The Manning Verdict: The Implication of Placation by guest blogger Diane Gee

Bradley Manning was sentenced to 35 of the possible 136 years they could have given him today. Eligible for a parole hearing in 10, it will likely come up in 7 with "time served." The MSM tried to frame as "accidental" the civilian murders on the released war-porn video, one of many such images and videos Manning witnessed, despite the soundtrack showing the unadulterated blood-lust and glee at the hit. Even the judge could not find "damage-done" though at one point, Manning did the smart thing and offered a general apologia prior to sentencing. Lets face it.  People we are bombing know we double-tap.  Thats why they hate us, beyond the general "invade my country and kill my family and take all my resources" general hate.  We kill civilians with GLEE. Manning's statement today was profound. "Our nation has had similar dark moments for the virtues of democracy-the Trail of Tears, the Dred Scott decision, McCarthyism, the Japanese-American internment camps-to name a few. I am confident that many of our actions since 9/11 will one day be viewed in a similar light. As the late Howard Zinn once said, 'There is not a flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.'" So, as the unexpectedly soft sentence came?  My though process was as follows... While it is a travesty of justice, I am mildly astonished that the sentence was that light in this toxic political climate. He will be eligible for parole in 7 yrs (with time served) and there is a move on the table to lessen or commute his sentence. I have to think it was not mercy, more likely fear of making people rally against harshness that influenced this. They fear us. I would like to expand on that thought process.

Manning did no damage, and they know it.  His barbaric torture prior to the trial was nothing but a warning to other whistleblowers, by an administration that has gone after more whistleblowers than all other Presidencies in out History combined.  "Here be Monsters!," was their warning.  "Be afraid," was their cry, while they made Manning an example to us all. Had Snowden not come along?  Manning would be doing life. They fear us so much, that now they are playing a game of manipulation to stave rebellion as the Empire falls like a clumsily built house of cards, on a gusty August afternoon, in the Autumn of Global Climate Change.  You know, because he who is hung last and has the most hoarded might have half a fucking chance when the feces hit the proverbial fan. But as more unfolds on Snowden? They may have to throw us a bone with Manning, to show they are "fair." The thing is? Manning did no real damage, except in the US's view of themselves, while Snowden could bring down the whole house of cards. Snowden is danger.  Snowden can do real damage.  The fear and loathing doesn't drip, its being mainlined faster than a junkie slamming the plunger into his DTing veins.  Our allies are at our bequest, treating Glenn Greenwald's family like terrorists.  They are smashing hard drives like a 2nd grader who thinks if they tear up the test they failed, it won't count.  I mean really, in exposing the mining of the cloud you are actively doing, you don't understand the information is already in the cloud?  You might just be too stupid to live.  But they do understand it.  They are grasping at intimidation straws thinking as they slip over the waterfall they can scare the water into not flowing.   Ok, enough bad mixing of metaphors, but it is hard not to become personally invested and animated by what is happening. So, when Snowden is assassinated?  Mysteriously dies?  Is found naked and high and in some compromising position with more questions than answers?  We will have reasonable doubt they would "go that far" because "Manning got a fair shake."   They will have more credibility by giving us the sacrificial "thief" in the crowd than the actual "savior."  In other words?  They can afford leniency with Manning - they already broke him, and took 3 years to so do.  By giving us him?  When they go after Snowden by any means necessary, they can use Manning as proof that they are not monsters.  And Monsters with a capital M they are.  Manning is expendable to them - a PR gift to us without appearing weak, while Snowden?  He is public enemy numero uno, biotches. I would not be entirely surprised if Obama commuted his sentence, which of course would feed the plan of the Democratic demise in the next POTUS round, in the name of SECURITY and evil "socialism."  Obama was a perfect tool to bring a Police State with little resistance.  But now that so many cats are exiting said sacks?  They need a Daddy-figure badass to bring it into full fruition.   It is, in fact, 12 fucking dimensional chess. Just not the game you thought.  Black you lose, white they win, baby.  Its the Uniparty. "Don't make them rise up over the one we already broke, who didn't harm the Elites at all, or we will never get away with flaying the man who really can hurt us.  Never give suffering people a martyr.  Give them hope, and doubt." Sometimes I wonder why I am the only one who is sick enough to think like they do. I feel like a profiler who is too deep in the criminals' minds.... I can see this playing out, and people's outrage, which will be so very short lived since its not hundreds of years.  I can see something happening to Greenwald and Snowden, and mainstream Americans having "reasonable doubt" that we had "!anything!" to do with it... since it happened in one of those countries we see as savage and alien in our ignorance.  Especially now that Manning got a surprisingly fair shake from a Government we all have been seeing more and more as totalitarian. Its so easy to confuse us. But?  If you had everything?  How would you play it?  Placate, obfuscate, eliminate.   I would play it exactly like this.  Mark my words, so will they.