The Truth about Private Manning

[California Girl]

Um...in a free society Private Manning joined the military. He's not a member of society stating his opinion, he's a member of the military leaking secret information. To equate those is beyond idiotic. As for Assange, he could be arrested if he enters the US, but other then that I would not pursue him. When you publish secret information there is consequences and an American who did that to other countries would be no different.

Firstly, it should be born in mind that Assange is not a journalist. What he did was espionage. And that is a crime, in the US and internationally.

I have a hard time seeing it as espionage, which is really stealing secrets. He was trying to reveal them, not steal them. The NY Times did worse and they paid no price at all and they are even still operating in this country.

Nope, espionage is not just stealing, Criminal espionage involves betraying U.S. government secrets to other nations. That includes every person that participated in the act. From Manning, to Assange, to any newspaper or media outlet who made the information public.

Just because they haven't yet paid a price, does not mean there is no price to pay. Espionage is a complicated charge. I know that certain journalists are concerned about it.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

He's lucky he's not getting the Eddie Slovik treatment.

 

[whitehall]

Watch out for these people on the left especially when they are out of power. They get away with inagined rantings in order to stir up hatred and anger. They hide behind the Constitution when it's convenient but they hate it and they would put everyone in jail who disagrees with them if they had total power. I'm sure Manning is treated according to the UCMJ and at least as well as the Gitmo prisoners who gain weight with a special diet tailored to their religious beliefs.

 

[Two Thumbs]

Such blatant stewpudidty.

It's amazing that you don't need a poster to show you how to put your socks on in the morning.

 

[old navy]

The brig staff are protecting him.

hillarious. Protecting him from a speedy trial no doubt.

If he is a traitor, a federal offense, why is he being charged and tried by the military?

I'm not sure how I tickled your funny bone but Manning has threatened suicide. If allowed to kill himself, everyone woulod be whining about how the brig staff did not protect him. Can't have it both ways.

 

[skeptic]

Manning has threatened suicide.

that's consistent with having been tortured

 

[California Girl]

Manning has threatened suicide.

that's consistent with having been tortured

It's also consistent with facing a 400 year sentence for crimes committed against his country.

Idiot.

 

[skeptic]

Firstly, it should be born in mind that Assange is not a journalist.

The pentagon thinks otherwise. As does the DOJ. As does Der Spiegel, NYT and the Guardian. The fact of the matter is that Assange and his firm do exactly what all news media does with a handful of exceptions:

>They don't sell advertising
>they accept open source content instead of soliciting it or making it up
>they distribute it free with no strings attached
>they are a whistleblowers data base/resource

But they still enjoy all of the constitutional protections that all press enjoys. Because all they do is engage in free speech. It's their sole business and sole product.

And anybody in the press can print classified info if it is given to them. They just can't steal it or solicit it as a party to a conspiracy to obtain it illegally.

Something is deeply flawed in the mentality of folks who protect unlimited powers of secrecy by government while simultaneously surrendering almost all rights to personal privacy to that same government.

You can't be for big brother (big government) and for small government and big rights at the same time. The second amendment is not as crucial as the first amendment, hence their order in the BoR.

 

[skeptic]

Manning has threatened suicide.

that's consistent with having been tortured

It's also consistent with facing a 400 year sentence for crimes committed against his country.

Idiot.

It's much more consistent with torture. Nearly everybody who is tortured sufficiently eventually wants to die rather than endure more torture. That's the point of torture, idiot.

Meanwhile what is the rate of suicide among death row inmates? Less than 10%?

 

[California Girl]

Firstly, it should be born in mind that Assange is not a journalist.

The pentagon thinks otherwise. As does the DOJ. As does Der Spiegel, NYT and the Guardian. The fact of the matter is that Assange and his firm do exactly what all news media does with a handful of exceptions:

>They don't sell advertising
>they accept open source content instead of soliciting it or making it up
>they distribute it free with no strings attached
>they are a whistleblowers data base/resource

But they still enjoy all of the constitutional protections that all press enjoys. Because all they do is engage in free speech. It's their sole business and sole product.

And anybody in the press can print classified info if it is given to them. They just can't steal it or solicit it as a party to a conspiracy to obtain it illegally.

Something is deeply flawed in the mentality of folks who protect unlimited powers of secrecy by government while simultaneously surrendering almost all rights to personal privacy to that same government.

You can't be for big brother (big government) and for small government and big rights at the same time. The second amendment is not as crucial as the first amendment, hence their order in the BoR.

He is not a journalist. He has no qualification, nor background in journalism. He has no concept of the ethics of journalism nor has he any actual skill as a writer. He pays others to provide his 'journalism' skills.

What he deals in is espionage. And, no, journalists can not print classified information - no matter how they receive it. It is espionage. And a lot of journalists know that... and a lot of them are pretty worried about it, including some I know personally.

You're talking bullshit. This whole thread is based on bullshit.

 

[California Girl]

that's consistent with having been tortured

It's also consistent with facing a 400 year sentence for crimes committed against his country.

Idiot.

It's much more consistent with torture. Nearly everybody who is tortured sufficiently eventually wants to die rather than endure more torture. That's the point of torture, idiot.

Meanwhile what is the rate of suicide among death row inmates? Less than 10%?

It's consistent with a lot of things. Talk about a leap. You're so fucking hyperbolic about this issue that you cannot grasp simple facts.

 

[kaz]

Manning has threatened suicide.

that's consistent with having been tortured

You have actual evidence he was tortured or are you just pulling this out of your ass because it's politically expedient? No need to reply to that, the answer is pretty obvious.

