The Wikileaks boil waiting to burst

I am not a conspiracy theorist, but the speed with which the Wikileaks donation sites like Paypal and Mastercard and also Julian Assange’s personal acounts have been closed down is remarkable, particularly since, technically, no laws have been proven to have been broken by Wikileaks so far.

There is a simmering sense of outrage in many people at the heavy-handed reactions of different governments to the revelations of what had been considered confidential, at least, information, and to the manner of the arrest of Julian Assange himself for whom there is considerable sympathy in many quarters.

The Wikileaks affair is like a big boil coming to a head and waiting to be lanced. It is beginning to polarise opinion starkly between those who welcome transparency and who deplore unfair and protectionist use of government might to stifle it, and those who wish to perpetuate illusion and secrecy and power and who will use whatever means they have to ensure they have their way.  It is ironic that the more pressure is used to force the closure of Wikileaks, the more likely it is that the organisation will publish its trump card, its “insurance policy” documents that are likely to be very damaging indeed.

I recognise that, while most of the information revealed has been more embarrassing than anything else, some that is stored somewhere unknown could be harmful to national security, also that the Anonymous hackers punishing Amazon, Visa, Twitter and so on for denying access to Wikileaks could cause real mayhem if they go too far. I see, too, arrogance, anger, revenge, coercion, possible corruption and ruthlessness in the way governments, particularly the US, are dealing with the situation. It is not edifying.

If the US requires and achieves the extradition of Julian Assange through some newly created law or other spurious device, then the war between the proponents of open-ness and change, and those who wish to prevent it will escalate hugely, so long as Wikileaks is able to maintain sympathy among the people. It will be interesting to see if and how far pressure is brought to bear on the media and its reporting of the issue.

What is happening here is of fundamental importance to our understanding of how we should be governed and by whom. It is a visible beginning of the true transition from self-centred materialism to benevolent altruism, and is hugely significant. I watch and wait as the boil waits to burst.