NSA Contractor who leaked info about Russian hacking sentenced to 5 years... and her name is Reality Winner???

[GnomeToys]

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/08/nsa-leaker-who-mailed-doc-outlining-russian-hacking-gets-5-years-in-prison/

 

I had to double check another news website on that name. 

 

Umm...  dafuq? 

[Fist 666]

Same thoughts. The fact that she's white adds to that confusion...

[metronome]

Following this casually I just assumed Reality Winner was her screen name.  It's her legal name?

[Kults]

2 hours ago, metronome said:

Following this casually I just assumed Reality Winner was her screen name.  It's her legal name?

It is. She leaked classified information, good riddance.

 

Might be news to the left but the righties have been talking about this for a year now.

Edited August 24, 2018 by Kults

[GnomeToys]

I knew about the leak but wasn't following in any detail really, so this was the first time I noticed the name.

 

As far as the good riddance goes...  I don't really know or care what both sides of politics are claiming about this, but reading more about it I can imagine ways this may have fucked up either some US agents abroad or the internal investigation going on,  aside from any obvious consequences or the part where she signed up for a job where the main requirement was not leaking information.      She was in a better position than anybody to know she was going to get in trouble over this.  I can't feel any sympathy on this one. 

 

 

[Fist 666]

I think there is a weird reverence towards leakers, particularly Chelsea Manning for the liberals and Snowden for the cons. I have to assume others will follow suit in pursuing jobs and clearances in hopes of becoming some sort of hero/martyr to those who distrust the government. 

 

Manning should be rotting in jail, fucking asshat used gender confusion as a defense for leaking, forever setting back trust in trans service members. I'm fully tolerant towards trans identity and politics, but using it as an excuse for that? pure weakness. Fuck her. Fuck her lawyers and their short sightedness for the precedence that defense will set.

 

Snowden I'm less offended by.

 

(I maintained a Secret Clearance for about six years, never needed to pursue to ts/sci)

[Mercer]

In her case I'm not impressed as I was with Snowden, or Manning leaking. What she did was clearly politically motivated, and she wasn't exposing any corruption on the DOD's, or NSA's part. That said, handing down the single harshest sentence ever for leaking to the media is uncalled for, and clearly politically motivated retribution.

 

My problem with this is there have been many leaks of more consequence, they're not taken as seriously. The right celebrates this sentencing as retribution for damaging their political narrative. There's a left/right dynamic in this country that's so vicious, we're targeting our own countrymen as our worst enemies. Next time, it could be someone exposing facts that go against the Left's narrative, and they'll no doubt want equal, or more retribution. A pattern emerges where the punishments become harsher over time, we all slip one step closer to totalitarianism.

 

The funny thing is there isn't a single Trump voter that gives a shit if Russia helped Trump. There's also no Hillary/Bernie supporter that would have voted for Trump if they thought Russia didn't help him. What she did had zero consequences for either side, but the consequences of the sentencing are indirectly consequential to  everyones freedom. Not to mention it's a huge waste of tax money, and potential revenue to have a productive, non violent, and otherwise good person doing an extended federal bid.

 

Edited August 27, 2018 by Mercer