SUPPORT BRADLEY MANNING: DU Weekly Support Thread #1

[EFerrari]

Folks,

We don't know who the leaks came from today but we know Bradley Manning is being held for contributing to Wikileaks.



Please help him out.

_________________________

The Significance of the ‘Support Bradley Manning’ Campaign
Katharine Dawn on July 24th, 2010

July 24, 2010

Editorial by Katharine Dawn

Background

Bradley Manning is the young man charged with leaking classified US military information – including the video of a US Army helicopter gunning down Iraqi civilians and Reuters journalists in Iraq in 2007 that was released to the world via the whistleblower website WikiLeaks as “Collateral Murder”. Bradley is now held in isolation from the outside world, in military detention in Kuwait. Bradley, who reportedly felt un-supported in life, faces – for his alleged actions – up to 52 years imprisonment.

Could the fate of one young man have any bearing upon the fate of the world?

Standing back from the tremendous onrush of these pivotal times, is it possible to realistically gauge the significance of the Support Bradley Manning campaign to the future outcome of the world? That is the objective of this article, exploring divergent scenarios ; I’ll let my esteemed readers and the course of history be the judge. So,

What if the world abandons Bradley Manning and the cause of open, informed public debate he stands for?

* After putting his life on the line to provide the public with information he felt they deserved, the fate of Bradley Manning – who is said to have felt unsupported in life anyway – would be left in the dirty hands of the US military prison system for a substantial portion of his life.
* The wave of public outrage following upon WikiLeaks’ release of “Collateral Murder” would subside… and US war crimes would continue unchecked, unabated and largely unknown.
* Even WikiLeaks may fade into the background noise of a world where secrecy, deception and\ corruption are rife and crimes against humanity, the earth and the future proceed in hellish haste.

But…

What if the world Supports Bradley Manning and the cause of open, informed public debate?

* Global civil society would defend the actions for which Bradley Manning is charged ; uphold the public’s right to know and demand the release of Bradley Manning and the dismissal of all charges against him: Bradley Manning would walk forth as a free man.
* The “greatest leak in 40 years” would not fade into nothingness as mute testimony to humanity’s apathy and disempowerment, but rather would open wide the floor of public debate and awareness regarding issues of war and peace.
* Bradley’s iconic example and growing public awareness of the professional and secure service of whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, would open the floodgate for a deluge of whistle-blowing – as individuals everywhere, motivated by the public’s right to know, leak secret documents and classified material exposing corruption, deception and crimes against humanity – and lead to public outcry for real change.

Clearly, I’m hoping and working for the latter future scenario. And you?

Noting how when there’s “one man in chains, none are free”, a friend comments: “Bradley represents the truth-sayer in us all – if we leave him there, we abandon our own inner calling for truth”.

***
Send mail to Bradley:
Inmate: Bradley Manning
TFCF (Theater Field Confinement Facility)
APO AE 09366
USA

*******

Sign the petition -- Justice for Bradley Manning

http://www.petitiononline.com/manning1/petition.html

******

Use the form at his support site to write to Congress, join his supporters, stay up to date on the effort:

http://www.bradleymanning.org/

******

Let's move!

[Agony]

1. Let the Sun Shine in!

[saigon68]

59. A true Hero for outing the War Criminals

Thanks Obama for pissing on people like him

[Solly Mack]

2. k/r

[EFerrari]

3. Does anyone know about postage? What kind of a stamp

do I need? One that doesn't scream "wiretap ME!"

lol

[Solly Mack]

4. The price of a stamp (44 cent, I believe) - for letters.

Same as any mail. Use one with a flag. :)

[EFerrari]

5. LOL. Good call!

:hi:

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Upside down

distress signal

And for completeness sake, any letter sent to a combat theater will and can be read by censors. Triple so to any detention facility.

[Solly Mack]

7. And that's why the stamp should be right side up

It won't help Manning any to antagonize the censors. They look for things like that...

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. Ah yeah my mistake

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. Done and Done. K&R

[autorank]

10. k*r Strong support and Do Not support Wired online

They outed him. It's a disgrace.

[glitch]

11. +infinity. nt

[EFerrari]

19. I didn't know that.

Unbelievable.

[Ignis]

22. It *is* disgraceful. Here's more info:

http://gawker.com/5567362/wired-wikileaks-and-the-hacker+journalist-complex

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/06/18/wikileaks

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/opinions/view/opinion/Behind-the-Arrest-of-Alleged-Wikileaks-Source-3881

Personally, I'd say this was purely a self-publicity stunt by Adrian Lamo, and the entire Wired Online shouldn't be held to blame--but Kevin Poulson has some explaining to do.

:(

[EFerrari]

29. Here's Amy's segment from today:

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/7/27/wikileaks_is_not_one_personwe_are

Video, transcript at link.

[Ignis]

30. Thanks for that, I'll watch it later today.

:hi:

[autorank]

53. You smartie

This is revealing ... "but he didn't show up." Do NOT mess with the hackers, a highly inquisitive and thorough
group.

[autorank]

52. Ignis, thanksk for that elaboration

The poor Pfc was told by somebody to talk to Lamo. The contact was not random. That's the piece that I want to find. But the entire process is just awful.

When I read this in Wired, which I used to like a great deal, I thought - why would they give up access to future whistleblowers by compromising their journalistic incentive and obligation to protect the sources. They could have turned down the Lamo provided material. Nobody made them publish it.

I'll be looking at these carefully. Again thanks!

[Ignis]

55. This has a lot of hackers very pissed off at Lamo.

Considering that his own credentials in that arena were always more hype than results, I wouldn't be surprised if he finds out how very vindictive pissed-off (or perhaps pissed-on) hackers can be.

Time to invest in a better firewall, Lame-o! :hi:

And yeah, fuck Wired. They should have known better. I've been a long-time reader, and I often post their stories at DU, but I'm putting them in the punishment box until they wise up and apologize.

[Soylent Brice]

12. K&R

[Octafish]

13. Good soldiers do not follow illegal orders.

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are illegal. And they are being conducted in illegal ways, such as killing innocent people, including the INTENTIONAL TARGETING OF JOURNALISTS.

In exposing this treason, Spc. Manning did the heroic thing.

[newtothegame]

36. Could have been done another way.

He's a big boy, he knew what he was doing. Has he asked for anyone's help?

[eggplant]

54. Agreed.

Civil disobedience comes at a price, and those that practice it need to be prepared to face the consequences.

It's his own fault that he got caught.

[Douglas Carpenter]

14. kick and recommend!!

[MrMickeysMom]

15. another knr

Democracy Now! did a good interview on this subject today, too.

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

16. my letter is ready

Thanks for this information.
Peace, all.

[EFerrari]

17. Great! And thanks for all the recs everybody.

:loveya:

:kick:

[Eyerish]

18. K&R

[amborin]

20. K&R

[Greyhound]

21. Done. K&R.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

23. Thanks for doing that!

:hi:

I will be sending my letter of support ASAP, as well as signing the petition and contacting Congress.

Hell

[EFerrari]

28. Thanks!

:hi:

[bluesmail]

24. Thanks EFerrari, Bradley Manning does need DU/the nation/the planet's

support, I can't imagine what he's been going through, my imagination doesn't allow me to go there.

[EFerrari]

32. Thank you.

:hi:

[BootinUp]

25. Did I land in freeperville accidentally

The military justice system will handle this, just like the birther idiot was handled. Thats the way it works when you are in the military. Don't give democrats a bad name.

[EFerrari]

27. Actually, suggesting Big Authority handle this is freeperish

not the other way around. Have a nice day! :)

[BootinUp]

33. He could have gone a different route

to protest the war. His choice.

[Deep13]

26. Telling the truth is a serious crime against our corporate overlords!

:sarcasm:

[newtothegame]

37. There are laws dictating these sorts of matters. He chose to break the law.

He's a big boy.

[Deep13]

42. Honestly I don't care.

Governments habitually use claims of military secrecy to hide incompetence, atrocities, anything that might be embarassing and just plain losing the war. The government does not have a right to keep bad news from the people. I'm not saying there are no appropriate military secrets, just that they are far more limited than our government seems to think.

[newtothegame]

44. I don't disagree with you.

I guess I'm just saying it's not like he had no idea this was going to happen. Uploading stuff to a website probably wasn't the smartest thing to do.

[bobthedrummer]

31. Done, knr.

Wikileaks Blows the Whistle on Snitches
http://cryptome.org/0001/wikileaks-snitch.htm

[Dystopian]

34. KandR.

Thank you for posting this.
Bradley Manning is a hero.


peace~

[newtothegame]

35. So has he admitted to doing it?

And if so, I have to ask why did it happen this way? What documents did he release? It seems too me that if their release was justified, he should have been able to find a way to make them public without breaking the law.

[EFerrari]

38. This is a support thread.

If you have an argument, post your own OP. Thanks.

[newtothegame]

39. I guess that's what I'm ultimately asking...

Has he asked for support? Money? Legal help? It seems to me he knew what he was doing.

[EFerrari]

40. The OP is right there for you to read. Thank you. n/t

[newtothegame]

41. Let me know what he'd like us to do. I don't see it in the OP.

Happy to help any way I can.

[asdjrocky]

43. Rule-tude.

That's you. K&R!

[Individualist]

45. Here's to a patriot who acted for the good of his country.

:toast:

[joeybee12]

46. KNR!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

47. Kick

[Overseas]

48. K&R! //nt

[sabrina 1]

49. Thanks for this thread.

52 years for a whistle-blower while War Criminals are rewarded. I hope support for him grows around the world until it cannot be ignored.

K&R

[ClayZ]

50. Done K and R

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

51. Another kick Bradley Manning and Wikilieaks.

[Dystopian]

56. .......

:kick: for justice.


peace~

[Time for change]

57. Absolutely!

It is an outrage that the U.S. military takes such a casual attitude towards the murder of civilians. That they have the gall to contend that their killing of civilians is a state secret just makes it more outrageous. That Obama would allow Manning to be prosecuted for this while those who committed war crimes go uninvestigated makes me sorry that I campaigned for him.

[G_j]

58. K&R

[Dystopian]

60. Kick for justice

:kick:
Please sign.
peace~

[kgnu_fan]

61. Kick!