November 2007 Archives
The story we are about to tell has been only ONE of a series of stories we hear about in passing; stories about the bullying and McCarthyism that characterizes the Bush Administration. This particular story came to us through several pathways, the first one being my friend Bev.
Bev came to DC while we were working on the Kerry campaign and she introduced me to her good friend, Carolyn, who was married to a Judge Advocate General. We had a lively conversation about John Kerry's campaign and thoroughly enjoyed the "girl-time" we had. Four years later, Bev emailed me.
Do you remember my friend Carolyn, she asked? I did, vaguely. Bev told me Carolyn's husband was having a good deal of trouble and perhaps we could suggest help. I sent her to Jesselyn Radack's site and Daily Kos because I knew that a number of Bush whistleblowers were getting together for support and action.
Tom wrote to Jesselyn and Suz became involved (Suz is ALWAYS involved in these heart-filled stories!) and so the story came back to us. We have waited to tell it because we wanted Tom to tell it first. It's his story and it needs to be heard.
Yesterday he launched his website.
For nearly 37 years I was privileged to wear the uniform of my country. I wore it in Vietnam as an Air Force Academy cadet, in Germany during the Cold War, in Saudi Arabia for Operation Southern Watch and in the Pentagon on Sep 11, 2001. During the last 2 ½ years of that career, I was proud to have reached the pinnacle of my profession by serving as The 14th Judge Advocate General of the United States Air Force, the senior uniformed lawyer of that service.
If you have read accounts of the end of my military service, you saw how I was investigated by the Inspector General based on an anonymous allegation of unprofessional relationships. I was then punished under the very system I had upheld and defended for my entire professional life as a judge advocate. Some initial media accounts of the investigation noted the conflict between me and high ranking civilians in the Bush administration over torture and the detainee interrogations at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. Since the media didn't know what they were on to, DOD officials quickly overwhelmed that thread. With a skill developed by much practice, the DOD leaked carefully selected half-truths from the incomplete investigation to poison the public perception of me.
Does it seem to you like the CNN/Republican You Tube debate over-hyping is a bit over the top? And by over the top, I mean it's become just like the Superbowl, only with less interesting commercials and no possibility of millisecond nipple flashing?
Okay, the absence of republican nipple flashing is something to praise, not decry, but still.
Today, we will hear hype constantly, no doubt. Every major blog site I have clicked on today has had a macromedia flash drive ad to hype the event.
First we had the pregame show last night, in which CNN reporters talked about how important they think that 'real people' will be tonight, and how it's going to be blood sport right from the first question. I'm not sure which I find more offensive--the fact that they think that bloodsport means that some political good will surely follow, or the de facto insult that "real people" are somehow this magical breed that they have just dicovered. In a diner. Somewhere in whitebread middle Amerka.
I imagine The Beard will be doing an all CNN/Republican You Tube Debate Show, all the time, in the Situation Room.
Lou Dobbs will probably not take a break from his half-drunken hysterical immigrant bashing to talk about it, though if he does, he will likely want to ask if any of the candidates think we should tar and feather all brown people before, or after we throw their filthydirtypublicserviceburdening asses in jail.
Then more of The Beard offering us a chance to hear every candidate's spin doctor's pre-game spin.
And then the Big Shew itself, which is billed to resemble something along the lines of "The Worst of Crossfire Meets The Worst of American Gladiator".
No doubt, every candidate will talk about how they will kill as many A-rabs as possible in order to keep America safe, while failing to notice that the A-rabs just bought a rather large stake in the American economy by taking a huge position in Citibank yesterday. Whatever.
We can also be assured that the candidates will pander to the pro Blastocyst-Americans lobby, while firmly positioning themselves as being against the services and education for children who are already alive and likely not doing so well. I can't explain why they do this. Maybe they see increasing the population of future poor people as a de facto recruitment tool for the increasingly difficult-to-find bodies they will need to sacrifice in their Glorious War on Everything. Call it the pro-life, pro pre-dead lobby.
Ron Paul will be hailed as "the Howard Dean" of the Republican Party. And no one will recall what the media did to Howard Dean.
Mike Huckabee will appear sane. And no one will ask him questions about his website statements on eliminating ALL taxes.
All of the candidates will be struck with mass amnesia over the person and presidency of one George W. Bush.
And sadly, no one will ask my favorite question: If you could go back in time and abort Osama bin Laden, would you?
Also sadly, no one will ask my favorite question because it will be deemed "too political". "Too political" to be asked at a political debate. Got it. I would need to ask about something more substantive. Something to do with haircuts/cleavage/earthtones/cackling will suffice.
