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Obama: No Whistleblowing on My Watch
The US Military Should Be Ashamed of Its Treatment of Pfc. Bradley Manning
Candidate Obama said "Government whistleblowers are part of a healthy democracy and must be protected from reprisal."
As a U.S. presidential candidate in 2008, in referring to the Bush Administration's use of phone companies to illegally spy on Americans, Barack Obama said, "We only know these crimes took place because insiders blew the whistle at great personal risk ... Government whistleblowers are part of a healthy democracy and must be protected from reprisal." Candidate Obama was referring to the Bush Administration's use of phone companies to illegally spy on Americans.
President Obama says No whistleblowing on my watch!
Yet, Obama, as he has on so many issues as President, is taking a 180 degree turn from his comments as a candidate, comments on which the American people relied and elected him.
Now, the Obama administration's warning to Bradley Manning and to other whistle blowers is this: blow the whistle on government criminal actions and we will put you in solitary confinement before you are charged, much less go to trial. You will be treated as an "enemy combatant," in America's ongoing wars on about everything, including the truth.
Evidence of Murder of Civilians in Iraq by US military helicopter pilots
Bradley Manning, a U.S. Army Private First Class (PFC) intelligence analyst who turned 23 years old in late December, allegedly leaked a video of a US helicopter attack that killed at least eleven Iraqi civilians, including two Reuters reporters, to the website Wikileaks. Two Iraqi children were also severely wounded in the attack.
PFC Manning's alleged actions are just as important as those of the whistleblowers who informed us of the Bush administration's use of phone companies to illegally spy on Americans. The video taken from the U.S. military helicopter that fired the killing rounds of ammunition, graphically showed US military pilots firing on and killing innocent civilians in Iraq. In addition to this "Collateral Murder" video, PFC Manning is suspected by the government of leaking the "Afghan War Diaries" - tens of thousands of battlefield reports that explicitly describe civilian deaths and cover-ups, corrupt officials, collusion with warlords, and a failing US/NATO war effort.
Manning had the legal responsibility to disclose evidence, even classified evidence, of criminal actions conducted by government officials
If indeed, Manning did give the video to Wikileaks, his actions show clearly that he reasonably believed that war crimes were being covered up, and that he took action based on that belief. Exposing criminal actions done under the cover of government orders is a responsibility and duty of military personnel as codified in the Uniform Code of Military Justice as well as the Geneva conventions and the Nuremberg Principles.
Nuremberg Principle I
Principle I states, "Any person who commits an act which constitutes a crime under international law is responsible therefor and liable to punishment."
Principle II
Principle II states, "The fact that internal law does not impose a penalty for an act which constitutes a crime under international law does not relieve the person who committed the act from responsibility under international law."
Principle III
Principle III states, "The fact that a person who committed an act which constitutes a crime under international law acted as Head of State or responsible government official does not relieve him from responsibility under international law."
Principle IV
Principle IV states: "The fact that a person acted pursuant to order of his Government or of a superior does not relieve him from responsibility under international law, provided a moral choice was in fact possible to him".
This principle could be paraphrased as follows: "It is not an acceptable excuse to say 'I was just following my superior's orders'".
Classifying the evidence of criminal actions does not make the actions untouchable
Reporting criminal actions done by others and providing evidence of those criminal actions, especially when the evidence of criminal actions have been covered up by "classifying" the evidence, is not illegal, but in fact, is a very brave response.
Punishment before the Trial-Solitary Confinement
Manning has now been in prison in solitary confinement for 7 months and still neither the U.S. military nor the U.S. government has indicted him for any offense. Manning essentially is being treated by the U.S. government as an American citizen "enemy combatant."
Manning's treatment in detention, pre-trial confinement in prison is cruel and unusual. He is being kept in solitary confinement, alone in a cell for 23 hours a day. He is forbidden to exercise in his cell. He is deprived of sleep. He is not given a pillow or sheets for his steel bed, although recently after publicity about he conditions in the prison, he was given a mattress for the bed. Prison medical personnel now "administer regular doses of anti-depressants to Manning to prevent his brain from snapping from the effects of this isolation."
US Soldier Treated as Those Detained in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo
The U.S. military's treatment of Manning is tragically consistent with its treatment of persons detained in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo. America's military uses harsh conditions and torture, physical or mental, for those who have not been convicted of any crimes used to break the person to provide whatever information the military wants to receive. This type of treatment is inhumane, immoral and wrong for those in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo and is wrong for Bradley Manning.
