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What Does "Supporting the Troops" Mean?
As noted in this space yesterday, while Democrats and Republicans play words games about what the meaningless resolutions of "doing nothing" and "doing nothing" are, this goes on a short distance down the road:
This is the world of Building 18, not the kind of place where Duncan expected to recover when he was evacuated to Walter Reed Army Medical Center from Iraq last February with a broken neck and a shredded left ear, nearly dead from blood loss. But the old lodge, just outside the gates of the hospital and five miles up the road from the White House, has housed hundreds of maimed soldiers recuperating from injuries suffered in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This is only part of the problem though. Here's the other part of the problem (emphasis mine):
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AP) -- The Army opened a $50 million high-tech rehabilitation center Monday that is designed to serve the growing number of soldiers who return from war as amputees or with severe burns.
Of the roughly 20,000 soldiers injured since the start of the Iraq war, more than 500 have lost a limb -- many of them in roadside bombings.
The Center for the Intrepid, a privately funded facility, includes a rock-climbing wall, a wave pool and a virtual reality computer system.
Private funding is necessary for our troops to recover from their injuries -- while a Congress of Neros debates how long we should keep extending federal funding for fiddles.
But it's not just Congress. It's the media once again, playing the happy talkers, instead of presenting the gritty, grim, and disgusting reality of the war in Iraq. Dana Priest and Anne Hull are to be congratulated on their reporting of this story, but where are the rest of the media?
If you google the words "Intrepid Center Opens", you get 1.1 million story hits. There was live coverage of it on the cable news outlets. Much self-congratulatory back slapping was on display. All day, and well into the evening newscasts. Complete media saturation of the story, without actually reporting on what the real story is.
The real story is that first the President and his Republican cohorts lie in order to begin a war, then they don't provide body armor and training to prevent these devastating injuries, then they make it necessary for private citizens to build and fund a center to treat the injuries, and then they hold a big party to congratulate themselves on the fine achievements.
It strains the bounds of credulity.
The shell game of the Iraq War goes merrily along with the media enabling it every step of the way.
And what is the result of this kind of reporting? The American people think that the average soldier is getting simply fabulous state-of-the-art healthcare from the military, while the reality is starkly different.
Here's an idea: How about if the members of Congress who talk the everlasting noble-speak of "supporting the troops" start by explaining just what the hell they mean when they use that phrase. How about if we all call our members of Congress and ask them for a precise explanation of that phrase? And then adopt a reporter and start dogging them to start asking members of Congress what they mean when they use that phrase. Enough with the jingoistic sloganeering by both sides.
Building 18 of Walter Reed Hospital is only five miles down the road from the White House, but as far as the White House and most of Congress are concerned, it might as well be a million miles away.
Excellent article!
Privatization removes obligations of government and opens the door to exploitation by profiteers. I have worked in private head injury facilities and private nursing homes and now work for a non-profit hospital for ethical reasons. There was too much emphasis on the bottom line, on shareholder profits, on squeezing the last dollar out of peoples' insurance, and often discharging those without good resources to lesser facilities even if they had more rehab potential.
Why not fully fund the VA instead of privatizing yet another industry. Taking either extreme of the economic range is not good for the people. The state should not fully control, but neither should the private sector. It will lead to no good.
Just read all about the Fisher Foundation and the other charities. People will donate, yes, but this gets the government off the hook again. Private hospitals, private schools, private jails, private juvenile detention center, private factories, private postal system, etc. It can all be faith-based, Christian faith-based. Then tax monies will pay for warfare and subsidize contractors (there are as many private sector as military in Iraq). People will donate and tithe to pay for everything else. That means we pay twice. There are at least 11 government agencies with faith-based programs (acc/Frontline, PBS) and now most agencies have a special office to make sure legislation is in line with Bush's mission, so he will know to veto or prepare a signing statement. He has had this Vision ever since started channeling his Higher Father in Texas. Leave it to the Bush government to make a for-profit operation out of the war wounded.
Bush compares war on terror to U.S. revolution
President visits Mount Vernon, places wreath on Washington's tomb
Updated: 15 minutes ago
MOUNT VERNON, Va. (AP) - President Bush honored the 275th birthday of the nation’s first president on Monday, likening George Washington’s long struggle that gave birth to a nation to the war on global terrorism.
“Today, we’re fighting a new war to defend our liberty and our people and our way of life,” said Bush, standing in front of Washington’s home and above a mostly frozen Potomac River.
“And as we work to advance the cause of freedom around the world, we remember that the father of our country believed that the freedoms we secured in our revolution were not meant for Americans alone.”
Bush chose the national Presidents Day holiday to make his first visit as president to Mount Vernon. He and first lady Laura Bush helped lay a wreath at Washington’s tomb, then the president gave a speech from a platform on the bowling green lawn of the estate.
“I feel right at home here. After all, this is the home of the first George W. I thank President Washington for welcoming us today. He doesn’t look a day over 275 years old,” Bush said to laughter.
Washington was born on Feb. 22, 1732.
“On the field of battle, Washington’s forces were facing a mighty empire, and the odds against them were overwhelming. The ragged Continental Army lost more battles than it won, suffered waves of desertions, and stood on the brink of disaster many times. Yet George Washington’s calm hand and determination kept the cause of independence and the principles of our Declaration alive,” Bush said on a clear but frigid day, speaking to several hundred people.
