Threat or insurance? :A Rhetorical Perspective on the WikiLeaks IssueFounded in 2006 by Australian journalist Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks website has quickly risen to infamy in recent years (Majerol 19). The controversial website had published hundreds of thousands of classified documents about the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, revealing, among other things, government cover-ups, a secret assassination unit and the killing of civilians. The release of these confidential documents gave rise to two opposing views on whether WikiLeaks is a good thing or not (Pilger 18). In an article highlighting the benefits of WikiLeaks, Steven Greenhut explains that Julian Assange and his website have “performed a service to our nation”. ". Greenhut says that by releasing details about how the U.S. government manages its foreign affairs, WikiLeaks embodies the true spirit of transparent government: of the people, by the people, and for the people. Truly open government, he says, is the “cornerstone of a free society.” The government, he says, will always pull out the “danger to lives” or “protect security” card in order to protect its own interests and cover up its past transgressions. He insists there is no evidence that the information published by the website puts anyone in danger. The only people who will be negatively affected, Greenhut says, will be government officials whose "hypocrisy and corruption" would be shamefully exposed (Greenhut 1.). On the other side of the argument is SE Cupp. In an article, she claims that WikiLeaks and its supporters are endangering the lives of innocent people by recklessly releasing unfiltered information available to the world. She claims that by irresponsibly publishing classifieds...... in the middle of the newspaper ...... Entertainment and Gossip - NY Daily News. September 1, 2010. The web. March 15, 2011. .Cupp, Sarah Elizabeth. “SE Cupp official website.” Red SE Cupp. Internet. March 17, 2011.Greenhut, Steven. "WikiLeaks does not threaten free society | Government, Information, People - Opinion - The Orange County Register." The Orange County Register: The Orange County Register. December 3, 2010. Web. March 15, 2011. Majerol, Veronica. “Is WikiLeaks like the Pentagon Papers? New York Times [New York] February 21, 2011, Vol. 143 ed., number 10 sec. : 19. Print. Pilger, John. “WikiLeaks must be protected.” World Citizen [Minneapolis] August 23, 2010, Vol 139 ed., Number 5015 sec. : 18. Print.