"Ulwazi luwuhlobo lwemali yentando yeningi." Thomas Jefferson.
Kusukela ngo-9-11, uhulumeni waseMelika, esebenzisa uMongameli Bush no-Obama, uye watshela umphakathi wase-US ukuthi "izimfihlo zombuso" ngeke zabelane nezakhamuzi. Owayengenele ukhetho u-Obama wathembisa ukunciphisa ukusetshenziswa kwezimfihlo zombuso, kodwa uMongameli Obama waqhubeka nesiko likaBush. Izinkantolo kanye neCongress kanye nabalingani bamazwe ngamazwe baye bahamba ngokuzithoba kanye nezimfuno ezikhulayo zokuyimfihlo ze-US Executive.
Ngokulebula amashumi ezigidi zemibhalo eyimfihlo, uhulumeni wase-US udale isikhala esikhulu solwazi.
Kodwa ulwazi luwumgogodla wentando yeningi. Ulwazi ngohulumeni lunomthelela ekwenzeni intando yeningi enempilo. Ukungafihli kanye nokuziphendulela kuyizici ezibalulekile zikahulumeni omuhle. Ngokufanayo, โukuntuleka kokungafihli kukahulumeni nokuziphendulela kubukela phansi intando yeningi futhi kubangela ukungabaza nokungathembani,โ ngokocwaningo luka-Harris lwango-2008 olwagunyazwa i-Association of Government Accountants.
Esikhaleni esiyimfihlo kungene u-Private Bradley Manning, okwathi, ngokwe-Associated Press, wakwazi ukunqoba โizinhlelo zokuphepha zePentagon esebenzisa okungaphezu kwe-CD ye-Lady Gaga kanye ne-memory stick ephathekayo.โ
Ngokusobala uManning uthumele ulwazi ku-Wikileaks - inhlangano yabezindaba engenzi nzuzo, egxile ekushicileleni imininingwane eputshuziwe. I-Wikileaks yona yabelane ngemibhalo nakwabanye abezindaba emhlabeni wonke okuhlanganisa ne-New York Times futhi yashicilela okuningi kuwebhusayithi yayo.
Naphezu kophenyo lobugebengu olwenziwa yi-US kanye nabanye ohulumeni, akucaci ukuthi izinhlangano zabezindaba ezifana ne-Wikileaks zingashushiswa e-US ngenxa ye-First Amendment. Khumbula ukuthi iSichibiyelo Sokuqala sithi: โICongress ngeke ibeke umthetho ophathelene nokusungulwa kwenkolo, noma owenqabela ukusetshenziswa kwayo ngokukhululekile; noma ukunqamula inkululeko yokukhuluma, noma yabezindaba; noma ilungelo labantu lokuhlangana ngokuthula, nokunxusa uhulumeni ukuba alungise izikhalo.โ
Osopolitiki abathukuthele bathi ukukhishwa kolwazi lukahulumeni kuwubugebengu obufana nobuphekula futhi kubeka izimpilo zabantu abangenacala engcupheni. Abaningi balabo sopolitiki abafanayo bagunyaze ukulingana kwesimanje nokuqhunyiswa kwebhomu likakhaphethi e-Baghdad nakwamanye amadolobha ase-Iraq, ukubulawa kwezinkulungwane zezimpilo zamasosha nezakhamuzi, kanye nokuhlaselwa ngama-drone ezindaweni ezihlala umphakathi e-Afghanistan, ePakistan naseYemen. Intukuthelo yabo ngokulahlwa kwedokhumenti, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi inkulu kangakanani, ingaphezu komsolwa omncane.
Wonke umuntu, okuhlanganisa ne-Wikileaks kanye nabanye abezindaba ababika le mibhalo, banethemba lokuthi akukho miphefumulo ezolahleka ngenxa yalokhu. Kuze kube manje, kubonakala kunjalo njengoba iMcClatchey Newspapers yabika ngo-November 28, 2010, ukuthi โizikhulu zase-United States zavuma ukuthi azinabufakazi kuze kube manje bokuthi ukukhululwa [ngaphambi] kwemibhalo kwaholela ekufeni kwanoma ubani.โ
I-US ibilokhu ihamba ngendlela engafanele iminyaka ngokuhlukanisa izigidi zemibhalo njengezimfihlo. IWikileaks neminye imithombo yezindaba ebika lezi zinto ezibizwa ngezimfihlo izophoxa abantu yebo. I-Wikileaks neminye imithombo yezindaba izokwenza abaholi bangakhululeki yebo. Kodwa ukuphoxeka nokungakhululeki amanani amancane okukhokhela intando yeningi enempilo.
I-Wikileaks inamandla okwenza ukubeka izinto obala nokuziphendulela kuqine kakhulu e-US. Lokho kuhle ngentando yeningi.
UBill Quigley unguMqondisi Wezomthetho Wesikhungo Samalungelo Omthethosisekelo kanye noprofesa wezomthetho eYunivesithi yaseLoyola eNew Orleans. Umthethosivivinywa ungafinyelelwa ku- [i-imeyili ivikelwe]