Mount Vernon is about 16 miles south of the White House. Bush traveled by helicopter.
'Test of wills'
“In the end, General Washington understood that the Revolutionary War was a test of wills, and his will was unbreakable,” said Bush. “After winning the war, Washington did what victorious leaders rarely did at the time. He voluntarily gave up power.
Washington’s retirement didn’t last long, Bush noted.
“As president, George Washington understood that his decisions would shape the future of our young nation and set precedent. He formed the first Cabinet, appointed the first judges, and issued the first veto.”
“Over the centuries, America has succeeded because we have always tried to maintain the decency and the honor of our first president,” Bush said.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17228504/
Please excuse me while I vomit...
This one's for Ralpheh (among others):
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/20/ivins.hillary/
Posted by: Otter at February 19, 2007 01:06 PM
Bush, Cheney and Co. will continue to play the patriotic bully card just as long as you let them. I've said it before: War brings out the patriotic bullies. In World War I, they went around kicking dachshunds on the grounds that dachshunds were "German dogs." They did not, however, go around kicking German shepherds. The MINUTE someone impugns your patriotism for opposing this war, turn on them like a snarling dog and explain what loving your country really means. That, or you could just piss on them elegantly, as Rep. John Murtha did. Or eviscerate them with wit (look up Mark Twain on the war in the Philippines). Or point out the latest in the endless "string of bad news."
Do not sit there cowering and pretending the only way to win is as Republican-lite. If the Washington-based party can't get up and fight, we'll find someone who can.
By the by... That was the last paragraph of the Molly Ivins piece SirOtter referenced.
I think I should go downtown and see what the Backbone Campaign is doing for President's Day, since I have a day off.
Rumor has it that shoppers will include Lady Liberty, the Backbone and possibly a Giant Constitution. There is another big event on March 4th but I think that this may be a smaller "happening." Maybe a fun photo-op.
Just talked to a friend who had read the WaPo lst article and alerted her to the 2nd one. She said she had seen coverage of it on MSM (television). We discussed the privatization issue and how it sets up a conflict of interest, potentially. We do not need Halliburtons of Healthcare.
I am looking forward to watching Keith Olbermann's show tonight. I'll bet dinars to dilly-bars that he will be all over the Building 18 story.
I hope so. Government wants to close Walter Reed anyway. They probably don't like this getting out - bad for image.
Iran: Sunnis Using Pakistan as Base, Planned Fatal Bombing
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/021907Y.shtml
The Iranian Foreign Ministry charged Sunday that Sunni insurgents from Iran used Pakistan as a base to plan a bombing that killed 11 people and wounded more than 30 in the southeastern border city of Zahedan last week.
-- Interesting, isn't it. Iran is predominantly Shiite. Is the civil war spreading? Persians didn't control the middle east in 14 centuries of trying but the battle never stops with the Arabians and why are we in the middle? Oh yeah oil.
Officials: Iranian patrol boats probe Iraqi waters
From Barbara Starr
CNN Pentagon Correspondent
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Iranian patrol boats have increased attempts in the last week to assess defenses near Iraqi offshore oil terminals, U.S. military officials said Monday.
The Iranian actions at the northern end of the Persian Gulf have been a subject of operational briefings for U.S. military personnel in recent days, the officials said.
The officials -- who said they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter -- said that the United States does not see the Iranian moves as aggressive or provocative. The assessment is that the probes are part of an Iranian effort to raise its military presence in the gulf.
Officials said that for several months they have seen Iranian flagged vessels attempt to approach oil terminals in the area, but activity rose last week.
On at least two days, Iranian patrol boats crossed into Iraqi waters at the northern end of the Persian Gulf, the officials said.
The boats stayed inside Iraqi waters for several minutes before Iraqi security forces told them to leave. The Iranian boats did not approach the oil terminals.
Iraqi security forces recently took over the main responsibility for guarding the terminals, although U.S. naval forces remain nearby.
A senior U.S. Navy officer said he thinks Iran is trying to see what response its actions get from Iraqi and U.S. naval forces. The Navy officer said that in the last several months Iranian naval forces have expanded their area of operations inside the gulf, often increasing activity in offshore areas for training and exercises.
The U.S. Navy has encountered Iranian ships and small fishing vessels in several cases, but there have been no hostilities, the officer said.
The intelligence assessment is that in many cases the Iranians are watching the U.S. Navy to see how it operates. The officer confirmed to CNN that the Navy has increased its security precautions when dealing with Iranian entities on the water to ensure there are no miscommunications or miscalculations.
U.S. ships will continue to render assistance to stranded mariners, including Iranians, the officer said, but will be cautious in approaching any Iranian boats seeking U.S. naval assistance.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/02/19/iran.iraq/index.html
Taking either extreme of the economic range is not good for the people. The state should not fully control, but neither should the private sector. It will lead to no good.
Posted by: not my president at February 19, 2007 12:49 PM
Excellent point, one that I agree with wholeheartedly. Pure capitalism works just as well as pure communism - in other words, not at all.
