WikiLeaks source Bradley Manning sentenced to 35 years in prison

[David Tom]

Bradley Manning, who was arrested in 2010 as the WikiLeaks source of nearly 700,000 government documents, was sentenced to 35 years in prison yesterday. He was also demoted in rank to private, must forfeit all pay and allowances, and was dishonorably discharged.

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[lchu12]

I must say, my opinion on this ruling is: too lenient.

 

[Burty117]

35 years for showing the world what was really going on? Seems a little unfair to me, especially when the last person to do the same thing (although not so much information) only got 2 years.

What happened here wasn't justice, yet we continue to call it "the justice system"...

 

[cliffordcooley]

I despise law enforcement placing heavier penalties when their interest are disrupted! I don't understand what good it does to make anyone serve 35 years in prison. I certainly don't understand why Manning's sentence is 35 years. I can understand the dishonorable discharge, possibly a demotion. Actually no I don't understand the demotion, not when he is being discharged. Promotions and demotions are only useful while currently active.

 

[VitalyT]

I must say, my opinion on this ruling is: too lenient.

This is because of so much involvement from the media, and hence pressure on the government. Even some 20 years ago there wouldn't be as much world-wide concern, and he just would have been executed, for the high form of treason, but now the media world makes it impossible.

 

[Guest]

It really gives you an awesome sense of relief to see justice done occasionally.

In my opinion, Bradley Manning had to be either a chronic attention seeker (like Sally Robbins who faked fainting when rowing in the Olympics http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_Robbins), or just mentally retarded.

Either way the job vetting procedures failed, as morons like Manning are everywhere if you want to employ completely inappropriate people for a job handling classified or sensitive material.

So the Government is ultimately responsible for the security of its own classified material and in this case, as with others, it failed and got the consequences of that failure (data disclosure to the public and moreso, the ridicule of being so lose with data competence compared to other countries *cough* china *cough*).

Too much information in the hands of too many people. IMO that is the fundamental flaw with the information age and where the Big Brother experiment went wrong. If you fret that the government wants your data for sinister purposes, then you are probably completely ignoring Google, Apple etc etc etc.

Surveillance versus monetisation; Manning and Snowden chose monetisation. There is no idealistic 'middle road'. Only pretence.

 

[Jad Chaar]

35 years is too much. I think 5-10, maybe 20 years at most is enough.

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

I despise law enforcement placing heavier penalties when their interest are disrupted! I don't understand what good it does to make anyone serve 35 years in prison. I certainly don't understand why Manning's sentence is 35 years. I can understand the dishonorable discharge, possibly a demotion. Actually no I don't understand the demotion, not when he is being discharged. Promotions and demotions are only useful while currently active.

I'm not in the armed forces so I'm only speculating. Being demoted before being discharged may reduce or eliminate any pension or other benefits as those things are usually based on your salary when you leave. However you'd think a dishonorable discharge would do that too, so I don't know.

As far as 35 years... he's lucky he won't be executed. Throughout history, even US history, they have hanged people for less. Treason has always been something that has hard extremely harsh penalties.

 

[dms96960]

He just received an even worse punishment -- he allegedly wants to undergo a sex change operation and become a woman. His cellmate might be in heaven. LOL
http://www.today.com/news/bradley-manning-I-want-live-woman-6C10974915

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

When I chose to disclose classified information, I did so out of a love for my country and a sense of duty to others.

So Manning disclosed classified info because the US had killed innocent people. And by going against the US, he's helping the enemies of the US, who's entire mission is the killing of innocent people. Way to go Chelsea.

This is even more bass-ackwards than Snowden hiding in a country where it's illegal for two men to hold hands because he hates American govt oppression .

 

[learninmypc]

Are you talking about Miss Manning http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162...ning-I-want-to-live-as-a-woman-named-chelsea/

 

[Nima304]

The US government continues to take our right to privacy, and is upset when the same thing happens to them. I wish Manning had planned a better method of egress and fled the US while he was able, like Snowden. His actions are on par with what MLK did for black suffrage, and I could not offer more respect to him.

