(Wikileaks):A Renegade Site, Now Working With the News Media BARF ALERT DEFCON 5

NYT ^ | August 1, 2010 | NOAM COHEN

[lbryce]

THE four stages of a political movement, as Gandhi told it, were: “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”

For the whistle-blower Web site WikiLeaks, the release last week of secret field reports on the war in Afghanistan that it obtained from American military sources certainly looked like a victory. Not only did The New York Times, The Guardian and Der Spiegel devote hundreds of hours of reporters’ and editors’ time to analyzing and confirming the information in the documents, the three agreed to coordinate publication for last Monday, ensuring there would be blanket news media coverage on at least two continents.

This success followed long periods of obscurity, mocking and, at times, hostility toward WikiLeaks and its hard-to-miss leader, Julian Assange, since the site began in late 2006.

“In the beginning, everyone was skeptical of whether it would work out,” said Daniel Schmitt, a WikiLeaks spokesman based in Germany.

Traditional news media may have finally taken WikiLeaks seriously, but the episode also reflected a change within the organization itself. By handing over the documents to professionals, with no strings attached, and before the site itself could offer its own interpretation, WikiLeaks was retreating to the job of information procurer rather than information explainer.

That’s a shift in strategy since the last time WikiLeaks had an important leak — the release in April of a video of United States soldiers in an Apache helicopter killing civilians in Baghdad, including two Reuters journalists. Then, WikiLeaks itself tried to supply its own context and analysis. ves into the conversation.”

[lbryce]

Here is the quintessential New York Slimes pathology on display its rabid anti-Americanism has it foaming at the mouth in obsequiously sycophantic slobbery over Wilileaks in near deity-like fealty.

To the scum at the New York Slimes, Wikileaks is a brother-traitor-in-arms, fawning over Wilileaks for the overwhelming damage they've done to this country, yet at the same time, jealous of their accomplishment, the way a mother is envious of her daughter's youth, beauty. F**K The New York Slimes/Wikileaks.

[BenLurkin]

[OldDeckHand]

"For the whistle-blower Web site WikiLeaks"

Wikileaks is NOT a whistle-blower site. It is - without equivocation - and propaganda and advocacy fight. They quite clearly have a political axe to grind.

Their accomplices in the media are more than happy to obfuscate that easily understood fact.

[lbryce]

Very well done yet all too eloquently conveyed.

[A_Former_Democrat]

“like a victory. Not only did The New York Times, The Guardian and Der Spiegel devote hundreds of hours of reporters’ and editors’ time to analyzing and confirming the information in the documents, the three agreed to coordinate publication for last Monday, ensuring there...”

But don’t dare expend the same effort trying to find out the background of this Pres__ent

[BuckeyeTexan]

DEFCON 5 is standard peacetime protocol.

[pfony1]

I think it’s a shame that our State Department does not report (and continuously update) the home addresses, the home phone numbers and the license plate numbers of the “courageous” editors at Wikileaks and the NYT.

Such open disclosure would make it much easier for any people whose friends or relatives are killed because of the smug insouciance of the “wiki-twits” to satisfy their respective “blood-debts”.

The world would certainly be a better place for it...

[RickB444]

Defcon 5 is condition all is well. I think you mean Defcon 3 or 2. That means high level of readiness. Defcon 2 is the condition we were in during the Cuban missile crisis. From what I understand we have never seen Defcon 1. Yet.

[lbryce]

Thank you for the proper deployment of terms. Some humility is in order as I’m a bit embarrassed by the apparent display of ignorance.

[BuckeyeTexan]

Not a big deal. It was just an FYI. We all knew what you meant. :)

[RickB444]

No need to worry. It’s a common error. I got taught this myself by saying it wrong in front of a friend who is very up on this stuff. I figured it was something to pass along as most of us don’t know the Defcon conditions and what levels are what. No need for embarrassment.