I am always worried that our hypercapitalist system will crash down HARD like the Communist Bloc did in the early 1990s. It certainly was no picnic for the Communist Bloc, and it will not be a picnic for us either. Our massive trade deficit and real estate bubbles are just the starting signs.
Nice post, Casey. Thanks for following up on the private center. I saw some chatter about that elsewhere but didn't really understand what they were referring to and didn't take the time to look it up.
Casey,
Congratulations on your trackback today.
http://www.universityupdate.com/Big_12/Texas_Tech/1070938.aspx?src=blog
I know I hadn't heard of the Intrepid Center before, and now that I know of it, it really puts meaning into blood for profit.
Yup. Privatizing pain and suffering for profit -- you just can't get any more Bu$hCo than that.
Casey,
Brilliant analysis as usual (by why do we need such analysis in the first place?).
If only...
they were honest
they were true
they were innovative
they were intelligent
they were strategic
they cared
Memorable quotes ...
Walk the Line (2005)
Record Company Executive: Your fans are church folk, Johnny. Christians. They don't wanna hear you singing to a bunch of murderers and rapists, tryin' to cheer 'em up.
Johnny Cash: [pause] Well, they're not Christians, then.
Darn those pesky not-Christians, anyway. See how they are.
That reminds me, I have to go dance widdershins in the moonlight while waving a dead cat over my head now.
Yup. Privatizing pain and suffering for profit -- you just can't get any more Bu$hCo than that.
Posted by: Otter at February 19, 2007 03:58 PM
That's what I've repeatedly called the "culture of death," as much as Secretary of Faith Benedict XVI may want to call it the "culture of life."
james carville just ripped j.c. watts to shreds on wolf blitzer, which i accidentally left on for more than 10 seconds.
watts said there is a "cost" to debating iraq, and that cost is "emboldening the terrorists, weakening the troops".
carville said their is a far bigger "cost" to silence, to going along with the most incompetently executed war in the history of this nation.
honestly, i thought watts sounded like he lost his mind.
watts the matter?
Here's an idea: How about if the members of Congress who talk the everlasting noble-speak of "supporting the troops" start by explaining just what the hell they mean when they use that phrase. How about if we all call our members of Congress and ask them for a precise explanation of that phrase? And then adopt a reporter and start dogging them to start asking members of Congress what they mean when they use that phrase. Enough with the jingoistic sloganeering by both sides.
Posted by Casey Morris at February 19, 2007 12:51 PM
YES, YES, YES, YES, YES...!!! And, we need to email or write to or phone or FAX each of our Congress Critters who espouse such nonsense and demand they PRECISELY define what they mean when they use that hazy, vague, bandwagon patriotic slogan...! I can't tell you how sick I am of hearing that stupid slogan!
I've never figured out just why, precisely, sending MORE troops to "support the troops" who are already in danger of being killed or injured because of lies for oil seems to make sense to the reich-wingers when the reality is that even more will die for lies for oil if more are sent. It's counter-intuitive to send more people to die for a war crime - and, as anyone who has read the Geneva Conventions knows, the invasion was a war crime. Georgie's idea of 'supporting the troops' is a prime example of Orwellian double-think ["the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them"].
Besides which, I'm getting a twitchy twitch in my neck after all these years of attempting to understand double-think speeches and shaking my head in amazement for every time Lamestream Media shows sound bytes or quotes that nonsense. They've never taken time to deconstruct double-think speeches; they just keep saying the same ol' same ol' and it's irritating to know so many people repeat those meaningless phrases without even thinking about it, how thoroughly the non-questioning, non-analytical sheeple just keep repeating words and phrases for which they have no understanding....
Aaargh!
Well, monkey, there are those persons who might opine that having to actually interface with a skankin' ho' like Jimmy C. on air (or off, for that matter) might be enough to make anyone sound irrational.
Fortunately, I am not one of those persons.
Posted by: Otter at February 19, 2007 01:06 PM
Oh, Goddess, but I DO MISS MOLLY!!!
Long before the current crop of 'Publican Lites declared their candidacy, she called all the shots - accurately!
The Backbone Event with the giant Constitution in the middle of downtown was great! The Backbone Campaign people said hi to Karen and we had a surprise visit from the Patriot Tour. I'm not sure where they're from but it was a nice confluence!
“ I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of war, corporations have been enthroned, and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all the wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the republic is destroyed. I feel, at this moment, more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war. God grant that my suspicions may prove groundless.”
Lincoln in a letter to Col. William F. Elkins on November 21, 1864
~~~~~
Given the holiday and nearly 143 years later, Lincoln's words have an even greater impact today when the naked emperor/dictator (with the approval of too many Congress Critters) inserts corporate ownership into too many aspects of our government....
