WikiLeaks Reaction in Europe: Dismay, Concern but Not Much Alarm

What little I got from the public discussion of the leaked communiques is that they sound like the snarky tweets of a a bunch of high-schoolers about each other, and a bunch of "Teacher, (so-and-so) is picking on me!" There were a few things that were trenchant, like the Saudi's concern about Iran and their ambitions, Pakistan and their questionable politics (which leads me to offer that American and NATO soldiers take over guarding the border between the two countries so they can concentrate on the issues at hand), and some other slightly embarrassing remarks about who can expect what from whom. A lot of what is labeled "Secret" is really to avoid embarrassment! To borrow from someone from a couple of generations past, Will Rogers, "Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip." "We will never have true civilization until we have learned to recognize the rights of others." "Now if there is one thing that we do worse than any other nation, it is try and manage somebody else's affairs." Will we NEVER learn?

The United States has the ability to over throw regimes and nations, and we can not stop a cyper terrorist and anyone who supports him. I would look into some of our not so friendly friends may have supported them. Just follow the money.

Exactly.this is NOT NEWS.Anyone who's ever dealt with the intelligence community must be yawning right now. Never mind this crap--we've ALWAYS held our 'allies' in contempt.And they've nevber trusted US, EITHER--FOR GOOD REASON.

There are many agenices in the consulates and embassies around the world and they converse with the State Dpt and their own agencies through the State Dpt cable system. Today's Washington Post outlined some of what the documents said concerning other countries. Pvt. Manning did not do this for money he did it to embarass his country. Already one diplomat has been shut out of a meeting because he was told it was secret and they could not trust an American presence. So much for it not hurting us. He is now in military custody and I hope he's tried for treason.

Pvt. Bradley Manning, charge: Treason. Assange, charge: Espionage. Looks simple to me.

So Joe Lieberman, the senator from Tel Aviv, wants to shut down WikiLeaks. What's the matter, Joe, afraid we'll learn just how much Israel controls our foreign policy?

Surely more good will come out of this, than bad. It can be seen as a "wake up call" for many. And a lesson for others.

Sometimes it's healthy or enlightening to know what others are saying or thinking about you, behind closed doors. Sure some people fear having put their foot in their mouth, but that's to be expected. Carry on!

The present reactions to the Wikileaks issue run the gamut from the usual blame-Obama posts to the cries of "treason" on the part of Assange and company. Two questions need some answers: How? and Why? How did Wikileaks gain possession of so many sensitive documents? WHO or what were the sources? Since the documents range over several decades, what would they be filed and with what accessibility? Common sense dictates that we look for the source of a leak we want to plug. WHY would any citizen of the United States want to pass along material that is potentially damaging to our country? Assange, we are told, is Australian. What does he hope to gain? We are not dealing with well-intentioned whistle blowers, but with amoral, valueless people--unless the motivation is self-interest, simple greed or desire for notoriety. The Wikileaks machine does not appear to be motivvated by a love for the truth or of one's fellow man. Perhaps our reaction should be a re-examination or and re-dedication to our own priorities. Do we use "truth" to build up or to destroy? Are we motivated by pure self-interest or greed, patriotism or partisanship. Each of us has the responsiblity to promote the noble values we claim to believe in. The reaction abroad, according to Ms Lloyd, is little more than "so what else is new?" She concludes with the observation of one Brit: ". . . diplomacy in an information age is inherently prone to embarrassment." Gossip-mongering, along with vituperation and shocking displays of ignorance and lack of civility, are certainly readily displayed in a forum of the "information age" such as this. To the restoration of our values as a nation and a people, we might adapt the refrain of the hymn: "Let there be peace [civility, respect for others, true love of country] on earth, and let it begin with me."

Yet another blemish on our current President... I am not a supporter, I would however, support whatever policy he deems necessary that would put an end to wikileak for good... IT MUST B STOPPED..... It is NOT excellent reporting, it is reckless, non-productive, and borderline treasonous behavior..... I am not certain of the motives for this, other than using "Freedom of Speech", as a shield, that allows the rotten S.O.B.s to make our government look foolish, and worse, surrendering top secret info. to anyone w/ a computer... The ramifications of this have yet to be realized,suffice to say that we are at more risk today, than we were y.day.... That alone is reason enough to put a stop to it...