Julian Assange
There is no doubt that Julian Assange, creator and Editor-In-Chief of WikiLeaks, is a hacker. That he hacked into Department of Defense computers in his twenties is not up for debate. But the question I ask is in regard to his actions in the last 15 years: is Wikileaks a force for good or bad? As the primary force behind WikiLeaks, is Julian Assange acting today as a good hacker or a bad hacker? And if his actions are damaging, who has the most to lose?
The following documentary doesn’t answer this question but does provide the best inside view of the WikiLeaks phenomenon. It was produced and aired last weekend by SVT, Swedish Public Television. It provides a rare glimpse into Assange, WikiLeaks, and shows video that many US citizens may be ignorant of (but should not be). It is most certainly not the kind of treatment you would find in US media. View the video, then let us know what you think.
But don’t delay. The video may not be there for long.
Ok, I know what you’re thinking. So what does this international intrigue have to do with this blog? Hacking, to be sure. But there is also a ‘bee’ angle here. How about the following December 8th press release:
In light of new revelations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a Nov. 2, 2010, memorandum that a core registration study for the insecticide clothianidin has been downgraded to unacceptable for purposes of registration, the American Beekeeping Federation (ABF) has recently signed a letter addressed to the Honorable Lisa Jackson, Administrator, EPA, in support of a request that the agency take urgent action to stop the use of this toxic chemical.
No, it wasn’t WikiLeaks. It was the ABF that exposed a secret government document that asserted that Bayer’s research asserting that Clothianidin is safe for bees is bogus. The same pesticide is outlawed in the German company’s own country. Click here for the ABF website and press release. So is David Mendes the Julian Assange of beekeepers? I have no doubt that David Mendes is a White Hat. What say ye?
January 31, 2012 at 11:36 pm
I left a small detail out. Julian Assange considered himself an expert beekeeper in his pre-computer days. You can read an excerpt from his book, “Julian Assange: The Unauthorised Autobiography” in Google books where he talks about his beekeeping experiences. He is also reputed to have used bee hives to hide floppy disks.
December 31, 2010 at 8:13 am
Great site.
I have been discussing the effect of Mr Assange hacking with my wife. At this point I am undecided if his behavior is a net + or – when it come to the operation of a democracy. I think anyone that has ever read ‘The Ugly American’ would not be the least bit surprised at some of the things Mr Assange’s hacking has revealed.