This debate between Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald and New York’s Jeffrey Toobin, both legal experts, is very enlightening and much worth watching. As those who know me may guess, I tend to side with Greenwald here…
By the way, since Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg is invoked in the above, please see what he had to say about Bradley Manning when I interviewed him in 2010, as I quoted him yesterday here. My entire 2010 Ellsberg interview (text transcript and audio), including more of his thoughts on Manning is posted here.
UPDATE 8/3/2012: Greenwald and Toobin returned for Round 2 on CNN. This time with New York Times investigative journalist James Risen as well. It didn’t go any better for Toobin. Details, video here…
Attorney Michael Ratner responds to the verdict in the Bradley Manning trial. Manning was found guilty of 20 charges in total, including espionage, but he was acquitted of aiding the enemy, the most serious charge. “For him facing 136 years in jail for telling the American people what our government should have been telling us “” about torture centers in Iraq, 20,000 extra civilians killed in Iraq “” I find outrageous,” Ratner says. “He shouldn’t be put on trial. He is a whistleblower. The people that should be put on trial are the people who actually did those human rights violations.”
Toobin’s suggestion that Manning must somehow show that he is the “only one” with a conscience willing to expose the deceptions of government erects a straw man, easily demolished.
The ACLU’s Michael Gerson, writes that the question of whether Edward Snowden is a whistleblower is not a difficult one.
That same standard applies to Bradley Manning.
Ernie @ 2:
There’s a problem with the argument you present from Gerson, as I noted on the Manning thread yesterday in response to your same point there.
In short, National Security whistleblowers are not among those “covered employees” in the National Whistleblower Protection Act!
I am Bradley Manning and YOU are Bradley Manning whether you know it or not. http://dregstudiosart.blogspot....y-manning.html
Greenwald schooled Toobin,Toobin’s first class spokes model status for the corporate media may get downgraded after this performance.
Brad is correct, as I read the statute, that whistleblowers who report unlawful spying on Americans is not covered under the whistleblower act.
So why are Ellsberg, Drake, Benning, Tice, and Kroft walking around in the U.S. after “national security” whistleblowing –while Snowden and Manning are not?
Could it be that Snowden and Manning got better stuff than the others?
Yesterday July 31st, we ended a 3 day Whistleblower Summit on Civil and Human Rights. The conference was the only gathering for and by Whistleblowers and Advocates. We started off at the Mott house on Capitol Hill and held panels:
War on Whistleblowers and Journalist
Culture of Government Corruption
Warrantless Surveillance of Whistleblowers
Ask us, the whistleblowers the people who have skin in the game how this has impacted our lives.
Every whistleblower spoke to feels less safe and much more vulnerable. Many said that given the climate now they would be much more hesitant to speak up.
Sorry if this seems obvious, but does it surprise anyone that Toobin, obviously a paid shill for someone, mouthed the party line? Pretty thin in substance, long on inference and allegation, assuming a lot that should not be assumed. The spin doctors are paid well….
Tool vs actual Constitutional laywer.
“lawyer.”