Congress Must Defund the War
By Sen. Russell Feingold
Congress must use its power of the purse to safely redeploy our troops from Iraq. Let's not be intimidated by the misleading rhetoric of the White House and its allies when they try to prevent any discussion of Congress' ending the war. This isn't about "cutting off funds for troops." It's about cutting off funds for the war.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article17113.htm
http://feingold.senate.gov/~feingold/releases/07/01/20070131iraq.html
{I would be happier with definitive deadlines to get guard and reserve troops home on our own soil and redeployment of regular forces out of Iraq. It would be better if Congress Critters were not on a week's vacation but in DC discussing how the heck to get the troops home so more don't needlessly lose their lives for lies and oil, so something must happen soon, or the November mandate by voters to end the war will be severely undermined. I'd be even happier if the fictitious Scotty from Star Trek could beam them all home immediately....}
Senate Democrats Promise "Relentless" Flood of Anti-War Legislation
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/021907C.shtml
After Republicans blocked a Senate debate for a second time, Democrats said Saturday they'll drop efforts to pass a non-binding resolution opposing President Bush's troop buildup in Iraq and instead will offer a flurry of anti-war legislation "just like in the days of Vietnam."
Wilmer J. Leon III | President's Day: Where Has Integrity Gone?
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/021907A.shtml
Wilmer J. Leon III writes, "As I compare the vision, sacrifices, and perception of honesty and integrity in both Washington and Lincoln and look to find those same traits in President George W. Bush, I am astonished at the polling data. According to the Washington Post, Americans now question the integrity of President Bush. The Post's survey found only 40 percent view him as honest and trustworthy. In 2006, according to the PEW Research Center, an independent opinion research group, 'The single word most frequently associated with George W. Bush today is 'incompetent,' and close behind are - 'idiot' and 'liar.'"
Al Neuharth: Bush Is Worst President of All-Time
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/021907B.shtml
Al Neuharth, the former Gannett chief, USA Today founder and currently weekly columnist for that newspaper, has had a change of heart. A year ago, in honor of President's Day, he stated that while he was often critical of George W. Bush, he did not, and probably would not ever, crack his list of the five worst presidents we've ever had. A year later he admits he was wrong. In his USA Today column, he announces that Bush has not only cracked the bottom five, he's now at the very bottom.
{Two articles on this link.}
Robert Parry | Moon/Bush "Ongoing Crime Enterprise"
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/021907H.shtml
Robert Parry writes: "From petty local scams to international money-laundering, the Reverend Sun Myung Moon's
political/media/business/religious empire has all the looks of a global "ongoing criminal enterprise," albeit one with enough powerful friends in Washington to protect it from serious consequences. Benefiting from relationships with the Bush family and other prominent Republicans, Moon's Unification Church slips away from one illegal scheme after another - despite overwhelming evidence and first-person admissions about the systematic pattern of the criminality. Somehow US authorities never put two and two together."
Craig Etchison | Depleted Uranium: Pernicious Killer Keeps on Killing
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/021907G.shtml
Craig Etchison, Ph.D., writes: "How to explain the exploding rates of cancer, birth defects, and radiation poisoning among Iraqis in the Basra region? How to explain a Department of Veterans Affairs study of 21,000 veterans of the Gulf War that found rates of birth defects were twice as great for male vets and three times as great for female vets who served in the Gulf War compared to vets who did not? How to explain a Washington Post report in January of 2006 that 518,000 of the 580,000 Gulf War veterans were on disability, and over half on permanent disability. How to explain over 13,000 dead Gulf War veterans when only 250 were killed and 7,000 injured in the war itself?"
This great and powerful force—the accumulated wealth of the United States—has taken over all the functions of Government, Congress, the issue of money, and banking and the army and navy in order to have a band of mercenaries to do their bidding and protect their stolen property.
Senator Richard Pettigrew - Triumphant Plutocracy - Published, January 1, 1922.
http://www.minnesotamonitor.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1316
Interview with Al Franken, U.S. Senate Candidate
Franken still needs to pass the primaries, etc., but so far his general statements are worded more specifically than any statewide or national politician I've read/seen in the last few years. Barring unforseen stupidity, suspect I'll be voting for Franken.
This is why it's so amusing to see Norm Coleman have to back-track on his Iraq war support....
On the wounded veterans problem/issue: what about calling the Congress and the Veterans affairs committees?
In the Senate, the Chair of the Veterans Affairs committee is Akaka (HI) and ranking member is Craig (ID)
Capitol Switchboard is 202-224-3121
In the House the Chair is Filner, B. (CA) and Steve Buyer (IN)
The Veterans Administration Office in Washington is:
(These are toll free numbers for Vets)
VA Benefits: 1-800-827-1000
Burial
Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA)
Death Pension
Dependency Indemnity Compensation
Direct Deposit
Directions to VA Benefits Regional Offices
Disability Compensation
Disability Pension
Education
Home Loan Guaranty
Life Insurance
Medical Care
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment
Education (GI Bill): 1-888-442-4551
Health Care Benefits: 1-877-222-8387
Income Verification and Means Testing: 1-800-929-8387
Life Insurance: 1-800-669-8477
Mammography Helpline: 1-888-492-7844
Special Issues - Gulf War/Agent Orange/Project Shad/Mustard Agents and Lewisite/Ionizing Radiation: 1-800-749-8387
Status of Headstones and Markers: 1-800-697-6947
Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD): 1-800-829-4833
For health care services, contact your nearest VA medical facility. To locate all VA facilities, click on Find a VA Facility.
“The biases the media has are much bigger than conservative or liberal. They're about getting ratings, about making money, about doing stories that are easy to cover.”
