Remember back in April 2010 when Wikileaks dumped the “Collateral Murder” video? The video that depicted the airstrike that went wrong in Baghdad that resulted in innocents being killed? If so, you should also remember the media’s glorious love-perception with Julian Assange and Wikileaks at that time.
The Bush presidency took quite a hit from the video. It significantly increased anti-war sentiments, and overall was a great boost to the DNC. And unsurprisingly, the media reported on it non-stop for an incredibly long time.
But the reporting was all favorable (Besides Fox). Julian Assange, and his mission behind WikiLeaks, was hailed as this heroic organization delivering truth to all about the Bush presidency.
That fame surrounded WikiLeaks for quite a while. Gave the organization a nice following. And even got certain governments to get on Assange and try to take him down.
But what changed?
Look at most media outlets from the recent election cycle, or even now, and you’ll see quite a different picture.
They’re not heroes anymore. They are “the villains“.
Heck, go look at their Wikipedia page. Even in the first introduction sequence (as of June 3rd) it states the following:
During the campaign, WikiLeaks has promoted conspiracy theories about Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party.
WikiLeaks has drawn criticism for its absence of whistleblowing on or criticism of Russia
Not to mention the incredibly biased “allegations” section at the end:
WikiLeaks has popularised conspiracies about the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton, such as tweeting an article which suggested Clinton campaign chairperson John Podesta engaged in satanic rituals (which was later revealed to be false),
(He did)
claiming that Hillary Clinton wanted to drone strike Assange,
(She did)
promoting conspiracy theories about Clinton’s health
(She passed out on the campaign trail right near the side of a van)
Check their Wikipedia page from before the election cycle or the revelations, and it looks tremendously different then than it does now.
When WikiLeaks reported on Bush, they were heroes.
When WikiLeaks reported on Clinton, they became villains.
But the interesting thing about them is that their mission never changed.
They want the truth, they want information to be free, and they want people to be informed. Regardless of political orientations.
That’s why in my mind they are still staffed with some brave individuals fighting a hard, corrupted, and dangerous fight. They were during the Bush era and they remain so now.
But history sides with the cultural institutions that indoctrinate the masses. The culture is in the hands of the left. And since WikiLeaks continues to reveal the truth, but now it is an unfortunate truth on the wrong side of the political spectrum, they have lost their stature as the heroes for the modern left.
WikiLeaks is now the villain, even though they have not changed.