The Bradley Manning trial has begun, and the tale of how a weirdo tried to bring down the government – and how the government bit back – is fascinating. For liberals, it’s one political paradox after another. First, there’s the problem of little Bradley. On paper he ought to be a liberal’s pin-up – a gay soldier driven by his conscience to share the secrets of the military-industrial complex with the world. The defence’s tale of how he came to be disillusioned with the Iraq War is believable and symapthetic. Manning was ordered to investigate a roadside bombing in 2009...