Article stuff.

[delta_mai]

Ok, first of all - thanks so much for your views on Charlie Sheen.  They really helped my article, which is now all done.  I'll be posting it later this week, along with my column for this month.  To help me write that, or to just have an interesting discussion (I think I'm going to start doing Interesting Discussion posts :D) what are your views?

Poll

Comments

[staringiscaring]

Bradley Manning is a clear case of how little Wikileaks cares about its sources. Manning was a whistle blower who probably wanted to get the big secrets out about the war in Iraq & afganistan and instead Assange &co posted snarky ambassadorial commentary at first and then posted a bit about banks before the media became more interested in whether Assange did or did not rape two women. A serious charge to be sure, but it put Bradley Manning out of the spotlight where now he is being tormented in solitary confinement. If you think its illegal, not in America, where literally prisoners have few rights (they even have to pay for their own medical care and food by working sub-minimum wage, manual labor in prison) and generally are packed into crowded rundown for-profit prisons where all that torment that outraged the world in Abu Gharib (SP?) can legally go on. Sadly enough, if he is in a US military-staffed prison then it might be better than in a regular america prison but if he was sent to one of those shadowy undisclosed location prisons in the Mid. East or Eastern Europe where the US pays its allies to keep people hidden then he has already been raped, beaten, and caged. The US industrial prison complex has grown grossly in my short lifetime. Its gotten so bad that 1 in 45 people in Lousiana are in prison (mostly black people in LA which is home to Angola, the prison that is set up like a cotton plantation where the descendants of slaveowners watch over the disenfranchised descendants of slaves). I guess that Assange and wikileaks didn't think of that when they essential left Bradley Manning at the mercy of the US government which has little mercy for anyone.

Sadly enough there seems to be a rise in unethical exploitation of sources in journalism today. Just two weeks ago, I read this article about how the National Geographic channel did a documentary on the Yakuza but they showed a lot of footage that they agreed not to and since then many of their sources have been beaten or disappeared. Journalistic integrity and ethics are a dying notion.

[delta_mai]

I'm not sure that WikiLeaks should shoulder so much of the blame of what's happened to Manning. Let's look at the facts.

- First of all, he was in IRAQ when he was arrested. There was no way they could protect him there, and he hasn't been free since then.
- WikiLeaks has donated $15,000 to his defence fund, which is money they desperately need.
- Assange has been persecuted himself so couldn't offer protection to Manning.
- WikiLeaks has been running stories and leaking information about Manning since he was placed in confinement.

And let's not forget, it wasn't WikiLeaks's fault that Manning was arrested - a Wired journalist called Lamo, who Manning had trusted, betrayed him and ratted him out to the FBI, causing his arrest. If anyone should be criticised of not protecting sources or betraying the journalistic code, it's him.

Thanks for your information about imprisonment - this will really help my article! :D

[staringiscaring]

I hadn't heard about Lamo. That adds a new dimension to the story. I guess I just get irrationally angry about such a bright young person getting tormented and their future snuffed out and couldn't help but wonder if he had just been used by the media.

Here is some links. I'd add more but your article is about Manning and not how the US government torments its own citizens.

http://washingtonindependent.com/62313/u-s-prison-conditions-far-worse-than-guantanamos
http://www.supermaxed.com/
http://www.aclu.org/blog/prisoners-rights/bradley-mannings-treatment-just-tip-iceberg

[delta_mai]

Oooh thanks for the links :D

Yeah, it was Lamo who sold him out. Manning had been talking to him online for an article in Wired and although Lamo promised him anonynimity he contacted the FBI from the first. Fucking bastard.

Well, my article is about freedom of speech. So link away! :D

[staringiscaring]

Hmmm, it this freedom of speech specific to a certain country or global?

http://community.livejournal.com/ontd_political/7989194.html -32 women detained by Henan police for writing gay fiction for porn site

http://mediamatters.org/research/201012210005
Off The Rails: The Year In Fox News Misinformation

Then to show you one of my states most horrible human rights violators - Sheriff Joe Arpaio - who thanks to old retirees in Sun Valley and conservatives all over Maricopa county is re-elected every. If you ever wonder why I am cynical, its because I live in Arizona and I have seen the shitty conservative future that my country seems to be driving pell-mell towards. He's not just a human rights violator but he is a shameless self-promoter.

Joe Arpaio's controversies

[delta_mai]

Totally agree with you about journalistic integrity dying. I have no idea how anyone who calls themself a journalist could even comprehend betraying or not protecting their sources. It's despicable. But in a modern world where honour and chivalry are outdated notions, it's not surprising that this would happen.

:(

Hmmm.... maybe this would be an interesting angle for my article?

[staringiscaring]

In America, journalistic integrity is dead and Fox News was the one to take it out back and shoot it.

It just might be. Here is the article I was referring too.

http://community.livejournal.com/ontd_political/7840213.html

[delta_mai]

I am so using this in my article - thanks! :D

[staringiscaring]

No problem.