When did the United States of America cease to be a self-respecting nation and become the self-loathing country we have?
We have a president who apologizes around the world for our pre-eminence -- which, by the way has for decades opened an umbrella of protection over free countries worldwide.
The federal government long ago made it clear it would not secure the nation's borders.
And now, it appears treason is no longer going to be considered a crime.
During our war with radical Islam, several traitors have emerged to fight with and promote the enemy. None have been executed as traitors.
Instead, we call them "homegrown" terrorists, making them sound like vegetables rather than turncoats.
When did traitors stop being traitors?
Example: What should happen to someone who leaks or divulges classified Department of Defense information during wartime -- with the express intent of harming that war effort?
Should that person or persons not be tried as traitors or spies?
Such a crime just happened, with the release of some 76,000 of 91,000 documents that WikiLeaks website reportedly has. The documents shook the international war effort by revealing openly for the first time the extent of Iran's and Pakistan's surreptitious aid to Taliban forces killing U.S. troops in Afghanistan, as well as other secret documents.
Indignation from our own government has been muted, but Afghan President Hamid Karzai denounced the leaks this week, saying they revealed names of pro-U.S. informants in Afghanistan and endangered their lives.
"Officials are concerned that potential new contacts may be reluctant to help out of the fear that the United States can't protect sources," says CNN.
Absolutely.
"This is a very serious issue," Karzai said.
We agree. So why aren't you hearing more of that kind of concern from our own government?
We hope it's forthcoming, as military officials focus on a suspect, Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, 22, who is alleged to have downloaded the documents from a classified military Internet system he had access to as an intelligence analyst. He's already charged with eight counts in a separate data release, reportedly also involving WikiLeaks.
Rather than downplay what amounts to a domestic spy case -- by saying there's nothing revelatory or highly secret in the documents -- U.S. officials should be at least as indignant as our ally Karzai, wouldn't you think?
Whatever the damage -- and that's still being assessed -- whoever mined a secure government website for classified information for the express intent of publishing that material to the world has committed a treasonous act. It only adds to the insult, and the criminal scope, if the perpetrators' intent was to damage the war effort.
They used to call that treason. What are they calling it today?
When they even mention it, that is.
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