I am torn on this one. He exposed the lies of this administratin and he divulged patterns (also considered secrets). 1/2 whistleblower. 1/2 non-specific spy.
The Obama administration has been hammering on anyone who dares reveal their “secrets,” including those who are keeping the American people informed. It would have been nice if Manning had had a way to bring this into the open apart from Wikileaks, but I think you can say he was a genuine patriot.
Whistleblowers are doing what newspapers and actual news professionals used to do. Revealing illegal, improper, or unsafe practices in gov’t or in the public sectors is urgent. I share motivemagus’s view that this release should have been done through another source other than wikileaks, but since Mr. Manning did not flee the country and stood up for what he believed and what he did, I consider him more patriot than traitor, unlike Mr. Snowden. Snowden did reveal a program the American people needed to know existed, but then he ran, with his computer and the info he’d collected, to nations with whom we are in many levels of competition. That was neither brave nor wise.Respectfully,C.
why do you people always blame Obama’s administration for all these secrets and lies that have been exposed. All the presidents and congress knew about them as they were happening. If you are going to blame Obama then blame Bush 1 & 2, Clinton, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon,Johnson, Kennedy, and so on. Congress for all of these years is to blame. Don’t pick this administration only because you don’t like it.
The problem at it’s simplest is why does the government classify so many things as secret that they have to give clearance to over 1 million people in order for them to do their jobs.
Manning was kept in a cell in solitary confinement with no clothes for minimum 23 hours per day for months. This falls under our government’s accepted definition of torture. Or, it did, before we decided the Geneva Conventions were “quaint”. And this before he was tried, let alone convicted.
When are we going to learn that we are being played by our government? While we debate (argue about) minutiae, they are finding more ways to get around the law (that’s what lawyers do for a living, you know), and more ways to punish you for knowing the truth.
But as long as we can watch Dancing with the Stars, we’ll be just fine.
VOTE THE BUMS OUT. And keep doing it. It took us a long time to establish this current elite cabal of watchers. It will take us quite a while for the watched to rid ourselves of them. It is up to us; no one can do it for us. Ignore this truth at your (and America’s) peril.
Funny how you want to take down Obamacare, government activity of any kind for gun control or anything else — until suddenly you are willing to accept the word of the government that “classified” information is justifiably classified? Really? Get a clue — or get consistent.
wolfhoundblues1 over 10 years ago
I am torn on this one. He exposed the lies of this administratin and he divulged patterns (also considered secrets). 1/2 whistleblower. 1/2 non-specific spy.
Motivemagus over 10 years ago
The Obama administration has been hammering on anyone who dares reveal their “secrets,” including those who are keeping the American people informed. It would have been nice if Manning had had a way to bring this into the open apart from Wikileaks, but I think you can say he was a genuine patriot.
chazandru over 10 years ago
Whistleblowers are doing what newspapers and actual news professionals used to do. Revealing illegal, improper, or unsafe practices in gov’t or in the public sectors is urgent. I share motivemagus’s view that this release should have been done through another source other than wikileaks, but since Mr. Manning did not flee the country and stood up for what he believed and what he did, I consider him more patriot than traitor, unlike Mr. Snowden. Snowden did reveal a program the American people needed to know existed, but then he ran, with his computer and the info he’d collected, to nations with whom we are in many levels of competition. That was neither brave nor wise.Respectfully,C.
patcrs over 10 years ago
why do you people always blame Obama’s administration for all these secrets and lies that have been exposed. All the presidents and congress knew about them as they were happening. If you are going to blame Obama then blame Bush 1 & 2, Clinton, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon,Johnson, Kennedy, and so on. Congress for all of these years is to blame. Don’t pick this administration only because you don’t like it.
lbalch over 10 years ago
The problem at it’s simplest is why does the government classify so many things as secret that they have to give clearance to over 1 million people in order for them to do their jobs.
I Play One On TV over 10 years ago
Manning was kept in a cell in solitary confinement with no clothes for minimum 23 hours per day for months. This falls under our government’s accepted definition of torture. Or, it did, before we decided the Geneva Conventions were “quaint”. And this before he was tried, let alone convicted.
When are we going to learn that we are being played by our government? While we debate (argue about) minutiae, they are finding more ways to get around the law (that’s what lawyers do for a living, you know), and more ways to punish you for knowing the truth.
But as long as we can watch Dancing with the Stars, we’ll be just fine.
VOTE THE BUMS OUT. And keep doing it. It took us a long time to establish this current elite cabal of watchers. It will take us quite a while for the watched to rid ourselves of them. It is up to us; no one can do it for us. Ignore this truth at your (and America’s) peril.
Motivemagus over 10 years ago
Funny how you want to take down Obamacare, government activity of any kind for gun control or anything else — until suddenly you are willing to accept the word of the government that “classified” information is justifiably classified? Really? Get a clue — or get consistent.
Hawthorne over 10 years ago
“You reek of hypocrisy.”
Or ignorance. No shortage of that, either.