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May 23, 2013
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 Bradley Manning’s MindPosted on May 28, 2011
An investigative video created by The Guardian examines alleged WikiLeaker Bradley Manning’s psychological condition before he was dispatched to Iraq, concluding that he was probably not fit for overseas duty and that security at his station was remarkably lax. The additional reporting provides a fuller picture of Manning’s motivations—and discloses just how easy it was for him to hijack all that classified “intelligence.” —KDG
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After Oklahoma Disaster, Give Thanks to Government
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By Go Right Young Man, June 3, 2011 at 4:47 am Link to this comment
gerard,
With all due respect; it seems to me you desire to ignore the core issues in the subject of Mr. Manning so that your cause is not overshadowed.
You write much about peace and diplomacy. I’m beginning to believe retribution against, what you perceive to be, the murderous United States is where your true passions and intentions lay.
-
Humanist, - “Bradley Manning reportedly has stated that he does not like being represented as “anti-war”. Some anti-war groups have been exploiting him for their own political causes.”
Report thisBy drbhelthi, June 3, 2011 at 12:24 am Link to this comment
Why would I consider it necessary that he read every document? Documents are held
in portfolios which designate their area of concern. It is patently obvious that
none of the documents exposed to date have anything to do with national security.
Obviously this was apparent to Manning from the beginning. = Gary Mont
More than likely.
And, in addition, who ever heard of a (portfolio) of so many documents of any
type, being deposited anywhere, by anyone? Especially documents marked SECRET ?
Especially deposited in the vicinity of a PFC ? And, were they recorded on
electronic media? Which required re-feeding into computer systems in order to be
sent to anywhere - ?
Entrapment, entrapment, entrapment.
“Whoever picked PFC Manning to be the patsy for their psychops trick did a good
job.”
Psychops must have cased him for over a year, before deciding that he was an
adequately confused teenager, qualified to be their psychops patsy. If not PFC
Manning, the agent that actually released the documents will probably be a victim
of “enemy fire”, in guarded, Army quarters, in a latrine. (S)he knows too much,
and may have committed suicide already, shooting oneself four or five times in
the chest with a rifle, set on single-fire. Which would be similar to the case
of the devout Mormon, Spc. Alyssa Peterson, Sept. 2003. Specialist Peterson was
alleged to have shot herself. From my experience, USArmy dupes assigned to
cover-up an internal, Army-assassination similar to Pat Tillman, tried to burn
the remains in a KBA tent unsuccessfully, turned the remaining evidence over to
C.I.A./Psychops-types who clamped “secret” onto info they could not disguise.
OBSTRUCTION of justice
“ - 40 U.S. contractor employees alleging that they are the victims of sexual
assault or sexual harassment on the job and that Halliburton, KBR and Service
Employees International Inc. have not helped them or have obstructed their claims
(Karen Houppert, “Another KBR Rape Case,” The Nation, April 3, 2008).
http://www.truthdig.com/report/page2/20080826_us_military_keeping_secrets_about_f
emale_soldiers_suicides/
Reminds me of other patsies, Oswald, McVeigh - long list. However, they were
Report thisfaithful agents of the CIA, whom their “superiors” decided to eliminate. PFC
Manning was no agent; just a little ole honest, country boy Patriot from the
Midwest, selected to be a psychops “patsy”.
By gerard, June 2, 2011 at 9:42 pm Link to this comment
grym: “Conducting his own foreign policy” and “releasing it to the wild” indicate your desire to inflate what you perceive as Manning’s offense.
On the contrary, the cables themselves revealed a foreign policy grossly MISconducted which, for close to ten years has gotten tens of thousands of innocent people killed for no good reason. As to releasing information to the “wild”—if you mean ordinary citizens of the world, on the whole they are NOT so wild as the policy-makers themselves. Further, it is because the policy-makers have so much secret power that they can do so much damage.
Report thisBy Go Right Young Man, June 2, 2011 at 5:35 pm Link to this comment
Daye, - GRYM’s commentary defends that military orders & rules must be obeyed no matter how obviously stupid, infuriating, useless, damaging or bloody they may be…..,
-
Interestingly enough I wrote nothing of the kind.
If I had shared anything on the subject I would have written that soldiers absolutely have an obligation to refuse an illegal or immoral order. It seems to me any charges of disobeying orders is the lowest of priorities and worries on the mind of Mr. Manning. Or, it seems to me, the Pentagon.
The Manning scenario holds the possibility that he may have stolen a small mountain of protected information (information he likely didn’t fully comprehend) and disseminated it to the world. Friend and foe alike. As a soldier on the battlefield the dangers in his actions are compounded.
-
Bradly Manning is entitled to his convictions. As many here are entitled to see Manning as a hero. The problem comes in calling this something other than it is.
Every argument I’ve seen to date in young Manning’s favor finds its roots in the perceived righteousness of his actions. His cause. Manning was right in his actions because, it is assumed, he believed in what he was doing. - Not unlike most on this Web space believe.
This rationale has numerous problems. It runs disastrously against itself when turned over. For example: It was widely considered wrong when Robert Hanson stole and disseminated protected information when Mr. Hanson believed it was the right thing to do. It has been well understood that Robert Hanson had no right to make such a decision. Not at all unlike pfc Manning, the dangers in Mr. Hanson’s actions far exceed his personal cause or individual beliefs. - Maj. Nidal Hasan too has his own strongly held and passionate beliefs. His own righteous cause.
This is not about a soldier’s obligation to disobey illegal or immoral orders. This is about a young soldier conducting his or her own foreign policy when he or she agrees or disagrees with policy. If Bradly Manning knowingly released protected information to the wild he is likely guilty of numerous Felony charges and, very possibly, treason.
-
Support Manning in that he took a stand. Contribute to his defense. Call him tremendously brave. Absolving him of his actions, however, is not the way. The effects of that is not worth any interpersonal cause(s).
Report thisBy Gary Mont, June 2, 2011 at 4:54 pm Link to this comment
Gads! I just realized every sentence GRYM posted in response was 100% lawyerized.
GRYM wrote: “You don’t know why Bradly Manning has been detained ....”
In response to:
Gary Mont: I was under the impression that the reason Mister Manning is supsect number one is entirely due to his bringing the documents he found and read to the attention of his superiors who “ordered” him to “forget about it.”
I state I thought his showing a superior officer the documents was the reason he was “Suspect Number One”.
