7 ms·

The inhumane conditions of Bradley Manning's detention

78 points by roadnottaken 16y ago

rokamic 16y ago
I think Michael Moore said it best. "I ask you to imagine how much different our world would be if WikiLeaks had existed 10 years ago. Take a look at this photo. That's Mr. Bush about to be handed a "secret" document on August 6th, 2001. Its heading read: "Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US." And on those pages it said the FBI had discovered "patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings." Mr. Bush decided to ignore it and went fishing for the next four weeks. But if that document had been leaked, how would you or I have reacted? What would Congress or the FAA have done? Was there not a greater chance that someone, somewhere would have done something if all of us knew about bin Laden's impending attack using hijacked planes?" read more at http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/why-im-posting-bail-money http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/why-im-p...
DupDetector 16y ago
Duplicate: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2009268 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2009268 1 comment.
- carbocation 16y ago
  RiderOfGiraffes, is this you?
  - die_sekte 16y ago
    It's apparently a semi-autonomous project of his.
  - DupDetector 16y ago
    See here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2008143 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2008143 I'm looking for a separation of concerns, separating my submissions as me, finding things or writing things, from my curating activities of finding duplicates and cross-referencing, wherein I try to prevent the repetition of discussion across effectively identical submissions. I'm also using it as an opportunity to put into practice some of the things I've learned about semantic analysis, Bayesian filters, and automated web interactions. It's an experiment. It probably won't last long.
    - carbocation 16y ago
      Great; I like it.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
grandalf 16y ago
This is utterly shocking. I had no idea that solitary confinement was used in cases other than to prevent physical harm to an inmate or to prevent violence. It looks like the technique is being used the same way as a "stress position" to slowly turn Manning into a hopeless wreck willing to say anything to see the light of day again. Regardless of what Manning did (and regardless of whether or not I find it offensive) I don't think anyone -- especially nonviolent offenders -- should be subjected to such inhumane treatment.
- thrill 16y ago
  Do you think we should leave a mint on his (non)pillow every night? The accusations against this military person, who voluntarily violated his oath to protect the nation's secrets, are very serious, and PRIVATE, not Mister, Manning is being held to the same standards any other military person is liable to, and is quite likely to face execution by firing squad.
  - roadnottaken 16y ago
    Execution for treason is less morally offensive than psychological torture. That's why cruel and unusual punishment is expressly forbidden by the constitution. EDIT: To say nothing of the fact that he hasn't been convicted of anything yet.
    - Semiapies 16y ago
      "Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court." Even in the modern political climate, it's going to be hard for the prosecution to demonstrate that Wikileaks constitutes an enemy of the United States.
      - ugh 16y ago
        The Founding Fathers were traitors so it is not exactly a surprise that it is hard to convict someone of treason in the US.
lotusleaf1987 16y ago
Cruel and unusual punishment. This is ridiculous and makes me feel ashamed to be an American.
- icegreentea 16y ago
  And Guantanamo didn't?
  - Semiapies 16y ago
    It's not a contest.
    - Andys 16y ago
      I think icegreentea might be wondering why there is outrage now, when this sort of thing has been going on for really a long time. eg. A fellow Australian (David Hicks) was held for years at Guantanamo without charge or trial. Rightly or wrongly, it feels like: no one cared then, why care now?
      - mquander 16y ago
        No one cared then? Exactly the same people cared then as now. I'm pretty sure that if you page through Glenn Greenwald's blog you will find more than a few instances of outrage over the treatment of military prisoners (including Hicks specifically.)
      - lotusleaf1987 16y ago
        I was outraged then and I'm outraged now. Do I seriously need to reference all the other things that disgust me whenever I say something disgusts me? Nonsense.
joshfraser 16y ago
I'm finding it harder and harder these days to be proud of being an American.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
SandB0x 16y ago
Some people have been in solitary confinement for almost 40 years: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98397302 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9839730... http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/books/review/Letters-t-PRISONERSOFA_LETTERS.html http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/books/review/Letters-t-PRI... (nb this is not meant as a comparison - Bradley Manning's treatment is most definitely inhumane)
alexqgb 16y ago
I suspect being jailed without trial is only going to confirm Manning's suspicion that he was calling bullshit on some seriously lawless people. Kid's got stones the size of Texas.
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]

