I was today reading about the details of Manning's leak to Wikileaks and caught on to the section 1.4f which includes information on the passwords of the United States Nuclear Arsenal. I haven't read the details of the leak before, but have heard parts of it that are the most disturbing, like the times when warcrimes were created in Iraq and Afghanistan and similar instances, which I feel are perfectly legal and safe to disclose. But when it comes to releasing passwords to nuclear weapons I draw the line. I need to continue to analyze where I get my information from news sources and be quicker to read the details of what happens in these types of instances when information is released because I was wrong to defend Manning to my friends. There is no doubt he is a traitor and there is no doubt he put everybody in danger by releasing those passwords.
When it comes to Assange and Wikileaks' role in releasing the cables they were instrumental at being so destructive and should have prevented them being leaked. The other cables that Manning released were not as destructive but that Wikileaks was willing to publish the one on the nuclear passwords makes Assange equally guilty because he participated.
When it comes to Snowden, he was doing a very different leak. It is limited to the unwarranted surveillance of Americans and foreigners by the United States National Security Agency. This is not going to give anyone access to nuclear weapons passwords, or anything else that could literally destroy people, it is a report on a major violation against the 4th Amendment that is despicable. No one is going to get access to weapons, and the only way someone could get killed is if the American government executes someone. (probably Snowden, which would be amazingly reminiscient of Third Reich whistleblowers)
We need to revise the PATRIOT ACT and Espionage Act to make certain the people have their privacy and security, and that whistleblowers can do their job. If we don't protect our freedom America stops being special.
Information wants to be free.
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