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How is Manning a hero? She released a trove of information without any regard for the sensitivity of the contents or the value in the document being made public
by dpiers 9y ago
How is Manning a hero? She released a trove of information without any regard for the sensitivity of the contents or the value in the document being made public. Snowden released specific facts and documents to reveal programs many believe to be unconstitutional.
Manning was a mentally troubled individual, who abused their access to sensitive documents and jeopardized national security, and repeatly attempted suicide. That's not a hero.
- kolokolo 9y agoManning leaked facts about actions of the government that most citizens wouldn't want to be part of, prompting change. He/she also released stuff that was ethically good or neutral, but damaged the security. On the balance I'd say that was a service to the mankind and the US, motives irrelevant.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- robin_reala 9y agoWhat does mental health have to do with heroism?
- nthcolumn 9y agoTo some people, bravery is often indistinguishable from insanity, dropping on the proverbial grenade, chasing down a machine-gun nest. Most heroes don't feel brave though...
- omginternets 9y agoMotive is relevant when determining if someone acted heroically.
- mmjaa 9y agoChallenging someones mental health is the modern means of invalidating that person, completely, and removing them from the narrative.
- dingaling 9y agoTo those downvoting the parent post out of disagreement: outside tech circles that is the mainstream opinion of Chelsea Manning's actions. It's not my opinion, but I have several mil and ex-mil acquiantances and they were quite literally appalled when the sentence was commuted. Most of them are of the 'throw away the key' disposition, feeling that Ms Manning violated all her oaths and put lives at risk.
- k-mcgrady 9y agoIt may be the opinion in military circles (and I can understand why) but I don't think it's a mainstream opinion. I think all most people really remember about Manning's leaks are the civilian murder videos.
- nthcolumn 9y agoI saw the footage. "Don't bring your kids to war" was probably wrong as it was they who brought the war to the kids but I think that was a just a human reaction when they knew they'd got it badly wrong. They lit up a van with the minigun like they often had to, easy to call it with a replay button y'know. Very sad about them in it and them doing it too. I don't think the crew were 'rage lets go kill us some randomers'. Unfortunately, it happens. What was the reason and justification for releasing the footage and then all those cables too? What would concern me far more is that although a lot of highly illegal activity was exposed by other leaks, Snowden et al not a single person to date has actually had any form of legal sanction to my knowledge. They may as well have not bothered.
- afterburner 9y agoMil and ex-mil people might not like Manning because she made the military look bad.
- cyborgx7 9y agoAnd fellow police members will sweep another police member planting evidence or torturing a suspect under the rug. Doesn't make it any more right. Just highlights that the whole organization is rotten.
- crdoconnor 9y agoDid you watch collateral murder?
- ionised 9y agoManning exposed US war crimes.
- wtbob 9y agoNo, no he didn't. None of the information he released revealed anything criminal whatsoever. All he did was violate his oath and the law, and for what?
- ionised 9y ago> No, no he didn't Yes, yes he did. > All he did was violate his oath and the law, and for what? Public service. It's pretty much the best justification for doing what you mentioned.
- pweissbrod 9y agoManning did expose war crimes which is an act of heroism. She had similar motivations to snowden. Unfortunately the means of whistleblowing was careless in comparison to snowden which ultimately damaged her goal and public understanding of her cause. Maybe the lesson is if youre choose to take such a big risk for a moral cause you need to take every possible effort to not cause collatoral damage along the way.
- dpiers 9y agoShe didn't know what she was exposing, though - I don't think someone should get credit for accidentally doing something good while putting people's lives at risk.
- madengr 9y agoSnowden also released troves of information without regard to contents.