Bradley Manning's Contributions

THE ABSURD TIMES

 

Illustration: From manning.org 

          Bradley Manning’s contributions are, believe it or not, continuing and will last for a long time.

          We are not talking about the leaks he may have give to Wikileaks as those told us, and our readers, nothing that we hadn’t already known or surmised.  The footage of the helicopter murders is about the only thing most people remember and that mainly because of the sensationalistic impact it had on the general public.

          His most lasting contribution will be international awareness of how he has been treated while incarcerated.  His treatment violates numerous provisions of U.N. Human Rights declarations and gives any government who is a subscriber, as is the U.S., the right to treat him as a political refugee and thus is entitled to refugee status.

          The latest case is Snowden and others will probably follow.  Also, using the Espionage Act of 1917 (under which a Presidential candidate, Eugene Debs, was incarcerated) the Obama administration has charged more than double the total number of dissidents charges by all previous administrations combined.

          So, it does not matter what he is called here by any politician or “reporter.”  The fact remains that any government has a clear right to treat Snowden as a refugee.

          One final thing to clear up: much has been made of the fact that his passport has been revoked and therefore we are owed his body by any foreign government is belied by the fact that we grant asylum to Cuban refugees by the hundreds.

          I believe Mark Haim, an activist, will be doing an hour broadcast on the subject on KOPN.org this evening.  It is always a good broadcast and available online at kopn.org.       

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