Bradley Manning - The First Useful Idiot of the Revolution

Hear me out here, this may not go where you think it will...

First a working definition of useful idiot loosely using the characterization of the term by Yuri Bezmenov in 1982:
Useful idiots are people who will be convinced that their actions are righteous and good willed.Those convincing or reinforcing them of this righteousness of action will be their perceived friends, managers, teachers, and overall authority figures in close relationship with them. Useful idiots in a revolution will first be used sparingly, but as the revolution begins to spin faster and faster towards re-normalization you will see the rise and fall of these people in greater concentrations and instances. Useful idiots will be people who march, run in riots, or give up intelligence, anything that leads to potential upheaval and crisis. Once a useful idiot has fulfilled their usefulness they will be publicly sent to the gulags or hanged in the square. Again, at first this will happen to a few of the idiots, but by the last step of re-normalization will see thousands, sometimes millions, on the rope or in a gulag in Alaska. This will intimidate the rest of the populace, much of which the oppressor organization doesn't have nearly as much control over as they do their useful idiots, from attempting to do the same things, like leading marches, riots, or disclosing government secrets; as the oppressor knows that these activities lead to overthrows! So this intimidation is vital and is played efficiently by the idiots once their usefulness is complete.

With this definition fully understood lets look at Bradley Manning.

Bradley released thousands of rather innocuous cables. Sure a few grabbed headlines, but it's not like his leaked cables uncovered anything of real value. For instance, the cables didn't expose something like a US lie over WMDs in Iraq. It didn't expose a scandal of any real meaning. Overall they were rather plain, and didn't harm the US in any great way.

But for these rather innocuous cables Bradley is sitting in a brig somewhere. I am assured to great measure, that any whistle blower thinking of coming forward with the truth, with which they have sworn secrecy under threat of court martial or trial by jury, first thinks of Bradley Manning as they ponder coming forward. How could they not? Bradley Manning was an idiot used to put the fear into any potential whistle blowers, and completely by design.

How fitting is that? Too fitting if you ask me. Also, while we all publicly know of Manning's prolonged detainment with out proper trial, what we don't know is his side of the story, especially if he had any one inspiring him or influencing his decision to leak the cables or if he had any help. For instance, since the Tsarnev brothers bombed Boston it has been a key element of the investigation to find out what or who may have influenced them to do it. But, conveniently under the theory that Manning is a useful idiot, no one, and I mean NO ONE, is asking the question of who might have influenced Manning. Hell, perhaps Manning thought, and still thinks, he's some deep informant working for his own government and prepared to go down for the cause. It wouldn't be beyond a soldier's calling.

My argument is that maybe this isn't an accident that one of the first things this administration did was make an example of and lock up a perceived whistle blower earlier in its first term as we now we find ourselves early in the administration's second term shrouded in obvious dubious behavior to say the least (Benghazi, IRS Intimidation, Gun Control, Martial Law in Boston, Fast and Furious, Spying on the Associated Press). And with all of these scandals abound, the first name to come to any potential whistle blowers mind is Bradley Manning.

Useful.
Idiot.

I'm not sure this is the right forum for your topic, but I do agree that the administration might have made an example of Manning. I also wish there had been more meat to the disclosures we received and I hadn't looked at it as suspicious till now. S&F for you!

reply to post by GenerationGap

Bradley released thousands of rather innocuous cables. Sure a few grabbed headlines, but it's not like his leaked cables uncovered anything of real value. For instance, the cables didn't expose something like a US lie over WMDs in Iraq. It didn't expose a scandal of any real meaning. Overall they were rather plain, and didn't harm the US in any great way.

That was actually already well established. I'm not even sure who uncovered it as it's been awhile. People were too busy to focus on "lasers hitting the WTC" and other nonsense to really pay attention. The redacted CIA papers are proof of lies in getting the Iraq war to the approval state though.

As far as Manning goes... You would think with all the claims of this and that, illuminati, NWO, banking cabals, etc... That comes up here daily... You would think with the total complicity that people accuse of every government worker being in on some conspiracy.... you would think the cables would have some more meat in them.

I mean, for the most part they did... Boring political coverups and scandals, half of which referenced who was boning who... Big tings in the diplomatic/spy vs spy world, extremely boring to your average observer.

Maybe it was a reality check for some... The world isn't as nefarious as you thought it was. And maybe, just maybe they aren't using lasers to read your thoughts...

