What I have read in the WikiLeak documents seems more embarrassing than anything else. It has been more like I was eavesdropping on chatter taking place in a locker room where no one is expected to be politically correct. You can almost see the person letting their tongues wag loose trying that one-up-man-ship to the next guy with hyped up in bravado. It seemed like that kind of atmosphere to me. It is more embarrassing for those who thought they were saying things “off the record” and in private. But was it sharing state secrets? Please. So far it has been more like reading excerpts from Entertainment Weekly.
I know in an era where everyone is afraid to say what they really think or feel, I was rather pleased to be reading what the USA really feels about our “close friends” from other countries. I kind of find the openness a bit refreshing. It has allowed me to not have to read between the lines and guess what is really going on. In the WikiLeak information, I could see people being politically incorrect and letting their real feelings and opinions spilling onto the text. It was rather refreshing, to be honest.
Was I surprised to hear Chavez has a voluptuous nurse and is most likely his mistress? Well, no. I wasn’t surprised. Is that going to jeopardize our country's security? I doubt it. It may jeopardize the security of his marriage, but our country's security? No.
For me, I agree with the NY Times decision to share the information. It should be a wake-up call to those who are supposed to be safeguarding these "secrets". If the government expects the data to be safe, then keep the data safe. Don’t shoot the messenger; learn what went wrong in your process and then plug the damn hole.
For me, having the NY Times have the guts to print the story made me proud to live in a society that still errors on the side of openness rather than cover up.
So, to the NY Times, I say THANKS for doing your job. Thanks for allowing us to make up our own mind and read it for ourselves. Thank God we still have a free press.
