Our National Security State and the Criminalization of Whistleblowers

The public condemnation and "legal" prosecution of individuals who act according to their own moral conscience in exposing the abuses and crimes of our military and government are rehearsed tactics employed by those in power to obfuscate and diminish the cautionary and revealing information these whistleblowers are trying to make available to the public, and consequently also serve as a chilling warning to anyone else who might dare expose the failings, depredations, and/or excesses of "classified" actions committed in the interests of our "national security" that portray our secretive government in a negative light.

I've included some older youtube links if your interested in this perspective.

Edward Snowden initial interview: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yB3n9fu-rM

Glenn Greenwald and Anderson Cooper: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvEyqKroX_M

Glenn Greenwald introduced by Jeremy Scahill:  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uulv4ve6RJ8

Bradley Manning's Testimony Leaked:  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xaa9tsQKgYY

Military action in Iraq (graphic):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbqmr5rtdOs