And GRYM responds “You don’t know why Bradly Manning has been detained…”
I said nothing at all about any reason he was “detained” and was actually explaining where he had disobeyed an obviously illegal order.
I wonder if GRYM is actually capable of writing a sentence without deception as its core. I sincerely doubt it.
I don’t think I want to play him no more.
Report thisHe’s nasty.
By Gary Mont, June 2, 2011 at 4:38 pm Link to this comment
diamond: Why was my comment either censored or removed while GYRM continues to post his inane, inaccurate observations until the cows come home?
According to those who run TruthDig, the problems began when they switched to a new server. I can neither post copied/pasted text, nor check my comment via Preview prior to Submit, without setting into motion a series of problems that affect my post adversely - from being shown a Page Not Found page, to simply timing out the connection and losing everything in the edit box - necessitating a rewrite because I cannot post copied/pasted text…. I do however keep a copy of the failed postings in a folder on the hard drive for posterity.
I now manually spell and grammar check in the edit box and Submit without Preview, which of course leaves a number of errors because I never use an automated spell checker.
Try to not take it personally. It will hopefully be resolved some day.
Unless of course, its actually the NSA doing dirty web-tricks to make it more difficult to post things on TruthDig…. They do have a huge Internet War Chest now.
Report thisBy diamond, June 2, 2011 at 4:26 pm Link to this comment
Why was my comment either censored or removed while GYRM continues to post his inane, inaccurate observations until the cows come home? The fact that it has ‘disappeared’ shows why something like Wikileaks needed to be invented in the first place. And of course the Guardian, the paper the secret service loves, would want to project the idea that anyone who stands up to the American military juggernaut (if he did) is psychologically damaged and just plain insane. In times like these it’s the leakers who are the sane ones. They are the ones who pull away the mask and show us what the military really is and what it does to civilians in the name of corporate greed. And that information is ‘privileged’ and ‘protected’? Why? There is no reason why the public shouldn’t know the truth since they’re paying for the bullets and the bombs. It seems you can say whatever you like about the President, an elected official, but you can’t say whatever you like about the military because they are sacred, unelected, cows.
Report thisBy Gary Mont, June 2, 2011 at 4:20 pm Link to this comment
Well GRYM, it would appear that you know very little about Maj. Nidal Hasan either.
Go Right Young Man: “Are you attempting to argue that Maj. Nidal Hasan had every right, even an obligation, to disobey orders not to shoot his fellow soldiers?
Maj. Nidal Hasan was never “ordered” to not shoot anyone. GRYM simply tossed the “disobey orders not to shoot his fellow soldiers” into the mix because it would better match the quote he chose from my earlier post:
Gary Mont: - “So you advocate that soldiers have no duty to disobey unlawful or stupid orders….”
Anyone can instantly google up a wiki definition of anything, but I thought I’d see what an admittance of ignorance would elicit from our GRYM lawyer. He did not fail to amuse.
Maj. Nidal Hasan was a practicing muslim and a military pyschiatrist who was trying to get a few of the returned personel prosecuted for war crimes due to their psychiatric-patient confessions of criminal acts in the field. Talk about two strikes against you in this man’s Cheney army.
The likliehood of his being framed for the killings is fairly consistent with US military procedures. I would like very much to examine the records of those who were placed in the firing line, along with the 13 dead soldiers.
It is customary and SOP to stick all your bad apples in one basket when you want to pull off a little sleight of hand and get rid of some unwanted personelle.
If it does not turn out that most, if not all of those in the area of attack were considered bad apples - as would be apparent on their assessment files - then the likliehood that Maj. Nidal Hasan did indeed flip out and kill 13 soldiers increases.
However, I note that the evidence seems slim enough that problems have plagued the court marshall from the git-go. One would think there would be no such problems when you read the description of the assault.
Meanwhile, this was, as suspected, a red herring, as it has nothing whatsoever to do with disobeying orders.
So thanks again for clarifying your handle GRYM and for showing the world your brand of deception. Its been a gas.
Report thisBy gerard, June 2, 2011 at 3:09 pm Link to this comment
Bringing up bullying is quite apropos here. The entire country recently has been bullying not only much of the world (wars, exploitation of resources and populations in foreign countries, permitting gross damage from pollution at home and abroad, allowing its own people to suffer inadequate medical care and the loss of their homes by sleazy banking practices). All this, and more, bears the mark of power ganging up on those less powerful. It is an illness that may prove fatal.
Report thisBy Daye, June 2, 2011 at 12:42 pm Link to this comment
GRYM’s commentary defends the grymly rigid. Martinets with inflexible self-certitude about the absolute rightness of antique shibboleths, such as the tiresomely iterated one that military orders & rules must be obeyed no matter how obviously stupid, infuriating, useless, damaging or bloody they may be, have surely been with us at least as long as war itself, & have benefitted the rest of humanity no more than not only the wars in which they found their perfect place , but also the kings, aristocrats, superrich, politicians, generals & others whose grand self-esteem, self-interests & selfishness would inspire John Galt to want to steal their money & power for himself.
One viewing the video published by The Guardian cannot, if still possessed of his or her humanity, fail to note that the pathology depicted by it belongs not to young Manning, but to our culture - including its educational, religious & military institutions - which allowed him to be routinely abused by bullies, & indeed much of the time emboldened & continues to encourage bullying. From the moment he was arrested, the bullying has been done by the United States Government, with the permission & support of its president, & our cultural ugliness made the bullying into officially condoned torture.
Report thisBy Gary Mont, June 2, 2011 at 12:11 pm Link to this comment
GRYM: “Just as it’s a crime to steal protected information and releasing that information to the public. Regardless of the situation, personal beliefs, politics or ideology.”
Gary Mont: “Obviously, if you were a soldier and came into contact with a huge array of material that was classified as secret only because the classification protected hundreds of criminals throughout your own and foreign governments around the world, from public exposure of their crimes, you would do your sworn duty and just ignore the material or attempt to make it more secure, if that was part of your duties.”
I rest my case.
Report thisBy Gary Mont, June 2, 2011 at 12:08 pm Link to this comment
GRYM: “You don’t know why Bradly Manning has been detained and you don’t know who Nidal Hasan is? I’m sorry. I made a mistake. Good luck to you.”
Slick. Yep, definitely a lwayer.
The innuendo is palpable!!!
You have a nice life too GRYM.
Report thisBy Go Right Young Man, June 2, 2011 at 11:33 am Link to this comment
“Murder is a crime regardless of situation.”
