andrewducker: (Default)
andrewducker ([personal profile] andrewducker) wrote2010-11-30 08:12 am

I believe they're calling this cablegate

[Poll #1651136]

Context (including nice infographic and download) here

World is now a less safe place

[identity profile] zornhau.livejournal.com 2010-11-30 11:57 am (UTC)(link)
Who now is going to speak off the record to anybody in the US diplomatic service?

Generally, the world is a safer place if people can resolve international problems behind the scenes.

Re: World is now a less safe place

[identity profile] skington.livejournal.com 2010-11-30 01:49 pm (UTC)(link)
"In cables that 3 million Americans have access to" is not quite "behind the scenes".

Re: World is now a less safe place

[identity profile] zornhau.livejournal.com 2010-11-30 01:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, no chance of either happening again.

American Diplomat; "Hey psycho 3rd world dictator, suppose instead of starting a war, you accept a sort of bribe?"

Psycho 3rd world dictator; "If we even talk about this, it'll end up all over the Internet."

Re: World is now a less safe place

[identity profile] interactiveleaf.livejournal.com 2010-11-30 06:08 pm (UTC)(link)
And if there's anything a third world dictator is really afraid of, it's bad publicity on the Internet.

Re: World is now a less safe place

[identity profile] zornhau.livejournal.com 2010-11-30 06:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, it depends what the deal is.

If the US is trying to persuade him to quietly sell out some of his supporters, or betray some terrorists who are camped out in his back yard, then, yes, he probably is afraid of bad publicity on the Internet.

Re: World is now a less safe place

[identity profile] interactiveleaf.livejournal.com 2010-11-30 09:08 pm (UTC)(link)
If a dictator is discussing such things with the US, or internally, or with anyone else, then as always, the greatest risk of discovery comes from his internal staff.

Ain't nothin' particularly worth noting here.

Re: World is now a less safe place

[identity profile] zornhau.livejournal.com 2010-12-01 09:28 am (UTC)(link)
So are you seriously arguing that crippling the USA's capacity for diplomacy during a rare Democrat presidency is a Good Thing?