Some powers will attempt to exploit the opportunity to gain advantages by crying “murder” and by claiming an insult. Once and when that happens Washington has a comeback. It should ask the complaining parties to take a good look at the tone and content of the confidential reports that are in their diplomatic files. Assange’s consequences Beyond the noble principles of official releases, the intended purpose of the leaks had been to wound the USA. Being an open society, she has been a suitable target for infiltration. Rest assured that a “WikiLeaks” would not happen to China, Iran, or even Russia. It would appear that the damage to the core of American national interest remains limited. On the other hand, the ability of “diplomacy” to find political solutions to problems that would otherwise lead to violence, will be diminished. The damage to discretion will weaken the context upon which diplomacy depends. Mr. Assange has not made the world a safer place. For the sake of the perspective History knows famous leaks that, unlike the Wiki-version, have made history. At first, the “Ems Dispatch” comes to mind. Prussian Chancellor Bismarck practiced what could be called a “self-leak”. He did this by passing on to the press the confidential report of his King about a conversation with France’s Ambassador. As hoped for, the irritable French were insulted by the edited message. Angered, France declared the war she actually wished to avoid. That made them the aggressor. Even worse, they promptly lost the war. Equally consequential was the “Zimmermann Telegram”. In 1917 the British, who for long had broken the German code, finally decided to act openly on the information they had even if that would unmask their access. The ace they held was a telegram from the German Foreign Office to the Ambassador in Mexico. The hair-brained plan confirms the thesis that the Germans had the best soldiers and the stupidest politicians. Berlin wanted to bring Japan and Mexico together to fight the Americans. In case of victory, Mexico was to get the territories it lost in the 19th century. Once London passed the text to Washington, President Wilson had an excuse to end American neutrality and to enter the war that, regardless of his campaign promise (“he had kept us out of war”) he wanted to join. Inconveniently challenged principle Anti-Semitic textbooks of Saudi origin are in use in the UK. That such an action is a violation of national law is obvious. But count on muted reaction by leftist circles. Raised in the tradition of relativism, the guiding standard is that sticking to a principle amounts to uncouth stubbornness. All customs, cultures and worldviews have their merit. That makes them equal. Therefore, rejecting any of them as being beyond the pale of elementary standards is wrong. Our liberals want a justification to be able to abandon every tenet to which they have ever committed themselves. If the challenger has a fist, the moral principle loses the quality of providing a safe mount for uncontested preaching. Once resolute and violence proven opposition rises, the espoused value becomes a commitment that demands a sacrifice. And that is to be avoided because nothing is worth the risk inherent in upholding a principle. The most tri-dimensional illustration is the once uncompromisingly conducted struggle against anti-Semitism. Once the countries that made that their stated policy had been defeated, the retroactive heroism sounded good and involved no price. This factor made, after 1945, out of the originally small band of active anti-Nazis a crowd with standing room only. Today, with Islamists preaching crude anti-Semitism and equating it with it the detested West’s democracy, the tune changes. This leaves us with the lesson that anti-Semitism and other forms of obscurantism are to be combated heroically only in the case of the safe past. In the case of advocates of comparable policies in the present, the worldview is to be “understood” on a “multicultural” basis. A bad human being A doctor in Germany had posted rules on his door. He asked his patients to speak German and to refrain from wearing Muslim-style covers. Whether his ability to communicate with his female patients has improved is unknown. He was, however, censured by the board of physicians. Avoid insulting those who love to be offended Christmas plays and nativity exhibits in schools and other public places are disappearing. Soon private garden displays might also get the ax once they are classified as a public nuisance. Meanwhile, Christmas cards mute into Seasons’ Greeting messages. This is because, unlike Buddhists, Jews or Animists- Muslim pupils might choose to be insulted. The next step seems farfetched. But only until it happens. In the future, it will be proposed that Muslim holidays be celebrated. After all, ignoring them might insult the members of that community. Welcome news Iran is or has again been ready to negotiate on the basis that it is not asked to cease its current programs. One therefore wonders what the purpose of the recently concluded talks in Geneva between the West and Iran could have been. The only result is that Tehran gains time to pursue its program. The case is completed by the UN’s coming inability to supervise nuclear projects. This task used to be delegated to the IAEA. Teheran has just publicized its finding that this UN agency is spying against Iran. Indeed, some material made public by WikiLeaks suggests that Mr. Amano has sympathies –how could it be otherwise- for the American/Western position. Some powers will attempt to exploit the opportunity to gain advantages by crying “murder” and by claiming an insult. Once and when that happens Washington has a comeback. It should ask the complaining parties to take a good look at the tone and content of the confidential reports that are in their diplomatic files.
The Shock Of WikiLeaks: Confirming What One Knew
In the real world, the diplomat’s task goes beyond transmitting messages from one foreign office to the other. The representatives abroad serve as a kind of stethoscope. Whatever they hear they need to report back. Not unlike a vacuum cleaner, they are used to pick up information. Most of that is trivial. Pasted together the data is to help to assess intentions, situations and negotiating positions. Rumors are very much a part of the noises to register, to amplify and to transmit. As in the case of insider chitchat, this is local gossip. This makes the “material”, analogous to what goes around about the zoning committee of the community where you reside. What might really strike the observer is the banality of the data that clutters confidential reports.
In the real world, the diplomat’s task goes beyond transmitting messages from one foreign office to the other. The representatives abroad serve as a kind of stethoscope. Whatever they hear they need to report back. Not unlike a vacuum cleaner, they are used to pick up information. Most of that is trivial. Pasted together the data is to help to assess intentions, situations and negotiating positions. Rumors are very much a part of the noises to register, to amplify and to transmit. As in the case of insider chitchat, this is local gossip. This makes the “material”, analogous to what goes around about the zoning committee of the community where you reside. What might really strike the observer is the banality of the data that clutters confidential reports.
From the desk of George Handlery on Fri, 2010-12-10 18:45
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