Martial Law in Boston

Martial Law was never declared in Boston. And if your reply is going to be, "Well, it was 'like' martial law..." Just save it... They use military vehicles against citizens for drug operations... And they have issued public warnings or told people to stay in their homes before. Yes, I think they went overboard with their response in Boston, but when you consider that this was in such a small section of the country, with such a small percentage of the population... All the arguments that it is "conditioning" or "testing" are incredibly weak.

They did way worse in their lax, behind schedule during Katrina...

Originally posted by boncho
reply to post by GenerationGap

Bradley released thousands of rather innocuous cables. Sure a few grabbed headlines, but it's not like his leaked cables uncovered anything of real value. For instance, the cables didn't expose something like a US lie over WMDs in Iraq. It didn't expose a scandal of any real meaning. Overall they were rather plain, and didn't harm the US in any great way.

 

That was actually already well established.

I'm not even sure who uncovered it as it's been awhile. People were too busy to focus on "lasers hitting the WTC" and other nonsense to really pay attention. The redacted CIA papers are proof of lies in getting the Iraq war to the approval state though.

As far as Manning goes... You would think with all the claims of this and that, illuminati, NWO, banking cabals, etc... That comes up here daily... You would think with the total complicity that people accuse of every government worker being in on some conspiracy.... you would think the cables would have some more meat in them.

I mean, for the most part they did... Boring political coverups and scandals, half of which referenced who was boning who... Big tings in the diplomatic/spy vs spy world, extremely boring to your average observer.

Maybe it was a reality check for some... The world isn't as nefarious as you thought it was. And maybe, just maybe they aren't using lasers to read your thoughts...

Martial Law in Boston

Martial Law was never declared in Boston. And if your reply is going to be, "Well, it was 'like' martial law..." Just save it... They use military vehicles against citizens for drug operations... And they have issued public warnings or told people to stay in their homes before. Yes, I think they went overboard with their response in Boston, but when you consider that this was in such a small section of the country, with such a small percentage of the population... All the arguments that it is "conditioning" or "testing" are incredibly weak.

They did way worse in their lax, behind schedule during Katrina...

edit on 13-5-2013 by boncho because: (no reason given)

You missed the entire point. Call police lock down and curfew in Boston a Fabian Circus for all I care. The point is, there's a need for whistle blowers right now and a perfect, and convenient, example that provides real fear of why they shouldn't publicly come forward. He's been in lock up for how long with out trial? Hell, maybe he's the first to be held under the 2012 NDAA guidelines. We wouldn't know, as the guidelines specifically say they don't have to say when it's being used. If it is in fact being used against Manning, do you really think anyone would come forward and say so? Nope, else they'll be counting bricks next to him.

reply to post by GenerationGap

Bradley Manning was an idiot used to put the fear into any potential whistle blowers, and completely by design.

Not so sure "by design". Although false intelligence is big industry to be true. Ever see "Falcon and the Snowman"? Goood movie.

Bradley released thousands of rather innocuous cables. Sure a few grabbed headlines, but it's not like his leaked cables uncovered anything of real value.

The most important thing that came from the video from the gunship was intentional targeting of foreign journalists that exposed the truth about the war in Iraq. Hows that for embarrassing?

The Government of Ecuador was able to determine from some of these "cables" that their news media was being influenced by the US state department to back a US favored political party in an attempt to subvert and overthrow the legitimate government by giving favor in the press to the opposing party. When the Ecuador government discovered this they threw out the US ambassador. Or something like that.

They were so grateful to Julian Assange for publicizing this information that they granted him Political Asylum in their embassy in the UK where he remains to this day. There was a phone or satellite interview between Assange and the President of Ecuador on RT. I don't have the link. One example anyway...

You make it sound like theres nothing here, and move along. Watch what happens to Manning and Assange though.

Don't shoot the messenger?

Reading Material

reply to post by GenerationGap

It didn't expose a scandal of any real meaning. Overall they were rather plain, and didn't harm the US in any great way.

actually the main thing bradley manning exposed was soldiers killing unarmed journalists from a gunship in the middle east, THEN when a van stopped to help the wounded, they opened fire. the van was filled with children.

oh, i forgot the best part, the soldiers laughed about it saying "shouldn't have brought your kids to battle". there were no enemy combatants, no guns, no terrorists.

he saved the video to a flash drive, along with all the data he could get. you should really listen to his hearing and watch the video for yourself. it's damn disturbing. he did this of his own will, he was not coaxed or prodded.

he is not a "useful idiot" but a brilliant patriot.

reply to post by intrptr


I don't disagree with any actual truth potentially in the cables what so ever. In fact, as long as it's information damaging to the current power broker set it only works better to further destabilize towards crisis. You can not have a normalization period with out a crisis period, and you can't have a crisis period in a stabilized current power broker set.

