Irony of the Treatmet of Whistleblowers

While PFC Bradley Manning is being sentenced to 35 years in prison, after being subject to solitary confinement 23 hrs a day, reportedly being forced to strip naked, former President George W. Bush has a mega library constructed to his honor.  The mainstream media makes a big deal over Manning's actions, yet fails to even mention the perpetrators of the war crimes he exposed.  But when war crimes become legalized, those willing to defy it become marginalized.  George W. Bush invaded an eight-rate nation which did not pose a threat to our security, much less house the reported weapons of mass destruction.  Our own defense intelligence clearly revealed this, yet were ignored.  Was the war a victory?  That depends on who's asking.  If you're the bloated defense contractors and ever-growing mercenary armies, then yes, you make out well.  If you're the civilians of Iraq, exposed to permanent toxins of depleted uranium and supposedly illegal white phosphorus weapons, then you're considered "collateral".  If you're a U.S. soldier risking your life for your nation, then you're touted as brave and heroic in acceptable dialogue.  However, if you're that same soldier who astutely reports blatant war crimes committed on America's behalf, suddenly you're a threat.

This hit and run treatment of justice aids in the normalization of wartime abuses.  The same is true of Edward Snowden.  If these people clearly weren't in it for the money (Snowden left his lucrative job and Manning didn't personally profit from his information) then whatever were they after?  Could it be that these two actually wanted public questioning of power?  If one looks at their own words, yes.  Manning's own words: "I believed if the public...could see this it could spark a debate on the military and our foreign policy in general."  Exactly what our Power Elite despises.  Are these men heroes or traitors?  Decide for yourself, but don't be surprised if we see more like them in the future.