After the show, we will have Larry King on with the village punditocracy who will tell us what to think about what they think we heard, or should have heard, or something like that. Regardless of what the candidates actually say, the narrative will still be, "Republican Strong on National Security, Democrats Still Pussies Who Need To Worry About Being Pussies".
I've noticed that Democratic Pundit concern trolling about the Democrats is alot like listening to someone's ex-girlfriend tell the new girlfriend what to watch out for from the old boyfriend, cause, you know, she's just trying to be super helpful. Sadly, the new girlfriend will believe it.
There will be no pundit concern trolling from the Republican pundits, who they will likely not have on, because on television, people will be able to see the specks of spittle flying from their foaming rabid mouths.
Then Anderson Cooper will have two full hours of the same crap as Larry King, only with less gossip, and a more intellectual patina to the pre-determined narrative. They won't actually call the democrats "pussies", but will likely make some euphemistically equivalent portrayal of the democrats position which will also ignore facts and history. Larry King has the pundits. Anderson Cooper will have the poseurs.
And then there's tomorrow's all day coverage of narrative regurgitation to look forward to.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Does anyone else find it disturbing that we are electing a President much in the same way that we used to choose Miss America, complete with the
And how long will it be before Britney Spears sings the national anthem before the debates, and we have a full on half-time show?
Sadly, I fear, not long. And Modern American Journamilism will continue to narrate a wished-for reality, embrace all that is factesque, publicly copulate truthiness and The Nutshell of All That Is Rancid And Corrupt With Modern American Journamalism will only grow in order to contain the ever-growing number of nuts.
Just. Kill. Me.
It’s not hard to understand the attraction of seeking divine intervention through prayer. It’s a cold (but warming) world out there, and it certainly would be nice if there were some deus (or deus ex machina ) we could invoke to solve some of humanity’s more pressing problems, like global warming.
Recent events suggest there’s going to be a lot more praying going on in the next few years, assuming that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is correct in its most recent report that global warming will cause more frequent and more severe droughts. Hotter, colder, we can deal with. But when there’s no water, people are forced to take notice.
In fact, prayers for rain are already ascending from drought-stricken Georgia, where Governor Sunny Perdue recently led a prayer for rain vigil at the State Capitol. The entire U.S. southeast is suffering from drought. In July, Alabama Governor Bob Riley declared a week-long “Days of Prayer for Rain” to “humbly ask for His blessings and to hold us steady in times of difficulty.”
Meanwhile over in Australia, Australian Prime Minister John Howard asked churchgoers back in May to pray for rain to end that country’s record drought. In light of his recent defeat at the polls after 11 years in office, perhaps Howard should have asked for a few prayers on the side for himself.
Was God sending Bush a message through Howard’s defeat? Howard was one of Bush’s strongest supporters in refusing to accept the reality of man-made global warming, or to take any steps to stop it. His opponent made climate change a major issue in the campaign, promising to sign the Kyoto Treaty.
They’re also praying in another drought-hit part of the world, Cyprus, where Archbishop Chrysostomos II has called for prayers for rain. Unlike Australia’s Howard, the archbishop has put some of his money where his prayers are. In August, the Greek Orthodox Church announced that it was going to spend $234 million to build a factory to make photovoltaic panels. Seems that a recent heat wave had caused power cuts, with forecasts for more cuts in 2008 without new sources of electricity.
Having been raised in a Protestant household, I was exposed to prayer early on, so I know the comfort that people can find in prayer. But if we’re going to deal with global warming, prayer won’t be enough, comforting though it may be. Say whatever prayers you like to whatever god, gods, or goddesses you like, but then get to work. The time for cutting way back on greenhouse gas emissions is short, and if we fail in this task, all the praying in the world will not stop drastic changes in world that we, and all the other creatures we share this planet with, have to survive on.
When I took my last long trip, I took along George Carlin's "When Will Jesus Bring the Porkchops." I've been a fan for years, but was particularly struck by his treatment of the prevalance of euphemisms. For a long time, I've noticed sanitized language used to talk about war (eg. "collateral damage" or "precision bombing"). It's not hard to find it when reading history (eg. "Indian removal" or "internment camps"). I've been thinking about the propaganda and the framing of messages we've seen in the more recent past, and it all fits.
As George points out, euphemisms obscure meaning rather than enhance it; they shade the truth. They may replace words that people are uncomfortable with or simply put a better face on things that sound too negative. They may also dress up something that seems too ordinary. "Thighs" become "drumsticks," "crow's feet" are "laugh lines," and "pimples" are "blemishes."
"Toilet paper" is "bathroom tissue," and "sweatpants" are "active wear." "Second-hand clothing" is now "vintage apparel." "Toupees" have been referred to as "hair appliances" or even a "hair replacement system," much as an "answering machine" is an "answering system" or a "mattress and box spring" is a "sleep system." Cars now have "braking systems" rather than just brakes, and the seat belts and air bags are an "impact-management system." We watch "animation" rather than lowly "cartoons" or "daytime dramas" rather than "soap operas."
