Daniel Ellsberg Sees Bradley Manning's Conviction As The BEGINNING OF THE POLICE STATE

[HardTimes99]

16. As much as I admire and respect Ellsberg (probably about as much as any other living

human being), and as opposed as I am to Manning's persecution and prosecution, I must respectfully disagree with Ellsberg. The beginnings of the 'police state' were manifested when the federal government's Department of Homeland Security collaborated with and shared intelligence with the TBTF banks about Occupy protests and protesters. That was the tell that the First Amendment (freedom of speech and of assembly) was a goner.

Manning may have leaked his files before Occupy sprang into existence in September 2011, but Manning's conviction followed the federally coordinated smash-up of the Occupy encampments nationwide, starting in October 2011 and proceeding apace.

A trivial dispute, I suppose, as we both agree we're seeing the nascence of the police state and merely disagree overthe specifics of its origins.