As reported here
Chelsea Manning, the transgender Army private convicted of leaking national security secrets, faces a hearing Tuesday for prison infractions that could result in solitary confinement.
Manning, who was intelligence analyst Bradley Manning when arrested in 2010, is charged with disrespect of a prison officer and is accused having books and magazines including Vanity Fair and Cosmopolitan, among other offenses.
Noteable from the article, it is apparently "disrespect of an officer" to request a lawyer.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Nollij on Friday August 14 2015, @01:30PM
That's a horrible line of reasoning - The whole point of whistle-blowers is telling us things we DON'T know!
I'll grant you that Manning was more concerned about himself, but the fact that it wasn't (as) widely known doesn't factor into whether it was treasonous, or selfish.
Snowden is easier to like for a few reasons:
1) He's well-spoken. He's given several interviews, and is able to cast himself in a positive light
2) His opposition - the NSA - is widely disliked/distrusted
3) He seems to genuinely be altruistic - that he's taken extreme risk for the benefit of others (i.e. US citizens). Related to #1
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 14 2015, @02:36PM
But there is a marked difference between something being "commonly known" to be happening and knowing with facts that something is happening. That is the gift that Snowden bestowed upon the American people and the world.
Instead of two people in a coffee shop somewhere talking about how the American government probably does this or that major news organizations were reporting on the front page and leading stories on TV that this and that is happening and these are the three letter organization doing it.
(Score: 2) by Anal Pumpernickel on Friday August 14 2015, @06:00PM
But there is a marked difference between something being "commonly known" to be happening and knowing with facts that something is happening.
Yes, and there was good reason to believe it was happening even before Snowden came along, and even some talk about it. Snowden gave us more evidence, more details, and sparked lots of debate, which is good.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday August 14 2015, @03:05PM
The point of whistle blowing is NOT to tell you shit that you didn't know. The purpose is to address gross injustices that are being covered up. Or, sometimes, less gross injustices.
Do you REALLY need to know that Staff Sergeant Smith has diarhea? You didn't know it, now you know it, and you still don't give a damn.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 14 2015, @04:12PM
No he didn't. He did a bulk grab and dump. If he was true to the motives he's claimed, he would have only taken information related to what he says he cared about. Instead, we have thousands and thousands of unrelated documents taken and given away. He's worked against the interests of US citizens by giving away all the foreign intel information. His fan base, at least in the US, locks only onto the stuff they care about and don't care about the ways they've been screwed over, just like how a Red State Senator keeps getting re-elected even though he consistently votes against the interests of the common person; he says the right things on "hot button" issues that get his constituency worked up, but ultimately have a small effect on their lives.