 

[Scshadow]

Manning and Snowden chose monetisation.

I'm not really intimately familiar with all the minor details. My current outlook on both of these characters(more specifically Snowden) is that they leaked information the government didn't want let out and the government is now butthurt because they have to try and explain, excuse, or deny all the embarrassing leaked info. But I'm very open to anyone's explanation of how exactly either of these two supposedly intended to cash out. My inattention to detail in this case may be betraying me.

 

[slh28]

Often the best source of information about waste, fraud, and abuse in government is an existing government employee committed to public integrity and willing to speak out.

Such acts of courage and patriotism, which can sometimes save lives and often save taxpayer dollars, should be encouraged rather than stifled

Guess who that quote is from?

 

[Ranger12]

Strange to see how so many people think he did some wonderful and great, truth-revealing thing. He released 700,000 documents. Something tells me he didn't review all 700,000 documents. So my bet is he didn't even know all of what he was releasing. That's why there has to be a harsh punishment for this kind of stupidity. You can't have people just dumping government info arbitrarily.

His actions are on par with what MLK did for black suffrage, and I could not offer more respect to him.

Your comments do a great injustice to MLK's legacy. MLK had a very clear and direct plan and his actions were appropriate being civil disobedience at worst. A far cry from Manning's treason in releasing hundreds of thousands of documents of which, I contend, he had no knowledge of what they all actually contained.

 

[cliffordcooley]

He released 700,000 documents. Something tells me he didn't review all 700,000 documents. So my bet is he didn't even know all of what he was releasing.

It doesn't matter what the documents contained. It is a prime example of how sensitive government and personal privacy can be as well. I'm willing to allow them all the privacy they want as long as they don't **** on my privacy. I grew up listening to the golden rule, it was even taught in school. I hope it is still being taught, but I'm not so sure by the way we are being governed.

 

[VitalyT]

Are you talking about Miss Manning http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162...ning-I-want-to-live-as-a-woman-named-chelsea/

This clarifies it. An attention-seeking, sexually confused military reject...

 

[Tygerstrike]

Its a 50/50 situation really. On one hand Im horrified at the ease in which Bradley was able to get this information and equally horrified that he gave it out. On the other hand Im kinda proud that he did it but I feel he really screwed it up. Its one thing to be a whistleblower, its another thing to be treasonist. Had he released this information to a US newspaper or media outlet then he would have had more support. As it was he released it to a NON CITIZEN!!! This makes his actions treason. So he may have had all the best intentions in the world but we all know the road to Hell is paved with those same intentions. Had he handled this with more tact he wouldnt have gotten as many years as he did. Since he gave them to what amounts a "enemy" of the US then he gets what he got for jailtime. His mistake was NOT following the examples of previos whistleblowers.
FYI: Manning has no rights while in the military save those that the military gave him. They did not give him the right to do as he did, so his jailtime is reflective of this.

 

[Night Hacker]

I must say, my opinion on this ruling is: too lenient.

Agreed. He's a traitor and his sentence is very light.

 

[cliffordcooley]

FYI: Manning has no rights while in the military save those that the military gave him.

There is one problem right there!

 

[captaincranky]

...[ ].....This is even more bass-ackwards than Snowden hiding in a country where it's illegal for two men to hold hands because he hates American govt oppression .

All I want to know is if Obama really thought he could talk Putin into giving Snowden back to the US? Was he putting on a public show, or possibly delusional?

With all the high profile Russian defectors the US has flaunted after giving them sanctuary throughout the cold war, Russia just had the best smirk opportunity in a decade or more....

Putin......"we're thinking about it"........."well......., NO"!

He just received an even worse punishment -- he allegedly wants to undergo a sex change operation and become a woman. His cellmate might be in heaven. LOL

Yeah well, first he was leaking from the mouth. Next he might be leaking from a much darker, danker place...

