dagblog - Comments for "WikiLeaks - A Calibration"

I anxiously await the

SleepinJeezus — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 18:40:31 +0000

I anxiously await the "defense of scurvy" discussion as an excuse to do nothing in pursuit of an orange, instead.

I see.A friend of mine

LarryH — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 18:21:00 +0000

In reply to Short version? Quinn thinks I

I see.

A friend of mine recently commented to me that he had concluded that his lifelong attempt to understand the meaning of life by understanding the meaning of his own life was a kind of Existential mobius strip. It is easy enough to imagine the human race as a herd of braying jackasses in which case there is nothing to be learned from reading the libretto of this opera. On the other hand when everything collapses we will have to start the whole endeavor again. Even if we abandon language itself there will have to be some way to communicate, to trade one onion for one orange. In the world post-collapse there will be no place for secrets. Secrets hide lies and lies corrupt communication, and without that orange one of us will die of scurvy.

Short version? Quinn thinks I

Obey — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 17:41:40 +0000

In reply to What is going on outside the

Short version? Quinn thinks I have penis issues. I think Quinn has penis-issue-issues. It's a long-standing penis war.

Long version? The Dagblog establishment seems to consider that interest in the content of the Wikileaks documents amounts to a porn fetish. Which either is true and says something about our psyche, or is false and says something interesting about their psyche. Anyway, I assume it's interesting though I haven't figured out quite what what it says...

;0)

p.s. great blog!

What is going on outside the

LarryH — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 17:27:52 +0000

In reply to I'm sorry Larry. I didn't

What is going on outside the U.S. ? First Quinn and now you – the subject is leaks and you immediately think about penises. Speaking of penises, I heard a young woman on a community radio station expressing her confusion about DADT. She wondered why members of the U.S. Marine Corp, who pride themselves on their courage and fortitude and prowess, were so afraid that, in her words, “someone would look at their pee pee in the shower.” There are many mysteries in this best of all possible worlds.

One question, Larry: Where

we are stardust — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 17:27:06 +0000

In reply to I can’t resist offering a

One question, Larry: Where is Ruta to offer a "HAR HAR HAR!" ?

I can’t resist offering a

LarryH — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 17:15:10 +0000

In reply to Students were reminded that

I can’t resist offering a second vignette from my college days. The university I attended required Theology as a minor for graduation. In one course, on Moral Theology if memory serves, a footnote in the text made reference to one Jean Paul Sartre and his play “No Exit” as being very wrong headed. Being a precocious college type, I immediately went to the library to find this play and see the errors for myself. The card catalog indicated that the book could be found at a location labeled “case X.” I took the card to the librarian’s desk a few feet away and asked where “case X” was located. She explained that “case X” was where they kept the condemned books. The librarian gave me a three page form to fill out. One page was to be signed by my instructor, one by my dean, and one by my parents. Discouraged I took the forms and went back to the catalog to return the card. A few feet away an elderly, silver-haired woman was sitting on a stool. Clearly she was another library worker updating the catalog cards. Just as clearly she must have overheard my conversation at the desk because she leaned toward me and whispered “You can get that book at City Lights bookstore in North Beach.”

A university that teaches only approved thinking should more properly be labeled a Theologate.

As for the hapless Federal employee, how will they know what they are not supposed to know if they don’t know what was leaked? I am reminded of sergeant Shultz – “I know nothing, I see nothing, …”. Of course it will not be easy to enforce this silence - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6EaoPMANQM&NR=1&feature=fvwp. Perhaps DHS will need to create a Constabulary of Leaks.

There are more than two sides to this argument I think.

I'm sorry Larry. I didn't

Obey — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 16:22:34 +0000

In reply to WikiLeaks - A Calibration

I'm sorry Larry. I didn't read this blog because talking about Wiki**** pretty much amounts to talking about Big Brother's peepee, and reading Wiki**** is like looking at Big Brother's peepee. And I've been told talking about it makes you want to see it, and, well I just don't want to be that guy....

Anyway, as of two days ago, around here we're only allowed to talk about interesting ways to kill Wiki****'ers. Or alternatively about tennis... for reasons that remain unclear.

And if none of this makes sense to you, it's because you missed all the fun/bloodshed.

My reaction to this effort to

SleepinJeezus — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 16:15:25 +0000

In reply to WikiLeaks - A Calibration

My reaction to this effort to stifle contact with material that is now in the public domain was similar to yours, larryH.

It certainly seems to be un-democratic at the very least. Kinda' like something that would be cooked up as a policy decision by farm animals in a George Orwell novel, no?

BTW. Great blog.And

quinn esq — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 16:06:28 +0000

In reply to WikiLeaks - A Calibration

BTW. Great blog.

And self-imposed ignorance - check.

Students were reminded that

Atheist — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 15:41:30 +0000

In reply to WikiLeaks - A Calibration

Students were reminded that the FBI would likely be filming anyone going into this office. What the faculty did NOT do is discourage students from going to that office and at least look around.

I try hard to see both sides of an issue. With the recent Wikileaks leaks, I didn't find it very hard. I see benefit in uncovering secrets, but I also see benefits in having secrets. What's more dificult is justifying this suggestion that people should not view the leaked documents.

I will try.

First, I'll start with professors and colleges suggesting their students shouldn't do this. One could argue that they're looking out for the best interests of their students, knowing that the government could be keeping tabs on such behavior and that it could cost them gainful employment in the future. (On the other hand, one could also point out that if all college students everywhere did this, it would completely defuse such consequences.)

Secondly, I'll move on to the government agencies themselves. I've failed. I can't justify that.