-Al Franken
Here are the top administrators in the Veterans Affairs Department:
The Honorable R. James Nicholson - Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Thomas G. Bowman - Chief of Staff
The Honorable Gordon H. Mansfield - Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Michael J. Kussman, MD, MS, MACP - Acting Under Secretary for Health
Dr. Gerald Cross - Acting Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health
William F. Feeley, MSW, FACHE - Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management
The Honorable Daniel L. Cooper - Under Secretary for Benefits
The Honorable William F. Tuerk - Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs
Paul J. Hutter - Acting General Counsel
The Honorable George J. Opfer - Inspector General
The Honorable Robert J. Henke - Assistant Secretary for Management
The Honorable Patrick W. Dunne - Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning
The Honorable R. Allen Pittman - Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration
The Honorable Lisette M. Mondello - Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs
The Honorable Robert T. Howard - Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology
Thomas E. Harvey - Acting Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Legislative Affairs
The Honorable James P. Terry - Chairman, Board of Veterans' Appeals
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17228504/
Posted by: monkey at February 19, 2007 01:03 PM
Ga-a-a-a-a-ak!!! My eyes are burning from reading so many egocentrically hypocritical and vile statements by the dictator....
Uff da! I have to go wash out my eyes!!!
Tonight's "All Things Considered" has an interview with Dana Priest from Wa Po on the lives of the wounded soldiers & the state of the Building 18/Malone House/Walter Reed.
NOT. BACKING. HILLARY.!!!
Right on Molly, wherever you are
Quote:
Enough. Enough triangulation, calculation and equivocation. Enough clever straddling, enough not offending anyone This is not a Dick Morris election. Sen. Clinton is apparently incapable of taking a clear stand on the war in Iraq, and that alone is enough to disqualify her. Her failure to speak out on Terri Schiavo, not to mention that gross pandering on flag-burning, are just contemptible little dodges.
THE QUESTION FOR ALL GOOD DEMOCRATS AND LIBERALS IS: CAN HILLARY BE STOPPED??? AND BY WHOM?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070219/ap_on_el_pr/clinton2008
Clinton defends consulting contract
FLORENCE, S.C. - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday denied that her campaign traded money for an endorsement from one of South Carolina's most influential black politicians.
Why do people send me things like this when I'm in a good mood?
US contingency plans for air strikes on Iran extend beyond nuclear sites and include most of the country's military infrastructure, the BBC has learned.
It is understood that any such attack - if ordered - would target Iranian air bases, naval bases, missile facilities and command-and-control centres.
The US insists it is not planning to attack, and is trying to persuade Tehran to stop uranium enrichment.
The UN has urged Iran to stop the programme or face economic sanctions.
But diplomatic sources have told the BBC that as a fallback plan, senior officials at Central Command in Florida have already selected their target sets inside Iran.
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says the trigger for such an attack reportedly includes any confirmation that Iran was developing a nuclear weapon - which it denies.
Alternatively, our correspondent adds, a high-casualty attack on US forces in neighbouring Iraq could also trigger a bombing campaign if it were traced directly back to Tehran.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6376639.stm
There were more than 300,000 homeless vets living on the streets of our country by the end of 2005. 93,000 homeless Vietnam vets. & then all the rest. Now .. 2 years later .. ??
http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=780&pst=219997&archival=
There is a really good debate about Hillary going on at the New York Times blog:
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/02/17/clinton-tries-new-approach-on-iraq-vote/#comments
Here is what I wrote:
As another blogger has written elsewhere, Hillary and her campaign are doomed. Hillary’s vote - to give a blank check to the president - and her continued support of an unjustified and disasterous war are truly a great shame and a crime. Hillary is part of the problem. She is part of the Congress and the Senate that did virtually nothing on Iraq or to hold Bush accountable until November 2006 after which the mood of the country became very clear.
Hillary, thus, is not a leader but a follower; a follower of the “safe” and “currently popular” political path. She unsuited to be president for her actions above.
And a note to the Hillary campaign: it really doesn’t matter what Hillary “will” do when she “is” president, or what she proposes in the Senate between now and the election. The die was cast between 2002 and 2006 for Hillary and she chose the wrong path. She should have the grace and the good sense to withdraw.
Sens. Levin, Biden Seek Change to 2002 War Authorization
Democrats Consider New Ways to Limit Iraq War
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/18/AR2007021801066.html
The topic is not about Hillary.
Keep writng,calling Murtha's & Reid's offices about this poor situation with our troops. This IS dispacable saying one thing:"support our troops",then do another which isn't in their best interest at all. Whenever this statment comes up the dems need a rapid response. Same thing about the funding. We have the largest pentagon budget in the whole world,combined. We can and should set bench marks and BTY,what the hell has happened to all that stash of missing cash. Dems refuse to have a spine and tackel this as makes them seem like whimps...and they are by giving lord boosh and minions anything he/they want ; 19 mil to the iraqi's and then the 20 mill what we have anti'd up from our taxes for troops is no small change. Who is accountable any more...NO ONE!! Why the dems don't speak out about how ill prepared we sent our troops into battle and continue to do the same,not to mention how poorly they are cared for once home is immoral. I won't send one damn dime to those places supported by private funding for our troops. This IS the job of our gov't !! We play these war games,we pay !!
