Right.. because they already found him guilty.. so if he insists he didn't -- disagreeing with the court -- they'll point out he has no remorse about what he's been found guilty of, and give him a tougher sentence.
The court didn't find him guilty of harming the U.S. though, they found him guilty of charges that have zero requirement for actual injury.
So with that in mind there's no reason that Manning should have to say that he harmed the U.S. And as it turns out you'd have to be pretty blind to come away with the idea that there was zero injury to the U.S. So in this regard he's only saying what is plainly obvious.
His explanation makes sense though and certainly seems sincere. He's a junior enlisted soldier, wickedly smart, trying to make a difference in the world. He has his own personal issues. The military (and Army in particular) are, despite his best efforts, practically in a different universe than he is. And now he sees an opportunity (perhaps with a wee bit of coaching from the IRC channels he was hanging in) to uphold his oath to the Constitution and show the American people what their military was really up to.
So far the only part that's different from any other junior enlisted soldier, sailor, etc. is how exactly he chose to act out on his idealistic moment. Most do something stupid but incredibly minor and go on to have a normal life.
In this case, Manning's defense team is exactly right: He should never have been over there, because his particular idealistic outburst had much wider ranging effects than something like flying up to DC and walking to the White House and demanding to speak to the Commander-in-Chief (which is something that has certainly never happened on one of my duty days).
So I feel sorry for him, I really do. I just wish he hadn't been led in the direction he was, because I don't doubt that he meant well.
Certainly his statement was designed to not piss off the sentencing judge. But it meshes very well with his earlier statement from when he pled guilty, and so I see no reason to doubt its truth or sincerity. He meant well, things didn't go the way he expected they would, and so he offers his mea culpa.
"He gazed up at the enormous face. Forty years it had taken him to learn what kind of smile was hidden beneath the dark moustache. O cruel, needless misunderstanding! O stubborn, self-willed exile from the loving breast! Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother."
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[ 3.9 ms ] story [ 24.3 ms ] threadSo with that in mind there's no reason that Manning should have to say that he harmed the U.S. And as it turns out you'd have to be pretty blind to come away with the idea that there was zero injury to the U.S. So in this regard he's only saying what is plainly obvious.
His explanation makes sense though and certainly seems sincere. He's a junior enlisted soldier, wickedly smart, trying to make a difference in the world. He has his own personal issues. The military (and Army in particular) are, despite his best efforts, practically in a different universe than he is. And now he sees an opportunity (perhaps with a wee bit of coaching from the IRC channels he was hanging in) to uphold his oath to the Constitution and show the American people what their military was really up to.
So far the only part that's different from any other junior enlisted soldier, sailor, etc. is how exactly he chose to act out on his idealistic moment. Most do something stupid but incredibly minor and go on to have a normal life.
In this case, Manning's defense team is exactly right: He should never have been over there, because his particular idealistic outburst had much wider ranging effects than something like flying up to DC and walking to the White House and demanding to speak to the Commander-in-Chief (which is something that has certainly never happened on one of my duty days).
So I feel sorry for him, I really do. I just wish he hadn't been led in the direction he was, because I don't doubt that he meant well.
Certainly his statement was designed to not piss off the sentencing judge. But it meshes very well with his earlier statement from when he pled guilty, and so I see no reason to doubt its truth or sincerity. He meant well, things didn't go the way he expected they would, and so he offers his mea culpa.