When did the United States of America cease to be a self-respecting nation and become the self-loathing country we have?
We have a president who apologizes around the world for our pre-eminence -- which, by the way has for decades opened an umbrella of protection over free countries worldwide.
The federal government long ago made it clear it would not secure the nation's borders.
And now, it appears treason is no longer going to be considered a crime.
During our war with radical Islam, several traitors have emerged to fight with and promote the enemy. None have been executed as traitors.
Instead, we call them "homegrown" terrorists, making them sound like vegetables rather than turncoats.
When did traitors stop being traitors?
Example: What should happen to someone who leaks or divulges classified Department of Defense information during wartime -- with the express intent of harming that war effort?
Should that person or persons not be tried as traitors or spies?
Such a crime just happened, with the release of some 76,000 of 91,000 documents that WikiLeaks website reportedly has. The documents shook the international war effort by revealing openly for the first time the extent of Iran's and Pakistan's surreptitious aid to Taliban forces killing U.S. troops in Afghanistan, as well as other secret documents.
Indignation from our own government has been muted, but Afghan President Hamid Karzai denounced the leaks this week, saying they revealed names of pro-U.S. informants in Afghanistan and endangered their lives.
"Officials are concerned that potential new contacts may be reluctant to help out of the fear that the United States can't protect sources," says CNN.
Absolutely.
"This is a very serious issue," Karzai said.
We agree. So why aren't you hearing more of that kind of concern from our own government?
We hope it's forthcoming, as military officials focus on a suspect, Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, 22, who is alleged to have downloaded the documents from a classified military Internet system he had access to as an intelligence analyst. He's already charged with eight counts in a separate data release, reportedly also involving WikiLeaks.
Rather than downplay what amounts to a domestic spy case -- by saying there's nothing revelatory or highly secret in the documents -- U.S. officials should be at least as indignant as our ally Karzai, wouldn't you think?
Whatever the damage -- and that's still being assessed -- whoever mined a secure government website for classified information for the express intent of publishing that material to the world has committed a treasonous act. It only adds to the insult, and the criminal scope, if the perpetrators' intent was to damage the war effort.
They used to call that treason. What are they calling it today?
When they even mention it, that is.
It is distinctly peculiar that every revelation of classified material is against the interests of the US, and no one is ever held accountable. How odd we never hear al-Quiada secrets broadcast on al-Jeezera. Oh, that's right! They'd kill them, rather than protect their 'journalistic freedoms."
The honest voters in this country have only one vote. They must use that vote in November.
It's time to remove Eddie Slovik from the historical footnote and enter a new one.
Yep another honorable mention article, keep up the good work editors. *YAWNS*
OnlyinAgs2, none of my business, but why not try to write a great rebuttal comment to the editorial if you don't like what they say?
Well, perhaps the AC is justified in wondering why our government hasn't executed any of these homegrown traitors for treason...but, the problem is, that could only happen under normal circumstance in times of a declared war...and to my knowledge our government has never officially declared war against any of the countries or "gangs" we are waging "undeclared war" against.
Obviously the AC would like to blame President Obama for this oversight but the blame really goes to our former fearless leader and the congress that timidly authorized him to take any action his little heart desired.
The AC would do well to aim its subtle suggestions in the appropriate direction once in awhile.
GGpap
Homegrown terrorists? I say the same thing about those who openly call for secession because they did not get their way in a free and open democratic election. Like you chronicle.
Riverman1 - nice post! How many people posting here know who Eddie Slovik was?
Absurd editorial, once again. The requirements for a treason conviction are specified in the constitution and under federal law. The requirements are strict. This action, although certainly illegal, is not treason. I continue to be appalled at the people who call themselves conservatives but who have never read our constitution.
U.S. Army PFC Bradley Manning did this country a service when he supplied Wikileaks with video of a U.S. helicopter attack in July 2007 that killed 12 Iraqi civilians. There was no reason that video was classified except to protect the U.S. Army from embarrassment for its actions and its cover-ups.
Why do we have to learn from Wikileaks that the Taliban in Afghanistan have acquired heat seeking missiles? Why do we have to learn from Wikileaks that United States military has killed hundreds more civilians in Afghanistan than they have admitted? Why do we have to learn from Wikileaks that missiles fired from drones often miss their targets and kill civilians? Why isn't The Augusta Chronicle editorial board more interested in protecting freedom of the press and more interested in Americans' right to know the truth than it is in towing the U.S. military's line?
Daniel Ellsberg did Americans a service when he leaked The Pentagon Papers during the Vietnam War. Bradley Manning and Wikileaks have similarly done the American people a spectacular favor by telling us the truth about our government's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I hope Wikileaks releases another 15,000 documents against the explicit wishes of the Obama administration. It is time our leaders are forced to face the truth about their actions and their lies.
Robert Gates and Mike Mullen are claiming that Wikileaks has blood on its hands when it is the U.S. military and civilian leaders who clearly have the blood of innocent Iraqi civilians and innocent Afghan civilians on their hands.
Neither the U.S. war in Iraq nor the U.S. war in Afghanistan will end well for United States. The U.S. war in Iraq has been illegal since Day One because it was waged under known false pretenses.
United States has the right to pursue those directly responsible for 9/11 and other terrorist attacks, but it has no right to occupy Afghanistan and wage a war for hegemony over that country for 9 years when there are less than 50 Al Qaeda members in Afghanistan. They pose no threat whatsoever to United States. United States is spending more than a billion dollar a year in Afghanistan for every Al Qaeda member in that country. This war is absurd!