Nothing to be Proud of
Nothing in this to be proud of, President Obama. Nothing in this to be proud of, US Military.
If you, the reader, are offended by this, please -- Raise Hell for Bradley, the undeclared American "enemy combatant."
Contribute to Manning's defense fund at www.couragetoresist.org
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57 Comments so far
Show AllAs a result of the October 2006 enhancement of the Patriot Act anybody anywhere anytime can be labeled an ENEMY COMBATANT and denied due process just as Manning has been.
The Democratic Party has had the ability to repeal this travesty for more than four years and has not done so.
This is not only an Obama issue, it is a Democratic Party issue.
Not surprising for every "Whistle Blower Protection" they come up with they add 3 laws to make sure they can continue to punish with no recourse against them.
"Whistle Blowers" have never been popular, just look at Judias Escariot. or how did they used to say? "tattle-tales will not prevail"
Nothing to see here, move along. We're just re-enacting the fall of Rome!
>^^<
Bring America Back !!!! Thats the slogan he lied his way into
the wh with, let us not be fooled again in 2012
It is also sickening to see Jebby Bush waiting in the wings
to grab his next share of the Bush Dynasty==probably as
running mate to Mitt Romney. Vomit producer at the thought.
Even if they bring back Palin and her daddy john, they have
no problem beating an incompetent Obama team in a heartbeat.
That we ever believed Barak was anything even near
progressive is a sheer fantasy, we fell for as sheeples
for false hopes and dreams.
May the good Lord have mercy on us and on the poor Nation of USA
America is gone, it's not coming back. Perhaps, after the Great Upheaval, the American Dream of Personal Freedom from Government Intrusion will live on in the Republic of Vermont.
With all due respect, please do not say "we fell" it's co-dependent and I didn't fall for it. You're right about Jeb.The ObomberBush slogan "bring America back", just a platitude, and what did he mean back to what, the middle ages, NAZISM, Bush/Cheney? It's pathetic and the only ones whom can stop these criminal politicians, whom don't even hide their crimes while taunting Americans that their is nothing we can do about it. The USG/MIC,Mafia Industrial Complex, forces contributions, taxes, to conduct their crimes around the world for the purpose of graft and corruption and to protect the worldwide assets of the INTERNATIONAL CORPORATOCRACY PREDATORY CAPITALIST WARMONGER WELFARE KINGS many of which pay no USG taxes and deriving the most benefits, funded by the national debt, which Admiral Mullen has declared a threat to national security, funding the USG/MIC is a threat to national security to protect US from threats to national security, the Pentagon protection racket is fund us, a threat to national security, to protect you from threats to national security or else you will be attacked whether real, imagined and/or created by the USG/MIC. American are instilled to be mindlessness, and I won't bet on it to stop the atrocities being paid for and carried out in their names.Al Capone is reveling in syphilis hell that his protection racket of forced contributions,pay up or die, has been adopted by the USG/MIC. I ANSWERED MY OWN QUESTION, back to Al Capone, he's from Chicago.
It seems that candidate Obama had a Luke Skywalker watch. However, right after he got elected, Paulson and Geithner gave him a Mickey Mouse watch, Not to be outdone, when wikileaks got rolling Hillary and Gates gave him a Darth Vader watch. Now Obama uses the force ON the whistle blowers. The Empire strikes back (and forth and everywhere else these days).
Serious evidence that we are managed by an elite criminal enterprise who relishes the power games of torture and death.
Just curious, what was your first clue. G Washinton's smashing down during the Whisky Rebellion, or Lincoln's Destruction of the south, and re-writing the Bill-of-Rights for his own convenience? The Federialists have been trying hard to control the empire for their oun enterinment since, we threw out the British!
We have and always have had an arostcracy, and we always will. In the old day's they used the church to condition us, Now we just use prisions, although the churches were more effective.
>^^<
What do you expect from Droneattack Obama?
Thanks Ms. Wright for this excellent article!
"Try as I may I can not escape the sound of suffering. Perhaps as an old man I will accept suffering with insouciance. But not now; men in their prime, if they have convictions are tasked to act on them." -- Julian Assange, 2007 blog entry
It seems that everyone is tasked to act on this matter, regardless of whether they are in their prime or not. We must usher in a new era of honest politicians, transparency and peace. There can be no turning back. Those who thrive on greed and deception are destined to lose this contest.
