Obama administration has secured 526 months of jail time for leakers

[pixleshifter]

You just made that up.
D-
Must try harder next time.

[dacree]

Doh! I hand’t thought of that. Sneaky politicians!

[fluffitfluffit]

Manning broke the law.

I know you don’t think that means anything.

[shaddack]

@nungesser

Ah, okay, so aiding the enemy makes people heroes now. Got it!

Who is the enemy? We the People?

[davide405]

George Washington committed high treason.

[IronEdithKidd]

Other government agents broke the law harder. Other government agents were not prosecuted for their law breaking.

In your mind, what makes those other government agents less criminal?

[IronEdithKidd]

Dammit, hit the <3 limit.

[davide405]

Me too

I started a 20 hour cool-down period about two hours ago.

How long are you in for

[fluffitfluffit]

Explain how that means Manning didn’t break the law.

[aikimo]

@fluffitfluffit

His words are plain as can be, and his speeches expand on them. No clever parsing is needed.

People obviously read all kinds of absurd things into his slogans and speeches. Maybe he should have used smaller words.

I think you must have missed this. I agree, though, that “his words are as plain as can be.” What are people reading into this that they shouldn’t be? Maybe the problem is that he’s being so plain and clear that his subsequent actions are indefensible?

@Obama's '08 Campaign

We need to empower federal employees as watchdogs of wrongdoing and partners in performance. Barack Obama will strengthen whistleblower laws to protect federal workers who expose waste, fraud, and abuse of authority in government. Obama will ensure that federal agencies expedite the process for reviewing whistleblower claims and whistleblowers have full access to courts and due process.

[IronEdithKidd]

16 long hours. Seriously, extra ‘likes’ should come with Level 3 status.

[Ambiguity]

@fluffitfluffit

Manning broke the law.

So did Rosa Parks, and I love her.

[aikimo]

@fluffitfluffit

Manning broke the law.

I know you don’t think that means anything.

Of course it means something. It just means different things to different people. For people who value liberalism and transparent, honest governance over reflexive authoritarianism, it means she was a hero, exposing herself to danger in order to expose the wrongdoings of the government.

Ten Revelations From Bradley Manning's WikiLeaks Documents

[IronEdithKidd]

I never claimed anything of the sort. I pointed out the disparity in treatment between a whistleblower and people who committed murder while on duty for the military. Why do you believe whistleblowing is a greater crime than murder?

[davide405]

@IronEdithKidd

Why do you believe whistleblowing is a greater crime than murder?

I think it’s become pretty clear that the greatest crime of all is embarrassing the government. We really haven’t come very far in that department.

Lèse-majesté

[fluffitfluffit]

exposing herself to danger

The danger of being tried and convicted for breaking the law, yes. Danger accomplished.

[OtherMichael]

@Boundegar

Is feeding the trollies a crime?

No, but I think there’s a Discourse badge for it.

[OtherMichael]

It’s only 8 for the first offense.

 

Uh, or so I was told…

 

My lack of “like” for your comment is purely coincidental.

[IronEdithKidd]

I would reward you with a “like,” but…

[aikimo]

@fluffitfluffit

The danger of being tried and convicted for breaking the law, yes. Danger accomplished.

That response is rather free of substance. You’re arguing that if the government makes it a crime to expose government misdeeds like spying and covering up mass murder, then people shouldn’t expose government crimes. I mean to say that you’re asserting it, as you’ve really made no tangible argument, other than to say that Obama isn’t responsible for the things he said because he didn’t mean them they way he said them or something like that. And also that reporting on government misdeeds is worse than the misdeeds, themselves. Not sure what to make of it all.