-
Just as it’s a crime to steal protected information and releasing that information to the public. Regardless of the situation, personal beliefs, politics or ideology.
Report thisBy Go Right Young Man, June 2, 2011 at 11:26 am Link to this comment
Gary Mont,
You don’t know why Bradly Manning has been detained and you don’t know who Nidal Hasan is?
I’m sorry. I made a mistake.
Good luck to you.
Report thisBy Gary Mont, June 2, 2011 at 11:03 am Link to this comment
drbhelthi: “Well, Gary Mont, I get the impression that the alias, GoRightYoungMan, is
allocated to a cubicle that is manned on a shift basis.
Actually, I get the distinct impression that GRYM is a lawyer of some kind. A prosecuting attorney perhaps.
Report thisHe certainly can use words to deceive like a pro.
By Gary Mont, June 2, 2011 at 10:52 am Link to this comment
Go Right Young Man: I would ask that you revisit my comments in context. The issue of Bradly Manning is not one of simply following orders. - Come now. Let us, at the very least, keep this discussion real.
I was under the impression that the reason Mister Manning is supsect number one is entirely due to his bringing the documents he found and read to the attention of his superiors who “ordered” him to “forget about it.”
Correct me please if I have this wrong.
=====
Go Right Young Man: “Are you attempting to argue that Maj. Nidal Hasan had every right, even an obligation, to disobey orders not to shoot his fellow soldiers?
Never heard of Maj. Nidal Hasan to begin with. Murder is a crime regardless of situation. Why did his superiors feel it was necessary to order him NOT to shoot his fellow soldiers? I’ve never heard of a case where a soldier had to be ordered to not fire on his own troops. Sounds like A red herring??
======
Go Right Young Man: “Are you prepared to argue that pfc. Manning read each of the 250,000 State Dept. cables he allegedly released and determined all were unlawful and/or stupid? It was his “obligation” to steal and disseminate these protected cables?
Why would I consider it necessary that he read every document? Documents are held in portfolios which designate their area of concern. It is patently obvious that none of the documents exposed to date have anything to do with national security. Obviously this was apparent to Manning from the beginning.
Had he discovered a portfolio of documents which clearly bore a classified label only in order to keep criminals invloved in the documents from exposure, according to every one that he DID read, then yes I would think that as a citizen and as a soldier he would have a duty to expose all the documents in that portfolio to the public, if his superiors refused to do so.
I know its how I would feel about the situation were I in his shoes. The only people I consider who would not be obligated to expose such evidence of crimes in high places would be other criminals.
Report thisBy drbhelthi, June 2, 2011 at 10:33 am Link to this comment
Yep, being an operative or a “real C.I.A. agent” like McVeigh or Oswald,
thinking you are doing a good job, and being covered for - - . You never know when youre gonna “get yours”.
When a “colleague” is pissed off at you, and passes the word up the chain that you´ve been cutting square farts lately. When “highly qualified” chiefs know that cutting square farts means youre gonna blow the whistle soon - - . If you are married, paychecks might go for a while to your remaining wife or husband.
Such is the life of an operative or agent of the company, and implementing the New World Order requires sacrifices - - - . And whats the life of a CIA agent? Or operative? A sacrifice for the New World Order.
Report thisBy Gary Mont, June 2, 2011 at 10:24 am Link to this comment
PatrickHenry: “I understand Manning has over 300 world renown lawyers in his corner.”
Precisely why they have not laid charges and why they will not allow a real trial to take place.
This will be another non-public military tribunal where Manning will be tried using the Patriot Act’s secondary interpretations that allow the military to classify Manning as a terrorist and thus deprive him of ALL civil rights.
Report thisBy drbhelthi, June 2, 2011 at 10:00 am Link to this comment
Well, Gary Mont, I get the impression that the alias, GoRightYoungMan, is
allocated to a cubicle that is manned on a shift basis. The operatives there are doing double-time attempting to convince Truthdig readers that PFC Manning actually released the subject electronic documents. Their psychops training is neatly reflected in their blogs.
Naturally, if you are a hired operative, you lick the boots of your boss and propagate whatever the boss directs. Intelligence and training aside, rank makes the decision.
Whoever picked PFC Manning to be the patsy for their psychops trick did a good job. (S)he/they must have cased him for over a year, before deciding that he was an adequately confused, extended teenager, qualified to be their psychops patsy. Of course, the agent that actually released the documents will probably be a victim of “enemy fire”, in guarded, Army quarters, in a latrine. However, (s)he may have committed suicide already, shooting oneself four or five times in the chest with a rifle, set on single-fire.
Tends to remind me of other patsies, Oswald, McVeigh - long list. However, they were faithful agents of the CIA, whom their “superiors” decided to eliminate. Such is the life of an operative who could spill the beans on the company. However, PFC Manning was no agent, just a little ole country boy, selected to be a psychops “patsy”.
Report thisBy Go Right Young Man, June 2, 2011 at 4:39 am Link to this comment
Gary Mont, - “So you advocate that soldiers have no duty to disobey unlawful or stupid orders….”
-
I would ask that you revisit my comments in context. The issue of Bradly Manning is not one of simply following orders. - Come now. Let us, at the very least, keep this discussion real.
Now let me ask you, what I believe to be, a few equally odd and unrealistic question. a. Are you attempting to argue that Maj. Nidal Hasan had every right, even an obligation, to disobey orders not to shoot his fellow soldiers? b. Are you prepared to argue that pfc. Manning read each of the 250,000 State Dept. cables he allegedly released and determined all were unlawful and/or stupid? It was his “obligation” to steal and disseminate these protected cables?
Report thisBy PatrickHenry, June 2, 2011 at 3:26 am Link to this comment
Gary Mont,
In the words of a famous jurist.
“If the gloves don’t fit you must aquit”.
Lets see the prosecutions case in the court of public opinion.
I understand Manning has over 300 world renown lawyers in his corner.
Report thisBy Gary Mont, June 1, 2011 at 9:52 pm Link to this comment
Go Right Young Man: “Bradly Manning was a soldier on the battlefield and possibly releasing information he was charged to protect. It simply doesn’t matter if you agree with Manning’s cause or how you personally view U.S. foreign policy. Surely you understand this.
So you advocate that soldiers have no duty to disobey unlawful or stupid orders and that soldiers should be mere mechanical constructs obedient to the last drop, completely oblivious to their own safety and that of other non-military personel, dedicated only to the fulfillment of their orders?