Theaters have become "performance spaces," and arenas are now "event centers." Hospitals are "medical centers," libraries are "learning resource centers" and so on. "Profits" are "earnings," "criticism" is "feedback" and "special delivery" is now "priority mail." "Trailers" are "manufactured homes," "mouthwash" is a "dental rinse," "soap" is a "clarifying bar," and "hair spray" is a "holding mist" or "sculpting gel. "Cough drops" are "lozenges," and "constipation and diarrhea" are "occasional irregularity and lower gastric distress."
Euphemisms have been used to "soften the language" when it comes to the condition in combat where a soldier's nervous system has reached the breaking point. In World War I, it was called "shell shock." In World War II, it became "battle fatigue," definitely less harsh-sounding, though two syllables became four.
By the Korean War, the condition became known as "operational exhaustion," nice and sterile sounding, like something that might happen to your car. Finally Vietnam, and "post-traumatic stress disorder." It still has eight syllables, but has been hyphenated.
The holiday season brings out so much: alcoholism, fascism, old abuses, new accusations, etc. This week brought us to a new discovery: We have lefty cooties.
It seems our activism (such as it is--which is rather tepid, in our opinion) has caused consternation among some friends, leading to the ever-pleasant opportunity to reflect upon our actions of the past year and contemplate where we have gone wrong in our efforts to bring democracy to DC. In other words, we have a case of lefty cooties, and they are apparently contagious.
(Details are unimportant; suffice it to say that our support of various organizations who favor speaking truth to power is considered unseemly and futile. On the futility front, we have those days too...)
But all this has lead me to wonder how all of you are faring in this 2008 climate. For us, it has been a year of struggles with trying to find the right pathway, the best messages, the most responsible and responsive actions, moments of insight and horror, inspiration and frustration. We have had successes (usually helping out activists in small ways, but also participating in some positive actions, such as the Spine Awards and helping the Heinz folks with some messaging out on the environment, and the waterboarding exhibition a few weeks ago) and some moments of extreme frustration (the Arar hearings in which the US--or at least, the Republicans on that committee came across as heartless idiots, the GAO report hearings--in which we discovered that the number of opinions on the Iraq surge are exceeded only by the numbers of sets of statistics on that surge, etc.). On the whole, we think we do good work and we don't cross lines we don't believe in crossing.
But we have found that fear causes strange behaviors. The underlying messages of imminent attack, terrorists crossing the borders, Iran's nuclear weapons program (and we're not worried about PAKISTAN'S nuclear capabilities???), and all forms of xenophobia seem to manifest into dichotomies: jingoism or revolutionary fervor. Jingoism (let's get them before they get us) seems to lead to a reactionary and defensive stance, in which protest is seen as unpatriotic and divisive. On the other hand, the revolutionary fervor can lead to aggressiveness and a severe lack of forethought.
Our more moderate approach to protest (let's sketch it out and figure out the goal) is what has apparently led to the beliefs that we are either: A. Lunatics of the Left, or B. Counter-Revolutionaries. And so it goes.
As we move ahead into the planning for the actions of 2008 (all of which are in service of changing hearts and minds in the direction of wanting and being willing to fight for truth and democracy), I ask all of you to help us. First question: Where are your loved ones sitting on the issue of taking actions? Do they tend to approve or disapprove of the efforts of groups such as Code Pink, the Backbone Campaign, PDA, AfterDowningStreet, etc. Do your loved ones want impeachment on the table? Do you even dare bring it up? Or do you have Lefty Cooties too?
Under the fold: The Ontario Four CAR has been released from prison! And you know what? It never talked...
Every day, when I gird myself to open the front page of the paper to review George Bush's latest outrages, I whisper a little prayer, hoping against hope Bush could not come up with an horrors to top those he and his administration have already committed. I know that Bush has no shame, and without a scintilla of shame, what chance is there that this man would ever act in a humane way? How low can he go?
There must be a bottom, I keep telling myself, there must be a bottom.
Must there?
On November 19th, KDKA in Pittsburg reported on a new low. You may remember that in order to meet its recruitment goals, the military have been forced to offer recruits signing bonuses as high as $30,000.
But it turns out there's a little problem. If you go to Iraq, and lose an eye or an arm or a leg, and can't serve out the full time you served, the Pentagon has been demanding that wounded soliders give back some of their bonuses.
Much scuttling as since ensued, as mlitiary officals scramble to the PR stations. Here's a reassuring statement from Brigadier General Michael Tucker, deputy commanding general of Walter Reed:
"We're not sure what happened but we're gonna fix it."
