The U.S. Government is Torturing This Man
For Bradley Manning. Of course, it also sucks for all other political prisoners throughout the world. It sucks for the people of North Korea and for all the women in any country where women have to remain covered, can be flogged or even stoned to death for adultery. It sucks for the people who are starving and have no food. It sucks for the homeless. It sucks most of all because there’s really no reason for things to suck as bad as they do. The earth is a productive place which has enough natural resources and energy sources to keep all of us happy and comfortable. There’s no reason for us to keep on fighting, but we do.
Anyway, I want to focus on Bradley Manning, because I believe he is being done a severe injustice. Julian Assange, of course, is being hounded and persecuted and that’s wrong, but Julian Assange is a fairly wealthy man with some degree of power, resources and connections. Bradley Manning’s got none of that. Julian Assange gives interviews to newspapers. Bradley Manning is being held incommunicado. He is not allowed frequent visitors and spends the vast majority of his time alone, in a small cell, where he is not allowed to exercise.
That’s a detail that seriously bothers me. I can understand when they take a prisoners belt so they won’t hang themselves. I certainly don’t agree with the solitary confinement, but I suppose it could be explained.
But the lack of exercise is just punitive. Are they worried he will get superbuff from doing a thousand sit ups a day, bend the bars with his super strength and make his escape? No, I suspect it’s to make sure he has nothing at all to focus on, to preoccupy his mind. They are trying to make him insane. This is cruel and unusual punishment.
And he has not been proven guilty of anything. He has not been tried. He has not been charged.
Yes, the government can do that now. Happy fucking 2011.
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