Re: <nettime> Guardian Live on Assange's arrest

[Felix Stalder <felix@openflows.com>]

On 11.04.19 20:18, Morlock Elloi wrote:
> 
> 1. Wikileaks servers could not be suppressed neither by rubberhosing 
> service providers, registrars, nor telecoms. They did try, for a
> long time. If they could, none of this would happen.
> 
> 2. Wikileaks sources were far better protected than anyone else's
> (and still are) by using custom submission technology.
> 
> #1 and #2 is what put rope around Assange's neck. Use of tools.
> Wikileaks works. Effective use of technology cannot be allowed, and
> an example needs to be set. Tweeting and blogging on corporate
> servers is OK.


Assange (and Wikileaks) has become a prime example of what military
theorist in the early 00s called a "super-empowered individual" capable
of marshaling technology and resources available to non-sate actors to
attack what they called a "systempunkt", meaning a node of a complex
systems whose failure would set of a cascade of events.

That much was clear early on:
http://www.metamute.org/editorial/articles/contain-leaks-whistle-blowers-and-networked-news-ecology

Yes, in order to become super empowered, tools are necessary, but they
don't need to be super sophisticated. These ideas where originally
developed to describe Bin Laden and what made him  super-empowered were
followers willing with box cutters and rudimentary aviation training.

Assange is a hacker, so he used hacker tools, which are particularly
close to the operating logic of today's apparatuses of power. It's quite
a testimony of Assange's resourcefulness and willpower how long was able
to keep it up. It's very rare for non-state actors to openly challenge
powerful nation states and survive.

Anyway, there will be others who figure out system and how to effect
maximum impact (cascades) with minimal resources. That's in the nature
of complex, open systems.

Felix






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