Rep. Jason Altmire (D-PA) has put in a bill (H.R. 3793) to protect these signing bonuses. What do you think the odds are that Congress can find time to fix this outrage before they go out for the year?
Quicker than he can delete an email, GOP strategist and former White House staff member Karl Rove has agreed to pen opinion pieces for Newsweek, with several columns on the 2008 campaign. They will "balance" this by including internet blogger Markos Moulitsos.
Newsweek's Editor states that “Newsweek has a long tradition of asking practitioners and opinion-makers to offer our readers the benefits of their experience in occasional opinion essays" and further that "whether one agrees or disagrees with Karl, there is no arguing that he has been a critical player in the political world with insights and experiences that we think will give our readers something unique.”
Rove is on record as criticizing journalists and accusing them of relying on polls. He told Rush Limbaugh “If you have to wake up in the morning to be validated by the editorial page of the New York Times, you’ve got a pretty sorry existence.”
As for Markos Moulitsos, founder of the Web site Daily Kos, NewsMax called him "the far right founder of the Web site Daily Kos“ and Newsweek's Editor was quoted as saying, "I’m fully prepared for both the right-wing and left-wing blogosphere to be outraged, which means we’re doing our job.”
Karl Rove is being equated with Markos Moulitsos as far as importance and they are polar opposites on the political spectrum? This seems completely bizarre.
So when I came across Ari Melber's column, I had to email it to myself. Ari worked for John Kerry in Iowa, he is from my city but lives in New York, and I spoke with him at YearlyKos conventions in both Las Vegas and Chicago. He writes for Huffington Post, among other outlets (well, maybe The Nation is a little leftish), but has himself been criticized by some as hawkish for suggesting that Democrats should be strong on security. I would hardly call him, or Markos, for that matter, "far left." Ari is what they used to call "well read," and Markos is a former Republican and vet who advocates some party reform and DailyKos itself has a fairly broad sprawl on the spectrum.
This is an odd pair on several levels. First, it makes Kos look huge. His web commentary and grassroots organizing have earned him a media perch on par with one of the most powerful people to ever work in the Bush White House. (snip)
Second, it reveals a common misunderstanding of partisanship in the traditional media. In this model, Rove and Moulitsos automatically balance out each other's partisanship, because they are political operators. I doubt it. Rove has spent an entire political career devoted to the advancement of the G.O.P. and its politicians. Moulitsas has spent his political career toggling between support and confrontation with the Democratic Party. Yes, he's a liberal partisan Democrat who generally wants the party to win. But he has repeatedly challenged Democratic politicians, offering criticism, scorn, ridicule and several well-funded primary challenges. He even sits on the board of They Work For Us, an independent organization devoted to pressuring incumbent Democrats and supporting primary challenges.
So while Rove and Moulitsos are both more politically active than a typical columnist, they are nowhere near equal on the partisanship scale.
(snip)
Third, of course, there's this constant media fixation with "balance" itself. If the goal is something like equal time for liberals and conservatives, most of the media is failing badly. A recent study found conservatives have 60% of the the syndicated newspaper columns, while 58% of the Sunday show guests were conservative in 2005.
-- Here is an example of Markos' work for - Newsweek - watch for Rove.
I'm sure most of you folks are acquainted with the writer's strike currently taking place across the nation, with the picket lines primarily in the production hubs of New York and California.
There are two interesting things to note about strikes.
First, have you ever noticed that the people striking are the ones doing either the most important or the crappiest jobs in our country? Or put it this way--you seeing a lot of CEO's on strike? Have you ever once seen a CEO on strike? Uh huh. Neither have I.
Second, if you don't believe that the people who strike are making an important contribution to our lives, imagine life without them. Imagine all of the people who saw Schindler's List or Life Is Beautiful never having seen them. Writing for television and the movies is, as the arts do in general, a powerful means of communicating what we, as members of the human race, have in common. The arts lead our humanity, and artists pave the way for what is often a controversial truth that has yet to be embraced.
So for a moment, imagine a world without the writers that are now striking in America.
Also, I dedicate this thread to Karen, who embodies the concept of a brave artist, and to all of the others brave artists out there. And in that category of brave artists I would include everyone I have met from DCP. There are many kinds of artists who are not working in the "arts", per se, but who approach what they do with a creativity, bravery and respect for humanity that makes their life's work, a work of art.
Yes, I'm looking at you.
It's the Friday before Thanksgiving. The college kids are heading homeward next week. Lori Perdue left this morning, heading back to the warmth of her family, after her hearing yesterday. Last night we had a small activist's salon at our house, a family gathering, really, and an opportunity to process the past few weeks.