Obviously, if you were a soldier and came into contact with a huge array of material that was classified as secret only because the classification protected hundreds of criminals throughout your own and foreign governments around the world, from public exposure of their crimes, you would do your sworn duty and just ignore the material or attempt to make it more secure, if that was part of your duties.
I understand your handle much better now.
Report thisBy Gary Mont, June 1, 2011 at 9:38 pm Link to this comment
PatrickHenry: “It is universally understood worldwide that he is a hero.”
Sadly, that also translates as “It is universally understood that he is guilty of the crimes he is accused of.”
Looks like the campaign to try him in the public mind has succeeded. I hope it backfires.
In a way this is also a statement of public mentality. We appear to be in desperate need of a hero.
Report thisBy DanGo, June 1, 2011 at 5:36 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
This is pure character assassination. Whatever personality or drama he has has has no relevance to the morality of his actions.
Report thisBy Marc Schlee, June 1, 2011 at 4:57 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
This article is a backhanded attempt to demonize a great and patriotic American hero.
FREE AMERICA
REVOLUTIONARY (DIRECT) DEMOCRACY
Report thisBy Go Right Young Man, June 1, 2011 at 3:59 pm Link to this comment
gerard,
While I’m sure you’ll disagree, I believe you’re rationalizing in the name of a cause you believe in.
Bradly Manning was a soldier on the battlefield and possibly releasing information he was charged to protect. It simply doesn’t matter if you agree with Manning’s cause or how you personally view U.S. foreign policy. Surely you understand this.
In most people’s eyes what you and others advocate here is dangerous to the extreme. I happen to agree.
At it’s core you support the idea that any soldier in any army may decide his or her own policy and may act on that policy at will. And why do you support Manning? Because you support his cause. Well, let’s simply turn that over. Choose a state secret or piece of protected information you believe should not be released outside your country. Make your choice and protect that information (as you do your own “protected” information).
I am dead against any nation detonating a nuclear weapon against another. I am 100% behind the idea of disarming all nuclear weapons world wide. At the same time it’s unreasonable to allow anyone, from the military or private sector, to share that protected information without severe repercussions. The very same repercussions Bradly Manning likely understood.
We can all allow that Manning felt passionate about what he was doing. We can all also allow that he very likely understood, or should have understood, what he was doing was possibly treasonous. You want to protect and absolve Manning and obliterate the idea of laws. Your own passionate cause is not worth what you proscribe here. You will not be saving lives. Quite the contrary.
You are not amongst the miniscule minority due to the righteousness of your cause. Or even the clarity of your view of the United States in the world. You are in the minority because you’re not looking past your cause.
If Manning is guilty, which most here assume he is, absolving him is not the way. The ramifications is not worth any cause.
Report thisBy PatrickHenry, June 1, 2011 at 3:42 pm Link to this comment
Manning is #9 on the Time’s list of influential people. Ahead of neophyte Glen Beck.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2058044_2061021_2061023,00.html
He is being celebrated and protested for in Washington.
http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2011/05/bradley-manning-military-iraq
He is being called and hailed as a hero in Berkley, California.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/manning-up-move-to-crown-bradley-the-wikileaks-source-a-hero-20101214-18w2i.html
Small minority see him as a hero? better check again.
It is universally understood worldwide that he is a hero.
Report thisBy Gary Mont, June 1, 2011 at 2:54 pm Link to this comment
I understand that the O’bomber administration is currently holding three whistleblowers for persecution, including Manning.
Does anyone know who the other two are and what exactly they broke - how does the MAFIA put it - omerta? - about?
A URL would suffice.
Report thisBy sketchartist, June 1, 2011 at 10:56 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
“The Guardian” (and the NY Times) had a well-known falling-out with Julian Assange and, along with PBS’s “Frontline”, are all-too obviously helping the U.S. intelligence community with it’s stupid “psy/ops” P.R. campaign dseigne to discredit Manning, just as the public backlash against their abusive attempts to get to Assange through Manning has swelled.
All of their tittering, twittering character assassination and one-sided tabloid trivia still fails to paint a picture of a personality whose youth was as messed up as that of our previous U.S. President - or of someone whose courageous act of demonstratedly beneficial whistleblowing should not be lauded by history.
Report thisBy drbhelthi, June 1, 2011 at 9:37 am Link to this comment
Two factors are basically important. First, as stated by PatrickHenry,
the U.S.Congress has not declared war on – ANYWHERE. Second, PFC
Bradley Manning has not been proven to have released the information in
subject, per Gary Mont. A third factor associated is also of basic
importance. Increasingly, Federal Judges are pursuing their judicial
duties on a professional basis, instead of on a brown-nosing-whichever-
polico basis.
Federal District Judge John Roll rendered a Brady Bill decision on the
Report thisbasis of its constitutionality. Which decision, the POTUS occupant and
team of Hollywood-type defrauders, are attempting to circumnavigate via
the infamous Bush technique, “executive directive.”
Congressional representatives have the opportunity to take the matter in
hand, and out of the hands of the U.S.Army, on the basis of the two
qualifying factors, and the mistreatment of PFC Manning. In an
evaluation of the information allegedly released by PFC Manning, it
might be discovered that Army leadership has indeed violated the
U.S.Constitution. Similarly, if PFC Manning did as alleged, he
fulfilled his vow to support the Constitution of the United States of
America. Thus, PFC Manning would be qualified for a Congressional Medal
of Honor, while the responsible U.S.Army, U.S.Marine and civilian
leadership would be vulnerable to punitive, judicial action – the
reverse of the currently existing situation.
I am confident that there are Federal Judges who would like to acquire
such a case, in order to fulfil their duty IAW the Constitution of the
United States of America. This, in a manner similar to the
constitutional scholar, John Roll, whose life was stolen by such evil
persons as are currently abusing PFC Manning, and the U.S.Constitution.
By gerard, June 1, 2011 at 8:59 am Link to this comment
Gary, you’re lost in the woods. Watch out for the wolf.
Report thisBy Gary Mont, June 1, 2011 at 8:36 am Link to this comment
gerard: “I’m a 97 year old great grandmother peacenik, and I know the difference between sincerity and pretense. I can smell it a mile off.
You can smell what? Sincerity? Pretense? The difference?? Maybe you should check your socks.
A psychologist, profiler, blood hound, and a 97 year old granny hippy to boot. Well I’m just impressed all to hell gerard.
As I said, when you think of something that will actually aid Mister Manning, let me know.
“Now get off my back and do something constructive.”