In other words, you must heat the earth up and melt it down before you can reshape closer to your heart's desire.

Originally posted by Bob Sholtz
reply to post by GenerationGap

 

It didn't expose a scandal of any real meaning. Overall they were rather plain, and didn't harm the US in any great way.

actually the main thing bradley manning exposed was soldiers killing unarmed journalists from a gunship in the middle east, THEN when a van stopped to help the wounded, they opened fire. the van was filled with children.

oh, i forgot the best part, the soldiers laughed about it saying "shouldn't have brought your kids to battle". there were no enemy combatants, no guns, no terrorists.

he saved the video to a flash drive, along with all the data he could get. you should really listen to his hearing and watch the video for yourself. it's damn disturbing. he did this of his own will, he was not coaxed or prodded.

he is not a "useful idiot" but a brilliant patriot.

But, we already knew millennia ago that war is hell and killing people results in a person developing a sick sense of humor. So it uncovered an incident veiled in a fog of war. Atrocity, yes. Sad, yes. But to think people didn't already know those things would happen before we put boot on the ground...only the young and naive who have never lived through war. But it did cause turmoil and loss of faith in America's targeting and engagement systems and tactics, which is still useful if you are carrying out an internal revolution. So, in the end, good point. I'm starring your post.

EDIT: And conveniently the meat, as you call it, from the cables can be blamed on Trotsky. Another good reason for the cables to break early in the first term of Obama. Did I say Trotsky? I meant to say Bush.

reply to post by GenerationGap

i do know one thing: every person i've shown the video to has taken a 180 degree turn on their position, from calling him a traitor for "leaking information to our enemies" to making the hard call and doing the right thing.

this tells me that most americans bought the news spin without ever digging deeper. many think we're peppering the country, not with bombs and bullets, but with rainbows and flowers. faced with the reality that our troops killed people for no reason, then laughed when they found it kids were inside, changes people.

it changed bradley manning.

reply to post by Bob Sholtz

Those weren't fog of war civilians. They weren't unarmed either. They were armed with cameras and uplinks. And they had a bad attitude. They wanted to expose the truth about Americas involvement in Iraq. Shame on them.

Only too recognizable from the video. Journalists with cameras. They even ran one over with a Hum V when they arrived. The children were an unforeseen factor. Did you notice how quick they sought medical aid for them, but not the intended targets?

That gunship knew exactly who they were targeting. Freedom of the press in an occupied land.

ETA: Control over the national media is priority one in any invasion and occupation.

reply to post by Bob Sholtz


I might well agree...If he'd stopped there or leaked other things he'd personally viewed or read.

250,000 Cables from the state department though? Ouch... Now that was a bit of overkill for release of classified stuff. He just threw out into the public whatever he could grab and no real concern for what it may or may have not done in consequences. He's plead guilty to some charges already.

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
reply to post by Bob Sholtz

 

I might well agree...If he'd stopped there or leaked other things he'd personally viewed or read.

250,000 Cables from the state department though? Ouch... Now that was a bit of overkill for release of classified stuff. He just threw out into the public whatever he could grab and no real concern for what it may or may have not done in consequences. He's plead guilty to some charges already.

Some minor charges, but the big show is yet to begin. He's still waiting for his speedy and public trial.
He has pled guilty to 10 of the 22 counts against him, though not the most serious, aiding the enemy, which carries a possible life sentence.

www.law.cornell.edu...

Care to volunteer?
www.politico.com...

You pretty much need a security clearance to attend, even if you are a reporter. Basically, only White House reporters can show up, but I guess you can try.

Either way, he's a useful idiot. Funny how his life sentence trial is just starting up, and I do think it will get some MSM coverage. It has to, in order to remind any potential whistle blowers, other wise you are wasting some of his usefulness. Gotta milk the idiot for all he's worth.

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
reply to post by Bob Sholtz

 

I might well agree...If he'd stopped there or leaked other things he'd personally viewed or read.