(Lori is scheduled for a hearing in January, but she is filing a motion to dismiss, which seems likely to happen since the police report is vague and tepid; deliberately, we think).
Everyone at the table last night has been struggling with one thing or another lately, but mostly the recurring theme is the breakdown of the human body and the need for repair. From the challenges of bipolar disorder to major depression to dislocated shoulders, to Richard's surgery today to remove a growth on his neck, the need for good and productive medical interventions was a topic of conversation.
We have seen in our DCP community the same issues lately: woz's surgery, monkey's heart repairs, ABQ John's wife Linda's health issues, and more of us facing similar concerns in our family.
Aside from the obvious connection to healthcare and insurance issues, which we all understand we are somewhat privileged to have few concerns about at the moment, I have been pondering the metaphor of breakdown of the body.
I have described 9-11 as a wound to New York City and Washington, and an effective invasive attack. The virus that was released by that attack was, and is, fear. Fighting fear is as difficult as fighting a lethal virus. And often, when we are fighting a lethal virus, the body goes into a series of breakdowns that are related to the battle with the virus , even if the virus eventually is eradicated or subsumed.
We are battle-weary, aren't we? I feel many of us are turning inward, to heal and recoup some of the fissures and disconnects that are the result of months, YEARS, of fighting against fear, ignorance, intolerance, and injustice. At the same time, I marvel at our ability to keep going, to stay alive and in the moment, caring for our families, communities, country, planet while the inner battles go on as well.
As Open Thread at Kos puts it ,"Mike Caulfield at Blue Hampshire nails it. And then nails the nail. With another nail. Which has two more nails attached to it on either side." :
Worried about unopposed executive power?
Emboldened by their party's newly won majority, Wonder Twins Chucky Schumer and Dianne Feinstein right wrongs and protect the weak by applying the maximum force that the new Democratic Mandate gives them to constrain the Executive Branch!
Gopher moat politics. That's about the best description of the current state of Democratic affairs in the US congress I have heard. I hope the meme sticks. And then leaves a big red welt where it stuck.
Question for the group:
My first grade son brought home and assignment as follows:
For the week of November 12-16, the theme of our sharing will be Veteran's Day. On the bottom of this sheet there is a star. Each child will choose a veteran, write the veteran's name on the star and prepare to share some information about that person. It can be any member of your famly who has served in the armed services, a friend, or a famous veteran you have read about. We will be displaying all the stars. We will follow our normal "share" schedule that week. It is printed on the back. It is our hope that this experience will help make veteran's Day more meaningful for the students.
I have no idea how to handle this. My father and grandfather were both naval academy graduates and veterans of WWI, both are deceased. They both felt that Veteran's Day was a day for tears. They felt that war, any war, was a failure of humanity. My husband and I feel there are no wars of nobility, only necessity.
Having said that, how would you handle this situation?
Senate Democrats might force Republicans to wage a filibuster if the GOP wants to block the latest Iraq withdrawal bill, aides and senators said Tuesday.That could set the stage for a dramatic end-of-the-year partisan showdown, which Democrats hope will help them turn voter frustration with Congress and the stalemate over Iraq into anger with the Republican Party.
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.), the number two Democrat in the chamber, said a forced filibuster is “possible” and would “generate attention.”
“We want to go to the bill, and [Republicans] have to decide initially whether they want us to go to the bill,” Durbin said. “I wouldn’t call it theatrics.”
I have to wonder why this is coming from Durbin and not Reid? I wonder if Durbin and others are fed up with Reid's complete misunderstanding of the way the real world operates vis-a-vis Republican gameplaying and public perception.
If this is true, then it would account for that funny feeling I am having...I think it's called hope.
I'd be interested in hearing what folks think is going on behind the doors of leadership, since for months and month, a large majority of the Democratic party faithful have been urging House and Seante leadership to force the Republicans to their feet on a filibuster showdown.
I say if the Republicans want to filibuster, let them actually filibuster. But they haven't been filibustering. They have been threatening to filibuster. Big difference.
What do you have to say?
Is there anyone left who will save the world from the horrors that Bush and Cheney are lusting to unleash with a pre-emptive war on Iran? (Having watched the Democrats go 0-40 in their efforts to end, or even to modify, the war in Iraq, you are not allowed to pick the Congress.)
Chris Hedges, who has written several good books about the nature of war, weighs in today with his answer: the last line of defense, he writes in truthout.org, is the U.S. military:
The last, best hope for averting a war with Iran lies with the United States military. The Democratic Congress, cowed by the Israel lobby and terrified of appearing weak on defense before the presidential elections, will do nothing to halt an attack. The media, especially the electronic press, is working overtime to whip up fear of a nuclear Iran and tar Tehran with abetting attacks against American troops in Iraq. The American public is complacent, unsure of what to believe, knocked off balance by fear and passive. We will be saved or doomed by our generals.