 

[skeptic]

Firstly, it should be born in mind that Assange is not a journalist.

The pentagon thinks otherwise. As does the DOJ. As does Der Spiegel, NYT and the Guardian. The fact of the matter is that Assange and his firm do exactly what all news media does with a handful of exceptions:

>They don't sell advertising
>they accept open source content instead of soliciting it or making it up
>they distribute it free with no strings attached
>they are a whistleblowers data base/resource

But they still enjoy all of the constitutional protections that all press enjoys. Because all they do is engage in free speech. It's their sole business and sole product.

And anybody in the press can print classified info if it is given to them. They just can't steal it or solicit it as a party to a conspiracy to obtain it illegally.

Something is deeply flawed in the mentality of folks who protect unlimited powers of secrecy by government while simultaneously surrendering almost all rights to personal privacy to that same government.

You can't be for big brother (big government) and for small government and big rights at the same time. The second amendment is not as crucial as the first amendment, hence their order in the BoR.

He is not a journalist. He has no qualification, nor background in journalism. He has no concept of the ethics of journalism nor has he any actual skill as a writer. He pays others to provide his 'journalism' skills.

What he deals in is espionage. And, no, journalists can not print classified information - no matter how they receive it. It is espionage. And a lot of journalists know that... and a lot of them are pretty worried about it, including some I know personally.

You're talking bullshit. This whole thread is based on bullshit.

Wrong, idiot:

New York Times Co. v. United States, 403 U.S. 713 (1971), was a United States Supreme Court per curiam decision. The ruling made it possible for the New York Times and Washington Post newspapers to publish the then-classified Pentagon Papers without risk of government censure.

New York Times Co. v. United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The constitution doesn't list qualifications to be a member of the press, no mention of credentials, or training. What it does say is:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

so the espionage legislation is subordinate to constitutionally guaranteed rights. If the legislation intends to limit the press from publishing classified information then it is unconstitutional.

 

[skeptic]

Manning has threatened suicide.

that's consistent with having been tortured

You have actual evidence he was tortured or are you just pulling this out of your ass because it's politically expedient? No need to reply to that, the answer is pretty obvious.

The evidence strongly suggests that Manning has been, is being tortured. If any hard evidence of that is leaked to the press I will let you know.

I don't think the military is gonna just volunteer it. The military is in the business of lying to cover their own ass and extralegal activities. The first casualty of war is the truth and all that.

 

[California Girl]

that's consistent with having been tortured

You have actual evidence he was tortured or are you just pulling this out of your ass because it's politically expedient? No need to reply to that, the answer is pretty obvious.

The evidence strongly suggests that Manning has been, is being tortured. If any hard evidence of that is leaked to the press I will let you know.

I don't think the military is gonna just volunteer it. The military is in the business of lying to cover their own ass and extralegal activities. The first casualty of war is the truth and all that.

What evidence, exactly? Apart from the opinions of idiots who have no access to facts? You're being ridiculous. This wasn't about a 'war', it was Manning's way of getting back at his ex-boyfriend. A stupid, selfish, arrogant, pathetic wimp. Whatever he gets, he deserves. He betrayed his country. My country. And for that, as far as I am concerned, he can rot there.

 

[Mr Natural]

Private Manning should never have had access to that kind of information without proper supervision.

If he's guilty of espionage, then his superiors have to share in the blame.

 

[old navy]

Since a lot of speculation has been presented here, let me say that Manning's Marine guards have shown great restraint in the face of taunts by Manning of a homosexual nature. Dude's lucky he hasn't been messed up big time. He is being detained in a professional manner though in accordance with regulations.

 

[skeptic]

You have actual evidence he was tortured or are you just pulling this out of your ass because it's politically expedient? No need to reply to that, the answer is pretty obvious.

The evidence strongly suggests that Manning has been, is being tortured. If any hard evidence of that is leaked to the press I will let you know.

I don't think the military is gonna just volunteer it. The military is in the business of lying to cover their own ass and extralegal activities. The first casualty of war is the truth and all that.

What evidence, exactly? Apart from the opinions of idiots who have no access to facts? You're being ridiculous. This wasn't about a 'war', it was Manning's way of getting back at his ex-boyfriend. A stupid, selfish, arrogant, pathetic wimp. Whatever he gets, he deserves. He betrayed his country. My country. And for that, as far as I am concerned, he can rot there.

You should resume taking your prozac.

 

[California Girl]

Private Manning should never have had access to that kind of information without proper supervision.

If he's guilty of espionage, then his superiors have to share in the blame.

That is ridiculous. He worked in intel, and had appropriate clearance to undertake the role he was given... He took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. He broke that oath. He, and he alone, is guilty. And he will spend the rest of his miserable life paying for it.

 

[California Girl]

The evidence strongly suggests that Manning has been, is being tortured. If any hard evidence of that is leaked to the press I will let you know.

I don't think the military is gonna just volunteer it. The military is in the business of lying to cover their own ass and extralegal activities. The first casualty of war is the truth and all that.

What evidence, exactly? Apart from the opinions of idiots who have no access to facts? You're being ridiculous. This wasn't about a 'war', it was Manning's way of getting back at his ex-boyfriend. A stupid, selfish, arrogant, pathetic wimp. Whatever he gets, he deserves. He betrayed his country. My country. And for that, as far as I am concerned, he can rot there.

You should resume taking your prozac.

In other words, you cannot argue on the facts. Good to know.