Titus Pullo

So, on another forum, a poster posed a question that has truly brought out the trolls. But also, some reasoned, well-thought out discussion. The question was "Why are soldiers considered heroes?"

The discussion covered everything from the obligatory "shut your mouth, we keep you safe at night" rhetoric to private military contractors' abuses in Iraq to WW2's John Basilone, etc. etc.

Almost to a man, the jingoists hailed all soldiers as unquestionably heroic, and scoffed at the notion that they might serve the purpose of flawed or immoral foreign policy.

So I asked, "Is Bradley Manning a hero?" You can imagine the visceral response.

Anyhow, Frontline produced another gem, and really adds texture to the complex story of Manning, and state secrecy:

emoney_33

Free Bradley Manning!

__________________
There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who do not.

Nikolai

Soldiers I know get pretty uneasy with the hero worship that surrounds what they do.

Then again, I know that's not what this thread is about, but I find the portrayal of soldiers as being attention whores who lap up this hero worship shtick to be wide of the mark.

[/hijack]

Heil wikileaks and such...

__________________
We get what we deserve.

------------------
“On a day when they could have had impact players David Terrell or Koren Robinson..they took Georgia defensive tackle Richard Seymour, who had 1 sacks last season in the pass-happy SEC and is too tall to play tackle at 6-6 and too slow to play defensive end. This genius move was followed by trading out of a spot where they could have gotten the last decent receiver in Robert Ferguson and settled for tackle Matt Light, who will not help any time soon.”

blackglass3

I've always been a little uncomfortable with people thanking me for my service. I appreciate that they appreciate it, but it's a really hard thing to reply to.

emoney_33

Thanks for your service.

__________________
There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who do not.

Mrs.PatsFanInVa

I've never been in the military - but I have been in the situation where people thanked me for what I did (firefighter/medic)....I was always highly uncomfortable with it - all I was doing was my job - if you wouldn't think to thank the check out girl at the grocery store or the dude who takes your money at the gas station, then you shouldn't think to thank me, either. I'm not doing any more than they do.

Even more uncomfortable were public display "awards," of any sort.

There were some guys who really liked getting them.....and there were a few guys who really really liked getting them....personal observation, but they were usually the same few guys I wouldn't trust with a can of lighter fluid and a match.

Titus Pullo

So the Manning trial opens this week, and it's time to keep an eye on this landmark case in the question of "security vs. transparency."

In my firm opinion, the military needs to show, without a shadow of a doubt, how soldiers were put at risk due to this information and why. It's thin ice for prosecutors, who will have to end up defending mind-bogglingly unethical military and state dept. practices.

As I've always said, if you want to avoid uncomfortable secrets being leaked, then stop engaging in unethical acts, including war crimes that would get you hanged at The Hague. Some might say "you're being naive, we MUST have secrets." I call bull****.

Free Bradley Manning. Stop murdering civilians for corporate profit. Simple, really.

The Moral Imperative of Bradley Manning

The objective of the Obama administration is transparent. It has little to do with the law, but rather is designed to make an object lesson of Manning. The administration wants to deter others truth-tellers who might also be tempted to reveal information that is labeled secret to hide oppression and abuse – including, in this case, U.S. war crimes.

Harry Boy

The soldiers of WWII fought, were beaten, blown up, went crazy and were killed all over the world, the ones that survived came home, threw their medals and their uniforms in the attic went out an got a job got married had kids and very seldom spoke of the war again, many never came home, if it wern't for Harry Truman and his bomb many more of them wouldn't have come home some of you or your children wouldn't even be alive today.

I never knew one that thought of himself as a hero.

(as for truman and his bomb they started it harry finished it)

__________________
Harry Boy (Genius)

In The Absence Of Law And Order Society Will Surely Destroy Itself

The Brandon Five

Serious question for the OP: how do you feel about the administration spying on reporters in the service of purportedly finding leakers?

Titus Pullo

I find it utterly disgusting, and precisely why I didn't vote for Obama last fall... The press is supposed to be the ultimate check/balance to unethical behavior, and a main thing that makes us free. The press should have carte blanche to hold ALL branches of government accountable on EVERY issue, including printing alleged "state secrets" they receive AND protecting the anonymity of their sources.

ALL ... without a second thought.

We - the tax payers -- can determine what's best for our "safety," thanks. ... We don't need plutocrats and technocrats telling us "shut up, it's for your own good." ... To that notion I say "Go **** a fat ****!"

They're not trying to "protect" anyone, including our troops. They're trying to keep the curtain from lifting on their rigged game. Period, full stop.