Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Conscience on trial: the United States vs Manning

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Monday, May 26, 2014

Conscience on trial: the United States vs Manning

Click here to access a review of a book on Chelsea Manning's trial by Anthony Tarrant, from Reflections on a Revolution.

Few articles that I have posted in the nearly five years of this website have contained so much pathos, courage, and love as does this post. Chelsea Manning and many others described in this article have acted from the very best virtues that humans possess. But, there are also villains in the form of military authorities who doubtlessly were pressured by ruling class directors to wreck vengeance upon someone who tried and succeeded in revealing to Americans the kind of war crimes that their masters committed and wanted concealed. In contrast to Manning and others, the military authorities exhibited some of the worst qualities of humans.

Referring to the book entitled The United States Vs. Pvt. Chelsea Manning by Clark Stoeckley, Tarrant writes:

Clark Stoeckley has created a powerful, chronological history of a massive American miscarriage of justice. He deserves tremendous credit, along with a relative handful of others, for showing up with his back straight day after day in the belly of the beast and bringing back a work that should have a place on the bookshelves of truth tellers and truth seekers everywhere. Do support OR Books‘ courageous decision to publish this book and purchase it directly from them or from an independent book seller carrying the title.

Courage is contagious. Chelsea Manning inspired Jeremy Hammond. And both of them inspire me. And those that attended Chelsea’s trial faithfully day in and day out, putting their lives and careers at risk to bear witness, were inspired and propelled forward by her example....