Like Attracts Like

They think of themselves as bold seekers-after-truth, those whose mission in life it is to confront authority, challenge it and present themselves as classic iconoclasts, heros of a social revolution to bring to the public any and all news furtively hidden by government agents with their agendas that bode no good for the nation, nor the world at large.

They view themselves as acting in the public weal. And through the spectacular results of their unveiling of otherwise classified or secret or diplomatic documents, the public hails them for their boldness and audacious determination. They are the champions who reveal all, consumed with their ideological insistence that nothing should be hidden from public view.

How much of their zeal is attributable to an authentic desire for accountability, and how much is driven by vanity is another matter entirely.

There are, however, many things that should be maintained in discreet files. We have governments whom we elect, and government agencies, which we largely trust to do the bidding of those to whom we have entrusted our countries' well-being - and by extension that of their citizens - on the basis of trust. And in democratic countries with a history of free presses we do obtain the news we require to assess the above.

So it is rather intriguing to read that a former close colleague of seeker-after-truth Julian Assange, has characterized him as paranoid, and a "megalomaniac". Of course there are those who follow this man's forays into the news and who observe what can only be the entitled actions of a paranoid egotist, so just like the purloined documents that are revealed in which we learn nothing new, this revelation falls into a like category.

Despite which, it does pique one's interest. "Children shouldn't play with guns", grimly assessed the author of Inside WikiLeaks, Daniel Domscheit-Berg. When that adult-cum-child seems incapable of adequately assessing the value of the data he reveals, and appears rather careless of the disaster he may visit by those revelations, upon both individuals and nations, it is a fair characterization.

A WikiLeaks insider reviewing the newly-released book dishing insider information about WikiLeaks and its founder, observes that the author confesses within it to various acts of sabotage against the organization. Sabotage is quite what WikiLeaks itself sets out to accomplish, informationally.

A certain air of petulant grievance seems to emanate from some of the book's quotes, reminiscent of Julian Assange's personality, as well.

And it's just too apt, in view of Sweden's desire to have Julian Assange appear before a public prosecutor on allegations of rape and molestation that the book describes his view of women - "She has to be aware of her role as a woman" - and his boast about how many children exist around the world with his genetic code inscribed as their father.

An altogether thoroughly unpleasant individual, even with the added description of "brilliant". Leavened by the description of other personal attributes like an aversion to hygienic principles, and eating habits reflecting a background where it appears he was "brought up more by wolves rather than humans".

This will most definitely not give pleasure to Mr. Assange's proudly doting mother.