As a passing note; it's probably a bad idea to seek out a sex change in prison. The OR's are horrible, and they have to sneak the surgical tools out of the metal shop.... (Not to mention the places they have to be hidden to get them out of metal shop).

 

[Guest]

There are many opinions to this I see. I don't really care that a government especially Americas, has this happen to them.
IF America is just randomly wiping areas out or just basically F-ing up operations and ignoring the fact they suck, then yes they need pointing at with the dirty finger of disgust.
But if Manning as someone rightly pointed at, then decided he was so upset and released 700,000 documents that he knew not of what was on it, sensitive information that could possibly jeopardize lives of others then, maybe he does deserve more than the slap on the wrist.

Every country and its government is corrupt. America is just considered the worst because it does such an Imperial stomping, and assassinated many leaders of countries, that it put there in the first place. But they all do it. The rich make the rules, the governments impose them, and we tow the line or deal with consequences.

I was thinking the other day, its funny, you have the rich and the politicians, living the easy life, cheating the law at every turn. And they fear a revolution. Or they would, if they hadn't paid the poor to become police officers, to keep the rest of the poor in line so there was no civil unrest.

How is it, there are people out there, who think these *****s, who run our countries into economic despair, into war, raise taxes, take our privacy, take our freedoms, how is it these people protect and serve them, when there needs to be a revolution.

But I am probably wrong and if anyone actually read that they will say im wrong in one of the following posts.

 

[captaincranky]

There are many opinions to this I see. I don't really care that a government especially Americas, has this happen to them.
IF America is just randomly wiping areas out or just basically F-ing up operations and ignoring the fact they suck, then yes they need pointing at with the dirty finger of disgust.
But if Manning as someone rightly pointed at, then decided he was so upset and released 700,000 documents that he knew not of what was on it, sensitive information that could possibly jeopardize lives of others then, maybe he does deserve more than the slap on the wrist.

Every country and its government is corrupt. America is just considered the worst because it does such an Imperial stomping, and assassinated many leaders of countries, that it put there in the first place. But they all do it. The rich make the rules, the governments impose them, and we tow the line or deal with consequences.

I was thinking the other day, its funny, you have the rich and the politicians, living the easy life, cheating the law at every turn. And they fear a revolution. Or they would, if they hadn't paid the poor to become police officers, to keep the rest of the poor in line so there was no civil unrest.

How is it, there are people out there, who think these *****s, who run our countries into economic despair, into war, raise taxes, take our privacy, take our freedoms, how is it these people protect and serve them, when there needs to be a revolution.

But I am probably wrong and if anyone actually read that they will say im wrong in one of the following posts.

Well this just does it for me! I'm going right to my cable company and ask them if they have the "Al-Queda Channel"!

Maybe I can get a premium package with the Al Queda Channel, along with the Al-Jeezera network.

Although I feel obligated to mention that I don't think the American government is out to subjugate or harm its citizens, just pick their pockets.....we're under siege from a bunch of capitalists dammit! (But in reality they're just a bunch of pussies). Now see boys and girls, America proves beyond a shadow of a doubt, the pen is mightier than the sword! Just sign on the dotted line, you can have all the glorious indentured servitude your greedy little, self serving, heart desires.

And now a shout out to Google. They track your every move, down to the tiniest keystroke. But you know what, Google's heart is in the right place. They don't care who you blow up, maim, or kill, all they care about is your buying habits..

A grand idea just came to me. I think the Statue of Liberty should be updated. Take away that obsolete, ghastly touch, and put a credit card in her hand.

And the new inscription that should greet visitors from far and wide to Ellis island, that's easy:

"What's in Your Wallet"?

 

[learninmypc]

Update on Miss Manning http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50153520n lol

 

[learninmypc]

Well this just does it for me! I'm going right to my cable company and ask them if they have the "Al-Queda Channel"!



Maybe I can get a premium package with the Al Queda Channel, along with the Al-Jeezera network.


?

I don't know about the Al-Queda Channel, but you can go here http://america.aljazeera.com/tools/about.html & enter your zip code to see if you can watch it in your area.