Almost Every Word Of John McCain's Response To Chelsea Manning's Sentence Commutation Is Flat Out Wrong
from the hypocrites-in-congress dept
It's hardly a surprise that a bunch of people who have been fed a load of bullshit about what Chelsea Manning did years ago are now quite angry over President Obama's decision to commute Manning's sentence. But I don't think any are quite as painstakingly wrong as Senator John McCain. Someone should call up the Guinness World Record folks, because the wrong-per-sentence ratio of McCain's angry statement might just set a new world record. Let's dig in.
President Obama’s commutation of Chelsea Manning’s sentence is a grave mistake that I fear will encourage further acts of espionage and undermine military discipline.
Wait. Really? Manning has been in prison for seven years, with a significant portion of that being held in solitary confinement, sometimes being made to strip naked before being able to sleep. This was called "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in violation of article 16 of the convention against torture" by the United Nations. You would think, of all people, Senator John McCain, who similarly was held in solitary confinement and tortured for extended periods while being held captive for 5 and a half years in Vietnam, would recognize that "only" 7 years of such treatment wouldn't exactly encourage more of Manning's behavior.
To put it more directly: who, in their right mind, is going to leak a bunch of documents thinking "oh, perhaps after going through literal torture, character assassination and basically hell on earth, it'll be okay, because maybe some other President will commute my insane 35 year sentence to just 7 years? No one. The idea that this commutation is going to lead to further leaks is ridiculous. If anything will lead to further leaks it's Manning's courage in seeing something wrong in the system and actually doing something about it.
In fact, it was things like Manning's courage that helped inspire Ed Snowden and other whistleblowers to step up. They didn't do it on the idea that they might "only" suffer 7 years of torture.
Second, what Manning did was not "espionage" and for McCain to suggest it is, means McCain either has no idea what he's talking about, or is lying. Manning leaked diplomatic cables and related information exposing vast wrongdoing by the US, to Wikileaks, who partnered with a number of respected press outlets to reveal the wrongdoing. That's not espionage. That's classic whistleblowing. And, yes, in case you've forgotten, Manning's leaks revealed a hell of a lot of wrongdoing by the US government.
It also devalues the courage of real whistleblowers who have used proper channels to hold our government accountable.
Oh come on. We've highlighted repeatedly how the "proper channels" claim is a complete joke. The "proper channels" have a long history of retaliating against whistleblowers such that everyone now knows the best way to destroy your life is to use the proper channels.
It is a sad, yet perhaps fitting commentary on President Obama’s failed national security policies that he would commute the sentence of an individual that endangered the lives of American troops, diplomats, and intelligence sources by leaking hundreds of thousands of sensitive government documents to Wikileaks, a virulently anti-American organization that was a tool of Russia’s recent interference in our elections.
First of all, Manning did not endanger the lives of American troops, diplomats and intelligence sources. During Manning's sentencing hearing, following her conviction, the US military admitted no one died because of Manning's leaks. So why does this myth still persist? Mainly because it's politically convenient to lie and pretend that whistleblowing leaks must "cost lives."
Thousands of Americans have given their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq upholding their oaths and defending this nation. Chelsea Manning broke her oath and made it more likely that others would join the ranks of her fallen comrades. Her prison sentence may end in a few months’ time, but her dishonor will last forever.
This has been pointed out over and over again: the oath that people take is to defend the Constitution. And a big part of that is calling out unconstitutional behavior by "this nation." Which is exactly what Manning did. Manning clearly felt that part of defending our nation and upholding her oath was to reveal wrongdoing by the US government. Furthermore, once again, the US military itself admitted that Manning didn't cause anyone to die.
Finally, as Marcy Wheeler correctly points out, McCain isn't just completely wrong with most of his statement, he's a total hypocrite as well. After all, McCain has been one of the most vocal supporters of General David Petraeus, a man who was convicted of giving classified information (much more serious than anything leaked by Manning) to his mistress. When there was talk of demoting Petraeus for this fairly serious breach, McCain said he was going to launch a Congressional investigation. And, more recently, McCain had this to say about Petraeus:
People make mistakes in life, they pay a price and move on.