We play these war games,we pay !!
Posted by: Patti F. at February 19, 2007 08:38 PM
In more ways than one.
Senate Democrats Promise "Relentless" Flood of Anti-War Legislation
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/021907C.shtml
After Republicans blocked a Senate debate for a second time, Democrats said Saturday they'll drop efforts to pass a non-binding resolution opposing President Bush's troop buildup in Iraq and instead will offer a flurry of anti-war legislation "just like in the days of Vietnam."
Sens. Levin, Biden Seek Change to 2002 War Authorization
Democrats Consider New Ways to Limit Iraq War
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/18/AR2007021801066.html
Then there is Robert Byrd, and Ted Kennedy. & our Congressman McDermott.
Can't paint all in one party with the same brush. I agree - keep calling our representatives. Do more than that, if it's what it takes.
Harrassing politicians or using the media to effect change is one thing, but pissing off the people who have the least to give and are losing the most on our behalf is hardly a selling point in my mind.
Posted by: V at February 19, 2007 11:32 AM
I've thought all day long about the soldiers and v's post and everyone's heartfelt outrage at the way the injured soldiers have been treated.
I've come to two conclusions.
1. V is right in her comment.
2. The DCP was organized to affect change not to focus on campaigns or the people in them. So my solution to this is for us to become the hub of a new program. Adopt a soldier program. This is just a kernal of an idea with all sorts of logistics and legalities needing to be reviewed, but what I'm thinking is that we find a way to adopt a soldier and become their advocate between the forces in the hospital and the VA.
We'd need a core group of local DC people to take care of the Walter Reed patients, but with a national movement we could attempt to finance it but also extend it to our local VA hospitals.
If anyone thinks a plan like this is worthy of more time or consideration, then I suggest forming a chat discussion in the irc and nitpicking the idea in private.
(Of course, I'm not in the irc tonight. But we could set a day/time for another night perhaps.)
I also want the idea out to the general public, not covered up.
So Astrobuff has started a blog in Central Oregon, linked to DCP. Her 2 Senators will be there soon and she is going to try to mobilize people in her area about the treatment of vets. She has made copies of both the WaPo articles to distribute. She has them in pdf form now. Turns out she had an old still working domain name. http://www.radrobin.com/ Check it out!
I just sent $4000 to the government. It's a shame they find it inadequate to cover basic infrastructure such as roads, healthcare and education but perfectly adequate to send to Halliburton. I have no idea what percentage ends up where but I do know that we should not have the debt, trade deficit and budget deficit we have. I wish I had the guts to be a tax with holder. The government is not living up to its responsibility but is trying to force the private sector and individual public to do what the state should do.
I sent $1700 to the county. That should fix a few pot holes. I have three degrees and still live on Smack Ramen. We taxpayers voted for the Monorail but they won't build it. We voted down a couple of sports stadiums but they built them. Now we are to vote whether we want to replace the crumbling earth-quake-prone viaduct with a viaduct or a tunnel but they won't actually LISTEN to us - it's an "advisory vote", ie waste of time.
We voted in Al Gore and John Kerry, two environmentalists, but we didn't actually get to have them. Instead that goon was put in by the goon squad.
I have meant all long weekend to talk about this. I do care care care what the rest of the world thinks about America, more than anything in the world. I have heard people say many many times that they don't - that they should mind their own business. That's pretty hard to swallow, living in a country that practices the doctrine of pre-emptive war and where many people actually believe we "need to fight the terrorists over there so we won't have to fight them over here." Shame.
West and Islam not at odds, most believe
Fears of a "clash of civilisations" between the west and Islam may be exaggerated, according to a global survey that shows a majority of people see positive links between cultures and believe that politics rather than religion is the primary cause of international disputes.
A Globescan poll of 28,000 people in 27 countries for the BBC World Service found the most common view to be that tensions between Muslims and the west arise from "conflicts about political power and interests" - endorsed by 52%. Three in 10 (29%) blamed "differences of religion and culture".
Asked if violent conflict was inevitable between Muslim and western cultures or whether it was possible to find common ground, an average of 56% believed the latter - the most common response in 25 countries. Some 28% thought violent conflict was inevitable. Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, was the only country where this view predominated.
"Most people round the world clearly reject the idea that Islam and the west are caught in an inevitable clash of civilisations," said Steven Kull, director of the Programme on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland .
(snip - go to http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2016770,00.html
The topic is not about Hillary.
Posted by: not my president at February 19, 2007 08:35 PM
@@@@@@
What is the topic about, precisely??? And what happens when we stray from the topic???
Excellent thread..... this is what makes DCP so damn good. The comments are insightful and the links are outstanding footnotes to well written commentary.
So here is my little contribution to this thread. Hardly as "brilliant" as some of the comments I have read, but truly theatrical with a memorable message appropriate for this thead:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmsOIjzQ1V8
Ralpheh
The topic is about the treatment of vets.
Nothing happens when we stray from the topic but it can be
obnoxious at times.
hat tip to Astrobuff:
Things are shaping up at Walter Reed - At record speed.
But, much attention still needs to be paid to diability and treatment issues....
