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"The Kissinger Cables": WikiLeaks Releases 1.7M Historical Records
An anonymous reader writes to note the latest large-scale document release from WikiLeaks: "The cables are all from the time period of 1973 to 1976. Without droning about too many numbers that can be found in the press release, about 200,000 of the cables relate directly to former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. These cables include significant revelations about U.S. involvements with fascist dictatorships, particularly in Latin America, under Franco's Spain (including about the Spanish royal family) and in Greece under the regime of the Colonels. The documents also contain hourly diplomatic reporting on the 1973 war between Israel, Egypt and Syria (the 'Yom Kippur war'). While several of these documents have been used by U.S. academic researchers in the past, the Kissinger Cables provides unparalleled access to journalists and the general public. 'The illegal we do immediately; the unconstitutional takes a little longer.' — Henry A. Kissinger, U.S. Secretary of State, March 10, 1975."
'Fascist Dictatorship' is verging on hate speech. Please use the term 'Stability-Enhanced Administration' or 'American Regional Security Ally'.
My initial reaction was to think, "at least he admits it, privately."
After I thought about it for a half a minute, this quotation made my day. I realized that the people of the United States had passed a law that put a man like that in fear. Add one point in the "democracy" column!
[Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
If the US did play entirely by the rules, the USSR would win the Cold War. The USSR was a fascist country, although the red sort of fascism, and observed no rules in its quest for dominance over Eurasia. I am glad the West's only country capable of standing against the USSR had politicians like Dr Kissinger that were focused on winning.
Henry Kissinger
How I'm missing yer
You're the doctor of my dreams.
With your crinkly hair and your glassy stare
And your Machiavellian schemes
I know they say that you are very vain
And short and fat and pudgy but at least you're not insane!
Henry Kissinger
How I'm missing yer
And wishing you were here!
Henry Kissinger
How I'm missing yer
You're so chubby and so neat.
With your funny clothes and your squishy nose
You're like a German parakeet.
All right so people say that you don't care
But you've got nicer legs than Hitler
And bigger tits than Cher!
Henry Kissinger
How I'm missing yer
And wishing you were here!
I also always remember Tom Lehrer's comment that political satire died when they gave Kissinger the Nobel Peace Prize.
I am officially gone from
The moral of the story is that once you realise the "alright" president/prime minister/premier/whatever is actually up to all sorts of no-good, then the ones you don't think so much of are positively up to their necks in it.
The government isn't that clever by a longshot. Besides, it could just as easily backfire and remind everyone of all the scummy tactics we were engaging in just 40 years ago (and encourage more people to ask if we're still engaging in them today--which, sadly, we probably are).
The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."
Well, I believe Machiavelli wrote a separate book on republics, which I haven't read, but the closest relevant chapter in _the Prince_ is probablyChapter IX, where he says:
I'm aware that Machiavelli's name is a synonym for ruthlessness, but if you actually read what he wrote, there's a lot more to it than that. He wrote a lot about the importance of gaining and keeping the people's support. So, I do not think Kissinger by and large took the right lessons from Machiavelli. Now, Lyndon Johnson, *there's* a true student of Machiavelli!
[Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
The previous declassification Executive Order 12958 signed in 1995, under the Clinton administration, was resisted by officials in the Defense Department and the U.S. intelligence community. The reclassification program was started in the fall of 1999 (Executive Order 13142). Security concerns were heightened by the Wen Ho Lee case, and "alleged" inadvertent release of nuclear secrets by the State Department.[1] 55 boxes of material were removed to the classified storage area on the sixth floor.[2]
It sought to be covert for as long as possible, but was revealed by the National Security Archive in February 2006.[3] By that point over 55,000 pages had already been reclassified, many dating back more than 50 years.
During the George W. Bush administration the scope of the program widened (Executive Order 13292), and was scheduled to end in March 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._reclassification_program
True, the cheerleading for North Korea and China on Slashdot is almost embarrassing. Absent, but embarrassing.
What Machiavelli talked about was how to achieve and hold power. That requires the people's support. But a Machiavellian, like any true politician, does it for his own sake, not for theirs -- and Machiavelli thus talked about how to reconcile this fundamental selfishness with the need to keep the people's support.
The problem comes when there is a distinction between enacting policies that benefit the people, and feigning to so just in order to get their support while actually not having their best interests at heart. This is why transparency in governance is the ultimate enemy of politicians and yet the only thing that gives government a shade's chance of actually serving the public.
True, the cheerleading for North Korea and China on Slashdot is almost embarrassing.
Absent, but embarrassing.
I have to wonder at the thought processes of somebody who, when you say "Y'know, our support of Operation Condor was really pretty disgusting", somehow hears "I love Communism so much that I'd kiss Uncle Joe right on his death camps! Viva La DPRK!" and begins frothing at the mouth...
Please forgive me if I'm harder on my own country than others. It is because it is my country, the one I have the most stake in and the most control over (Ha!). It's the same reason I'm more concerned with my own kid's behavior than that of other children.
"What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)
What amuses me is that most people like to pretend that this type of stuff doesn't continue into the present day.
"What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)
LOL of course not.
Wikileaks has already demonstrated that they're willing to skew the data and completely misrepresent data if that misrepresentation supports their political views.
As has the US government. Which is why no good student of history relies on a single source.
And while the "Collateral Murder video", as originally released, was as much a piece of propaganda as any US government release, Wikileaks has a much better track record when it comes to raw dumps. Not necessarily because they're unbiased, but because they don't have the resources to edit them. If nevertheless the US government believes the cables have been selectively released, I'll look forward to their release of additional information to set the record straight.
Usually called a Constitutional Republic. Real democracy will eat you
Warning: the English language is subject to change over the centuries. Right wingers and libertarians particularly take note. In the 18th century the word "democracy", without further qualification, generally referred to direct democracy. We are currently the 21st century (check your calendars if you doubt it). At this time, and for many years, the term "democracy" has taken on a more general meaning, and may refer to either direct or representative democracy, with or without a constitution. This may be verified by using a new type of reference called a "dictionary".
If you can't find anything more substantial to complain about than your fetish for using 18th century meanings for certain words, do you actually have anything to say?
Taiwan and Japan? What did they ever to do support NK? You're really off your rocker.
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
Continually annoys me when these idiots scream "Well Stalin killed millions!" I don't give a shit, I didn't pay taxes in the Soviet Union that supported a war machine that assisted in the massacre of a huge percentage of the Central American civilian population. My tax dollars didn't ship weapons to Cuba, but they did pay for free weapons for apartheid South Africa. My government didn't approve sending warplanes to the North Vietnamese government, but it did give direct and explicit approval to carrying out genocide in East Timor. Yep, Mao wasn't a nice guy, but the citizens of my country didn't elect Mao to represent me. They elected Reagan and a pair of Bushes, who were every bit as bad without the excuse of Mao's morphine addiction.
"Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin