Bradley manning, hero or villian?

[shootthebandit]

I heard this on the radio today http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23513603

Basically this guy called Bradley Manning was from the american army and he posted a load of documents on the interent in order to expose the US armies "blood lust" and "diplomatic deciet". Im my opinion he has broke the law but were his intentions good? Yes and he has not posted anything that could potentially harm US soldiers. I think there is too much information being hidden from the public (just look at the UKs proposed censorship of the internet) in todays society and people like this guy are true heros. He has stood up to his own government and said "what you are doing is wrong, im going to let everyone know what youve done" that takes some balls to do and it was morally the right thing. As a child you are always told to tell the truth as its "the right thing" yet the people who run the country feed you a web of lies and deciet

Bradley manning has been acused of espionage yet the country that is accusing him of "spying" is spying on its own citizens (see link below)

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23522565

 

[Vegosiux]

A person who did what he felt he needed to do. So, neither hero nor villain. Just a very unlucky dude.

 

[Gatx]

What he did was wrong, or at least against the law. That said, sometimes what isn't lawful might be the right thing to do, BUT I think you do need to face the consequences. Also just because no one has been harmed through any direct connection to those leaks doesn't mean that no one was put in danger, and it doesn't change the fact that the leaked information did end up in the hands of the enemy (well, provided the enemy can access the internet).

Also he should've leaked it to anyone but Julian Assange, and I think he tried, but I just don't like the concept of WikiLeaks. It's a who watches the watchmen kind of thing, though maybe it needs an extra layer of "who watches" to apply to them?

 

[Ryotknife]

Im going to go with neither. If anything, he is a reckless idiot who endangered many people (although probably unintentionally), but I don't think he is "evil." He did what he believed was right. I can respect the intentions, but not the actions he took.

 

[shootthebandit]

What he did was wrong, or at least against the law. That said, sometimes what isn't lawful might be the right thing to do, BUT I think you do need to face the consequences. Also just because no one has been harmed through any direct connection to those leaks doesn't mean that no one was put in danger, and it doesn't change the fact that the leaked information did end up in the hands of the enemy (well, provided the enemy can access the internet).

Also he should've leaked it to anyone but Julian Assange, and I think he tried, but I just don't like the concept of WikiLeaks. It's a who watches the watchmen kind of thing, though maybe it needs an extra layer of "who watches" to apply to them?

I do agree with pretty much everything here.

His intentions were good but he went down the completely wrong avenue. Of course he should be jailed but on the other hand by arresting him it will only deter other people from speaking out about what they believe is right

I agree that he shouldnt have went to wikileaks, it to is a hotbed of corruption which ironically is what it is trying to stop and i wouldnt trust assange as far as i could throw him.

However i find it a little bit funny that the government has accused him of spying yet they have been caught spying on thier own citizens

 

[Reeve]

I think Bradley Manning should be pardoned. His actions reminded everyone that the US is in other countries murdering people. Let's not forget about this: http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2011/video/opensecrets/

Edit- Oh and while I'm here: Julian Assange and WikiLeaks FOR THE WIN!

 

[tomtom94]

What he did was wrong, or at least against the law. That said, sometimes what isn't lawful might be the right thing to do, BUT I think you do need to face the consequences. Also just because no one has been harmed through any direct connection to those leaks doesn't mean that no one was put in danger, and it doesn't change the fact that the leaked information did end up in the hands of the enemy (well, provided the enemy can access the internet).

Also he should've leaked it to anyone but Julian Assange, and I think he tried, but I just don't like the concept of WikiLeaks. It's a who watches the watchmen kind of thing, though maybe it needs an extra layer of "who watches" to apply to them?

I do agree with pretty much everything here.

His intentions were good but he went down the completely wrong avenue. Of course he should be jailed but on the other hand by arresting him it will only deter other people from speaking out about what they believe is right

I agree that he shouldnt have went to wikileaks, it to is a hotbed of corruption which ironically is what it is trying to stop and i wouldnt trust assange as far as i could throw him.

However i find it a little bit funny that the government has accused him of spying yet they have been caught spying on thier own citizens

I think this basically sums up what I had to say. He leaked some stuff that deserved to be public knowledge but also a hell of a lot of stuff that didn't and could have put innocent lives in danger. As for WikiLeaks - there's a reason the co-founder left to start another website more true to his original intentions, claiming that Julian Assange was trying to make it all about himself. I also think that in some ways WikiLeaks did have a responsibility to check the files they were uploading.

I still think that "espionage" is a bullshit charge that the US government can basically allow to mean what they like (which is probably why they've charged Edward Snowden with it as well, thinking about it) but I think that there needed to be some kind of punishment in this case for leaking dangerous files. However, it's important that there remains free access to some way to blow the whistle on abuses of citizens' rights and the like. It's just that those channels need to be used responsibly.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

Personally I think he did a largely good thing. Whilst I do think governments should be more transparent, I don't think they should be totally. There are certainly some unsavoury things that came to light that people should be aware of but some things, like what the US government really thinks of foreign leaders, serves no real purpose other than to humiliate.

After all, the government should be serving its citizens and should be held accountable by them, I don't believe they have the right to hide some things that they do from the populace.

http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2011/video/opensecrets/

Things like this. The US government should be telling its people what it does in their name- after all, taxpayers pay for it. I know that I would be horrified to think that my money went into that.