Report thisBy gerard, June 1, 2011 at 8:06 am Link to this comment
Gary Mont: Some hundred thousand or so dollars have been raised to help pay Manning’s defense costs. Have you contributed? Hundreds of people have demonstrated against his prejudicial treatment, incarceration and unnecessary demeaning treatment in prison. Have you protested? Some people have written him encouraging letters or notes, or sent cards. Have you?
Now get off my back and do something constructive. I’m a 97 year old great grandmother peacenik, and I know the difference between sincerity and pretense. I can smell it a mile off.
Report thisBy Artful Dodger, June 1, 2011 at 7:57 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Is there any discernible difference between Ellsberg and Manning?
Report thisBy Go Right Young Man, June 1, 2011 at 5:55 am Link to this comment
On this and other Web spaces it seems universally understood that Manning is guilty. Guilty of stealing and releasing protected information while in uniform, on the battle field and, in a foreign country.
While it’s understandable that a small minority will see the young man as a hero, if he is as guilty as most here assume his actions are, at best, a first degree felony. As an active soldier deployed in the battlefield Manning’s actions are, quite possibly, treasonous.
Report thisBy PatrickHenry, June 1, 2011 at 3:44 am Link to this comment
Gary Mont,
Good point. Innocent until proven guilty is a cornerstone of our democracy and is being tested daily.
The US in not at war, technically, as Congress has not declared it as such.
I know the government is attempting to stack as many charges as they can in an attempt to make them stick and dissuade others into disclosure. The most I see Manning potentially vulnerable for is 10 years as defined by the law.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode18/usc_sec_18_00000798——000-.html
Report thisBy Gary Mont, May 31, 2011 at 10:30 pm Link to this comment
PatrickHenry: “Important to note is that Manning did not do this for money like those patriotic Israeli spies.”
So you apparently agree with Mister Obama then, that Mister Manning is indeed guilty of disclosing state secrets. And at a time when the USA is at war! I believe that is called treason is it not?
It might also be important to note that Manning may NOT have done this deed at all.
To date not a single shred of real evidence has been presented by the military. If they had evidence, they would not need to have video condemnations like the one posted here produced to try and prove him guilty in the public’s mind.
While it may be nice to join gerard in singing gospel tunes and signing petitions to pretend to support a pre-judged to be guilty Manning, I’d think it behooves us all to keep in mind that Manning is innocent of all accusations until proven guilty in a court of law.
Unless even that aspect of the USA is now dead too.
Report thisBy Gary Mont, May 31, 2011 at 10:12 pm Link to this comment
gerard: “If you are not a part of the solution, you are part of the problem.”
I notice you did not dispute my claim, but merely took exception to my making it public. Tough shit.
===
gerard: “People who really want to help, even though they doubt it will really help, don’t discourage other people from doing whatever they can.
So basically, you believe that facing reality is - at least for me - assauging a guitly concience, while pretending to help by singing gospel songs and signing petitions is NOT just a way to make one’s self feel better about being able to do nothing useful. Truly interesting that.
I suggest your delusion is simple. You are assauging YOUR guilty conscience - knowing full well your efforts are useless - by pretending that your efforts will be successful through some miracle of miracles as of yet un-named, simply so you don’t feel so bad about being able to do nothing that can really support or aid B. Manning.
I think this is called projection son.
To begin, I don’t “doubt it will help”.
I know for a fact that those who can do something about this situation have already logged their “He Is Guilty Decisions” publicly and cannot rescind their claims and risk their lucrative careers.
Moreover, they actually WANT to punish Manning as much as possible to send a message to all other would be whistle-blowers, that this sort of treatment is all they can expect if they break the rule of silence among thieves.
You’d know this too if you were’nt so busy singing gospel songs and pretending your efforts were going to support B. Manning through some etheric medium directed by God, shit luck, or the Angel Gabriel.
When you can find something that WILL Support and AID B. Manning, let me know. Till then, you might want to reconsider your hopes of becoming a psychologist/profiler. Don’t qit your day job.
Report thisBy gerard, May 31, 2011 at 7:02 pm Link to this comment
GaryMont: Assuaging guilty consciences is usually done by taking various stances:
1. There’s nothing anybody can do. If I did anything, it’s a waste of time.
2. Even if people do what they can, it still doesn’t help because it isn’t enough. Some is not better than none, in other words.
3. Nevertheless, I don’t want to seem heartless so I will say that I want to know what can be done, even though I probably won’t do it because I believe it won’t help. (I don’t know for sure that it won’t help, but I believe (underline) that it won’t help.
The fact is that people who really want to help will do anything they can, whether they think it will help or doubt that it will help. They do it because they feel it is the right thing to do, regardless. You can bet that knowing people “outside” were trying to help him, helped to lift Manning’s spirits
when he was enduring solitary.
People who ask other people what can be done, and receive information about helpful things to do, apparently don’t really want to know the answer to their questions because then they are presented with
opportunities to help which they then must ignore.If they really wanted to help, they would not only help in those ways suggested, but would encourage other people to help also. That’s the way assistance grows, person by person.
“If you are not a part of the solution, you are part of the problem.”
People who really want to help, even though they doubt it will really help, don’t discourage other people from doing whatever they can.
Report thisBy Gary Mont, May 31, 2011 at 2:33 pm Link to this comment
<b>gerard:<b> Frankly, it just sounds to me that you would like to “get off the hook” of your nagging conscience—like a lot of other people, the majority, let’s say.
Interesting comment gerard.
So precisely what sentence pissed you off so much that you are suddenly able to misread every other sentence I wrote so far on this topic??
Put another way, could you please quote the section that gave you this notion that I was trying to assuage my guilty conscience?
Report thisBy gerard, May 31, 2011 at 1:36 pm Link to this comment
Gary Mont: Reminder: The “majority” have almost never been on the right, moral, clean, honest side of anything. They only tag along much later, after all the hard work has been done and somebody’s life is saved or some evil law is rescinded. Then they rush to get on board, saying “Yeah, that’s what I’ve been saying all along!” If you wait for the “majority” to “do the right thing,” you might as well go back to sleep. Frankly, it just sounds to me that you would like to “get off the hook” of your nagging conscience—like a lot of other people, the majority, let’s say.
Report thisBy PatrickHenry, May 31, 2011 at 3:29 am Link to this comment
Important to note is that Manning did not do this for money like those patriotic Israeli spies. Pollard, Nozette and Kadish.
