Why persecute whistleblowers... then hypocritically announce strategy of war to attack Syria? Shouldn't that be one of the biggest secrets of all?

Sure, and don’t forget to tell them what we are going to be aiming at!

I’m pretty well convinced Snowden was a legitimate whistleblower now coming under illegal government suppression for telling the truth when the truth needed to be told. But the pre-announcement of intentions to punish Assad for use of chemical warfare on his own people is an entirely separate matter. There are things Assad could do to avoid the impending attack. And there really nothing he can do short of assuring the International Community that gas attacks will never happen again that can forestall the damage he will take. He can lash out, but doing so will only bring fire and brimstone down on his head, and he knows that. In such a case, serving him notice is a humane move.

Wait a second – are you expecting consistency and rationality on the part of the US government? Man, are you off base.

The government is like a centipede… a hundred (or 10,000) legs that all move, but not always i n the same direction.

They want to control what gets out. If they are revealing their war plans, it is for a strategic reason.

What is worse than being told that you are about to get hit in the face, and knowing there is nothing you can do to stop it?

It’s not like they’re revealing D-Day. It is actually good propaganda before a strike, gets them unnerved.

This is not at all about my opinion on Chelsea Manning, but I think it is a bit of a reach to equate his actions with what the Pentagon announced.

This Syria stuff is sounding a lot like the propaganda that led up to the Iraq / Afghanistan war. If you watch the news media and look at their one-sided reporting its quite obvious that we are gearing up the war machine.

@oisurf, a little bit of discernment please.

The Afghanistan War was not the same or in combination with the Iraq war. Rightly or wrongly, the Afghan war was in response very soon after 9–11-01 to attempt to capture and or clear out Al Qaeda .

The Iraq was made up BS from the Cheney Bush cabal.

The Syrian situation is a real use of chemical weapons, documented by Doctors Without Borders, a trusted organization.

Addressing the issue of Assad gassing his own people does present the moral problem of how to respond, but respond none the less.

@zenvelo, Its extremely sad at the mere thought of the innocent lives taken from a possible chemical attack.. my stance is that I don’t think the answer is dropping bombs or intervening.. as shown in Vietnam, Iraq and now Afghanistan we cannot be the police of the world..

@oisurf Want to add Bosnia to the list. Would it be just fine if Slobodan Milosevic was still there committing genocide?