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familiar with these arguments, particularly the argument that, as a result of the WikiLeaks releases, diplomats will no longer be candid in giving advice "if that advice might become public”. Murray elaborates: Put it another way. The best advice is advice you would not be prepared to defend in public. Really? Why? In today's globalised world, the Embassy is not a unique source of expertise. Often expatriate, academic and commercial organisations are a lot better informed. The best policy advice is not advice which is shielded from peer review. What of course the establishment mean|{s| is that Ambassadors should be free to recommend things which the general public would view with deep opprobrium, without any danger of being found out. But should they really be allowed to do that, in a democracy?" It is because any US diplomat who made an honest and open assessment of Israeli crimes would very quickly be an unemployed ex-diplomat.'* Murray concludes his article with the statement that all would do well to keep in mind: "Truth helps the people against rapacious elites—everywhere."” wep organisations are a lot better informed. The best policy advice World Order and Global Awakening ypeere ew ew eeere ree we wee is not advice which is shielded from peer review. In attempting to understand WikiLeaks and its What of course the establishment mean|s] is that potential effects (that is, if the alternative media and Ambassadors should be free to recommend things which the citizen activists use this opportunity), we must place general public would view with deep opprobrium, without any WikiLeaks within a wider geopolitical context. danger of being found out. But should Our human world exists as a they really be allowed to do that, in a complex system of social interactions. democracy?" As powerful and dominating as elites 1 are and have always been, we must Murray pointedly asks why a type of In attempting understand that they are not behaviour, such as lying, that is to understand omnipotent: they are human and considered reprehensible or most WikiLeaks and its flawed, as are their methods and people, “should be considered ideas. But there are other forces at acceptable, or even praiseworthy, in potential effects work in the human social world. diplomacy". He explains that for O24 9 There is a new and_ unique British diplomats "this belief that their (that IS; if the development in human history that is profession exempts them from the alternative media taking place around the world. It is normal constraints of decent wae unprecedented in reach and volume, behaviour amounts to a cult of and citizen . and it is also the greatest threat to all Machiavellianism, a pride in their activists use this global power structures: the own amorality". He explains that * "global political awakening". The diplomats come from a very opportunity), term was coined by Zbigniew Brzezinski, who wrote in the New York Times (16 December 2008): For the first time in history almost all of humanity is politically activated, politically conscious and politically interactive. Global activism is generating a surge in the quest for cultural respect and economic opportunity in a world scarred by memories of colonial or imperial domination. narrow upper social stratum and "view themselves as ultra- intelligent Nietzschean supermen, above normal morality", who are socially connected to the political elite. In criticising the claims made by many commentators that the release of the leaks endangers lives, Murray writes that this perspective needs to "set against any such risk the hundreds of thousands of actual dead from the foreign policies of the US and its co- It is, in essence, this massive “global political conspirators in the past decade". Further, for those who awakening" which presents the gravest and greatest posit that WikiLeaks is a psy-op or propaganda challenge to the organised powers of globalisation and we must place WikiLeaks within a wider geopolitical context. operation or a "CIA front", Murray has this to say: the global political economy: nation-states, Of course the documents reflect the US view—they are multinational corporations and banks, central banks, official US government communications. What they show is international organisations, and military, intelligence, something | witnessed personally, that diplomats as a class media and academic institutions. Members of the very seldom tell unpalatable truths to politicians, but rather transnational capitalist class, or "Superclass" as David report and reinforce what their masters want to hear, in the Rothkopf refers to them, are globalised like never hope of receiving preferment. before. For the first time in history, we have a truly There is therefore a huge amount about Iran's putative global and heavily integrated elite. As elites have nuclear arsenal and an exaggeration of Iran's warhead globalised their power, seeking to construct a "new delivery capability. But there is nothing about Israel's massive world order" of global governance and ultimately global nuclear arsenal. That is not because wikileaks have censored government (decades down the line), they have criticism of Israel. simultaneously globalised populations. In attempting to understand potential effects (that is, if the alternative media and citizen activists use this opportunity), we must place WikiLeaks within a context. It is, in essence, this massive “global political awakening" which presents the gravest and greatest challenge to the organised powers of globalisation and the global political economy: nation-states, multinational corporations and banks, central banks, international organisations, and military, intelligence, media and academic institutions. Members of the transnational capitalist class, or "Superclass" as David Rothkopf refers to them, are globalised like never before. For the first time in history, we have a truly global and heavily integrated elite. As elites have globalised their power, seeking to construct a "new world order" of global governance and ultimately global government (decades down the line), they have simultaneously globalised populations. 16 * NEXUS WikiLeaks and its wider geopolitical FEBRUARY - MARCH 2011 www.nexusmagazine.com