Wikileaks Reveals Politicians Are Humans

Inquiry after inquiry has revealed how the public has been mislead on the most major of issues; everyday promises are found to be broken by both government and opposition, then just when public opinion was at an all time low, the expenses scandal smashed into the public consciousness like a heavy duty nail gun, powering endless bolts into the Westminster coffin.

The once inoffensive Lib-Dems have even stepped up to the plate, wholeheartedly taking the opportunity to lie and backtrack like all the previous governments they used to look up to with such misty eyed jealousy. Now we treat any government proposal like buying a DVD player off the back of a lorry: we know we’re getting something dodgy, we just hope it doesn’t burn the house down.

With this in mind, transparency among the dealings of our politicians seems like a glorious end that we should all be striving for. Julian Assange certainly thinks so, and there is no denying that the WikiLeaks website has done more to contribute to this goal than any other body or person in the history of politics.

For those recently released from captivity or just back from a mission into deep space, whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks has released thousands of confidential documents taken from US Embassy cables around the world. The idea, according to Assange, is to make governments more honest by revealing uncomfortable truths. If we think long term, however, is publicising all these confidential cables really such a good idea?

Whenever a politician acts in the public eye they do so with the superficial mask that aims to cause the least offense to anyone. When politicians speak they know a pack of journalists wait hungrily for a line to take out of context or a phrase that doesn’t meet the standards of political correctness, ready to strike with devastating speed and feast heartily on the resulting media outrage.

When the mic is off, on the other hand, WikiLeaks has shown that they bitch and slander like ordinary folk. Indeed, the leaked US cables have mainly provided examples of diplomats saying what everyone thought but weren’t allowed to say, which on reflection is quite reassuring.

I was relieved to hear of the Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King’s doubts over Cameron and Osborne’s abilities to handle the worst economic crisis for a century, as they barely managed to oust the lifeless meat sack that was Gordon Brown from power and are still teething their way from nappies into big boy pants.

More importantly, when diplomats start saying things like King Jong Il is “a flabby old chap”, they show that beneath all the bullshit they hold up in public life, they communicate like humans with normal opinions. They almost begin to sound like people I know, or, dare I say it, people I could trust.

Getting honesty and accountability out of our politicians is an issue of massive importance for modern society. However, a blanket treatment to make every classified document public seems ill-conceived, as even when politicians are talking directly to the public they smack of self-preserving deceit.

You can blame New Labour or JFK if you like but, in the image conscious world of today, transparency is not equal to honesty. If all such documents were released, the false rhetoric that makes us want to unleash a thousand angry Paxmans into the commons will grow, politicians will become less human, more cautious and more distrustful of the media. The secrecy will be buried even deeper.

Diplomats have to be diplomatic; they privately work out their best course of action then share it with the rest. When one of your mates starts acting like a twat, you probably slag them off behind their back before talking to them personally; allowing you to vent your feelings without ruining the friendship. Likewise in international relations: slag off the French in private, then sign up for a joint army.

WikiLeaks and its legion of activist supporters have started a cyber mosh-pit of controversy, showing the anti-establishment community can do a lot more than stop the all-conquering Joe McElderry from getting a Christmas number one. While they cite freedom of speech as their aim, lifting two virtual fingers to the US seems to be their real objective, and this they’ve done very well.

On whether politicians will start being more honest, this is about as likely as Guy Richie making a well considered adaptation of Jane Eyre (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Bonnets?), but maybe with the heightened power to uncover their dealings, politicians will give us less reason to go digging around for the truth and start acting a bit more like humans.

By: The Tooth

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