So, uh, yeah. Compare that to his statement about the commutation (not pardon) of Manning's sentence and explain how McCain is not an utter and total hypocrite. If commuting Manning's sentence after "just" 7 years of torture and inhuman treatment will incentivize more leaks, wouldn't that also mean that Petraeus getting basically no punishment at all for leaking much more serious material will lead to more leaks, since it seems top government and intelligence community officials are clearly being given the message: it's okay to give up the nation's biggest secrets if it means you get laid.
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Filed Under: chelsea manning, commutation, espionage, harm, john mccain, oath, whistleblowing
Reader Comments
The First Word
“Wikileaks and The Intercept fall into the "viable" and "meaningful" channel categories.
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McStain lied about his treatment in Vietnam. No one could have gone through that but yet still advocate to treat others that way. Or... who knows, maybe there is a ball gag in his nightstand drawer and he liked it.
https://letustalk.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/john-mccain.jpg
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McCain is a thoroughly broken man that sold any "shadow of respect" he may have had away to some unknown entity. I have members of family that served, but I do not respect someone 'just because' they served.
I would be one of the few with a spine to publicly state 'to his face' that it is a shame he turned into a coward after having lived what he lived through.
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Why, do I know you? Wilbur? How's the baby doing?
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But yea, the baby is fine!
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So McCain was just subject to enhanced interrogation techniques. Right?
This.
Since America is OK with moving the goal posts on what is/isn't torture, then I for one can no longer sympathize with veterans subjected to exactly the same techniques as we subject enemy combatants to.
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It's not brought up as commonly now, but for quite a while one of the "major" reasons not to release the torture report, Abu Ghraib photos, etc, was because (to paraphrase), such materials "might result in US soldiers being subjected to similar treatment and/or retribution." Never mind that the issue was the Torture^WEnhanced Interrogation Techniques, not the reports. Because the people that survived it and were released surely weren't going to keep their treatment a secret on behalf of the Good 'ol USA.
Nietzsche said it best: “Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster... for when you gaze long into the abyss. The abyss gazes also into you.”
The US has been fighting "monsters" for a long time now. And sadly, there's no end in sight.
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Right. On. Target.
America is quickly becoming the very things it has stood against over the past two centuries AND every step we take to avoid that fate we wind up helping seal it. It is insane how fast we tend to destroy ourselves in the same effort to preserve ourselves.
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That's a lot of jobs down the crapper, right there. Wall Street would take a header and the world's economy would suffer.
Until such time as we admit to ourselves that we have all this crap because we've created a NEED for it, it'll continue. With no end in sight.
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'I have members of family that served, but I do not respect someone 'just because' they served.'
Respect is a scale, not a yes or no thing. I can respect someone a little or a lot. Serving in the military earns you some respect. Acting like a fuckwad loses you some respect. Bad actions can absolutely cancel out any respect that might be deserved for serving, e.g. McCain.
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'It's okay to do it to them, they're the BAD GUYS'
McStain lied about his treatment in Vietnam. No one could have gone through that but yet still advocate to treat others that way.
Not necessarily, as seen in his act of throwing Manning under the bus but rushing to defend Petraeus it's very clear that he's willing to apply different standards to different people, so it would be consistent for him to claim that he was tortured and decry that as a terrible thing because he's from the US and a Good Guy while at the same time advocating and supporting that those dirty terrorists be 'tortured' because clearly they had it coming for being accused terrorists, and as such are Bad Guys, so it doesn't actually count as 'torture'.
Hypocritical and disgusting yes, but it would be consistent hypocrisy and revolting behavior.