Hedges then hedges his bet, and it's a sad testament to the state to which our republic has descended that we have to even consider whether our generals would resist an order from Bush, an action that could easily be classified as treason and result in court-martial and execution.
But there is an interesting historical precedent, within the lifetimes of some of you reading this comment (you geezers know who you are). In 1974, when it was increasingly clear that Nixon would be forced out of office one way or another by impeachment or resignation, investigative reporter Seymour Hersh reported that Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger took an extraordinary step. According to Hersh:
The notion that Nixon could at any time resort to extraordinary steps to preserve his presidency was far more widespread in the government than the public perceived in the early days of Watergate or perceives today....
In essence, Schlesinger asked [Joint Chief of Staff chairman General George S.] Brown for a commitment that neither he nor any of the other chiefs would respond to an order from the White House calling for the use of military force without immediately informing Schlesinger.....Schlesinger knew that many might view his precautionary steps as the actions of an alarmist, but years later he remained proud of his decision: "First protect the country and then the Department of Defense."
So there you have it. Are the current Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, and the current Joint Chiefs of Staff, as capable of placing the welfare of country above the welfare of the Bush presidency? I hope we never have to find out.
My life is compartmentalized so I have three day weekends and a full-time job and commute are compressed into the other three. On those days, news comes in fragments. Sometimes a key phrase will keep popping up amidst all the chaos, and this week it was "homeless vets."
HOMELESS VETS.
Not words that we should be associating together in our minds, yet many of us do, given what happened after the Vietnam war. As I reread this, I realize it will be published on Veteran's Day, which is even more ironic.
A study released this week quantified homelessness among military veterans. There were some of the numbers that stood out in stark relief, already referenced by a few of you:
There were 195,827 homeless veterans nationwide on the streets on any given night of the year.
Of 39,000 vets who participated in Veterans' Affairs homeless programs last year:
4.9 percent served before the Vietnam War.
42.5 percent served during the Vietnam War.
41.9 percent served after Vietnam and before the Persian Gulf War.
10.6 percent served after the Persian Gulf War began, including veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Source: Department of Veterans Affairs, National Alliance to End Homelessness
www.va.gov
The National Alliance to End Homelessness (www.naeh.org), found that one in four homeless people in America is a vet and that former service members are much more likely to become homeless than other persons in this country.
Vets make up about 11% of the population but 26% of the homeless, more than double!
It is predicted that the problem will only worsen as many troops return from Irq and Afghanistan with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries, which put them at risk for homelessness.
The VA reports that 45% of vets suffer from some form of mental illness.
The only reason the total number of homeless vets has declined over the years at all is because of the aging of the older groups of vets. Now younger vets are trickling into shelters and soup kitchens and some predict a tsunami building. It took roughly a decade for Vietnam vets to show up in large numbers among the homeless. Repeat deployments and long stints in combat zones will take their toll.
If it turns out to be true that the number of wounded vets has been grossly underestimated by the government , this will inflate the numbers unable to return smoothly to civilian life even further.
Veterans are honored on Memorial Day and Veterans Day with parades and speeches. This year, I am reading that antiwar veterans are being forbidden from marching, in some locales. At the same time, once the wars are over or even when they're still going on, people passing by the homeless vet on the street tend to look the other way.
(photos D Grieser)
See also New York Times
Here is a diary called
The Visual Veteran from DailyKos that discusses many of the same issues, and includes photos of monuments to vets and homeless veterans in the DC area.
Lastly, someone dropped this at my FaceBook site at 7:18 PM last night, quite ironic given that it's appropriate to our topic and to Veteran's Day, with the notation:
Depression era film clip: what happens when government forgets the working people who went to war, once the crash comes and the plutocrats have already benefited from a working man's sweat and blood?
It's called "My Forgotten Man" - be sure to keep watching through the songs to see the depictions of the military, who serve and then may be largely forgotten.
Enjoy, as it's quite unique!
Sorry everybody. I'm at a dance theory conference at Barnard, in NYC, and so the wheels turn differently. This piece is for discussion purposes, so begin thinking now!
Today's thoughts come to you as the result of a cumulative process of weeks of actions and reflections upon actions, mind-numbing and brain-twisting analyses of actions, Thursday's movement choir in the park, and the usual Saturday morning epic discussions with my husband.
I'm thinking about the affinity-group-based actions of the "No War No Warming" day (the one with the polar bears being chased by the cops being chased by the bicyclists) and Desiree's confrontation of Condoleezza Rice two days later, the waterboarding demonstration vs. the coverage that followed, and the choir vs. the dance solo. Bear with me.
