Le Monde: Finland should offer asylum to Julian Assange

[marmar]

Wikileaks : Finland should offer asylum to Julian Assange
12 January, by Heikki Patomäki


Democracy involves constant struggles for the principle of publicity and against the secretive policies of various autocrats and oligarchs. Public opinion requires that citizens can form a reasoning public and have access to all relevant information.

Asymmetric relations of power are typically justified in terms of superior knowledge: those who “know better” should have a right to make decisions independently of what ordinary people want – and even act on their behalf without their knowing. But how do these autocrats know that they really “know better”? The only way to explain and justify the basis of their better knowledge is to make public validity claims that can be criticised and refuted by others. This means, however, that they are already committed to the core principle of publicity.

Citizens of democracies have the right to assemble and express and publish their opinion on any common issue or matter, on any res publica. By definition, the actions of the government and of all parts of the state have public significance. The fundamental precondition of both freedom of speech and principle of publicity is that citizens know what the authorities are doing and why. Therefore all relevant documents must be public.

It is possible to justify some exceptions to the principle of publicity on moral grounds, but these exceptions must be defined in a narrow and specific way. Secrecy may be justified only in terms that can be contested by citizens or their representatives at any time. Moreover, those who categorise something as “confidential” or “secret” must be legally responsible for their actions. Unjustified secrecy must be punishable. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://mondediplo.com/openpage/wikileaks-finland-should-offer-asylum-to-julian

[enuegii]

1. I wish Finland would offer asylum to ME...

Right sane folk in that part of the world.