3 Cheers to all Whistleblowers, Mr. Assange, and all those who support them.
Onward!
Two right wing parties in the bosom of a single state does not a healthy democracy make.
The question is...WHO...gives the orders to keep Mr Manning in such disgusting conditions.
Let's focus on the WHO
It would not surprize me at all if it was someone like Bill Gates or Warren buffett that we could not possibly believe would do such a thing. There is irrefutable evidence that our 'selected' politicians are in the employ of corporations which are, in turn, arranged in hierarchy of power according to their aggregate wealth. That wealth and power is concentrated in the hands of the richest individuals. Do you think these people are not fully briefed and consulted on future plans? How do you think they keep their fortunes? You don't honestly believe that they are people of integrity, do you? Just the fawning from the media (the very same media that covers up war crimes and sets us up for wars) should be a dead giveaway of the true nature of these conscience free monstrocities.
But back to Manning, who remembers Padilla? They destroyed a kid. And he was just a patsy. Manning hurt them. Hell, he may have cost them the PR bullshit battle they have been waging successfully on the American public for the last fifty years! Manning is Patrick Henry on steroids! They are trying everything they can on him that doesn't leave visible marks, I imagine. The chink in the armor is that a bunch of marines that are guarding him may have become deprogrammed by the wikileaks revelations of decades of lies and are sneaking information to Manning. I hope so. That will keep him sane and he can fake insanity for the traitor shrinks.
If you are a marine guarding Manning who is reading this, for the love of God and Country, don't help to destroy this nation and a fellow soldier by aiding in his mental destruction. Your oath is to the constitution, not some fascist asshole with some stars on his shoulders! If the president violates the constitution, you are bound by your oath to the constitution to disobey his orders. You are marines. You guys are famous for 'getting around' orders you don't fancy. Get with it. Your country needs you.
WHO?
OilyBomber and Company.
"The "TRUTH" shall set you free" Ha-ha just kiddin', it'll get your a__ thrown in jail.
Or, make you insane! "You think you want the truth? You can't handle the TRUTH"
lol
>^^<
Bring America Back !!!!
***If this is not the 3rd term of King Bush,
then what is it as proven by Col Wright?
***Obama,s continued silence on the GAZA
Genocides belies exactly why he does nothing
for Manning, Assange or any future
whistleblower. It is a sad, sad state of
morality our leadership is in !!!!
***Pelosi's taking Bushs Impeachment off
the table is the enabler of persecution of
truth seekers and justice seekers.
Great blame and guilt is hers as Speaker.
***Where the soloutions and answrs are defies
we Leftys, and drives us to despair and
real depression. Poitical gods are NOT
smiling on us with any hope whatsoever.
great blame and guilt and is not to be
Yeah, it sure sucks to have more than a couple years of life left. Cause it will be ugly for generations now.
It's simple, really. We have no rights at all.
Without habeas, none of the other rights exist.
See, 'cause then you can be imprisoned forever and/or tortured to death, on the Executive Branch's say-so.
Right to choose, bear arms, go to church or sleep in? Don't make me laugh so hard I'll puke.
You don't have the right to liberty RIGHT NOW.
Say a mnemonic with me now:
Without the Great Writ You Ain't Got Shit.
Something even a tea-partier--or any microcephelatic politician--can understand.
Just mention the Military Commissions Act or the Patriot Act to a tea-partier and get ready for a blank stare.
Don't forget the Drug Enforcement Act! that was the literal "Camels nose under the tent flap" that let all the rest of civil and legal rights fly away.
glad somebody, else is paying attention.
>^^<
We never really did have "rights." We have had privileges that were labeled rights so long as it didn't threaten the Upper Crust. Rights only exist if those with the power to deploy armed forces back up those rights. This has always been true but it is now becoming apparent.
It was the corporations that used to have the "priviliges"; the privilage of a state charter to run a business in this country. That was before the sell-outs in all three branches of government annointed them with personhood. Now corporations have all the rights and "We the People" have priviliges.
Follow the money.
Thomas Jefferson must be rolling over in his grave.
Jefferson wanted a government of white land owning males. To me he is another in a long line of political figures who wrote brave and noble words that belied what he did which included owning and impregnating slaves and disregarding the supposedly sacred Constitution when he had a chance to "acquire" a big hunk of land from, of all people, Napoleon.
I loved the pix of prez.obummer shufflin around Hawaii in his flip flops. They seemed so...right!
