Classified Document Leaking – Activism or Something Else?

I don’t know how I feel about this classified document leaking that’s been going on. Like most people, I really do want to know what nonsense my government is up to, but leaking can cause folks to die, so I’m conflicted. Anytime someone assumes he or she knows what’s best for all, problems will no doubt occur. 

Noble action aside, is all this more about the leaker than what’s actually being leaked? I’ve given up being impressed by “I did it for you” because it’s never about me. It’s always about the choice the other guy makes. But will any of these revelations, be they from Bradley Manning or the new guy, Snowden, ultimately make our country safer? Or do they portend future leaks that won’t serve anyone?

I agree that we need to know what our government is up to. Face it, they act with impunity anyway, so we have to know. The unrest in the world typically doesn’t happen in a void, so as Americans, we need to know what’s being done in our name. Manning is on trial as we speak. Snowden apparently left the country for China of all places. Somehow, I’m a little more on Bradley’s side than Snowden’s. Can’t be noble and then leave town. It feels too hit and run for that.

We’ve had a long history of civil disobedience in this country. We were essentially founded on it. Of course progressive voices who dare to consider an alternative view of our role in the world are criticized as Socialists or Communists. As if the American experiment is the only correct way to live. Why is it that we fear the very thing that we are?

The United States of America. It’s the unity part, folks, that makes us who we are. Yes, we have capitalism. We also have a social contract with each other that brings in a little of that..say it with me now..socialism. Nothing wrong with that. It’s how we succeed as a people. Caring. That’s at the heart of it all. 

We’re all connected. Just as the human body needs to work in harmony to grow and be healthy, so do we as a people. If our principles are lofty, then so will be our goals. Maybe we need activists like Manning to remind us of those principles and goals. The Snowden guy…I’m not so sure about him. I just get tired of the government trying on a daily basis to spin a tale that insults us all.