Slashdot Mirror
Bradley Manning Convicted of Espionage, Acquitted of 'Aiding the Enemy'
crashcy sends word that a verdict has been handed down in the case of Bradley Manning. Quoting:
"A military judge on Tuesday found Pfc. Bradley Manning not guilty of aiding the enemy, but convicted him of multiple counts of violating the Espionage Act. Private Manning had already confessed to being WikiLeaks’ source for a huge cache of government documents, which included videos of airstrikes in which civilians were killed, hundreds of thousands of front-line incident reports from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, dossiers on men being held without trial at the Guantánamo Bay prison, and about 250,000 diplomatic cables. But while Private Manning had pleaded guilty to a lesser version of the charges he was facing, which could expose him to up to 20 years in prison, the government decided to press forward with a trial on a more serious version of the charges, including 'aiding the enemy' and violations of the Espionage Act. Beyond the fate of Private Manning as an individual, the 'aiding the enemy' charge — unprecedented in a leak case — could have significant long-term ramifications for investigative journalism in the Internet era."
He deserves prison.
Award this year's peace-prize jointly to Manning and Snowden! Guaranteed to piss of the US big time and make the rest of the world smile. And we will forgive you for ever awarding it to Obama and Gore ...
karma police: arrest this man, he talks in maths; he buzzes like a fridge, he's like a detuned radio. [radiohead]
Wondered that myself. It seems people prefer lies to the truth when it conflicts with their pre-conceived social values, and they prefer truth to the lies when it acts in synchronous with their pre-conceived social values.
Took me years to figure that much out, and after countless lectures from people where I'd point out that something was true, and they'd respond that "that may be true, but..." but they will sacrifice the truth any day of the week, in exchange for not ruffling any feathers. I am convinced that even they are not really sure why they do it...only that it's expected of them; they're kind of like the servants of an old estate who's master used to beat them...and after that master died, rather than stopping the beatings, they continued on with them, from generation to generation, for the day when their master would return. They call it discipline, but the reality is, you're teaching them a form of slavery...that you are the power, and that they are the powerless.
I am John Hurt.
Then maybe you should learn a bit more about your army. Your military, and I repeat your military has proven at various points in time that "following orders" is not a legitamite excuse when it involves autracities. So I ask "firing on innocents" is an acceptable action? Because that is what you are saying sir! No the problem is that the entire political system in America has become corrupted, and Manning did what he thought was best. After all what do you do when the law is on the side of corruption?
I find this analogy of yours quite amusing. Let's switch the tables around shall we? What if Manning where Pablo, and the government were Mexico, would you still think the same? Would you still support the government? Would you say that Pablo deserved to go to jail? I am guessing no, you would switch your opinion because Mexico is corrupt and you cannot expect justice. While America does have better courts than Mexico there are real problems and those need solutions that cannot be fulfilled with the political system. I am not saying terrorism is a good solution for that is wrong, but I am saying Manning did not have an easy choice.
Agreed. Mod me down all you want, but it won't change the fact that an incomprehensible comment with a link to salon.com somehow got modded insightful.
Crimey