Bradley Manning went on trial this past week for copying thousands of pages of classified documents and releasing them to Wikileaks after more than a year of pre-trial work by the government. Edward Snowden picked this same week to disclose the existence of classified processes and systems that the National Security Agency have used to collect information from phones, the Internet, and any other communications system you can imagine for the government--like it or not, presumably all legal. Liberals and many in the main stream media are describing these two individuals as Whistleblowers. Julian Assange, the head of Wikileaks, has advocated in the case of Bradley Manning, that he is a hero. In MyAmerica, we consider them criminals at best, or even worse, traitors.
There are some striking similarities between the two. Both are very young, idealistic, and, although they both initially believed in the goodness of America, they both became disenfranchised when confronted with the harsh realities of governance, security, and life in a post Cold War, post 9/11 world. Surprisingly, in our advanced technological society, they were both confronted with ideological issues dealing with the use of that technology, even though they both had a penchant for computers. Both also began their service as enlisted Army soldiers with little formal higher education.
But here's the bottom line. They both signed non-disclosure statements and were well aware of the consequences of revealing highly classified information to anyone without a need to know and appropriate security clearance. For this reason, in MyAmerica they are not Whistleblowers, as the main stream media would like to portray them. They are at best criminals who should pay a very stiff penalty for their willful disclosure of classified information. At worst, they should be prosecuted as traitors to this country for putting the Nation in grave danger due to their personal willingness to provide the enemy an understanding into our sources and methods. I'm here to tell ya, This is no little thing...
Edward Snowden says he admired Bradley Manning, but what he did was considerably different than Manning because he very carefully picked only certain information to disclose, whereas ole Brad just copied as much as he could and dumped it in Wikileaks lap. Sorry, not buying the BS. You see, in MyAmerica, when you know you are aiding the enemy, regardless of your idealistic intent, the damage is done. He should be deported from Hong Kong and put on trial for what he has done. He signed the paper, he was not coerced, he was not forced, he wanted a job and he chose to do break the law.period.
Frankly, In MyAmerica, there are some things that John Q. Public just doesn't need to know. (And really shouldn't want to know). There is also a presumption that the Government will not abuse the power inherent within those Secrets. Unfortunately, today in MyAmerica, this Administration cannot be trusted to not abuse their power. That aside, in context, in a post Cold War and post 9/11 world, surveillance is a reality and if you presume you are not being watched, listened to, or monitored in some way by some one, you are quite naive.
Even after all the revelations of the past week, In MyAmerica, We still believe we need to keep our Nation safe...knowing full well there will always be tension between civil liberties, transparency, and security. Some of us work daily in the classified world and know their are some things we disagree with, but we have taken an oath and signed our name, and understand the ramifications of disclosure of classified information. It is an obligation we take freely and very very seriously. It is too bad that these two young idealists did not understand the extreme nature of their actions, but will ultimately pay a large price for their actions. But they are big boys who knew what they were doing, so we have no pity on them.
One other quick point...neither Edward Snowden nor Bradley Manning chose to discuss their complaints or their concerns with their Chain of Command. In Edwards case, he lied to them and his girlfriend about where he was going and what he was doing. Imagine how they feel now. These are lone wolfs who unrealistically believe themselves to be above the law because of an immature and idealistic mindset. The real world is not perfect my friends, but in MyAmerica, you still don't throw you country under the bus and then run away and hide in order to seek political asylum someplace you think is better. You're not a hero, you're not a whistleblower, in MyAmerica you are a coward, a criminal, and a traitor and you should be held accountable for your actions against our great nation.
Because its MyAmerica too
