Grim outlook after WikiLeaks

Generic Script

As a prospective public policy/ political science student, I have been following the WikiLeaks story somewhat closely. As the story developed, I wondered along with many Americans the implications of this massive leak for United States diplomacy, the potential effect on journalism and the freedom of press, and the meaning of the striking resemblance between Julian Assange and some James Bond villains.

This Tuesday at the open panel discussion "Out of the Bag--WikiLeaks and US Diplomacy," three experts in relevant fields discussed their views on these questions and fielded questions from the audience at Rubenstein Hall. Personally, the panel seemed to me to present more questions and conflicts than present answers to questions.

Perhaps that is the nature of an event such as the indiscriminate release of over 250,000 classified documents--there are no real answers, only more questions. Is Assange a hero or a villain? Has he opened government to a new level of transparency and honesty, or has he prevented hundreds of ambassadors from doing their jobs and further harmed already frail American diplomatic relations overseas?

The responses to these questions seemed to vary greatly between each panel member. Ambassador Patrick Duddy presented the event from the side of the United States State Department, and the potential life-threatening danger associated with revealing such classified communications. Former Washington Post editor and current Duke professor Philip Bennett spoke about the situation through the eyes of the mainstream media, who he claims handled the unprecedented story in the best manner, acting as an intermediate between the lengthy and complex communications and the public desiring comprehension. Professor of Public Policy and Political Science Peter Feaver characterized the event as good, bad and ugly for different groups and individuals, pointing out that while the leaks are good for Assange himself as well as scholars interested in understanding US foreign policy, it is bad for the Obama administration and mainstream media outlets and just plain ugly when it comes to deciding what to do in response to these leaks.

Overall, I walked away from the discussion with a grim outlook toward the future. Freedom of information seems to be constantly coming into conflict with maintaining an effective government, and it seems that sooner or later a line must be drawn. The internet is a powerful new resource, and is yet to be fully integrated into the world of politics and journalism. Who knows what the next few years will be bring, what new challenges and issues we will face.

Maybe I should take up engineering.