[liberationtech] Assange's claim about Tor losing US government support due to WikiLeaks

[hwamyeon]

I believe that his intent is honest, and that he's doing what he 
believes to be right. I personally disagree with his methods and goals, 
but I don't doubt his intent. I also believe that he has a fatal flaw, 
which is the desire to be seen at the face of transparency and freedom. 
There's nothing necessarily wrong with that in itself, but it's to the 
detriment of Wikileaks.

With Assange as the face of Wikileaks, he has given a gift to their 
adversaries. They no longer have to discredit Wilileaks, they need only 
discredit the man, and that's a far easier target. The media exposure 
that Wikileaks treasures is stolen away by the coverage of Assange's 
extradition problems. Assange has done little to keep himself from 
becoming the face of Wikileaks (the idea is reinforced each time he 
accepts an interview, or does a series for RT) and he's damaging his own 
goals in doing so.

On 02/27/2012 03:13 PM, Jacob Appelbaum wrote:
> On 02/27/2012 03:59 PM, The Dod wrote:
>> On 02/28/2012 02:25 AM, Miles Fidelman wrote:
>>> Jacob Appelbaum wrote:
>>>> Try not to let cynicism win.
>>> Then again, isn't cynicism what Wikileaks is all about?  Righteous
>>> cynicism about whether or not we can trust our instititutions.
>>>
>> Cynicism is to accept the fact we can't trust institutions and leave it
>> at that.
>> Cynicism is "but I didn't speak up because I wasn't a {Jew | Muslim |
>> dying in Bhopal}".
>> Cynicism is mincing words to sound clever because you're not being
>> pepper sprayed and can think straight.
>>
>> Opposing and exposing such things is exactly the opposite.
> Suggesting that Julian has no positive intentions is absolutely out of
> line with reality. That's the cynicism I'm referencing and if that isn't
> clear - we should be opposed to the cynicism of fatalism - we can make a
> difference.
>
> Not every person who attempts to make a difference is *only* acting in
> their own self interest. Julian, as called out, certainly isn't and that
> is the concept to which I object.
>
> All the best,
> Jacob
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