Flash, no attack felt. Political conversations always become heated. One of the reasons I hate them. No one ever seems to agree. The same can be said about the emotions and conversations on this thread. It will be very hard to get everyone to agree one way or the other about Wikileaks.
One of the problems with total transparency, IMO, is that we will not all agree on how things should be handled. Then, there is no progress. Yes, we elect our officials to represent us. With that comes the expectation that they will do it properly. But our knowing every nuance of how they do their job undermines the work already done, and to be done, for the basic reason that if you put 10 people in a room and ask them how this person should perform their responsibilities, they will not all agree on how it should be done. Now, I am not talking about the sex party; I'll get to that. I'm talking about how our country interacts with other countries (diplomats, etc.). Making every conversation, memo, discussion public impedes progress. There will always be someone who thinks it could be handled differently. While we should expect certain standards and protocol be kept by these officials, we should not micro manage them.
Now, regarding the sex slave party. This practice (bacha bazi) has been going on for centuries; way before DynCorp (or the U.S. for that matter) had any involvement in Afghanistan. And while I find it highly offensive, I realize that there are many practices in many countries that I feel are unacceptable and offensive. Just because the world now knows of it, doesn't mean it will go away. The fact that a U.S. corporation paid for such a party does not set well for me since I feel that a primary way to start change is to lead by example. But (and I realize this might sound as if I am trivializing this) this sort of reminds me of the stereotypical U.S. company sales outing where the reps are taken to a strip club and bought lots of drinks and a lap dance. Is it good business practice? IMO, no. Does it get the sale? Unfortunately, yes. DynCorp bought the Afghan police they were training their form of a lap dance. It is an acceptable form of entertainment (for many, not all) in Afghanistan. I don't like it, but knowing about it has not empowered me at all, nor has it helped bring about any change there. Dog fights are illegal in the U.S, but they still happen daily; knowledge hasn't changed that, nor will it change customs there.
This problem isn't just with the U.S., who is being shown as a villain by Wikileaks. It affects all of our allies too. Now we are all pussy footing around each other, worried that every word and action we carry out together will be scrutinized and publicized to death. It is hobbling us.
This is so complex. Bottom line? We need credibility and accountability from our politicians. But how do we accomplish that? Maybe stronger screening processes prior to nomination? With pressure, will a politician maintain their own opinion and ethics? I also feel that the millions of dollars the U.S. sends to countries isn't accounted for properly, which leads to these funds being used for drug cartels and arms, etc. Let's face it; this is a cluster fuck of epic proportions. I don't claim to know the answers. I do feel, however, that there is a danger in the populace as a whole micro managing a job they do not fully understand. Knowledge is power, but too much power can be dangerous. And I also realize that I might be alone in my opinion.
seems that is the only crime he can be charge with at this time. It's apparently illegal in Sweden to have sex without using a condom unless you're married. Of course this is enforced about as much as jay walking is in the U.S., but none the less he is in a prison right now waiting to be interrogated and/or extradited because of it.
And now he's taken that theme and really run with it.