250,000 Cables from the state department though? Ouch... Now that was a bit of overkill for release of classified stuff. He just threw out into the public whatever he could grab and no real concern for what it may or may have not done in consequences. He's plead guilty to some charges already.

i understand your point. there is no way he could have gone through all the data before it was released, but even the data he released show the same recklessness and apathy as the civilians mowed down by the gunship.

our whole occupation of middle eastern countries is illegal and wrong; once he realized what was going on he grabbed all the incriminating evidence that he could and released it through the only channel open to him: the public.

while i understand that some things are classified for good reason, the data he released was classified to hide the war crimes that have been carried out and what the government thinks of other countries and their leaders.

reply to post by GenerationGap

Overall they were rather plain, and didn't harm the US in any great way.

After watching the helicopter attack...don't know what to say. If such an act didn't harm the US...it's a sad day for humanity. But obviously it didn't. The OP sees no great damage. Obviously the US sees no damage, since nobody is talking about it anymore. Water under the bridge.

reply to post by Bob Sholtz

I think some of it could be seen that way. I disagree about it not mattering, as the reports he did release from the wars number over half a million. Names and all. I'm sure, within all those foreign national's names, some were pretty good people. The fighters outright talked about how they were going to go through those carefully themselves for locals.

I'm not sure he deserves a life sentence, and it may not be popular to say, but he wasn't selling it to the highest bidder or giving it to an enemy in the current wars. He was releasing it out to the media through alternative media type outlets like Wiki. The sheer volume likely got people hurt and killed, and that doesn't take much deduction. I doubt many of our own people, if any, though.. The policy was all lost by then anyway. Nothing Manning did changed that in Iraq or Afghanistan, IMO.

The article I saw said he's looking at 20 years for what he's already plead guilty to. That's just about his life, if he serves it all.. Given that is already a foregone conclusion with the guilty pleas? I don't see the purpose of pushing it further. Budgets and all.. lol. Seriously, the Military prisons can't be nice places for 20 years as a rather unpopular guy like him.

reply to post by GenerationGap

Either way, he's a useful idiot

I resent that. Whatever the context you are trying to push here...somebody who simply uncovered truthful information...will never be an idiot. Only in a society of fools...

reply to post by Bob Sholtz

he is not a "useful idiot" but a brilliant patriot

Don't even go there man...that word is starting to choke me real bad. It's sick patriotism that made that thing happen in the first place. All those soldiers that did this and kept silent, obeying orders, thumping their chests...because they are patriots. Defenders of the freedoms.

Makes me puke...

Originally posted by MarioOnTheFly
reply to post by GenerationGap

 

Either way, he's a useful idiot

I resent that. Whatever the context you are trying to push here...somebody who simply uncovered truthful information...will never be an idiot. Only in a society of fools...

Resent it all you want, but like I said in the OP, based on the definition of useful idiot by Yuri Bezmenov, he and his situation fits. Just because you don't like it fitting the mold doesn't mean the mold changes. He's a useful idiot. Like I said, a few headlines, but nothing that changed the war. We already knew that innocents die in war. THAT'S WAR. Sure it may be shocking to actual see it, but truth is that happens in war and most were already aware of that. It's why people resent war. War is violent, unfair, and hell. It's why while the leaked video is viscerally shocking, it didn't bring about any major changes of heart or policy, anywhere. All it did was re-prove the very thing most people already knew, war is hell.

So the cable leaks did nothing of any real effect. No one was even fired or publicly demoted over the leaks except for Manning. And the only person who they made look bad in any real regard was Bush, and he was already out of office. Sure some women that supported the war and didn't know what war was, because they have been sheltered I guess, now don't like war. Whoopidity do-da! In the large scheme of things, that's not much affect.

Bradley has been sitting in a brig for nearly four years with out trial and is soon facing a military court for a life sentence over materials that didn't do anything to change the course of history except in one regard: put the fear of coming forward into the hearts of other potential whistle blowers. This meets the definition of useful idiot by the definition in the OP. I don't think you realize what a useful idiot actually is. Even the most kind hearted, well intentioned, patriotic, and liked individual can be made into a useful idiot if they don't play their hand right.

I'll put it this way:

Anything that gives an excuse for the top to come down with out reducing the pressure the top can levy is useful to any oppressor. And if the oppressor can use you as an example of what happens when you challenge the top, you are made an idiot by the top.

And BTW, you seem to be thinking that I disagree with what Manning did. Fact is I don't disagree, and I don't think he should have sat in a brig for years on end over it, let alone face life in the gulags. But that's not the point here. The point here is that because of what he did he is being used by the top to intimidate the rest of the populace, which is useful, and he's likely to spend at least the majority of his remaining time on Earth in a gulag, which makes him an idiot.

