Glenn Greenwald’s Unbelievably Gross Response to Chelsea Manning
CONTENT WARNING: SUICIDE
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, you are not alone. There is help.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255
Or visit www.bethe1to.com and learn how to help those in crisis.
Glenn Greenwald thought it would be a good idea to respond to Chelsea Manning by bringing up her past suicide attempts.
Manning, a former Army intel analyst who was sentenced to prison for giving classified information to Wikileaks, took to Twitter Thursday to express disgust at a former ally for being “greedy” and “unprincipled.”
“im embarrassed for ever considering you a friend,” she wrote. “im no longer going to be afraid of saying what’s on my mind anymore or taking a stand from the people that i once considered allies but who have chosen to bash, harass, humiliate, intimidate, and lie to get ahead.”
glenn greenwald, i don’t have $10,000 right now but if i get it i want to send it back to you from a donation you once did. i can’t deal with this anymore. im terrified of you and everything you do. you’re greedy, unprincipled, and im embarrassed for ever considering you a friend
— Chelsea E. Manning (@xychelsea) September 2, 2021
to those he has hurt im sorry i didn’t say anything I was scared and that’s my fault
— Chelsea E. Manning (@xychelsea) September 2, 2021
Greenwald responded in part by bringing up her past suicide attempts.
“When she was in prison trying repeatedly to kill herself, I was one of the only one who visited, spent hours on the phone, raising money for her,” Greenwald tweeted.
Friendships that depend on political agreement were never “friendships,” just cynical transactions.
When she was in prison trying repeatedly to kill herself, I was one of the only one who visited, spent hours on the phone, raising money for her.
No good deed goes unpunished. ?♂️ https://t.co/ZJ3EtdGXzP
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) September 2, 2021
Lots of people on the left — not all, but many — mistake friendships for political agreements, such that when the political agreement erodes, for them the “friendship” does, too.
Friendships that don’t transcend politics or require political agreement have no value.
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) September 2, 2021
When someone told Greenwald he should not be weaponizing someone’s suicide attempts like this, he responded by saying it was publicly reported and that because she went after him, she’s “not the victim.”
It’s been reported publicly numerous times. And when you spend a huge amount of your time helping someone though extremely difficult moments in their lives even though you’ve never met them, only for them to repay you with vicious public denunciations, they’re not the victim.
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) September 2, 2021
Suicide is a serious issue and the information at the top of this post is an invaluable resource. Nobody who has felt suicidal deserves it being used against them like this.
Greenwald has every right to respond to Manning if he feels she is misrepresenting his character and to present his side of the story.
Responding to someone calling you out by throwing their past suicidal thoughts in their face — in the name of stating in your internet argument “remember when you were at one of your lowest moments and I helped you” — is fucking despicable.
This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.