Obama is about to pardon Jonathan Pollard at the same time our President has hit teams out to get Julian Assange.
I also agree that UCMJ and Nuremburg REQUIRED Manning to act to expose war crimes and crimes against humanity, as well as illegal orders. I don't understand why the US military does not take his side in this - it would be to their advantage to support him, rather than engage in obvious war crimes. He did the US military a favor - he tried to save them from civilian malfeasance and blatant criminal behavior, including illegal orders from the president.
armybrat-The most difficult thing for most of us who have had positive feelings about our government, our nation, our military forces and those who command them is to not only recognize that whatever allegiance we felt and carried in our hearts is no longer realistic.
It's all about money and corporate power and going for empire now, and Private Bradley Manning created a nuisance to these ends. Since The Constitution and laws on the books became irrelevant as "just old pieces of paper" or items that could be changed by presidential mandates or "signing statements," and The Pentagon is just a cash cow that chews its cud on more and more allocations for weapons of war and making war, not to win, but to take whatever is takeable, there is no HONOR. There is just the usual immorality and so what? And many young men and women are being wounded or dying in the process of killing and wounding others who are innocents to make others rich or richer. Perhaps that's why the suicide rate is so high among serving and returning soldiers. There are no honorable causes where our military personnel are located and prepared for battle.
We are in more trouble than 90+ per cent of us know or understand.
Private Bradley Manning has been put away and the key thrown away. How can his solitary confinement incarceration become a cause celebre' without media coverage, without most of the public reading about him? How?
Since you are an "army brat," what do your family members say who were involved with the military, if they are still alive or actively in your life? What is their take?
To me, too much is all so sad and pointless, unless of course, one's addictions are power and money.
sincerely, cm
CM,
Good post.
My parents are now deceased, but they told all of us that it was wrong and immoral to ever participate in war crimes, and that the invasion of Vietnam was a war crime. Neither my older brother nor I participated in that atrocity, although my younger brother later joined the Air Force, but he did not serve in any wars and is now out. My father also quit his beloved Army in an act of conscience, without pension. He admitted that he had witnessed war crimes and no longer wanted any part of what the military had become, although he did not tell us about all this until the Vietnam War was under way - with its draft threat. Some of us lucked out and served in Germany instead, but my older brother did not serve at all.
I don't know of anyone who came back from Vietnam whole. My father was right when he told us the US could never win against the Vietnamese without completely exterminating them, since they were defending their country from invasion and fighting for freedom.
For 8 years under G. Wankerbush all I heard online was talk, talk, talk, and now after 2 years of Obummer it's still talk, talk, talk and that's all that will happen unless things get really bad....apparently it's not really bad yet.
This will turn out very embarrassing for the government if Bradley Manning is awarded the Peace prize.
They, can have; Obummers for all of me! It'll be a l-o-n-g t-i-m-e before a place any respect/faith in the Nobel Prize, if ever again. They couldn't have dirtied it more that if they'd have given it to Hitler!
>^^<
yes it is on that scale, Oily's running genocide on arabs, he's just just not as efficent as H.
guess who gets to pay for that!
Ms Wright is certainly correct but the issue here
is not about Manning. The government doesn't want
him, they want Assange and Manning is the way to
get him. They want to shut Wikileaks down and
they think, incorrectly that prosecuting Assange
will do that, it won't, Wikileaks is not one man
it is a movement. Assange is not a US citizen so
they cannot prosecute him for treason and since
he did not appear to solicit or pay for the material
they cannot charge him with espionage. Their only
option is conspiracy. For that they have to get
Manning to testify that he discussed the leaks
with Assange. Thats why he is being held in solitary
and mentally abused in an attempt to break him down
enough to lie on the stand about discussing the leak
with Assange With that they can charge Assange
with conspiracy. Assange is being held in England
until Manning is broken.The case wouldn't hold
water in a real court but US federal courts have
been completely politicized so they will do
whatever the executive tells them to do.
The problem, Military, with giving Bradley Manning "meds" is that people have seen and known him before he was"medicated." If you are seriously doing this to cause him to lose his mind, then what he says will mean nothing. against Assange or anyone else.
On the other hand, the real villian is making millions off of his book, "Decision Points,
although, I did wonder how many copies the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the GOP and the Bush family paid for.
Remember that Chinese person who wore a little old white man mask on the airplane? Wouldn't it be wonderful if GW and Manning could be exchanged, with Bush wearing a Manning mask. I can just hear it now, "Oh, he's a raving lunatic; he thinks he's the ex-prez."