Kadish walked away with a fine.
http://www.jta.org/news/article/2009/05/31/1005512/us-spy-for-israel-gets-fine
Report thisBy drbhelthi, May 31, 2011 at 2:45 am Link to this comment
The definition of “mental instability,” within the framework of the U.S.Army, since the re-passage of the Patriot Act legislation, would be very interesting.
If it were at all possible - .
Report thisBy Inky99, May 31, 2011 at 2:38 am Link to this comment
Why are you posting this propagandistic nonsense?
Right, he pees his pants?
Sure, that means he LEAKS.
He’s in trouble for LEAKING.
Real men don’t LEAK.
No mention of his moral problems with the war, no, he was just a big baby peeing in his diaper, that’s why he did what he did, it was just a random act of anarchy, like hurling feces or something.
This is total bullshit.
I can’t believe truthdig fell for this transparent crap and published this.
Report thisBy blogdog, May 31, 2011 at 2:36 am Link to this comment
You see: “...the public - as can be seen right here in almost every post - agrees
that Bradley Manning did indeed leaked (sic) state secrets to Wikileaks.”
That’s what makes the Psy-op work. Everyone believes that the so-called ‘state
secrets’ are really true - so true, they could only be ‘subversively leaked’.
That’s how ‘disinformation leaks’ work. Everyone’s played, given what they want
to believe, from what they’re led to believe is a ‘credible source’.
Understanding the OP requires looking several moves ahead: what’s the
objective? As mentioned before, it looks like the balkanization of Pakistan -
biggest player in the mix - is the objective!
And, it’s getting bloody treacherous: China just mandated that a US attack on
Pakistan (that means the nuclear assets) would be taken as an attack on China.
That’s serious, and the MSM is totally silent! Where are they on the Ray Davis affair -
a cocked up black-op for sure?
And, what does any of this have to do with Manning? Wikileaks pointed the way. The
Report thisBin Laden theatre kicked open the door. The recent military-base, so-called
terrorist bombing raises expectations - the stage is set…
By Gary Mont, May 31, 2011 at 12:00 am Link to this comment
gerard: “Scrounge around. There’s probably more.”
Actually, I’m aware of most of those, but lets say for example that Amnesty Internation gets a one million man pettition signed declaring the incarceration without charges as illegal, and its backed by the signatures of 100 lawyers of conscience.
So, who cares? Who do they present it to?
What possible “support” can this offer?
Nobody in a position to do anything about this sitaution could give a rats ass how many petitions or how many signatures are presented to them from the riff raff.
The POTUS and the Military Establishment have already declared him guilty of treasonous actions and the public - as can be seen right here in almost every post - agrees that Bradley Manning did indeed leaked state secrets to Wikileaks.
Support has to be more than just good intentions.
Report thisBy gerard, May 30, 2011 at 2:55 pm Link to this comment
Gary Mont: Google FiredogLake. Google Courage to Resist. Google Amnesty International. Google American Civil Liberties Union. Google Code Pink. Google Salon.com. Somewhere—maybe under New York Review of Books—there’s a list on line of some 250 plus names of relatively “important” and “authoritative” people who have signed a petition protesting the conditions of Manning being confined without trial. Scrounge around. There’s probably more.
Report thisBy Jim Yell, May 30, 2011 at 2:23 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
I neglected to say one other thing about this circus. Somewhere it was declaired that Bradley Manning’s lack of bladder control was a clear sign of his being mentally unbalanced. WRONG
Some people have a weak bladder. It is organic and may indicate a physical lack of complete developement of that excretory function. In that case it is not the persons control.
On the other hand extreme stress from bullying and fear can make virtually all of us lose control if we are under enough stress. Since the same place I read this as a sign of psychotic behavior and they also mentioned how much he was constantly under attack by his fellow soldiers both phyisically and emotionally, how dare anyone make this conclusion.
He may have the problem because of emotional difficulties, but that doesn’t make him a bad person, but the bullyies who messed him up are just a bunch of vicious little punks.
Report thisBy EmileZ, May 30, 2011 at 12:20 pm Link to this comment
Free Bradley Manning
Report thisBy Textynn, May 30, 2011 at 11:21 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Now Manning is unfit, and also in the same newS cycle his
own dad doesn’t even like him. This is overt character assassination of a hero. Destroying the image of someone
who stood up for the people. WE die and they prosper and
when we expose their greed and fraud they say we are
scum.
DO NOT BUY INTO THIS LIE. DO NOT BUY INTO THE HERO ASSASSINATION. PEOPLE DON’T LIKE HOW WHISTLE BLOWERS
HAVE BEEN MADE THE CRIMINALS AND THE CRIMINALS ARE
RUNNING THINGS. DO NOT BUY INTO THIS GARBAGE
MANNING IS A HERO AND WE MUST STAND UP FOR HIM.
Report thisThink what this really means.
By Cheryl12345, May 30, 2011 at 11:20 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
I’m really surprised at the orientation this presentation by the Guardian is
taking. The only reason I can see is to set up a defense for Bradley that he
could not mentally know what he was doing.
Otherwise, just because a person is gay does not mean they do not know what
they are doing.
Just because a person has an Adjustment Disorder (and all are vulnerable to AD
going into the hell of war) doesn’t mean they don’t know the difference between
right and wrong.
Just because a person pisses himself when physically attacked by a gang of
much bigger men doesn’t mean they could not intellectually conceive of and
choose a higher morality than that presented with being a soldier.
Whatever Bradley Manning’s psychological problems are they do not rise to the
level of psychotic. I support Bradley Manning exactly because he is a young
man who felt compelled to do what he thought was right to bring to light war
crimes. There is hypocrisy inherent in being a politician during wartime and
Manning responded. And it is those hypocritical politicians that are now doing
whatever it takes to silence Manning.
The public, being uninformed as we are, have resorted to a primitive tribalism
where people are punished for being more sensitive to injustice. To focus on
Manning’s problems is just another obfuscation of what should really be the
debate here: What are we going to do to stop war crimes?
As far as Lamo’s part in this debacle is concerned, Beware of Lamo! He probably
Report thishas a deal with the government to report any hackers he comes in contact with.
He was arrested himself for breaking into some very high profile sites, yet
notice he is not in prison.
By Gary Mont, May 30, 2011 at 7:18 am Link to this comment
I.M. Small: “You probably have a lot more power than you realize, but fail to utilize. Start there.”
