Wonderfully Wicked WikiLeaks

Despite dropping temperatures the heat is on in the world of international politics and media. What a treat those girls and boys from WikiLeaks are giving us, Christmas has indeed come early. As an IR (International Relations) student, a news junkie and a lover of gossip I am rather distracted at the moment from writing essays, a dissertation and keeping up with that squiggle language I love/ hate so much, to keep up with the latest revelations, condemnations, views and updates. Besides the fact that these leaks are highly embarrassing to the United Super Power of America and a few heads of states from the Gulf – yes ya, Mahmoud, we are allies, ya habeebee, but you are well scary so what I REALLY want is have you nuked, but not that I will tell you this to you’re face- it is rather interesting to discover how petty diplomats of all ranks can be. Who says gossip is only for the council-estate loser with her flat screen tv bought from borrowed money on which she watches Jeremy Kyle every day and who gets her weekly portion of gossip by reading Heat or Now – or both- in her local newsagent. Yeah, you would think those dealing with international politics on the highest level had some far more important work to do, but helas they’re only human.

How big and embarrassing these revelations might be the effect it has on the world of diplomacy is in my humble opinion not great. Diplomats, heads of states and other high-ranking figures in the world of business will have their back room chats of which the general public has no knowledge, but foreign and/or domestic policy might be influenced by if not entirely based on it. And in the mean time they keep the gossip going like any other lesser mortal. And with all those condemnations coming from the international community of states it seems that the state-centric world order is slowly but surely realising that it has a non-state-actor force, called Global Civil Society, to reckon with. Old habits die hard and Civil Society might have a big mouth, but like a loud five-year old she does not always get her way. But she is maturing and can throw some mean punches. And this latest kick in the balls might not bring the system down but sure shows them that she can strike where it hurts.

image: Banksy