On the progressive activist side of the coin, no one is particularly obedient or follows orders. The left is not hierarchical, nor is it particularly organized. But in unpacking the methods by which organization does happen, certain differences emerge within the distinct approaches:
There oughta be a law.
Politicians are no longer allowed to use the passive voice.
For example, this was Michael Chertoff yesterday taking a strong stand against discrimination in the workplace (my emphasis added):
Julie Myers, head of Homeland Security’s immigration division, has come under intense criticism for awarding “Most Original Costume” to an employee “who dressed in prison stripes, dreadlocks and dark makeup for a Halloween gathering at the agency.” Myers was part of a three-judge panel that awarded the prize.Today, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff appeared on MSNBC and said that he had put the employee who wore the costume on “administrative leave.” He added that he has “zero tolerance” for discriminatory acts. But when it came to Myers, Chertoff refused to condemn her and indicated that she would face no punitive action:
CHERTOFF: First of all, I’ve directed that the individual who came up with this idea be put on administrative leave and we take some kind of disciplinary action. […]We have to make it clear to our own employees and to the public at large that we are totally neutral when we enforce the law and we don’t tolerate any ethnic discrimination.
So that’s a very strong message I’ve reinforced. Assistant Secretary Myers apologized for the fact that the incident occurred and has contacted both people inside the department and outside the department to make amends.
The incident occurred? Julie Myers wasn't even a mere bystander. She was a judge. More over, she was the boss of all the people at the party for whom she was the contest judge that awarded the grand prize for originality. Yes, nothing says original thought like portraying black people as criminals. And nothing says leadership like awarding prizes for Best in Bigotry.
And what was her bosses reaction? Secretary Chertoff assures us the person has been put on administrative leave. But in assessing ICE Chief Myers behavior, Secretary Chertoff has decided that she acted in a manner that requires not response. You know why? Neither do I, but do you doubt that at some point, we will hear Myers say some variation of "Mistakes were made."
Well, in that case, I can see why Chertoff doesn't believe that ICE Chief Julie Myers should not face disciplinary action. Can the Medal of Freedom be far away?
*Sigh*
Here's a tip: Whenever a politician uses the passive voice, there's only two possible reasons. They're either covering up or covering ass.
Late breaking tip number two: Ever notice that nobody uses the passive voice when they are running for office, but they use it constantly once they are elected?
Please, somebody, anybody, kill the political passive voice and it put out of my misery.
You can bury it right next to the journaminimalism question that begins ,"Some people say..."
Amen.
Watching the Bush/Republican assault on our liberties up close in the U.S. Congress is often simultaneously painful and absurd. I can no longer say, "almost beyond belief," because given the creeping fascism that is rotting out our democracy from inside, we move closer and closer to that terrible moment when nothing is beyond belief.
Outside the Dirksen Building this morning, I heard one of these stories from Ellen Taylor, whom I met at a Code Pink-sponsored demonstration of the waterboarding torture technique. She said that she had run into one of her Senators, John Cornyn of Texas on the elevator earlier in the day. She spoke with him about the war, and her visit the day before to Walter Reed Hospital, where she had met a young Texan who had lost a foot in Iraq. Cornyn assured her that everyone in Texas supported the war. After getting off the elevator, she walked to Cornyn's office, and left a two-line note in the visitor's book that Cornyn, like many Senators, keeps on a small table outside his office. She reminded him of their conversation, asked him to go to Walter Reed, and to bring the troops home. And she used a pink highlighter on the words Code Pink. Her entry was at the bottom of a page of a dozen or more other Texas visitors.
She started for the elevator, and then decided she should ask Cornyn to come to a party at her house to meet some Texans who were NOT in favor of the war. But when she opened the book to add the invitation, the page with her original comment was GONE.
I've always found it pretty easy to believe in social safety nets and the greater good moreso than small government. There are always going to be people who need help, and planetary resources are finite. Those are givens.
The present administration has proven time and time again that they not only cannot be depended on to "protect" much of anything or anybody. The Legislative branch moves slowly and is subject to veto. We have finally come to a time in our history when Governors and Mayors and even corporations need to act collectively, to effect change.
Oh what a week.
Updates first: The "Ontario Four" still do not have their car, which is being held under suspicion of containing food labels from Whole Foods, as well as names and contact info for the perpetrators of a heinous crime: the liberation of some food from Whole Foods for the homeless. The crime, which happened long before the Ontario Four arrived in the Nation's Capitol, was carried out by persons who have Left the Area, and who Left the Area prior to anyone's awareness of what they had done. One young woman, who apparently resembled one of the said criminals, but who is completely innocent, was seized at the same time the car was, and charged, and has had to drop out of college while she fights a battle against the totally and completely inept DC Police.
