Ahh, I see what you're saying. Yes, people have the right to know these things but people are mislead because they only point out that a person has a camera and not that there are guys in the back ground with an RPG and Automatic Weapons. People just need to actually WATCH the film and not just the edited popups!

I do agree that people do have the rights to certain information. However there is a reason why there is classified information and one of those reasons is due to the lack of experience and knowledge on a subject. Of course some classified materials like perhaps that of unethical treatment of detainees should be known as it is not right to treat a prisoner to torture no matter how heinous they may be.

I believe in the classification of information as most people do not need to know about certain things.

And Doogie Howser could have used the video to perform the surgery himself.

Maybe the 4-year old thing was a bit too extreme, but you have to admit, there is information that people really aren't mature or knowledgeable enough to handle. This is why we (generally) don't put bomb-making tips in the Sunday Newspaper.

Or if you want to go down the rabbit hole of "it is always better to give the maximum information", military tactics. Even something as simple as what the patrol patterns are for the local Embassy.
Sure, a lot of people could use that information to make "educated" decisions and to point out inefficiency and ways to save money. And maybe a few retired vets could even give tips for how to clog up some of the weaknesses.
Then there will be idiots who say "When have they ever had a single person attack the Bobapotzistanian Embassy? We only need one guard!"
Then there will be the "educated" masses who will argue that the entire thing can be handled with facial recognition and AI-driven remote controlled weapons platforms.
Then there will be the people who really SHOULDN'T have that information (The Fredislovakian Liberation Front!) who will use that information for bad stuff.

And that attitude is why the government and military have lost pretty much all credibility when it comes to their judgment on whether something should be classified. Work on changing that attitude, towards thinking not that information should be disseminated to the public on a need to know basis, but rather that the public has a right to know and that there needs to be a very good reason to keep any information from being made available to the public. Until members of the government and members of the armed forces change their attitude organizations like Wikileaks will not only continue to enjoy a good measure of public support, but will remain essential for any society that wishes to have any pretense of being a free democracy.

How exactly has any of this latest information released been surprising to anyone? Seriously...

Afghanistan is a nest of corruption. Large chunks of Mexico are controlled by drug cartels. Israel has plans to take out Iranian nuke production. The Saudis don't like Iran. Russia is a largely corrupt nation. Berlusconi is corrupt.

How is ANY of this a revelation? Anyone with any interest in the world and an ability to draw conclusions already knew all of this.

I've seen the whole video (almost 40 minutes) and I have to agree that the incident with Reuters reporters was accident. But what really troubles me is this:
1. If the guys in helicopter can see from such distance if the person is carrying an AK why can't they see two children in the van? Further more they were saying that people from the van were picking up weapons which they couldn't see because of their position.
2. Right before the first Hellfire is fired you can clearly see man walking in the front of building. He is not carrying any weapon but helicopter crew fires the missile anyway.
Do they assume that he is also enemy? What about ROE?

I don't know if I can trust people like Ethan McCord (who was eyewitness of this whole incident) but the death toll of Iraqi non-combatants is estimated up to 108000 so I have to question myself - how do these people die? Are incidents like the one with helicopter really unusual?

And I don't think that leak of these classified documents can endanger anybody except war criminals and people who have interest in this war to continue. After leak of "Pentagon Papers" you could hear exactly the same arguments about putting life of the American soldiers in peril which was proven to be untrue.

I still think this man did a great thing. Going to download everything posted and force my step mother to read it all. >=)

I agree. I could name at least two people in my flight in boot camp I was pretty sure were white supremacists. The USA government mas made little effort, or just stopped trying, to screen out these individuals at the "sign up" stage. I mean, why don't they make us take the same "hypothetical ethics" quiz that most major store chains like Barnes & Noble or even NAPA Auto Parts makes their potential employees take? I'll tell you why, because the military wants more meat for the grinder, no questions asked.

We have to see, we have to know.

But my point was...we already did know. Anyone who is in any way keeping up on international affairs knew these 'EARTH SHATTERING REVELATIONS' already.

Ahem, yes...I was quoting Hellraiser II.

Yes, and there's no doubt that (at least up to now) most documents from "cablegate" where more in the comedy then in the revealing category.
Which puts the governmental counter-argument of putting lives in danger right next up to "you gotta fucking kidding me".

I've been thinking about this, and I don't think it's really about the confirmation of things we already knew. To my mind it removes a certain ease of deniability from the state that hopefully we the people can use if even in some small way for greater accountability. At least, that's what I hope the outcome might be.

I don't really know where I stand - I've been thinking about the leaks for a while now, and while I do agree that we have a right to know.. I am also sensitive to the idea of how this can effect the world as a whole. As much as I disagree with many of the policies of my neighbors to the south - I don't know how I feel about the possibility of hostilities arising out of these leaked documents.

But then again - I just look over the aftermath, see that nothing really big has happened and then that's that.

What I as a person do, is just my business.
What Government does is the business of everyone, since their shits fall on citizens' heads.