Quotes of the Day:
“Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.” – Thomas Jefferson
“Iraq, Vietnam: those weren’t caused by too many leaks, they were caused by an absence of leaks beforehand.” – Daniel Ellsberg
Something NEW
As we explained in a Dispatch titled, “Can Our Heresies Benefit You?” to downsize the federal government to the size of the Constitution we must cope with the fact that some Constitutional positions are heresies. Heresies are difficult to discuss. Sometimes honesty is incompatible with silence.
At Downsize DC we consider ourselves “heretics,” because we adhere consistently to the philosophy behind the Constitution. We don’t pick and choose. We don’t want to duck the difficult issues.
We hope we’ve found a way to recruit people to work for Constitution-sized government even though many Americans view some aspects of the Constitution as heretical. If you go to DownsizeDC.org right now, you’ll see that we have three new “campaign” buttons:
“The Downsize DC Agenda” “Tell Congress What To Do” “Our Heresies”
Please click on Our Heresies, and then participate in . . .
Our First Heresy
There’s been a lot of hysteria about Wikileaks. Negative propaganda has made many people hostile to the organization and its leader, Julian Assange. Sadly, national security is like a religion for many Americans. When the Political Priests of the National Security State rattle their sabers it becomes heretical to take the contrary view.
We’ve been here before. When we used our “Truth About War” project to claim that Iraq had NO weapons of mass destruction, and that we were being misled into war, we received death threats for daring to question the “patriotic” orthodoxy.
That’s why we’ve decided to launch our new Our Heresies campaign page with a defense of Wikileaks. We’ve looked at the evidence and come to believe that Wikileaks is your friend, NOT your enemy.
Here is the letter that I sent to my representatives using our first heresy campaign, “Protect Wikileaks” . . .
You may have concerns that Wikileaks endangers American troops and enables terrorists. I think the evidence suggests otherwise. Wikileaks is actually doing something valuable that will strengthen America and save lives. Wikileaks has . . .
* harmed no one.
* methodically released material so that innocents are protected.
* performed functions we should expect from a free press.
* exposed corruption and wrongdoing in many nations, not just the United States.
* promoted transparency, which can SAVE lives.In reality, the War on Wikileaks is really a war on truth and the First Amendment. You must end this war and protect Wikileaks for four reasons . . .
Reason #1: No one has been harmed by Wikileaks disclosures.
* In its four years of existence, no State has made a specific legal case alleging that Wikileaks has harmed innocent people http://bit.ly/g6EVyq
* When Assange offered to redact names of civilians and others who might be endangered by the release of classified information; the Pentagon REFUSED TO COOPERATE http://bit.ly/coJyYc
* Wikileaks has been scrupulous in redacting names on its own
http://bit.ly/gbD04PWikileaks does not harm the innocent. Its only “crime” is that it embarrasses the guilty.
Reason #2: Wikileaks provides the same press functions we expect from the mainstream media.
* Respected papers such as the New York Times have published classified documents – notably the Pentagon Papers, which helped end the Vietnam War
* The Times has even published information initially posted by Wikileaks, as have the Guardian, and Der Spiegel
* But these publications are “respectable” outlets of the Establishment, whereas Wikileaks is a young upstart
* False and dishonest distinctions are being made between “real” journalism and Wikileaks – a distinction without a difference, according to the First Amendment http://bit.ly/hkObhBWikileaks actually STRENGTHENS journalism because it provides a treasure trove of source documents that citizens can use to test the accuracy of news reports. http://bit.ly/g6EVyq
After all, YOU have Free Press rights too!
Reason #3: Wikileaks exposes corruption and wrongdoing in ALL nations, not just the U.S..
Do you really want to make it . . .
* harder for whistleblowers in other countries to reveal damning information about their corrupt rulers?
* easier for tyrants in other nations to use the U.S. prosecution of Assange as justification for their own censorship of dissidents?Reason #4: Wikileaks promotes transparency, which can SAVE lives.
The State is meant to serve the people and be subservient to them, not the other way around. Wikileaks is MY tool for maintaining The State in a subservient role.
The State has a dangerous monopoly on violence. Fail to comply with its edicts, and people with guns will come to my door. This power is so vast that EXTRA controls are needed to restrain it, including transparency and a robust press.
Wikileaks is a valuable outlet for providing that transparency. It could even save lives. For instance . . .
* frustrated, former federal agents have written in the LA Times that if Wikileaks had existed ten years ago they might have been able to use it to prevent 9/11. http://lat.ms/c5ybah
* exposure of government lies will more likely PREVENT disastrous wars and laws from coming about in the first place.Wikileaks empowers you. It empowers me. It’s NOT our enemy. Protect Wikileaks. Stop investigations, harrassments, and prosecutions of Julian Assange.
END LETTER
ONLY if you AGREE with our heretical position on this, then please exercise your right to petition your servants in Congress.
Go to the new Our Heresies campaign page and click on the Wikleaks campaign to send your letter to Congress.
Thank you for considering our case on behalf of Wikileaks.
Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.