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/19/AR2007021900759.html
I've been waiting all weekend for someone to have the writing skill and perspective to pull this off.
The Bald Truth
http://www.guardian.co.uk/gender/story/0,,2016967,00.html
Why does the shaving of a woman's head still have such power to shock?
Includes historical perspective!
Posted by: oncall at February 19, 2007 11:33 PM
Oncall - that was great! I'll be sharing with some folks today. Thanks for posting that.
Riverbend is back...with a vengence and a very sad, sad story.
The Rape of Sabrine...
It takes a lot to get the energy and resolution to blog lately. I guess it’s mainly because just thinking about the state of Iraq leaves me drained and depressed. But I had to write tonight.
http://tinyurl.com/2dt23n = Baghdad Burning
What is the topic about, precisely??? And what happens when we stray from the topic???
Posted by: Ralpheh at February 19, 2007 11:33 PM
Yeah, its cool, at the top of each thread, they actually type the topic in big blue letters.
Speaking of not supporting the troops, this McCain slamming Rumsfeld thing as the worst SecDef in history... if he knew that all along, why did he continue to wholeheartedly support the Dumbya when it was HIS decision to place Rummy in that position in the first place (lame Decider if ya ask me), and the same CIC who left said Rummy to mismanage the war right up til after the mid-term elections(yet build huge profits for defense subcontractors, but I digress)...
McCain.... I liked him better when he was actually IN the military. This version I dunt like.
*************************************************
"I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history," McCain said to applause.
The comments were in sharp contrast to McCain's statement when Rumsfeld resigned in November, and failed to address the reality that President Bush is the commander in chief.
"While Secretary Rumsfeld and I have had our differences, he deserves Americans' respect and gratitude for his many years of public service," McCain said last year when Rumsfeld stepped down.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/02/19/mccain.ap/index.html
Author: America's Ports on the 'Edge of Disaster'
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7463514
America is unprepared for the next big catastrophe, whether it's like the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, or like the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, the author of a new book says. Stephen Flynn, a former Coast Guard commander, says ports like the giant facility in Los Angeles, are especially vulnerable to attacks or natural disasters...
Posted by: monkey at February 20, 2007 08:21 AM
Hmmmmm.... Do I detect more flip-flopping in a rush to the middle for MickeyC...? Gawrsh, it sounds an awful lot like Johnny's trying to sound like a RINO with peaceful intentions. Huh. That's counter to his avid support for Georgie's illegal war and Georgie's slap in the face for approving torture, which Johnny decided he didn't think should happen, in view of his own past being tortured. But if ol' Johnny can blame all the people around Georgie for mismanaging the illegal war Johnny supports and the illegal torture that Georgie supports, then I guess everything's okay because it still absolves Georgie's and Dickie's culpability for their war crimes..., eh? [I never said their reasoning had to make sense. It is what it is, and that's some of the absent logic in their double-think. At least that what it seems like on the surface.]
First ol' Johnny was for abortion before he was against abortion (aka right to choose). There was a video on C&L recently which featured his two opposing viewpoints on abortion in various years.
Now MickeyC's badmouthing RummyDumDum after he spent years supporting and praising RummyDumDum when he was part of Dumbya's administration.
With all these prez candidates who have declared their intentions WAY too early, the rush to the center for all of them makes their opinions indistinguishable from one another, and leaves Lamestream Media's reich-wing propaganda to choose the next pResident (and media's been touting both Hillary and McCain since before the '04 election, ignoring all others, so with all that brainwashing media attention, it currently seems like both are a shoe-in, barring unforseen dramas or PR disasters).
U-u-u-u-u-gh! My normally low threshhold of boredom is going to have to find some mighty deep holes in which to bottom out during the next 18 months.
Undue Burden
Rural America bears scars from Iraq war
Nearly half of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq came from a small town
MCKEESPORT, Pa. (AP) - Edward "Willie" Carman wanted a ticket out of town, and the Army provided it.
Raised in the projects by a single mother in this blighted, old industrial steel town outside Pittsburgh, the 18-year-old saw the U.S. military as an opportunity.
"I'm not doing it to you, I'm doing it for me," he told his mother, Joanna Hawthorne, after coming home from high school one day and surprising her with the news.
When Carman died in Iraq three years ago at age 27, he had money saved for college, a fiancee and two kids -- including a baby son he'd never met. Neighbors in Hawthorne's mobile home park collected $400 and left it in an envelope in her door.
For a year after his death, Hawthorne took a chair to the cemetery nearly every day, sat next to his grave and talked quietly. Her vigil continues even now; the visits have slowed to once a week, but the pain sticks.
Across the nation, small towns are quietly bearing a disproportionate burden of war. Nearly half of the more than 3,100 U.S. military fatalities in Iraq have come from towns like McKeesport, where fewer than 25,000 people live, according to an analysis by The Associated Press. One in five hailed from hometowns of less than 5,000.
Many of the hometowns of the war dead aren't just small, they're poor. The AP analysis found that nearly three quarters of those killed in Iraq came from towns where the per capita income was below the national average. More than half came from towns where the percentage of people living in poverty topped the national average.
