Heroes and wikileaks
So I feel like I'm facing a bit of cognitive dissonance over this wikileaks issue. There is aperson who I once was, just a few years ago, who would have shouted "hurrah" at such a feat. Of course uncovering classified documents is so essential tot he transparency and freedom in the United States, and everyone needs to know and understand this information. Then, over the last few years I have been further exposed to the ignorance of our population. Some of my friends, that I respect and love, still make ignorant statements about domestic and foreign policy that are just not based on facts. I'm thinking about the tea party movements, and momentum behind Sarah Palin, and the Healthcare debates- with the infamous "Kill Grandma campaigns"...as a nation we really seem to fall for anything. We continue to refute global warming and theinevitablity of peak and declining oil supplies. Although, it is very plain and simple that an energy supply made from fossilized carbon over hundreds and millons of years, will run out without replenishing...this is not rocket science. Doesn't matter when it will happen, it matters that it will. So yea..I feel I have been exposed to the stupidty, ignorance, selfishness, and downright apathy of the American people ( I mean I have had people ask me if we are still in the war in Iraq) I feel like, maybe they really don't need to know anything, becasue their ability to interpret the information they have now is preety piss poor. I mean a lot of the stuffr that is being released isn't even new information. IT has been in the papers and on various sites now for some time, or it could be inferred from what is available. I feel like if people really want an eye opening experience to the American public they should learn as much about American history. Learn about the backhanded deals, and justifications for action, means to an end mentality of the American politican and war general. Then maybe these wikileaks people would just be seen as people aimlessly and nonsensely releasing documents in search of a glory reserved for real whisltle blowers. People who knew the information was not available any where else and made that information known. I'm talking about peole like Ellison, who released the Vietnam Papers, and the writer of Economic Hitman, those studied and reported on conditions in Latin aMerica and other parts of the third world so we could understand the effects of U.S. foreign policy, etc.. there are numerous examples of reports available that actually give the U.S. public important information to understand their government and our choices. Wikileaks is just giving up snapshots, un related and without a story to tell or information. In the hands of the American People, as I'm coming to understand them, that is very dangerous. Furthermore, the whole Wikileaks Iraq and Afganistan issue was a travesty. What did anyone actually learn from that, that they didn't know from paying attention in the first place. Meanwhile, lives were put at stake, human intelligence officers, informats the like will be revealed, and revenge will take place. Wikileaks just seems to be another indicator of our generation, everything we do is just a half-assed attempt to accomplish something signficant. A real accomplishment would be putting this information in context, that which is well rounded and complete. Our generation does not seem to understand how to think critically and analyze information like thist to get there. Therfore, try as we might, we will not be heroes for this.