The Huffington Post

Jeff Jarvis writes that the government should be transparent by default,secret by necessity. So why are governments so secretive? Because those who hold secrets hold power. Now WikiLeaks has punctured that power. WikiLeaks has made us all aware that no secret is safe, writes Jarvis. The White House even warned government workers not to look at WikiLeaks documents online because they were still officially secret. In WikiLeaks,we see a new concern: that secrecy dies. It does not; secrecy lives. But it is wounded. And it should be, he says.

Politics Daily

Diana and Palin: Mirror images?

Suzi Parker compares Sarah Palin to Princess Diana. She writes that Sarah Palin is the political Princess Diana. If she didnt have looks,we wouldnt be talking about her. Princess Diana captured hearts at 19 when Prince Charles selected her as his bride. Palin hit the scene when Sen. John McCain picked her as his running mate. Diana made headlines just for crossing a street or wearing a designer gown; Palin gets attention every time she tweets,posts a Facebook note or appears on a radio or TV show, she says. Its as if Palin is creating her own royal family since America doesnt have one.

Der Spiegel

Italian women battle for middle ground

Fiona Ehlers writes that Italian Minister of Equal Opportunity Mara Carfagna has had a Cinderella-like career. She was what the Italians call a velina,the name given to scantily-clad women who appear on Italian TV shows. But the 34-year-old politician launched initiatives to protect female rape victims and homosexuals. But on November 20,she decided to step down,saying Berlusconi had little power. Later,she changed her decision. In Italy you can be either a whore or a saint but nothing in between. Now women are working8230;fighting for jobs and rights of domestic servants. And Carfagna is celebrated as someone who8230;inspires hope that other women will follow her lead, says Ehlers.

The Global Post

Pakistan: sum of all Americas fears

HDS Greenway stops short of calling Pakistan a failed stateit is increasingly in danger of becoming one,he says. So this time,when he left Karachi,Pakistans seaport city and financial centre on the Arabian Sea,he says he wasnt sorry to leave. ..there can be no doubt that the Islamic threat to the state is growing. America is driven mad by Pakistans coddling of some Taliban groups.