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Re: 'It's okay to do it to them, they're the BAD GUYS'
Partial retraction:
It seems McCain has been one of those that actually objected to the CIA's torture program and noted that beyond being repugnant torture isn't effective, so those claiming that it was 'justified' because it produced intel are wrong, so at least in general he's not pro-torture, it's just that he apparently doesn't see Manning's treatment as rising to that level and therefore objectionable.
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Congress can do something
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Almost Every Word Of John McCain's mouth
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Re: Almost Every Word Of John McCain's mouth
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How is this news?
I don't see the Manning theme making a difference to McCain's batting average here.
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Mccain is known for a very black and white attitude on moral in the military system. In this case, sir Petraeus is a medalled war hero who wrote the book on counter insurgence. Manning was a low level soldier with a lot of problems in the dossier from an army-standpoint.
That is likely where his judgement comes from. Can't blame a warhero, can blame a loser. The facts of their cases do not matter!
It is classist and probably in several other ways discriminatory, but that is politics for you: Everybody needs a fall-guy and nobody wants to blame a "hero"! As always: Actions are not a personality trait, but by god a lot of people cannot see situations based on objective facts, but interprets them through the persons background.
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Government looks bad because of the leak, destroy you.
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Manning and Snowden disclose info that makes the US look bad, so: "EVIL COWARDLY TRAITORS"
Petraeus and Cartwright disclose info that makes the US look good, so: "Meh, mistakes made, water under the bridge now. They're all patriots."
The mythology associated with leakers/whistleblowers is astounding, as TFA notes. Even when it's proven otherwise, the noise machine (aaah! FAKE NEWS!) gives it a sense of realism and unassailable truth.
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There is nothing they released that made America look bad. America is already doing that on it's own.
They just released information and made congress out for corrupt, lying, fools they are. That is the real crime! Making members of the government look bad!
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To be fair, we now know you will destroy your life whether you use the proper channels or not, using the proper channels just guarantees it will be for nothing.
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LAGNAF
Does it count if the person is of the same sex?
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/18/julian-assanges-conditions-extradition-us-not-met-say -lawyers/
now you know exactly how full of shit Assange really is.
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Crazy, Old Coot
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Wikileaks and The Intercept fall into the "viable" and "meaningful" channel categories.
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(Not sure if Bradley/Chelsea identified as male or female during that time, so using "him/her" both.)
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Bradley is an attention whore, always has been, from the first time he tried to punch an officer, until now. Probably will be in the future.
The mental health experts rule him male, so even his claim of being trans is mere attention seeking, not an actual medical condition.
But at least I now now Techdirt is fake news and can be ignored from now on.
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Just out of curiosity - what about this opinion blog makes it "fake news", other than you don't agree with it?
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Actual "fake news" would never provide primary source materials, since that is invaluable if you want to determine the objectivity of their work...
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But at least I now now Techdirt is fake news and can be ignored from now on.
We'll see - what we probably won't see is you reverse course and call those who tortured him FELONS (all in CAPS, like you rant on your website) once he's able to speak freely.
Right?
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So, in fact, almost every word in this article is wrong.
Well, maybe not every word. I'm sure "the," "and" and "of" were used correctly once or twice.
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Re: So, in fact, almost every word in this article is wrong.
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What you've actually got now is Right and What The Actual Hell??!
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Q: How can you tell a politician is lying?
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Obviously
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Endangering lives and people dying are two very different things. I don't think either of them should be applauded or excused.
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Going outside endangers your life. So does staying inside. Drinking water or not drinking water. Any number of things 'endanger lives', the fact that they couldn't point to so much as a single death caused by her actions makes it pretty clear that despite their histrionics about how Manning's actions were so horrible because 'lives were at risk!' either that risk was minimal at best or every single person impacted was insanely lucky.
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Rank And Power Win The Day!
As for Mr John McCain (AKA Grumpy Dueche)......He doesn't speak for All of Arizona, Just Sayin!
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grmmar error
You meant to say: because maybe some other insane President will commute my reasonable 35 year sentence to just 7 years?
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