 

[Shock and Awe]

I have little to nothing good to say about Pvt. Manning. He betrayed his oath of service, stole government property, and gave information to a group that was accountable to no one and without really knowing what details were inside. it was reckless, immoral, and most likely ended up getting some of those who worked with NATO killed. I have no sympathy for him in regards to his conviction or punishment.

 

[ResonanceSD]

it was reckless, immoral, and most likely ended up getting some of those who worked with NATO killed. I have no sympathy for him in regards to his conviction or punishment.

This is in clear contrast to the collateral murder video, where US forces opened fire on civilians and their rescuers, and definitely killed them. You're right, he's such a bad guy (reckless AND immoral) for exposing that to the world.

 

[Reeve]

I have little to nothing good to say about Pvt. Manning. He betrayed his oath of service, stole government property, and gave information to a group that was accountable to no one and without really knowing what details were inside. it was reckless, immoral, and most likely ended up getting some of those who worked with NATO killed. I have no sympathy for him in regards to his conviction or punishment.

Actually no incidents have yet been found of the material Manning leaked harming innocent people. That fact was discovered in the trial, see: https://www.courthousenews.com/2013/07/31/59869.htm

 

[Xan Krieger]

I have little to nothing good to say about Pvt. Manning. He betrayed his oath of service, stole government property, and gave information to a group that was accountable to no one and without really knowing what details were inside. it was reckless, immoral, and most likely ended up getting some of those who worked with NATO killed. I have no sympathy for him in regards to his conviction or punishment.

He gave the information from one group which is accountable to no one to another. He exposed war crimes that would go unprosecuted were it not for his brave actions. He put his future on the line to show that our own government are the bad guys and need to be held accountable for the crap they do. He is a whistleblower which Obama had promised to protect much like Edward Snowden but is instead prosecuted for aiding the world through his actions. Yes he made the government look bad but that's because they are bad and need to be sued for their actions.
Besides the US government committed plenty of crimes including torture while he was being detained. This kind of stuff needs to be exposed to the world so maybe the government will change it's ways.

 

[Glongpre]

He is a hero for sacrificing himself to try and better our world.

 

[Esotera]

He was tortured by the US government, that alone should make him a hero for doing what he believed in.

As for the leaked information, some of it probably didn't need to be released and was just a bunch of gossip, but there was a very strong public interest to publish cables suggesting political corruption, and the Collateral Murder video. The Army had previously denied the existence of the footage when asked for it by Reuters, so it's not like they're innocent. The risk of someone in the military getting hurt seems to have been well-balanced as well, there's no serious cases I know of that can be definitively down to leaked information.

Also slightly off-topic, but fuck the US government. With all the shit they've been pulling recently I genuinely believe they have the most negative influence on the world out of anyone.

 

[HorrendusOne]

He's a hero, he sacrificed himself for the truth that people need to hear and care about. People don't seem to care about horrific war crimes when they are on the other side of the situation. Corruption is running a muck, and we need people like Manning to lead by example.

Actions speak louder than words.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

What's right is really perspective. People who attack others they feel are sinful or are bringing down the world are doing what they think is right. People who bully or attack homosexuals for how they live are doing what they think is right. Racists are doing what they think is right.

Just because I do believe in free information doesn't mean I can condone what was done as the best thing for the US, even though I do believe in doing the right thing. But more over, I do believe in the Declaration of Independence.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the consent of the governed, ? That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government..." [http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html]

I believe in not being so afraid of the shadows and the boogeymen of terrorism that we Kowtow to the Government and trust they are doing everything for our own good. I do believe in fighting for not a piece of paper, but what I actually pledged to all those years to the symbol of what was supposed to be the greatest country on this earth. And I believe that Manning believed he was doing right by the country he swore to protect by holding it to the platitudes that America spouts off about itself and how the world should be by putting the facts to light and saying "Now fucking mean it when you say it, America. You should be better than this."

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

It was his obligation according to the fuckin' law to report those crimes. But since no one did anything about it what was he supposed to do? Stay silent while the military goes around committing war crimes? He didn't do anything wrong.

My honest feeling is that Manning is a traitor and betrayed the his oath of service. His action may have put the safety of service men in danger.

It's because of opinions like these that the government is able to do whatever the fuck it wants. Please, explain to me how exactly did he endanger anyone, and what is so treacherous about being a whistleblower and exposing fuckin' war crimes? Without people like Bradley Manning the government would be able to do whatever the hell it wants and no one would ever know. You should be thanking the man.
You actually swallowed the bullshit that the media served you about him? The same media outlets that refused Manning's leaked info. Good journalists would take that information in a heartbeat and publish it. Only the government puppets wouldn't. And that's who you chose to side with?

 

[gigastar]

All i really know about the guy is that he exposed some war crimes perpetrated by US forces, but the way he went around exposing them (WikiLeaks) was illegal so hes now facing life in prison.

So that makes him just a step below Snowdon, responsible for exposing that the NSA are doing thier jobs.

 

[Xdeser2]

I wouldn't call him a "Hero"....

But in an age where American journalism has moved away from demanding accountability and is nothing but Government ass licking, Partisan bullshit and/or celebrity gossip, we NEED people like Manning.