Is there anyone at the helm of this ship who knows how to steer?  We're so caught up in teaching others a lesson that we continuously fail to learn our own. We can't let Cpl. Manning go free because that would embolden future whistle-blowers / traitors. The illusion that  every move is calculated and that our mistakes are all made in good faith will always win over the truth. Honesty and integrity don't belong here anymore. The lesson to be learned from Cpl. Manning is to keep your mouth shut in the face of egregious injustice. The truth of the matter is that The Wizard of America doesn't take kindly to having his curtain pulled back, and that Dorothy and her band of terrorists belong in solitary confinement. 
Oh, Parens Patriae, Father of the Country, how can you guide me and protect me from myself when I'm too busy protecting myself from YOU?