Discussion: Ocasio-Cortez Calls For Chealsea Manning's Release From Solitary Confinement

Nobody who isnā€™t a high violence risk should be kept in solitary. It is torture. We are social animals.

16 Likes

Whistleblower protections and Sunshine laws make sure that we have the information, campaign finance reform and protecting the right to vote guarantee we can put that information to use.

3 Likes

Sorry, but Wikileaks is a Russian asset and needs to die.

That being said, solitary needs to universally stop. It is cruel and unusual punishment. Period. End of story. She can be kept incarcerated but safe in another manner. No excuses.

16 Likes

ā€œwhistleblowerā€

The way I learned the term, people who were whistleblowers acted with the full knowledge, understanding, and acceptance of the consequences of their actions.

Chelsea Manning continues to aid and abet a hostile foreign intelligence service.

7 Likes

I dunnoā€¦ What would be crueler, to be Trumpā€™s cell-mate, or solitary?

But on the serious not, thatā€™s certainly an issue with transgender people. Where do you put them? As we evolve our understanding of the human psyche and the fluidity of gender, then the old binary conclusions no longer workā€¦ And with prisons especially, thatā€™s definitely a new nut to crack and one that our system isnā€™t built to handle.

OTOH, Chelsea has only herself to blame here. Sheā€™s being held in contempt of court, so all she needs to do is answer their questions, and sheā€™d be happily on her way. By her own account, thereā€™s nothing that she hasnā€™t shared before, so not sure why sheā€™s taking a stand on thisā€¦

3 Likes

3 Likes

Because sheā€™s a bit of an attention whore and is getting it from Glen Greenwald and his ilk as they gnash their teeth and spit fire about her being a hero of free speech and govā€™t transparency blah blah blah fuck Glen Greenwald. Besides, thereā€™s no better advertising for a political activist than ā€œI am/was a political prisonerā€¦put me on the list with Mandela! Yay me!ā€

11 Likes

On another topic, the Whiner in the White House tweeted that we have to know the ā€˜orangesā€™ of the Mueller Report.

Jesus Whirling Christ.

To make matters worse, during a photo op, he claimed again that his dad was born in Germany.

Look, Whiny. That was your draft-dodging GRAMPA that was born in Germany. Dear old Dad was born in the Bronx. And the only reason for that was because Gramps got caught slipping the draft and was thrown out of the country.

5 Likes

AOC fumble, Iā€™d say. I know her district very well, having lived in different parts of it in Queens and the Bronx. This isnā€™t a position I think her District will support. There are plenty of immigrants in her District and donā€™t care much for traitors.

Solitary is a big issue, but Manning isnā€™t a good person to get behind to fight for change in the use of solitary.

6 Likes

The way I learned the term a whistle blower was someone who told the truth about something the authorities would have preferred to keep hidden. It does not necessarily include a willingness to be prosecuted for doing the right thing.
The concept of taking an action which is currently unlawful and accepting the consequences is part of MLKā€™s theories on civil disobedience

5 Likes

God, I hope she doesnā€™t take up Manningā€™s ā€˜causeā€™. Sheā€™s in the right lane right now and is starting to brand herself in all positive ways. Spending any time on Manning would be a mistake.

7 Likes

Sheā€™s always reminded me of the people that keep going back to an abusive ex.

1 Like

Actually, sheā€™s doing the opposite of whistle blowing here. Sheā€™s clamming up like a gangster.

Torture is legal in America. Police administer electroshock and chemical torture routinely. American torturers and war criminals are never prosecuted.

Obama prosecuted more whistleblowers under the Espionage Act than all previous Presidents combined.

Indefinite detention without charges is also legal.

For all the torture cheerleaders here, you should remember that it is administered regardless of guilt or innocence. It could easily happen to you or a loved one.

American Exceptionalism, indeed.

3 Likes

Sometimes AOC is really not thinking before talking. There must be a punitive consequence for a failure to comply with the grand jury, we cannot just let people out because it is mean to keep people locked up. Now solitary confinement is probably an overstep. But the toxin called Wikileaks has to be rooted out, it had a lot to do with the last election and Russian interference. And assigning Manning a ā€œpatrioticā€ label is just a little too much for me.

1 Like

he sounds like he is slipping into senility now

Havenā€™t studied this case. Are we supposed to be on Manningā€™s side in this dispute? Is the government making unreasonable demands of her in wanting her testimony? Is she protecting a person or an organization that actually deserves further scrutiny and possible punishment for the commission of a crime? What is it suspected sheā€™s refusing to divulge? Would cooperating incriminate her in crimes? Is she the white hat or black hat here?

TPM doesnā€™t expand on any of these questions.

1 Like

It naturally follows that solitary confinement is the status of their incarceration? Why not hard labor breaking rocks?

6 Likes
4 Likes