So what is it all about?
The first thing to realize is that the power of the leaks is not in the individual document. The important message is this: Nothing can be kept a secret anymore. Sooner or later most things will be revealed to the public. This is what frightens the global elite.
Because their power is based to a large degree on secrecy. „If you have nothing to hide, you have everything to fear“ - This is what they have been telling us all day long when they invaded our privacy, when they installed those security cameras, those airport scanners, those data retention laws, etc...etc.. „If you have nothing to hide, you have everything to fear“ - But those in power usually have a lot to hide. Why? Because their interests are to some degree opposed to our interests.
Wikileaks will make the world a better place
Next time a CEO, a Banker, a chief diplomat or a politician is about to fuck us he/she will think twice: is it really worth the trouble if this gets public? Am I 100% shore this can be concealed long enough? Etc. Just the Existence of something like WikiLeaks will make the world a better place.
There are those that fear that the Leaks might endanger people. True: but 100 times more it will prevent evils. If those in power can not be sure anymore that they get through with their shit they will think twice before doing it.
Transparency: Necessary for Democracy
There is a lot of talking today about the so called „post democracy“: While we live in a system that pretends to be democratic, the people have less power today to influence politics. There are many factors for this erosion of democracy, but one particular aspect is that today it is hard to spot someone who is responsible for what happens. In the jungle of international relations that for the backbone of our legislative process today it is hard to find out who is fucking with us. Look for the secret ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement). Who could say: this or that political party was to blame for some particular bullshit that will be imposed on us by this treaty? And if this feedback is missing then the voters can no longer react with their vote:
Transparency is a necessary precondition for democracy!
Counterbalance to the growing dangers of surveillance
Given the unprecedented ways that technology enables those in power to spy on us. Something the secret services of the past could have only dreamed of there is a growing imbalance of power. They know all about us but we do not know much about them. But they leave their digital trails as well and with sites like WikiLeaks their wrongdoing can be exposed as well. So we need a lot of sites like Wikileaks and a lot of people with the courage to leak to it, in order to counter balance the growing dangers of a 1984 like surveillance state.
This is not against the US
Some on the „left“ have applauded the recent Leaks because of their anti-US prejudice. While this kind of stupid, reactionary positions just shows their short sightedness it is sad to see that US-officials and and the media share this stupid position. Wikileaks was founded by Chinese dissistents and has already leaked information from all over the world. Even the recent cablegate leaks are not a strike against the US: The message is: If even a superpower like the US can not keep those kinds of secrets then no one can: Thus this potential evil doers all over the world now will start to think twice: Will it be possible to keep it secret? This way, the leaks help to protect us all over the world from any kind of evil government and evil corporations. For those who have read Hardt & Negri: This is not against the US. It is against the Empire.
While Wikileaks and similar sites will lead to more transparency and less evil doing in this world, will it be enough to bring real change? Will it be the nail in the coffin of neo-liberal capitalism?
They will fight it
While it prevent a lot of new evil from happening, a lot of those hat are still in power have much to loose: There already is a large track of their mischief. So we should expect that the ruling class will fight this as much as they can. We already see this happening....
Generation Change
The next thing we will is a Generation change: If the bourgeois wants to retain power they need to change the political (and administrative) personal: Younger people who do not have a long history with leakable material.
Ultimately: Can there be a fully transparent Capitalism?
Back then when the bourgeois discussed if they could accept democracy people where sceptical: Who would ever win an election but the workers party? Today we know that capitalists managed to keep in power despite the fact that their interests run contrary to the interests of the majority of people. Capitalism is an extremely versatile system: It manages to adopt to threats, incorporate its enemies and when it does it only makes the system stronger.
My Guess?: Under normal circumstances maybe capitalism could adopt to these circumstances. But today the system is already tumbling: More and more people are realizing that capitalisms inherent need for growth will clash with the limited resources of our planet. And since least since the last crash of the markets even the most vivid supporters of capitalism are starting to ask questions.....
So yes: In this situation the transparency that WikiLeaks brings has the power to change the whole system.
It’s the End of the World as We Know It - And I Feel Fine.
Franz Schäfer, 7.12.2010