While you may be right, and I may indeed have more power than I realize, and thus fail to utilize, the advise above in no way aids my inquiry, or assists my understanding in the slightest, for my alleged additional power remains un-manifest.
If you, like me, have no real idea how to support Mister Manning except through the medium and method we are both using right here and now, it is not self-deprecating to admit it. It is however, disingenious to assert that support can be offered, if you do not actually know how such can be accomplished.
The frst step in learning something new, is admitting you do not already know.
I do not know.
I would like to learn - how I can support someone held incommunicado, illegally by the American Armed Forces, sans evidence and charges.
Report thisBy I.M. Small, May 30, 2011 at 6:40 am Link to this comment
Point well taken, Mr. Mont.
Sad, but not beyond words.
Your elucidation? It is not which politicians or what lawyers. You probably have a lot more power than you realize, but fail to utilize. Start there.
All the best,
Report thisBy Gary Mont, May 30, 2011 at 12:23 am Link to this comment
Dear I.M.Small, your poem is no doubt sent from the heart, and written in the hopes that others will enjoy the read.
But you should know your words have sent another message too, for you have claimed that he is truly guilty of the deed.
As yet no charges have been laid because their is no proof, that Bradley Manning was the one behind the leaking tap.
So please refrain from open condemnation of the man, until such time as law returns and justice proves the rap.
Report thisBy I.M. Small, May 29, 2011 at 9:58 pm Link to this comment
FOR ONE NOT PERMITTED TO SPEAK FOR HIMSELF
_They say that I was never fit
To be sent to Iraq—
I’ll let you be the judge of it:
They have me in the dock._
It’s been a long and arduous road
From Crescent, Oklahoma,
My birthplace: I have been the goad
To stir men’s moral coma.
You see, I thought that it was wrong
What I saw in fob Hammer;
With murderers I don’t belong
So now I’m in the slammer.
My name is Bradley Manning, you
May not have heard of me,
Because the slanderers who spew
Besmirch my pedigree.
From Oklahoma as a lad
I later on was raised
In Wales, not dreaming of Baghdad,
Though scandal has amazed
Haverfordwest’s good citizens
That rallied to my cause,
Not for subversive recompense
But true to moral laws.
I felt that it was very wrong
To murder from Apaches
Civilians, innocents, and strong
Recoiled, as one who watches
Injustice done, so there decides
To take a stand in honor:
The Army pounds me and derides
As though it has a boner.
I sent the files to WikiLeaks
That got an uproar brewing,
But while malicious slander speaks,
My motives misconstruing,
You might believe I am a kook,
A pervert or a spy,
But my rebukers let rebuke
Posterity say I.
It may be, standing up for right
That I have been misguided,
Believing yet that “Right makes might”
And not ashamed to hide it.
I stood up for a cause, and so
Must suffer a courtmartial,
But consciences alive must know
Justice is not impartial
When it condones the slaughter of
Civilians, innocents,
But I stand for a greater love
Than done in Army tents.
Red lips may never be so red
As stained stones that are kissed
By them the dying or the dead
So therefore I resist.
It may be that I get sent up
For fifty years, or life,
Or that I drink the poisoned cup
Or feel assassin’s knife,
But I have done a greater thing
Than many proud parading,
If truth should be allowed to sing
Instead of masquerading.
Since immemorial time such have
Been sent down to the brig
Or sent down to a watery grave—
A man should be so big
That he has dared to speak for truth
(As even Jesus did):
I may have been an awkward youth
But from God was not hid.
In honor of my country acts
Unrighteous I condemned,
Though not afraid to face the facts,
The fact that I was hemmed.
Precluded from a better life
The way of education,
I strode a road entailing strife
But never denigration.
I bore perhaps a finer love
Than comes from Oklahoma,
Healthy in conscience—though such stuff
Be labeled melanoma.
_They say that I was never fit
To be sent to Iraq -
I’ll let you be the judge of it:
They have me in the dock._
.
Report thisBy Gary Mont, May 29, 2011 at 8:40 pm Link to this comment
UreKismet: “Support him for that not because a bunch of murdering psychopaths want to justify their role in the illegal invasion and slaughter of more than one million Iraqis.
Support him?
Just how would anyone go about supporting him?
Through what media would we voice our opinions about his innocence, or demand his release on grounds of complete lack of evidence?
This medium - TruthDig and its ilk - certainly cannot reach the general public or influence the crooks in power.
Which politicians can we write to, who are willing to state publicly that the incarceration of Manning without charges or evidence is illegal and must be ended immediately?
What lawyers can we pay to defend him when he has not even been charged with a crime yet?
How can we rescue this man from the clutches of those whose Commander In Chief; the President of the United States himself, has labeled a criminal and stated publicly to be guilty of disclosing state secrets?
Please elucidate. Exactly how can we support Bradley Manning?
Report thisBy Artful Dodger, May 29, 2011 at 3:51 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
O’Brien: In our world, there can only be triumph and self-abasement. Everything else, we will destroy.
Report thisBy UreKismet, May 29, 2011 at 2:23 pm Link to this comment
The Guardian knows full well that it is doing Manning no favours with the release of tis highly subjective psuedo-psychological analysis of Mr Manning. Firstly the article regards his responsibility for leaking the information as a given, just as its articles targeting Julian Assange regard his guilt as a sexual predator a given.
The Grauniad’s editors have no further use for Assange and, if it is correct that Manning was the source of the data they certainly have no further use for Manning.
They have the data which has been trded off for security in the shake up of net services that is around the corner.
The notion of any legislature being able to ensure net neutrality anywhere will be seen as laughable, because the ‘new media’ is positioning itself as a creature of the oligarchs, well outside the reach of any nation’s laws.
The military isn’t torturing Manning to punish him, they are torturing him to get him to confess. Mr Manning has held steadfast to his innocence through this mistreatment. Support him for that not because a bunch of murdering psychopaths want to justify their role in the illegal invasion and slaughter of more than one million Iraqis.
Report thisBy gerard, May 29, 2011 at 11:27 am Link to this comment
Klopfer, could you please cut the capital letters? They annoy because they say to your readers: “You people are so stupid ou can’t understand unless I shout at you!” It is demeaning as well as annoying to be shouted at. HEY YOU DUMMY etc. It is a kind of hit-and-run on paper. Thanks for understanding.
Report thisBy RickinSF, May 29, 2011 at 8:53 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, career Army and former chief of staff to then-Sec. of State Colin Powell, said pretty much the same thing, Patrick Henry.
