In praise of WikiLeaks

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

Democracy is alive and kicking when politicians are furious at the media. Democracy is usually in trouble when the timing of the media coincides with that of politicians.

Having received the sensitive data, WikiLeaks had one obligation: to publish or be damned. Had it withheld the information it would have acted as a gatekeeper not only for the world's last remaining super-power, but also for the various despots who do everything possible to control the flow of information.

Some are saying that the leaks endanger security and even human life. But the responsibility of avoiding leaks falls squarely on governments. It is their job to avoid them. The moment documents are leaked to the media these become part of the public domain. This is like accusing a journalist for being unethical for publishing information sent to him by mistake by email.

And although less earth-shattering than expected, Wikileaks have contributed to increase our knowledge of behind-the-scenes diplomacy. A case in point is the exposure of a warmongering Saudi Arabia prodding a reluctant US to invade Iran. Ironically, except for the very serious case of spying on the UN, so far the reputation of US diplomacy is somewhat enhanced by sharp observations made by its diplomats on grotesque figures of ridicule like Gaddafi, Berlusconi and gangsters like Vladimir Putin.

In this sense, by publishing the cables WikiLeaks has forced American diplomacy to speak truth to power.

The WikiLeaks disclosures expose the arrogance of American diplomacy but also its irony and humor. To cite one example, the Moscow US Embassy's characterization of Putin and Medvedev -- Batman and Robin -- is not only funny, but also a 'catch the moment' remark which may end up in the history books as a way to describe this odd, sinister duo.

In Malta, where a significant part of the independent media has taken a gatekeeping role, Wikileaks offers a lesson in irreverence to power. One 'catch the moment' example of gatekeeping was the Times publishing a photo of the Prime Minister being cheered (Kim Jong Il style) by a group of students, next to a photo showing students rioting in London in a sort of 'spot the difference' exercise for primary school children.

What irritates me is that the Nationalists who project themselves as enlightened democrats tend to promote an insular gatekeeping culture, rather than try to win the day by presenting rational arguments which the media can digest and analyse. There is no need for North Korea style ceremonials to make the point that so far we have fared better than others during the crisis, or to remind us that university students form a strategic part of the PN's hegemonic bloc and are therefore arewell taken care of.

Another revealing case of these insular ways was the PN's lament that the EU Commission’s confidential Letter of Formal Notice had been leaked to the press and that this had resulted in much speculation on the contract and its award. Curiously the same government did not have the same scruples by announcing a favourable EC decision before it was published, spinning it as an absolution of any wrong doing when we all know that only the Maltese police force can establish whether there was corruption or not.