A serious question we should ask ourselves, however, is: should we continue to hush matters for the short-term sake of what is usually a small group of powerful manipulators? Admitted: when the many secrets that undoubtedly exist in all governments, big businesses, and other powerful entities, will first be divulged, we may expect some turbulence. There may even be some disturbing events erupting from these disclosures. Nonetheless, the long term advantages should also seriously be considered:
1. Fewer manipulative practices. With the arrival of Wikileaks, a powerful outlet has been established for whistleblowers worldwide. The psychological effect is that decision-making entities may think more carefully before engaging in practices that shun the light of day from now on, as the chance is imminent that these practices could leak out and place these entities in the dreadful position of losing more than they could possibly win with their act.
2. Increased collective intelligence of the human race. If we can achieve a point where there is sufficient transparency in the reasons and outcomes of things, we would simultaneously have established a more equity based availability of information to all who want to know, instead of the current situation in which much information is sealed in the hands, minds, or vaults of a small elite.
3. End of global segregation. When there is nothing to hide, openness is not a problem. Greater openness encourages increased mutual acceptance and tolerance. Increased mutual acceptance and tolerance results in elimination of anger and hate, since there is no reason for "us" versus "them" thinking. On the long run, then, we could reach a point of greater integration, ensuing from the awareness that, once all barricades have been pulled down, we are more alike than we have admitted or realized for centuries.
4. Enlarged mental horizons. Supported by the unstoppable trend of social networks, the openness that Wikileaks can instigate may lead to a broader mindset within human beings, in which mainstream thinking patterns will no longer be limited to cities, states, countries, or continents, but in which the wellbeing of all living beings worldwide will be considered as easily as we now consider the wellbeing of our families or communities. This may finally give way to a global compact which is not just an ethereal dream, but actually the 8th Millennium Development Goal as formulated by the United Nations under leadership of Kofi Anan in 2000.
5. Restoring of global balance. This may sound farfetched, but is a consequence of the four previous points. With more caution in decision-making, greater transparency and increased average human intelligence, end of segregative practices, and enlarged mental horizons, we could attain a point of expanded awareness on the fulfillment of a larger purpose than mere individual gain and grandeur.
Reviewing the long-term possibilities that could be achieved when using Wikileaks properly, I couldn't help but think of John Lennon's almost 40 year old "Imagine":
Imagine there's no countries.
It isn't hard to do.
Nothing to kill or die for.
And no religion too.
Imagine all the people living life in peace"
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