It would also be nice if the term 'whistleblower" was retired.I like the term," Nation Saver."
When the book Decision Pimples (otherwise known as Decison Points) become cheaper than toilet paper, I will consider it.
Sometimes I feel sorry for those 'good germans' that rushed out to buy the book so they could display it on their coffee tables when their gestapo friends came over. Imagine the arguments about whether it should look new (It shows we took good care of it because we love our dear leader!) or dog eared ( Make sure it looks like we read it ten times!) and finally the anxious questions (What if they ask about some chapter in that POS? What do we say? Is there a summary at wikipeda?).
But then I remember what a bunch of craven, evil traitors they are with their cheap flag waving, hate filled speach and consistent bigotry.
Then I say, they made their bed, let them stay in it until Madam Defarge arrives.
"If you are seriously doing this to cause him to lose his mind, then what he says will mean nothing. against Assange or anyone else. "
You forget, the Supreme Court (totally owned subsidiary of US, Inc.) has ruled that evidence obtained through torture is valid.
All evil, whether the US government or any other criminal organization, detests the truth and must stop it at all costs. A government wrapped in secrecy is a government nefarious. The rash of Sunshine Laws of the eighties, designed to prevent this kind of thing, have all been rendered harmless. Welcome to the Evil Empire. If you choose to be good, prepare to be beaten.
The international govorporation is a crime syndicate. They will do what they want until they are stopped.
This is just more "Change" we can't believe in--I can't wait to vote the creep of out of office--Nov. 2012 can't come soon enough for me!
Whistleblowers such as Manning and Assange ARE heros.
I pray for their safety and well being every day.
And I'll put Helen Thomas on that list--people who are punished for speaking the truth.
The Republican/Democrat strangle-hold on this nation won't release it's grip until the last gasp. And then the fat-cats will go off to their villas, laughing all the way, leaving America penniless and corrupt.
There is something about the continued incarceration of Manning that just doesn't seem right. Of course there is a whole lot wrong, But I mean something with the narrative as it is from all sides just doesn't seem to fit.
Of course they could be trying to break him, trying to get him to testify against assange, but that is also something they know we know, and even the government would be hard pressed to use testimony from someone who so obviously has been broken to give that testimony against someone like Assange, who is extremely intelligent and could tear such a case apart.
What bugs me is - how did a private get access to such information in a circumstance that he could download it?
Somehow this question, to me, seems pivotal to understanding the whole thing.
Does the US military believe that its indoctrination methods are so good that even a private allowed access to documentation of War Crimes should be trusted to put their loyalty to their military more than the loyalty to their species?
Or was Manning somehow granted access to information above his rank?
Or is the military just so inept that it assumes that a Private will not know how to access a file directory system?
There is a saying: Never attribute to malice, that which can be reasonably explained by stupidity. Another version: Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence. I would also add, explained by indifference.
Barack Obama is realizing the worst fears of those who had HOPED there would be a CHANGE from Bush playing the willing marionette of the plutocratic oligarchy. Now Mr. Obama has bound himself by the same strings that motivated Mr. Bush's every action. So we can expect at least 2 more years of the same political poison and 4 more after that if the Democrats are dumb enough to renominate this Manchurian candidate.
We can expect to see a major meltdown of the empire's financial system. The old corrupt system is like an old man who has had 14 heart attacks & 7 strokes.
It's propped up and made look pretty good to those who are unaware of the details so that they'll believe in it, but they believe in an illusion. It's only a matter of time before it totally collapses!
Manning has been in solitary for 7 months. Padilla spent 3 1/2 years in solitary and lost his mind there.
Mordechai Vanunu endured 11 1/2 years in solitary -18 years in jail and ever since his release from a tomb sized windowless cell on 21 April 2004 he has been under 24/7 surveillance.
A few weeks after Vanunu's FREEDOM of SPEECH Trial began in 2006 for speaking to foreign media in 2004, he spoke about Israel's Intent RE: Solitary Confinement:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYVH_SuOec4
Read the article: PEOPLE WHO “RESENT” THE STATE ARE BEING MONITORED
This is the link: http://standstrongresearch.com/resent-the-state/
I think Manning was a lot smarter than the average private, but I believe he had emotional problems before he copied the files, there are articles online documenting his short adult life. Realizing the consequences made him behave even more erratic (wouldn't you?) and he had to talk to someone about it. He trusted Wired, but they turned him in because they got the impression he was capable of doing real harm.
