The Iranian government is undoubtedly a severe danger to its own population, but not beyond that.

You cannot control your own population by force, but it can be distracted by consumption.

Is the Iranian record of intervention and terror worse than that of the U.S.?

It is easier to go to the Internet than to go to the library, undoubtedly. But the shift from no libraries to the existence of libraries was a much greater shift than what we've seen with the Internet's development.

Reigning doctrines are often called a "double standard".The term is misleading.It is more accurate to describe them as a single standard,clear and unmistakable,the standard that Adam Smith called the "vile maxim of the masters of mankind: ...All for ourselves,and nothing for other people." Much has changed since his day,but the vile maxim flourishes.

WikiLeaks is a service to the population. Assange should get an award for - presidential medal of honor.