snyps said:

To be fair, this one's apples-oranges. Really doubt Brevik would've only gotten 21 years in America.

Was there?  The only thing I picked up on was some cases where journalists and such were accidentally fired on.  To me they aren't crimes or abuses until they're intentional.  Though yeah, i think the huge dirth of well... more or less worthless cables that were the equivlent of revealing intercouple gossip at the end of a party really did hurt their PR.

As for the transgender stuff... I imagine the reason she waited until now was because of her lawyer.  Holding on to it as a card to play at setencing, so the prosecution couldn't be prepared for it.

I mean the Military's treatment of the transgender certaintly does go a long way in explaining why someome would release all of those cables.

I think its good to be focused on your happiness even if things look bad. I wish an american patriot the best, and offer my thanks for defending my freedom and paying an unfair price.

Hong Kong =/= China, please educate yourself. He chose Hong Kong specifically because free-speech is protected there more than any other country in the world, including the United States. He chose Russia, because he has no other choice. How did Snowden help us? By revealing an illegal operation in the U.S government, and creating a discussion which will likely lead to reform and hopefully the gradual deconstruction of the survellience state. 

Not? Manning whistleblowed about war crimes and Snowden about the spying of ... well basically everything. That helps me as a normal guy a lot - I know that I better shouldn't use my right for free speech. Add the stuff about Miranda and the Guardian to the mix to know, that the western values are all shattered.

Where should Snowden go? Most other countries would have delivered him into the US. What he has to expect in the US has been shown with Manning. That doesn't mean Russia and China are good countries with good politics, but he had no choice. The whistleblowers in these countries can flee to the US. In each case they flee into non-free countries.

And hacking? We all know now now, that the US hacks a lot in other countries.

Why do you defend the wrongdoers? Wrong understanding of patriotism? A real patriot would fight to reestablish the values the US-constitution is based on.

you're absolutely right. I thought he was in mainland not HK. HK is completely different story

He is unsure of his sexual identity, but he didn't changed sex. People use it to make him look bad or for distraction, as they can't defend the crimes he uncovered.

http://gregmitchellwriter.blogspot.de/2013/06/as-debate-continues-what-manning.html

Does it help you when other countries start banding together against us and create international problems? Not to mention undermine our efforts at quelling dangerous terrorist cells. Our main weapon against terror is being a better country for our citizens. People coming out and contributing to the idea that we might be just like muslim regimes, or reinforcing their belief that we are evil does not help. It hurts...a lot.

I was unaware he went to HK. That's fine with me.

Well it was quite a revelation to the Russians...great job. Glad to see our foreign relationships are threatened by these AMERICAN HEROES.

A Patriot would do what is best for the country. Exposing military secrets and secret intelligence to enemies does not help. Enjoy more of your taxes going into NSA and military so that we can now protect ourselves from new enemies.