I think this is important for the culture and society to understand what makes a useful idiot as we need to be smart at how we play our cards. We need to make as certain as possible that when we do play our trump we do so in a way that hinders the top's ability to apply perceived legitimate pressure on the base. Manning didn't do that, and while his actions were heroic and well intentioned, they were more useful to the top's ability to come down than the base's ability to withstand top down oppressor pressure.

If you disagree with that last statement, than we will be forever at odds and our ideas of how to thwart government oppression are in two different camps and divided we fall.

Originally posted by MarioOnTheFly
reply to post by GenerationGap

 

Overall they were rather plain, and didn't harm the US in any great way.

After watching the helicopter attack...don't know what to say. If such an act didn't harm the US...it's a sad day for humanity. But obviously it didn't. The OP sees no great damage. Obviously the US sees no damage, since nobody is talking about it anymore. Water under the bridge.

Yea pretty amazing they killed journalists and kids, but this Bradley guy; is the really really bad guy and harmed the US in a big way, being locked up ever since for exposing some truth.
Those responsible for killing those kids, where they even grounded or fired? Probaly not, just ''its war, this happens'', just carry on soldier!

No this should have been hidden for the public! They make sure this will never happen again where the publics opinion can be changed in such a way you could see anti war citizens.

Originally posted by GenerationGap

Originally posted by MarioOnTheFly
reply to post by GenerationGap

 

Either way, he's a useful idiot

I resent that. Whatever the context you are trying to push here...somebody who simply uncovered truthful information...will never be an idiot. Only in a society of fools...

Resent it all you want, but like I said in the OP, based on the definition of useful idiot by Yuri Bezmenov, he and his situation fits. Just because you don't like it fitting the mold doesn't mean the mold changes. He's a useful idiot. Like I said, a few headlines, but nothing that changed the war. We already knew that innocents die in war. THAT'S WAR. Sure it may be shocking to actual see it, but truth is that happens in war and most were already aware of that. It's why people resent war. War is violent, unfair, and hell. It's why while the leaked video is viscerally shocking, it didn't bring about any major changes of heart or policy, anywhere. All it did was re-prove the very thing most people already knew, war is hell.

So the cable leaks did nothing of any real effect. No one was even fired or publicly demoted over the leaks except for Manning. And the only person who they made look bad in any real regard was Bush, and he was already out of office. Sure some women that supported the war and didn't know what war was, because they have been sheltered I guess, now don't like war. Whoopidity do-da! In the large scheme of things, that's not much affect.

Bradley has been sitting in a brig for nearly four years with out trial and is soon facing a military court for a life sentence over materials that didn't do anything to change the course of history except in one regard: put the fear of coming forward into the hearts of other potential whistle blowers. This meets the definition of useful idiot by the definition in the OP. I don't think you realize what a useful idiot actually is. Even the most kind hearted, well intentioned, patriotic, and liked individual can be made into a useful idiot if they don't play their hand right.

I'll put it this way:

Anything that gives an excuse for the top to come down with out reducing the pressure the top can levy is useful to any oppressor. And if the oppressor can use you as an example of what happens when you challenge the top, you are made an idiot by the top.

And BTW, you seem to be thinking that I disagree with what Manning did. Fact is I don't disagree, and I don't think he should have sat in a brig for years on end over it, let alone face life in the gulags. But that's not the point here. The point here is that because of what he did he is being used by the top to intimidate the rest of the populace, which is useful, and he's likely to spend at least the majority of his remaining time on Earth in a gulag, which makes him an idiot.

I think this is important for the culture and society to understand what makes a useful idiot as we need to be smart at how we play our cards. We need to make as certain as possible that when we do play our trump we do so in a way that hinders the top's ability to apply perceived legitimate pressure on the base. Manning didn't do that, and while his actions were heroic and well intentioned, they were more useful to the top's ability to come down than the base's ability to withstand top down oppressor pressure.

If you disagree with that last statement, than we will be forever at odds and our ideas of how to thwart government oppression are in two different camps and divided we fall.

True it's kinda stupid of him, still back in Nazi Germany you had some soldiers who made a plan to kill Hitler with a bomb. They nearly succeeded, but paid with their lives.
Also stupid kinda, though if they where succesfull, they could perhaps saved many lives. So for them it seemed to be worth the change. he should have tried to kill Bush to be close and then even still it remains to be seen anything really changed with doing that.
Although Bradley succeeded! he's done a better job basicly. Only now he's for the rest of his live behind bars, not sure if that was worth it. I'm sure if he had known his current situation, he wouldn't do it again.

Change in which we all can't believe in.