# WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange Wants To Spill Your Corporate Secrets **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 30, 2010, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356 "2010-11-30T02:17:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356/1 "2010-11-30T02:17:32Z")
> **[WikiLeaks' Julian Assange Wants To Spill Your Corporate Secrets](https://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2010/11/29/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/)** > > First, WikiLeaks spilled the guts of government. Big business is next. > [@](#): > > Early next year, Julian Assange says, a major American bank will suddenly find itself turned inside out. Tens of thousands of its internal documents will be exposed on [Wikileaks.org](http://Wikileaks.org) with no polite requests for executives’ response or other forewarnings. The data dump will lay bare the finance firm’s secrets on the Web for every customer, every competitor, every regulator to examine and pass judgment on. Does this guy have some kind of overall plan? Is there a reason behind his antics? Does he have some kind of defined goal or endgame? Does he just enjoy being a Gadfly? This is different than spilling defense or diplomatic secrets. Is this the act of a hero? A villian? A madman? As a secondary question: If he starts to be a problem for large corporations, will his life be worth a plug nickle? Which is more dangerous. screwing with the US of America or the Bank of America? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356/2 "2010-11-30T02:23:35Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > [http://blogs.forbes.com/andygreenberg/2010/11/29/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/](http://blogs.forbes.com/andygreenberg/2010/11/29/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/) > > Does this guy have some kind of overall plan? Is there a reason behind his antics? Does he have some kind of defined goal or endgame? Does he just enjoy being a Gadfly? > > This is different than spilling defense or diplomatic secrets. Is this the act of a hero? A villian? A madman? Well, he did not specify the bank . . . And there are probably numerous ways to place a perfectly legal financial/securities bet that would profit from a situation of that kind of exposure vaguely threatening every bank in the industry at the same time. Regardless, come to think of it, of whether you’re bluffing or not about having the data in the first place . . . I guess that makes him a **super** villain! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356/3 "2010-11-30T02:25:52Z")
From the same article: > [@](#): > > Admire Assange or revile him, he is the prophet of a coming age of involuntary transparency. Having exposed military misconduct on a grand scale, he is now gunning for corporate America. Does Assange have unpublished, damaging documents on pharmaceutical companies? Yes, he says. Finance? Yes, many more than the single bank scandal we’ve been discussing. Energy? Plenty, on everything from BP to an Albanian oil firm that he says attempted to sabotage its competitors’ wells. Like informational IEDs, these damaging revelations can be detonated at will. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356/4 "2010-11-30T02:27:37Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Well, he did not specify the bank . . . And there are probably numerous ways to place a perfectly legal financial/securities bet that would profit from a situation of that kind of exposure vaguely threatening every bank in the industry at the same time. > > Regardless, come to think of it, of whether you’re bluffing or not about having the data in the first place . . . > > I guess that makes him a **super** villain! 🆒 Does he have a cat? He has to sit and stroke a cat to be a supervillian. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356/5 "2010-11-30T03:11:30Z")
“You have zero privacy anyway. Get over it.” – Scott McNealy Surprising it took this long to become apparent that it applies to governments and banks and corporations too. ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356/6 "2010-11-30T03:20:10Z")
He’s like Cosmo from the early 90’s hacker film _Sneakers_ > [@](#): > > Cosmo: Posit: People think a bank might be financially shaky. > Martin Bishop: Consequence: People start to withdraw their money. > Cosmo: Result: Pretty soon it is financially shaky. > Martin Bishop: Conclusion: You can make banks fail. > Cosmo: Bzzt. I’ve already done that. Maybe you’ve heard about a few? Think bigger. > Martin Bishop: Stock market? > Cosmo: Yes. > Martin Bishop: Currency market? > Cosmo: Yes. > Martin Bishop: Commodities market? > Cosmo: Yes. > Martin Bishop: Small countries? Wonder if Assange has the same delusions. Be interesting to see what happens. As \*\*BrainGlutton \*\*said, private citizens have been losing their privacy rights for some time now. It’ll just take a while longer with companies and governments. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356/7 "2010-11-30T03:23:50Z")
> [@jk1245](#): > > He’s like Cosmo from the early 90’s hacker film _Sneakers_ > > Wonder if Assange has the same delusions. Be interesting to see what happens. Delusions? ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356/8 "2010-11-30T03:34:06Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Delusions? Maybe the wrong word choice. Plans? Visions? Goals? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356/9 "2010-11-30T03:36:39Z")
> [@jk1245](#): > > Maybe the wrong word choice. Plans? Visions? Goals? Cosmo’s end-goal was to “crash the whole system . . .” ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356/10 "2010-11-30T03:53:23Z")
A world without secrets? Could that be the endpoint of all this, planned or otherwise? ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356/11 "2010-11-30T03:55:05Z")
> [@jk1245](#): > > Wonder if Assange has the same delusions. Be interesting to see what happens. The guys given several interviews over the years, and wikileaks itself has an “about” page which gives the gist of the philosophy behind it. I don’t think there’s really any need to randomly speculate about what his motivations are. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356/12 "2010-11-30T04:04:54Z")
Wikileaks about page: [http://www.wikileaks.org/media/about.html](http://www.wikileaks.org/media/about.html) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356/13 "2010-11-30T04:18:39Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > A world without secrets? Could that be the endpoint of all this, planned or otherwise? It’s a secret. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356/14 "2010-11-30T04:24:02Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > It’s a secret. Not anymore. I just sent it to Wikileaks! ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356/15 "2010-11-30T04:35:37Z")
Wonder if this release will include individual accountholder data? Releasing individuals’ secrets might turn public opinion against Assange. ---
**Author:** ![Sablicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Sablicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sablicious)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356/16 "2010-11-30T04:50:23Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Which is more dangerous. screwing with the US of America or the Bank of America? Given governments answer to the banks, the answer is [obvious](http://i52.tinypic.com/rif4hd.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356/17 "2010-11-30T04:57:25Z")
> [@Sablicious](#): > > Given governments answer to the banks, the answer is [obvious](http://i52.tinypic.com/rif4hd.jpg). Kind of anti-Semitic, don’t you think? Remove the top item on that picture and I might agree with you. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356/18 "2010-11-30T05:00:58Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Wonder if this release will include individual accountholder data? Releasing individuals’ secrets might turn public opinion against Assange. I don’t think he would do that. At least I hope not. As you say, it would turn public opinion against him. I suppose what he might do is release account data on large account holders, billionaires, major corporations, and such. ---
**Author:** ![Sablicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Sablicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sablicious)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356/19 "2010-11-30T05:20:32Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Kind of anti-Semitic, don’t you think? Remove the top item on that picture and I might agree with you. _Anti_…?! 😕 I would have thought their position in the ‘marionette hierarchy’ is quite flattering and implied something closer to admiration than any prejudice! 😛 **NB:** Judaism is a religion not a race. Despite what some may lead us to believe, there _is_ a distinction. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356/20 "2010-11-30T05:46:16Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Well, he did not specify the bank . . . And there are probably numerous ways to place a perfectly legal financial/securities bet that would profit from a situation of that kind of exposure vaguely threatening every bank in the industry at the same time. > > Regardless, come to think of it, of whether you’re bluffing or not about having the data in the first place . . . > > I guess that makes him a **super** villain! 🆒 I thought he was a hero. Oh, that’s right. That didn’t go over so well… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-julian-assange-wants-to-spill-your-corporate-secrets/562356.md?page=2)