The purpose of a free press was to serve the citizenry - ostensibly so that they would remain informed - and could exercise control over the government, so that, among other things, the citizens might remain free.
Yep I agree 100% without hesitation
... but ...
We do not have a ****ing free press anywhere in the world.
EVERY media outlet in the entire world
except here operates under the
permission of the state - not one of them is afforded any protection like a First Amendment and most fall under human rights laws that have been created to give permission, not limit government.
But alas ... we surely we wish we had a free press here.
There is not one freedom, repeat one freedom that is allowing any of the press to operate
without the responsibility and the accountability of those who call themselves Journalist.
THIS IMPORTANT POINT IS FORGOTTEN by all.
IF responsibility and accountability was the concern, then media organizations like the New York Times, Time and other US based companies would not have an open political driven agenda and would actually report the news without their political point of view or filter it to fit some style book that was written to fit their agenda.
The only way it would work, IF your statement is anywhere near the truth there would be with a clear and open agenda throughout the media to tell the truth all the time uninhibited by money, power or both.
What instead has been happening is the use of Assange as a rally cry for protecting false freedoms based on concepts that are false themselves - one is that institutionalize journalism is above the law and the average citizen.
Freedom of speech is damaged by usurping what a nation does to protect itself regardless what some may think, it is that disclosure that damages the rights and freedoms that everyone has - not just any precieved rights of the press.
THE press isn't above the citizen or the law, they think they are and when freedom of speech has to discern itself between one entity and another, it is no longer a true freedom.
It isn't a problem to release some info that would correct problems but to release all kinds of info, some that help our enemy, which pretty much puts our freedoms in danger on many levels.
IF you need to have a better understanding of this, here is some food for thought, our enemies have said "we will bleed you dry" and they meant not like damaging us to we give up but using our resources up so when we can't fight, they will. There will be a point that the US government, like other governments (France where they have freedoms?) will limit our rights in order to preserve itself and this will with no doubt include freedom of speech. THIS is where the danger is, not in the info but what the info has caused the country to do. ONCE we get to a point that we can't deal with things, all bets are off and we will have to deal with the government forcing US, the citizens to be restricted in ways you can't imagine. NO court in this country let alone the world will side with us even if there is a fight for our rights, and that has been proven with Kelo v New London and other cases in the past 20 years.
As such, in my opinion, it is, a higher purpose, than the governments fundamental purpose to protect the nation.
BUT see that's your opinion and it seems that your opinion is also that the government, which includes you and I have committed crimes. I agree that crimes are committed in our name as a country, I am willing to take that burden on that it is my responsibility for those injustices that have taken place within my lifetime but because you too are a citizen, you have the same burden of responsibility for those unethical immoral criminal acts regardless just as I and everyone else does. You may think because you have an opinion that that is not the case, and that the disclosure of information gives you a pass on it by providing you a defense of your opinion that the government needs to be punished, but in fact you are part of the government as we all are so I have to ask do you take that responsibility seriously and accept your complicity in those unethical actions, and immoral crimes that have been committed in your name as a citizen?
You do know that many who are screaming the most about how great this attack on the US is, actually are complicit in their country's crimes too?
Why is he only focusing on the US, surely you would agree that the UN has done more damage to the world than we have?
If you don't think so, want to take a trip with me to Africa to see?
Or what France and Germany has done to help the repression of people and who have supported terrorism through selling of information and services, Libya, Iran maybe?
How about the UN, France and Germany's crimes under the Oil for Food program?
Shouldn't Assange actually put an effort into fighting the corruption and nepotism at the UN?
Freedom trumps security every time ... at least in my book.
Well your book is one of the anarchist because without
Security, we have no
freedoms.
If it was as easy as having freedom without security, the world would be free but it isn't. NOT even who we look at Democracies are truly free.
