How leaks change things

From Julian Assange's old blog preserved on web.archive.org:

31 Dec 2006

... The more secretive or unjust an organization is, the more leaks induce fear and paranoia in its leadership and planning coterie. This must result in minimization of efficient internal communications mechanisms (an increase in cognitive "secrecy tax") and consequent system-wide cognitive decline resulting in decreased ability to hold onto power as the environment demands adaption.

Hence in a world where leaking is easy, secretive or unjust systems are nonlinearly hit relative to open, just systems. Since unjust systems, by their nature induce opponents, and in many places barely have the upper hand, mass leaking leaves them exquisitely vulnerable to those who seek to replace them with more open forms of governance.

Only revealed injustice can be answered; for man to do anything intelligent he has to know what's actually going on.

Sustainable Growth is an Oxymoron

re: Sustainable Growth is an Oxymoron - a talk by Rudy M. Baum, Editor-in-Chief
Chemical & Engineering News, October 2010

At some point in the 90s, language about 'sustainability' got replaced with language about 'sustainable growth' and no-one seemed to really notice the switch.

(from this metafilter thread)