Obama Commutes Bulk of Chelsea Manning’s Sentence

Re:Obama Commutes Bulk of Chelsea Manning’s Sentence by hackinthebochs on Tuesday January 17, 2017 @08:37PM (#13423299)

Well I read his statement and its definitely interesting. It doesn't really help his case though. Some of his actions he was acting as a whistleblower (releasing videos of civilian deaths), other actions he was acting as someone who simply felt information should be leaked (diplomatic cables and such). The problem is that these were separate acts and so while he may have been a whistleblower for some of the releases, the others were plain leaking classified info. One doesn't absolve the other.

I can accept that the whistleblower label isn't completely incorrect, but the problem is that people use it in place of leaker in an effort to establish moral justification for all his leaks. He wasn't kept in prison for 7 years because he was a whistleblower, it was because he was a leaker. But he was also a whistleblower.

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Re:Obama Commutes Bulk of Chelsea Manning’s Sentence by etjossem on Tuesday January 17, 2017 @09:11PM (#13423432)

I would argue Snowden's approach - working with the most reputable news outlets in the US to release only what was necessary - serves as a good example of ethical whistleblowing. Nonetheless, the intelligence community wanted him arrested after the NSA slides went public, and he will still be arrested if he sets foot back in the United States.

Whistleblowers in the US government can and do go to prison, regardless of whether they're responsible about it or not. I think clemency in this case (shortening the sentence for disclosure of the cables to 7 years) is the least the President could have done.

Please use "she," by the way. Chelsea's gender and correct pronoun are some of the most well-known in the world by now. Nobody can claim ignorance anymore.

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Re:Obama Commutes Bulk of Chelsea Manning’s Sentence by hackinthebochs on Tuesday January 17, 2017 @09:49PM (#13423583)

I think 7 years is plenty although I don't think anyone should have to suffer solitary for any reason.

And yeah I generally just avoid using the pronoun or use she when forced to. But the article you linked had pictures of "him" at the bottom and so using he was unconscious.

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