Update: Bradley Manning More Hacker-Wannabe Than Gay Avenger

A reader objects to the prominence I'm giving the gay angle. He points to Manning's chat logs as evidence he was more of an "information wants to be free" hacker-wannabe than an angry homosexual.

(02:23:25 PM) Manning: i could’ve sold to russia or china, and made bank?
(02:23:36 PM) Lamo: why didn’t you?
(02:23:58 PM) Manning: because it’s public data
(02:24:15 PM) Lamo: i mean, the cables
(02:24:46 PM) Manning: it belongs in the public domain
(02:25:15 PM) Manning: information should be free
(02:25:39 PM) Manning: it belongs in the public domain
(02:26:18 PM) Manning: because another state would just take advantage of the information… try and get some edge
(02:26:55 PM) Manning: if its out in the open… it should be a public good
(02:27:04 PM) Manning: *do the
(02:27:23 PM) Manning: rather than some slimy intel collector
(02:29:18 PM) Manning: im crazy like that

Well that is important information. However, a criminal's stated reason for his crime is rarely congruent with his actual reason. Especially criminals like this -- spies tend to cast their betrayals in terms of some more defensible greater abstract point.

Spies become spies because of MICES -- Money Ideology Coercion Ego Sex. Which of the mice were driving little Bradley's wheels we can't say yet.

I know for a fact this little bastard did this for personal reasons -- he had a grudge. About what in particular, it's not clear. But this information wants to be free stuff is stuff he got from Assange, the latter bastard providing the former bastard a justification to do what he wanted to do anyway.

But either way this misses my point.

I am sick to death of the media playing stories different ways depending upon whether or not they involve a protected group's member or member of a group they're hostile to.

I am sick to death of the media deciding I'm not cleared to have certain sensitive information, because I might draw the wrong impressions if I know it.

I am sick of the arrogance of these media bastards suppressing facts that don't fit their goddamned Narrative or their favored political policies (such as repealing DADT).

IN: Publishing sensitive data about our SWIFT financial monitoring; secret prisons; secret airlines and secret airstrips; secret contractors and front companies; not too sensitive; will not harm an important American interest

OUT: Publishing data about the tumultuous sexual life of a confirmed traitor. Too sensitive; may harm an important American interest (namely, repealing DADT)

posted by Ace at 04:08 PM

| Access Comments