Guardian Reporter: Bradley Manning Treatment Has "Scared" Other U.S.

[midnight]

Soldiers From Speaking Out...


Mission Accomplished!

[idwiyo]

1. Well, Obama never said that he will stand by whistleblowers, did he?

There are enough of Real American Patriots (tm) (R) he has to look after!




PS the last line is pure sarcasm.

[FairWinds]

2. Actually, Obama did promise to protect Whistleblowers

He has not done so.
Google is your friend . .

[90-percent]

3. Well gee whizzz

Looks like America has turned into a full blown TOTALITARIAN FASCIST POLICE STATE, don't it?

Ahh, well, this will all be moot once global climate change make large parts of the planet uninhabitable. Unless they invent air conditioners that can handle 180 F ambient temperatures.

Selfishly, I'll be long dead by then. I don't think this 58 year old can last another fifty years!

We are presently enjoying MIDDLE AGES LITE - this time serfs got iphones.

-90% Jimmy

[rhett o rick]

4. Yes the serfs have Iphones, but their operation is at the whim of the elite. nm

[AAO]

6. I'm 58 and I fully expect to see much of the worse.

Everyone I know in my family history (parents, GP, GGP) have lived to 85-101. My Dad is 88. If I live another 30 years, I think GCC will kill me before anything else. I feel really sorry for my kids and grandkids.

[AAO]

5. Wasn't that the purpose? Silence the whistleblowers. I guess it worked.

[LiberalLovinLug]

7. Its pretty obvious

With ridiculous charges like aiding terrorists etc... that they want to stain the very act of whisleblowing, no matter how much of a good reason you have to do it. In effect they would like to change the definition of "whisleblowing" in the dictionary to "treason" so that they become synonymous in any future soldiers (or civilians) mind.

[JDPriestly]

8. So if you want to silence those who would speak the truth

about government misdeeds, all you have to do is legally label that truth as "top secret."

That makes a joke of the First Amendment. That makes a joke of petitioning the government and of communicating regarding important political issues.

If the press cannot learn the truth from eyewitnesses independent of the government about what our government and our military is doing, how can it claim to be "free."

Yes. The government should be able keep its plans for future military actions secret if it wishes. But it should not be able to silence witnesses speaking their consciences about the government's own past misdeeds.

The "national security" state makes a mockery of the First Amendment when it imposes too much security on the nation. In so doing, it makes our nation less secure because we are left ignorant, vaguely aware of our ignorance and more likely to believe the lies of our enemies.

Let freedom ring! That means let the truth be told!

[midnight]

9. Good point, ignorance is a greater safety issue...

[JDPriestly]

10. I remember when a lot of subjects were generally taboo.

Sex in GP movies even between married people.

Child abuse of various kinds.

Inequality.

Discrimination of all kinds.

Venereal disease.

Birth control.

Abortion.

All kinds of topics were utterly off limits. People were not safer for it.

Knowledge is power. If you want to weaken people, you deprive them of knowledge, of information.

That is what the "national security state" is all about. Weakening citizens.

[midnight]

11. Knowledge is power-Yes....