Some are old factory towns like McKeesport, once home to U.S. Steel's National Tube Works, which employed 8,000 people in its heyday. Now, residents' average income is just 60 percent of the national average, and one in eight lives below the federal poverty line.
On a per capita basis, states with mostly rural populations have suffered the highest casualties in Iraq. Vermont, South Dakota, Alaska, North Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Delaware, Montana, Louisiana and Oregon top the list, the AP found.
A 'basic unfairness'
There's a "basic unfairness" about the number of troops dying in Iraq who are from rural areas, said William O'Hare, senior visiting fellow at the University of New Hampshire's Carsey Institute, which examines rural issues.
Diminished opportunities are one factor in higher military enlistment rates in rural areas. From 1997 to 2003, 1.5 million rural workers lost their jobs due to changes in industries like manufacturing that have traditionally employed rural workers, according to the Carsey Institute.
Rural communities are "being asked to pay a bigger price for this military adventure, if I can use that word, than their urban counterparts," O'Hare said.
more...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17231366/
I know McKeesport. I been there. It ain't pretty.
Monkey
When I go to visit my mom it's nothing but yellow ribbons, funerals, talk about troops and questions about who has to go back, when and for how long (they don't know). N Dakota
& according to your article, jobs are sent overseas and then the workers they replace are sent to war - so we've lost out in manufacturing (except for weapons) so we need to go knock something down (foreign infrastructure) so we can send people over to rebuilt it (Halliburton) - at much higher pay than was received for the original jobs that were sent overseas. It's all on credit - from the Chinese!
I wonder how many vets think that they had a protector and supporter in Senator McBush (McCain's new name, per Tweety)?
But to get back to a part of my piece, what about a project which has each of us adopting a member of the media to focus on?
My experience with the media leads me to believe that it's not necessarily receiving an overwhelming number of e-mails with regard to a story that is effective in getting them to rethink the narrative, but it's also establishing personal relationships as well.
This really goes to the heart of the media groupthink that exists. How does the media receive its messaging, and how do we, as a community, become more effective at breaking through that.
Of course, we have had some success and influence, as we can observe from the last election cycle, but there has been the predictable backlash--witness Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwan. Without a resentful media, the campaign waged by Donahue and Malkin would not have enjoyed as much success as it did.
So what is the next step in increasing our ability to perforate the mediathink? I have a couple of ideas, but I would really like to hear from folks about this, and if people want, I would be interested in doing a thread on this for next week.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/19/AR2007021901113.html
Again, front page of the WaPo.
Hospital Investigates Former Aid Chief
Walter Reed Official Had Own Charity
By Dana Priest and Anne Hull
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, February 20, 2007; Page A01
For the past three years, Michael J. Wagner directed the Army's largest effort to help the most vulnerable soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. His office in Room 3E01 of the world-renowned hospital was supposed to match big-hearted donors with thousands of wounded soldiers who could not afford to feed their children, pay mortgages, buy plane tickets or put up visiting families in nearby hotels.
But while he was being paid to provide this vital service to patients, outpatients and their relations, Wagner was also seeking funders and soliciting donations for his own new charity, based in Texas, according to documents and interviews with current and former staff members. Some families also said Wagner treated them callously and made it hard for them to receive assistance.
Last week, Walter Reed launched a criminal investigation of Wagner after The Washington Post sought a response to his activities while he ran the Army's Medical Family Assistance Center, a position he left several weeks ago. Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman, the commander at Walter Reed, said the probe by the Criminal Investigation Command (CID) "reflects the seriousness with which we take these allegations."
Weightman's legal adviser, Col. Samuel Smith, said that "it would clearly be a conflict of interest" prohibited by federal law, Army regulations and Defense Department ethics rules if Wagner used his position to solicit funds for his own organization.
The saga of the Medical Family Assistance Center is just one example of the problems at Walter Reed, where nearly 700 soldiers and Marines from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan live as outpatients while recuperating. Some families are happy with the help they received from Wagner and his office, and many soldiers and their families applauded the dedication of workers there. Others said that they had problems with Wagner and that the center seemed chaotic and disorganized....
Randi Rhodes read almost all of the WaPo article on the radio yesterday.
Ralpheh
The topic is about the treatment of vets.
Nothing happens when we stray from the topic but it can be
obnoxious at times.
Posted by: not my president at February 19, 2007 11:40 PM
@@@@@
Well I am noticing that there are (per usual) many, many posts which are "off topic". You will volunteer to be internet Nanny and delete so that We Stay On Topic??
BTW:
Quote -
Iran: Sunnis Using Pakistan as Base, Planned Fatal Bombing
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/021907Y.shtml
The Iranian Foreign Ministry charged Sunday that Sunni insurgents from Iran used Pakistan as a base to plan a bombing that killed 11 people and wounded more than 30 in the southeastern border city of Zahedan last week.
-- Interesting, isn't it. Iran is predominantly Shiite. Is the civil war spreading? Persians didn't control the middle east in 14 centuries of trying but the battle never stops with the Arabians and why are we in the middle? Oh yeah oil.
Posted by: not my president at February 19, 2007 01:51 PM
@@@@@@
This Post Is Off Topic...
Always fun to watch threads change and concepts overlap. *grin*