Ian wrote:A high-tech underground lair. As somebody put it recently: if it has been Julian Assange's intentions to fully turn himself into a James Bond-style villain, he has finally succeeded.
Of particular interest to me is the "Doomsday File" threat, aka "The Insurance": that if he's arrested over Wikileaks-related activities, he'll give the password to unlock an encrypted data file that will directly threaten the security of the American people. Wow, what a folk hero!
Personally I think he's bluffing. Even if he does have something like that (and I can't imagine what), if he releases it he'll forever destroy Wikileaks legacy, whatever that is now worth.
Here's an interesting thought: Let's suppose he can disclose the password to decrypt the "Doomsday File" to someone, somewhere who can decrypt it. That person is in an interesting position. Is it worth it to decrypt and distribute that file? What consequences could befall him or her? Is Julian worth it? What about the morality of the situation? If no greater good than getting Julian out of jail is to be accomplished, then the person might see the document and decide to delete it on moral grounds after an assessment of likely harm vs. good. It would be the ultimate fail for Assange.
I think in some cases, like The Pentagon Papers back in the day, leaking information to the public is the most moral, compassionate, and patriotic thing to do. But these diplomatic cables are no Pentagon Papers. I doubt that the Doomsday File is either.
What I've found with a few discussions I've had lately is this self-satisfaction that people express with their proffessed open mindedness. In realty it ammounts to wilful ignorance and intellectual cowardice as they are choosing to not form any sort of opinion on a particular topic. Basically "I don't know and I'm not going to look at any evidence because I'm quite happy on this fence."
-Mr P
The Net is best considered analogous to communication with disincarnate intelligences. As any neophyte would tell you. Do not invoke that which you have no facility to banish.
Audley Strange
. And then when they come back, they can 