78 points by roadnottaken 16y ago

I think Michael Moore said it best. "I ask you to imagine how much different our world would be if WikiLeaks had existed 10 years ago. Take a look at this photo. That's Mr. Bush about to be handed a "secret" document on August 6th, 2001. Its heading read: "Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US." And on those pages it said the FBI had discovered "patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings." Mr. Bush decided to ignore it and went fishing for the next four weeks. But if that document had been leaked, how would you or I have reacted? What would Congress or the FAA have done? Was there not a greater chance that someone, somewhere would have done something if all of us knew about bin Laden's impending attack using hijacked planes?" read more at http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/why-im-posting-bail-money http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/why-im-p...

DupDetector 16y ago

Duplicate: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2009268 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2009268 1 comment.

carbocation 16y ago
RiderOfGiraffes, is this you?
- die_sekte 16y ago
  It's apparently a semi-autonomous project of his.
- DupDetector 16y ago
  See here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2008143 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2008143 I'm looking for a separation of concerns, separating my submissions as me, finding things or writing things, from my curating activities of finding duplicates and cross-referencing, wherein I try to prevent the repetition of discussion across effectively identical submissions. I'm also using it as an opportunity to put into practice some of the things I've learned about semantic analysis, Bayesian filters, and automated web interactions. It's an experiment. It probably won't last long.
  - carbocation 16y ago
    Great; I like it.
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]

grandalf 16y ago

This is utterly shocking. I had no idea that solitary confinement was used in cases other than to prevent physical harm to an inmate or to prevent violence. It looks like the technique is being used the same way as a "stress position" to slowly turn Manning into a hopeless wreck willing to say anything to see the light of day again. Regardless of what Manning did (and regardless of whether or not I find it offensive) I don't think anyone -- especially nonviolent offenders -- should be subjected to such inhumane treatment.

thrill 16y ago
Do you think we should leave a mint on his (non)pillow every night? The accusations against this military person, who voluntarily violated his oath to protect the nation's secrets, are very serious, and PRIVATE, not Mister, Manning is being held to the same standards any other military person is liable to, and is quite likely to face execution by firing squad.
- roadnottaken 16y ago
  Execution for treason is less morally offensive than psychological torture. That's why cruel and unusual punishment is expressly forbidden by the constitution. EDIT: To say nothing of the fact that he hasn't been convicted of anything yet.
  - Semiapies 16y ago
    "Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court." Even in the modern political climate, it's going to be hard for the prosecution to demonstrate that Wikileaks constitutes an enemy of the United States.
    - ugh 16y ago
      The Founding Fathers were traitors so it is not exactly a surprise that it is hard to convict someone of treason in the US.

lotusleaf1987 16y ago

Cruel and unusual punishment. This is ridiculous and makes me feel ashamed to be an American.

icegreentea 16y ago
And Guantanamo didn't?
- Semiapies 16y ago
  It's not a contest.
  - Andys 16y ago
    I think icegreentea might be wondering why there is outrage now, when this sort of thing has been going on for really a long time. eg. A fellow Australian (David Hicks) was held for years at Guantanamo without charge or trial. Rightly or wrongly, it feels like: no one cared then, why care now?
    - mquander 16y ago
      No one cared then? Exactly the same people cared then as now. I'm pretty sure that if you page through Glenn Greenwald's blog you will find more than a few instances of outrage over the treatment of military prisoners (including Hicks specifically.)
    - lotusleaf1987 16y ago
      I was outraged then and I'm outraged now. Do I seriously need to reference all the other things that disgust me whenever I say something disgusts me? Nonsense.

joshfraser 16y ago

I'm finding it harder and harder these days to be proud of being an American.

deleted 16y ago
[deleted]

SandB0x 16y ago

Some people have been in solitary confinement for almost 40 years: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98397302 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9839730... http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/books/review/Letters-t-PRISONERSOFA_LETTERS.html http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/books/review/Letters-t-PRI... (nb this is not meant as a comparison - Bradley Manning's treatment is most definitely inhumane)

alexqgb 16y ago

I suspect being jailed without trial is only going to confirm Manning's suspicion that he was calling bullshit on some seriously lawless people. Kid's got stones the size of Texas.

deleted 16y ago

[deleted]