The U.S. Army announced last week that it had embarked on preparations for Bradley Manning’s pre-trial hearing. Manning, who has been held first at Quantico and then at Fort Leavenworth for a year and half, has consistently seen his hearing postponed. This delay can be explained, says an Army spokesperson, by disagreements between the prosecution and intelligence agencies about which kinds of evidence are admissible, as well as assurances that members of the defense team achieve proper security clearance to examine the classified documents pertinent to the case. Read more here…

What role do whistleblowers like Bradley Manning play in society? According to Robert Taylor, an invaluable and revolutionary one. In this article, Taylor eloquently explains how whistleblowers provide more than a glimpse at what governments are really doing behind closed doors; they in fact implicitly question why governments are often exempt from the laws they pass and enforce upon their own citizens. When people realize that the people and institutions in power are actually guilty of murder and other crimes, Taylor explains, the system is inherently challenged, and the possibility for fundamental change opens up. (link.)

Socially conscious theater to perform piece about Bradley Manning. The Bread & Puppet Theater, a non-profit, politically engaged, puppet troop, will be performing “Man of Flesh & Cardboard”, a show about PFC Bradley Manning. The show, created by Peter Schumann and performed by the Bread & Puppet company and many volunteers, will take place at the Theater for the New City, and it will mark the 40th anniversary of the troop performing there. The show plays December 1st – 18, and tickets are $12.

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Tent, the best lebanese restaurant in New York City, features a Bradley Manning poster! “When questioned whether he will keep the controversial poster next to the store, the manager responded, “Sure. I want to frame it – clean it up a little… Do you think that’ll get me in trouble with the government?” Check it out!

New York Times columnist David Carr wonders how long WikiLeaks can stay afloat. In his article “Is this the WikiEnd”, Carr acknowledges that WikiLeaks “represented a genuinely new paradigm for transparency and accountability”, and that it “changed the face of journalism”. His article questions the future of the organization in face of so much political opposition, and given the prominent role of Julian Assange who is fighting extradition to Sweden. Carr also argues that “it is not whistles that are in short supply, but whistleblowers”.

Clearly we need to support the few whistle-blowers who are courageous enough to act, and we need to improve whistle-blower legal protections.

Unfortunately many in Congress fear exposing the truth so much that they would do away with our legal system altogether. Bill H.R. 3289 would make it possible for the government to “deprive federal employees the right to a jury trial”, while also allowing the Merit Systems Protection Board to dismiss claims without a hearing. The National Whistleblowers Center released an action alert to “Stop Congress from Gutting Whistleblower Protections.” Read more…