Meanwhile, the search for food labels must be frustrating the cops, since all food labels are CANADIAN. And the search within Lenna's laptop will reveal nothing, since the crime was committed by people unknown to her. The saga continues...
Lori and Liz: After being targeted by the Capitol Police (a different animal from the DC police), and dragged out of a hearing, and arrested for doing absolutely nothing, legal actions are being contemplated. The fact that video exists, and from different angles, helps. Interesting charges are helping us to learn a little bit about how the police intent to proceed: Desiree, who initiated the action against Condoleezza Rice without sharing her intentions, got a misdemeanor charge, and no jury trial. Medea, who put two fingers in the air sometime after Des was removed from the courtroom, will get a jury trial.
It seems to me, as an observer, that the police do not want Des to have a potentially sympathetic jury, whereas they believe that Medea may garner less sympathy. I think they underestimate both women myself.
I think their asses are going to get kicked.
Other exciting events from the week:
Richard managed to get inside the Heritage Foundation to hear GWB give comfort to MoveOn and Code Pink on Thursday. Despite the wink and the smarmy smile that followed his obvious jibe at the Dems in Congress (who give Code Pink very little traffic, after all), just the mention has provided both organizations with a sense of having penetrated the fog a little. Yep, Bre'r George, just keep throwin' Bre'r Pink into that briar patch...
A highlight, for me, was to take some of my graduate students to a briefing in the Senate on arts education, Thursday morning. The examples of school success that is supported by rigorous and sequential arts experiences were heart-warming. I would venture to say that any revisions of the "No Child Left Behind" act ought to take into account both the loss of arts education in schools where more time on reading and math is mandated, as well as the evidence of how well the arts support the habits of mind that allow for deeper learning and more engagement with ideas. It's IMAGINATION, people. We need more of it.
Imagine what the world would be like now if more people had been able to imagine the future back in 2000 and 2004.
And imagine what the world could look like if we imagine a better course of action right now, And imagine what you might do to make that happen.
Today, I am imagining an action that involves some education to the Congress on what waterboarding actually "is". Yes, I can see it all unfolding....like a dance....
Just imagine.
Since the media seems to be having difficulty in explaining the problem with the Mukasey nomination and his inability to call waterboarding torture, maybe a post-Gonzales civics lesson might help them.
Michael Mukasey was nominated by the President to be the Attorney General of the United States (USAG). The Attorney General's job is to be the prosecuting attorney on behalf of the people of the United States. Unlike the egregious behavior of his predecessor, Alberto Gonzales, would suggest, he is not there to protect the President. He is not the President's attorney. The White House Counsel is the President's attorney for legal matters arising from his role as President of the United States. The Attorney General represents the people of the United States. Or should.
The USAG is the chief law enforcement officer of our federal laws and treaties. Were a crime, say for example, torture, to be committed, he would be obligated to prosecute those responsible. All of them. And therein lies the problem for USAG nominee, Judge Mukasey.
Should Judge Mukasey correctly identify waterboarding as torture, then he would have to prosecute any member of the Bush administration who knew of, approved, condoned, executed or threatened to use waterboarding on anyone.
Does Mukasey know that the CIA, at the direction of some member(s) of the Bush Administration used waterboarding? He says no, but his reluctance to define waterboarding as torture, suggests that he has reason to believe they did.
Simply put, Judge Mukasey doesn't want to define waterboarding as torture, because then he would have to start investigating the CIA and the Bush Administration, and then prosecuting them.
This puts him in a bit of a dilemma, doesn't it? Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. This is more like amputating the hand that feeds you. And if investigations begin now, it's entirely possible that charges may not be brought until after Bush is out of office. Buh-bye pardons. Buh-bye commutation of sentences.
This goes to the heart of what the problem is with the Mukasey nomination. Waterboarding is an interrogation technique that was used in the Spanish Inquisition to torture their prisoners. It was used in the Italian Inquisition to torture their prisoners. It was used in WWII by the Japanese government to torture their US prisoners of war, and was defined by our government then as torture. It is defined in the Geneva Conventions now as torture. Define waterboarding as torture, and you will likely have to start arresting members of the Administration.
That's Mukasey's dilemma.
Well, here's my dilemma. The law isn't some fashion that changes based on Who's Your Daddy. The laws we have represent the moral agreements that we hold as a nation, citizen to citizen. They are our minimum daily requirements for civilized behavior. If Mukasey can't define waterboarding as torture, then he's either too stupid, too dishonest, or too immoral and he can get the hell out of my Justice Department.
Really, it's just that simple. It's so simple that even the simple-minded in the media can understand it. And if they can't, it's because they won't.
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