I believe that all heroes must be at least a little crazy, a sane person does not risk their own life or safety for a cause. I think a more sane whistle blower would have only leaked info they had first hand knowledge of, not thousands of documents that he could not possibly have personally read and verified. Also, turning the information over to a lawyer or congress person would have been a safer thing to do. However, if he truly believed, as many do, that government information should be transparent, then this was a very effective way to get lots of it revealed. It showed there is way too much information that is classified and too many people have access to it, so in a way, the government should be grateful that he had the nerve to expose that.
Too bad he is probably going to be a martyr to this cause, one way or another. I suspect he was mentally disturbed to some extent before this, but after this torture and whatever punishment he receives, he will probably be institutionalized for life. This makes me very upset, but US prisons have huge numbers of young people in there for life for drug related offenses who have deteriorated to the point where they will probably never be released either. One article I just read said the US prisons have about 20,000 people in 23 hour solitary lockdown, most are violent and deranged, but now they are stuck there. One interesting case is Stephen Jay Russell, the real character that the movie "I Love You, Phillip Morris" is based on. He has been in lockdown for 14 years for multiple escapes that have embarrassed the Texas state prison system, there is a growing movement to free him now too, since he is also basically a political prisoner.
Where is the man we elected as President?
Where is the rule of law?
Mike Papantonio sums it up best in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY2clsa_Pbk
He's right where he is, and he clearly has no intention of protecting the rule of law.
President Barack Obama needs to reconsider the ban prohibiting U.S. government employees from downloading classified cables released by WikiLeaks. (The ban also extends to all U.S. government contractors.) The responsibility of those holding government security clearances entails only not divulging information residing on government forums, and also not commenting on similar information that may exist in the public realm. Now to extend the obligation of individuals holding security clearances to not reading information in public forums amounts to not only blatant censorship upon those very individuals themselves, but also violates the second fundamental rule mentioned for holding information secure; for when one says information in the public forum is indeed classified, validity is essentially being given to that information.
This is most important. It means that Obama and his administration are violating the first amendment rights of individuals holding U.S. security clearances, and are also violating fundamental U.S. national security laws.
My 27-year-old son is in solitary confinement for 30 days, starting yesterday. He slipped out of his open cell to retrieve his radio from another cell, and they claimed he "popped" the door, even though a camera clearly showed he didn't. After ten days, solitary confinement is considered torture. The Constitution the Republicans read in public this week, guarantees our right not to endure cruel and unusual punishment at the hands of our government, but there are thousands of people in solitary confinement in our domestic prisons, some of whom have been there for years. It's very difficult not to resent a government that lies so much to oppress so many.
Obushma is an instrument of the global elite and always has been. He's a phenomenal orator, but his words ring hollow when coupled with his heinous actions, some of which make the Shrub look like a paragon of virtue. Targeting American citizens for assassination with out any due process what so ever, increasing predator drone attacks by the hundreds in a nation we haven't even officially invaded, abandoning single payer health care in favor of mandating Americans pay the crooks who rip us off daily, granting tax cuts for the uber-wealthy while raising taxes on the poorest Americans, appointing extreme right-wing cabinet members, and going after truth-tellers as if they're enemies of the state, are but a few of his betrayals. These actions, along with signing the Patriot Act back into law, shows just how UN-Constitutional this "Constitutional scholar" is. America as we knew it in the 60s and 70s, when activism could actually do something, is dead. The Domestic Extremism Lexicon, lists "alternative media" as a possible terrorist threat. It's described as: "(U) alternative media (U//FOUO) A term used to describe various information sources that provide a forum for interpretations of events and issues that differ radically from those presented in mass media products and outlets." These farking bastages are supposed to be PROTECTING our right to free speech, not outlawing it! These are the days we're going to look back on and wish we could return to. Once the next "attack" comes and Martial Law is declared for our pseudo-safety and security, ALL dissenters will be Bradley Manning. Homeland Security has spent 4.2 trillion dollars since its inception preparing for that time. Our corporately owned and operated legislators are trying to cut Social Security, social welfare, union influence, and health care, while dumping four trillion dollars into creating "domestic, non-Islamic, terrorist threats," AKA - Americans who have a problem with corporate fascists taking over their government. It's a pretty scary scenario when truth becomes the enemy of the state, and the torture of thousands is considered normal in both foreign and domestic policy.