.

It ain't "high food prices" that the MSM has settled on as an explanation of the Tunisian rights to placate the American masses.
...........

However, the revelations made by WikiLeaks that in June 2008 the U.S. embassy in Tunis said that "Whether it's cash, services, land, property, or yes, even your yacht, President Ben Ali's family is rumored to covet it and reportedly gets what it wants," gave even greater weight and proof to an already widespread belief that Ben Ali and his wife's family, the Trabelsis, were the "quasi-mafia" often referred to by Tunisians. It added to the long list of grievances against a regime that had been in power for 23 years and had remained unaccountable.

http://articles.cnn.com/2011-01-18/opinion/tunisia.wikileaks_1_tunisians-wikileaks-regime?_s=PM:OPINION


The cables lifted the veil on the corruption of the country's elite. Another cable which detailed how much the first family was loathed was blocked.

Within weeks, word of mouth had forced protestors onto the streets, culminating in yesterday's revolution.

In the banned cable, US ambassador Robert Godec wrote: 'Corruption in the inner circle is growing. Even average Tunisians are now keenly aware of it, and the chorus of complaints is rising.

'Tunisians intensely dislike, even hate, first lady Leila Trabelsi and her family. In private, regime opponents mock her.'

Mr Godec headlined some of the passages in the banned cable as 'The Sky's the Limit,' 'All in the Family,' 'Yacht Wanted,' 'Show Me Your Money', to show how the Ben Alis were operating.
Anger over the corruption and the lack of jobs ignited a month of protests, but Mr Ben Ali's departure - a key demand of demonstrators - has not calmed the unrest.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1347336/First-Wikileaks-Revolution-Tunisia-descends-anarchy-president-flees.html#ixzz1CNs4RGtp

[Taverner]

1. Rise. Up. eom

[lunatica]

2. Truth always threatens national security

Especially when national security is about buying yachts and getting every whim met at the expense of the people you rule.

[TheMadMonk]

11. who said anything about buying? nt

[lunatica]

12. Read the article

"However, the revelations made by WikiLeaks that in June 2008 the U.S. embassy in Tunis said that "Whether it's cash, services, land, property, or yes, even your yacht, President Ben Ali's family is rumored to covet it and reportedly gets what it wants," gave even greater weight and proof to an already widespread belief that Ben Ali and his wife's family, the Trabelsis, were the "quasi-mafia" often referred to by Tunisians. It added to the long list of grievances against a regime that had been in power for 23 years and had remained unaccountable."

I'm sure that stealing money and assets and purchasing luxury items is is also part of the Ben Ali's family activities.

[eleny]

3. WikiLeaks pulled back a curtain

Maybe people believed that there was corruption. But when they had concrete examples in the words of their leaders it infuriated the citizenry.

Believing is one thing but knowing is all important. And facts appear to be what WikiLeaks provides.

[underpants]

5. And the Tunisian middle class actually read the leaks

unlike, I will include myself, almost everyone in America. I have read excerpts from the notMSM but that is about it.

I have to say that it is pretty impressive what the Tunisians have done as well as the Egyptians.

[eleny]

8. PS - Our overlords might take note of what happens when internet access is greatly contracted

Btw, wouldn't you love to be a fly on the wall at the Koch Konclave, KoffeeKlatch, Klusterfuck?

[Warren Stupidity]

4. With the usual double talk

wikileaks revealed nothing of interest and assange should be executed for doing so. The right stopped bothering with even a veneer of consistency in their propaganda a long time ago.

[WillyT]

6. K & R !!!

:kick:

[Octafish]

7. Wonder what Wikileaks have to say about Rove's Body?

Not that there's anything the least bit corrupt mixing U.S. Government business and personal gain through cronie capitalism for 30-plus years.

May a pattern emerge and evil submerge.

"Money Trumps Peace." -- "President" George W. Bush, Feb. 14, 2007

[underpants]

9. 1992

great post.

All the way back to 1992 W was a mysterious disaster.

I remember reading a piece in SPIN magazine (no link) that Rove had several get-to-knows with big money donors and the predominant question was "Is this guy going to embarass us?"

[xchrom]

10. Only those who are afraid of their lords and masters

And a future without them are afraid of wikileaks.