Julian Assange and the Faucet of Secrets
GAINESVILLE, Ga. / November 5, 2010 – Why is WikiLeaks airing the dirty secrets of powerful nations now? What motivates the sources of the leaks—and why are they revealing their secrets now? To paraphrase a U.S. President, “It’s the bear market, stupid.” Researchers at the Socionomics Institute observe that social polarization increases during financial bear markets. Their studies show that WikiLeaks and the U.S. Tea Party movement are both expressions of the anger that also drives stock prices down. On the other end of the spectrum, openness and collaboration tend to flourish during historic bull markets; the development of the internet itself is one such example.
In a May 2010 report, the Socionomics Institute predicted that WikiLeaks would soon become a lightning rod of conflict. Since then, the whistleblower website published the largest-ever leaks of classified U.S. military documents. The site's founder now brazenly promises to embarrass Russia, and other whistleblowers are piping up. If mood continues to sour, the Socionomics Institute says, these conflicts will prove to be the first minor skirmishes of an epic battle.
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About The Socionomics Institute
The Socionomics Institute, based in Gainesville, Ga., studies social mood
and its role in driving cultural trends. The Institute’s analysis is published
in the monthly research review, The Socionomist. Learn more at
www.socionomics.net.
Note to Media: For a copy of the research mentioned in this news tip, or to speak with a researcher from The Socionomics Institute, contact Alexandra Lienhard at (770) 536-0309.
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