Bradley Manning: A Hero, Not a Traitor

[sabrina 1]

181. Well, he didn't say his ONLY goal was to reveal war crimes.

He wanted to see justice for all people and the cables demonstrated to him that there was little justice anywhere and that what was in them affected everyone on the planet. He hoped by releasing them people would take action to start changing things. They did, so his analysis proved to be correct. It was, from reading his own words, a matter of conscience for him to the point, he said, he did not mind going to prison or even being executed for it. So he understood the risks.

We knew the Iraq War was a lie and we knew war crimes were being committed. I remember many times during the Bush admins. people wishing more Military personnel would take a stand and speak out about the crimes. A few did and they were viewed as heroes, at least on the left.

So I don't understand the attitude, especially on the left, towards Manning. All he did was what people were hoping someone would do. And while the revelations have accomplished some of what he hoped for, eg, people around the world know a lot more about their own governments now, still no war criminals have been prosecuted. But too is a revelation. It tells us that our government condones war crimes and will never prosecute them. I did not know that, I thought once we got rid of Bush et al, prosecutions would begin. But that was when I thought that we still operated under the rule of law. His leaks show us clearly, that is not the case.