“Where was the chain of command? How was a mere private able to abscond with SO much sensitive information?”
Manning is being held hostage to the careers of a large group of the officer corps.
Report thisBy berniem, May 29, 2011 at 8:37 am Link to this comment
A national uprising ala the Wisc. demonstrations should occur demanding Manning’s release and a full investigation of those whose wrongdoing was exposed by his ALLEGED! disclosures. What of the trigger happy ‘copter crew in Bagdhad? Who were they and were they held to account for murder? What of bush, cheney, et.al., and, oh yes, Barry “the assassin” of looking forward fame? Are these people not culpable of ANYTHING? This nation is very, very ill and is on the verge of collapse but the governing elite will spare no efforts to keep this from “We The People” until they have their wealth safely stashed offshore and travel tickets to pleasant locales where there are no extradition treaties. Kinda seems like what the crooks from ENRON tried to do but didn’t quite make it! Of course our current “banksters” have no worries as they are part of the corrupt aristocracy who are preparing their final escape right before the house caves in. Today, the ballot is worthless as an agent of change and the (for now) hidden bullet sure as hell won’t permit it!
Report thisBy Jim Yell, May 29, 2011 at 6:53 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
This is like moving thru a thick, sticky liquid. If Bradley was understood by his trainers to have mental problems that should keep him from overseas service, or service at all, than his break down in judgement isn’t a crime, but the consequence of bad judgement and stupidity on the part of his commanders is.
So the question I keep asking is why is he in jail? why isn’t he at lest out on bail? And, why does the government keep none secrets under cover of top secret? Why is the government allowed to call things secret that merely reveal how criminal their actions are, or at lest divorced from their responsbilities to the country as a whole?
Down with secrets in a Democratic Country with A Bill of Rights! In a responsible democracy the citizens have a right to be informed and what is this with the congress extending Patriotic Act without regard to the lack of legal oversight and control. This is a plan for a Dictatorship. Don’t fool yourself it can happen here, if it hasn’t already happened.
Report thisBy Olga Fedina, May 29, 2011 at 6:11 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Wouldn’t it be more decent of The Guardian and other
Report thismedia to make sure Bradley Manning, the alleged source of their biggest scoop in years, were to be released from jail first, rather than psychoanalyze him in absentia?
By blogdog, May 29, 2011 at 1:12 am Link to this comment
hate to say it: looks like he may have been played… looks a lot like everyone’s
been played - to what end?
well, among the now 100k-plus Wikileaks is embedded loads of seed, enough to
sprout ‘color revolutions’ across the Middle East - troublesome leaders dropping
like flies - leading, it seems, to the jewel in the crown: Pakistan, strategic gateway
to all the action in Central Asia - four moves ahead on Z-Big’s ‘Grand
Chessboard’ - the whole damned OP has Obomber’s handler’s fingerprints all over
it
and poor Manning, caught up in the OP, if ever freed for open interview, what he
Report thismight say could bring it all down
By Gary Mont, May 29, 2011 at 1:10 am Link to this comment
Lets see now. He’s an unstable gay, wimp, nerd, coward. (cowards pee themselves in public right)
He loves America, but of course, he’s also insane so anything he does to prove his love for America would of course be contrary to what a sane person would do…. he leaked state secrets (allegedly) to protect America. So a sane person would not expose crime in government to protect America, obviously.
Boy was that ever a Fair and Balanced presentation.
Actually, that was his swan song. He’s everything the Conservative American public hate and fear. All he needed to top the cake would be black and muslim and they could hang him tomorrow in Times Square with the majority of America’s blessing.
Sad beyond words.
Report thisBy Miko, May 28, 2011 at 5:45 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
If Bradley Manning did what he is accused of, it means
Report thisthat (unlike the military ideal) he isn’t a psychopath.
Which is what “not fit for overseas duty” really means.
By Peter Knopfler, May 28, 2011 at 4:53 pm Link to this comment
HISTORY OF AMERICA-USA BUILT ON MASON SECRETS, from
Report thisWashington´s secret Police to False Flag Viet Nam to
NOW TSA RADIATE AND GROPE. Manning is harshly
treated,FOR sharing the secrets.LIKE HITLER´S NAZI
REGIME built on LIES SECRETS AND TORTURE:
ONCE THEY CATCH—water board, JULIAN ASSANGE. they will
allow MANNING TO KILL HIMSELF. LIKE BEN LADEN IN THE
SEA SO YOU CAN NOT SEE:THE SEA OF MENTAL CRUELTY.-
SHAME ON USA, INDEX FINGER TO OBAMA!
By gerard, May 28, 2011 at 4:45 pm Link to this comment
Problem about this kind of “testimonial” is that, even in spite of efforts to be “informative, “fair”
and “unbiased,” biases do slip in and encourage pre- judgment before trial. It is difficult to say whether this sort of mixed bag will help or harm Manning, but the point is, it probably shouldn’t happen BEFORE he has a fair and open trial and has a chance to speak for himself through his attorney. It offends his legal rights as well as his rights to personal privacy—as in forcing him to stand naked in his cell etc.
It might be better for everyone, including Manning, if we were not “informed” ahead of time about
“mentally unstable” (according to whom?), “pissed himself (twice) under stress, was a “runt” (twice)
with statements obvious introduced for “balance” -
statements to fulfill the minimum rules of fairness that “he was very worried about the country” and “he loved America” and “feared his father” , references to his being gay, (which prejudices millions of people right off the bat), a computer “nerd” etc. etc. (There’s nothing the average American fears more than an intellectual “loner.”
On the other hand there are significant hints that he may be unusually strong in character and mental ability, but I don’t feel equal emphasis from this video. He was strong enough to endure months (eight, was it, or nine?) of solitary confinement on an Army base, which says something very positive for his moral strentgh, and the fact that that is not mentioned is signifcant too, don’t you think?
Overall, I’m glad we don’t routinely video everybody imprisoned before charges are issued and rehash their past according to an assortment of limelit acquaintances. It just doesn’t see fair to me.
Report thisBy PatrickHenry, May 28, 2011 at 4:42 pm Link to this comment
Bradley Manning is currently 23 years old.
Most of his peers live at home with Ma & Pa and play X-box all day.
He brought access to data to all of us and shed light on Government bullshit, for which he should be commended, not tortured.
Who was his security manager? Whose officers head is in the basket for allowing this to happen?
Hiding and making warcrimes secret are illegal orders, They should not be followed, but exposed to the public, for we are the jurors.
Report this