United States' actions are creating more enemies in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and in Pakistan. That is the truth that Americans should learn and learn well from the official U.S. documents that Wikileaks divulged. Those who love America and loathe lies need to step forward and demand our government tell us the truth about its bloody, costly, counterproductive wars of choice for domination of the Middle East and South Asia.
The problem is the you AC and everyone like you i said before joe wilson and the rest are the cause. Just because you hate the Obama Admin that's no reason to destory the Nation. People are doing things never thought of, because of personal hate. So when things get real bad just remember your actions cause this Not Obama. If Obama goes down so does the Nation you people better wake up you set us up for a great threats and action from the fringe and call them great Americans get real! We will defend this Nation from foreign and homegrown Terrorists.
When the Clinton administration was building firewalls between police agencies and closing bases and cutting off military funding in the nineties, the NYTimes was printing classified military documents on a regular basis and none of the government press mentioned it as treason. Then, when America was attacked and Bush went after the radical muslim responsible, (with the permission of congress ...undeclared?) the Dems released numerous military plans and photographs of military installations to the NYTimes - who immediately printed them - and no charges of treason were ever made. Now that the left has a strangle hold on D.C. and their fuhrer is in control, releasing secret military documents will be even more commonplace. The ACES is right to complain, all Americans should, but this has been going on for two decades. This action by pfc. Manning may be grandfathered in.
Again......Cain defends the criminals.......some things never change. He dodged or completely ignored my question yesterday about state police enforcing federal law (because it would reveal his lies and half truths) now he defends the unauthorized release of classified information (a crime called espionage). But who is surprised?
Tigger, this was illegal but it's not espionage. Quit being so silly.
southernguy08 you just do not get it, Obama hasn't done anything to bring down this Nation that was done along time ago and you know it. Yes and in the words of Mr. T i pity you Fools you are wrong on this one. Has your Governor done anything for lately or your state government think about that while you are having a good time railing about Obama they got a pass. Make them all accountable. Lower case on my name is oaky.
I believe this young man currently occupies a military prison cell in the great State of Virginia. Being an American citizen he deserves a fair trial..................a military trial, but a fair trial. None of us should expect less than that.
Dixieman, thanks. I was wondering if anyone would get it. I always follow your posts and enjoy them.
If you have a military and government where the lowest ranking people can take it upon themselves to decide what secrets they can leak, you are in big trouble. Manning costs the lives of those helping us and probably some of our own soldiers. He needs to be used as a crash dummy to show what happens when a convoy of tanks runs over someone.
Rather than admit their crimes and mistakes the U.S. government and military will make Bradley Manning and anybody else they can the scapegoat for their illegal war in Iraq, for their counterproductive war in Afghanistan, and for their illegal, extrajudicial killings of suspected militants and civilians in Pakistan.
I got it Riverman, good point diximan, JRHC well said.
We need more sunshine in government instead of secrecy. Secrecy harbors dishonesty and corruption especially in the military and the spook business where lying is the norm instead of the exception. The Afghan fiasco is nine years old and some truth is long overdue.
It takes a courageous person to stand up for justice especially when they'll suffer the consequences. The minions just follow orders and keep their mouths shut.
How many of you apologists for traitors can remember the "outing" of Desk Jockey Agent .00000000, Valerie Plame? To be consistent, ya'll should be calling for a special prosecutor to spend a couple of years and millions of dollars investigating Joe "the Lip" Biden and all on his staff to see who was really behilnd the leaking of these documents. The FBI should ask them all a lot of questions. They are so accustomed to lying about everything that many convictions would surely result. Never mind doing anything to the guilty party. Ignore him like the special prosecutor ignored Armitage who was known practically from the get-go as the one who outed Plame.
No, no, no, you can't investigate Cheney for this one. The question should be, "What did Biden know and when did he know it." Whoops, that sure is a non-starter, if one considers the little to nothing that Biden knows about anything, except how to spend his adult life (whoops, another unfounded assumption - "Adult?") gorging himself at the govenment trough. How racist of me to speak ill of our first Black Vice President. Another boo-boo. It's not his skin that's black, it's only his character.
I'd just like to know how the latest money ($8,700,000,000) continues to disappear in Iraq and elsewhere. Does anyone care or suspect corruption? I do know that if there is widespread corruption of this magnitude, it would be of interest to continue the current insane policies in Iraq and Afghanistan. I'd want to conceal data that is detrimental to these failed policies as well. Let's milk this cow dry! Why are we so quick to accept that other countries have rampant corruption but not ours? Maybe it's me but I just don't get it.
impossible - Excuse me but I believe it was one of your wonderful righties that told on Valerie Plame, not a liberal nor leftie. It was the usual Republican tactic. Discredit and get even with those singing off the song sheet.
You criticize Joe Biden but ole Joe runs his mouth and he'll tell what he knows. We need more people like him in government. He's full of SUNSHINE and unvarnished truth. Has a way of getting your attention too.
"You criticize Joe Biden but ole Joe runs his mouth and he'll tell what he knows. We need more people like him in government. He's full of SUNSHINE and unvarnished truth."
Dadgum, he does and is. What worries me is that he is Vice President instead of running a country store telling the farmers how it is.
springwater, ‘He's full of SUNSHINE and unvarnished truth.’
I like that. It means he is full of excrement and a dumb arse. The only reason Hussein picked him was he didn’t want a VP smarter than he is or other wise he would have picked Hilary.
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