Happy Veteran's Day

 

U.S. Veterans Are Going To Ukraine To Fight For Freedom

 

The following is part of an article in the New York Times by Dave Philipps:

All across the United States, small groups of military veterans are gathering, planning and getting passports in order. After years of serving in smoldering occupations, trying to spread democracy in places that had only a tepid interest in it, many are hungry for what they see as a righteous fight to defend freedom against an autocratic aggressor with a conventional and target-rich army.

“It’s a conflict that has a clear good and bad side, and maybe that stands apart from other recent conflicts,” said David Ribardo, a former Army officer who now owns a property management business in Allentown, Pa. “A lot of us are watching what is happening and just want to grab a rifle and go over there.”

After the invasion, he saw veterans flooding social media eager to join the fight. Unable to go because of commitments here, he has spent the past week acting as a sort of middle man for a group called Volunteers for Ukraine, identifying veterans and other volunteers with useful skills and connecting them with donors who buy gear and airline tickets.

“It was very quickly overwhelming, almost too many people wanted to help,” he said. In the past week, he said he has worked to sift those with valuable combat or medical skills from people he described as “combat tourists, who don’t have the correct experience and would not be an asset.”

He said his group has also had to comb out a number of extremists.

Fund-raising sites such as GoFundMe have rules against collecting money for armed conflict, so Mr. Ribardo said his group and others have been careful to avoid specifically directing anyone to get involved in the fighting. Rather, he said, he simply connects those he has vetted with people who want to donate plane tickets and nonlethal supplies, describing his role as being “a Tinder for veterans and donors.”

A number of mainstream media outlets, including Military Times and Time, have published step-by-step guides on joining the military in Ukraine. The Ukrainian government instructed interested volunteers to contact its consulates this week.

On Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, Igor Konashenkov, told the Russian News Agency that foreign fighters would not be considered soldiers, but mercenaries, and would not be protected under humanitarian rules regarding the treatment of prisoners of war.

Voters Say Biden Cares More For Troops/Veterans Than Trump

 Donald Trump likes to claim that he's been the greatest president for our troops and veterans ever. But it doesn't look like the voting public believes him -- especially after learning of his calling troops "losers" and "suckers".

About 59% of voters say Joe Biden cares about the needs and problems of our troops and veterans. Only 45% say the same about Trump. That's a significant 14 point difference.

The charts reflect the results of the new Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between September 6th and 8th of a national sample of 1,183 registered voters, with a 3.7 point margin of error.

87% Of Gulf War Illness Claims Nationwide Are DENIED

 (Photo meme is from memecollection.net.)

Most Americans believe that our military veterans should get health care from the government -- especially when their injuries are connected to their military service. But the government is still trying to avoid compensating veterans who have gotten Gulf War Illness. They are denying a shockingly large number of these claims.

Here is part of a good article by Jeremy Schwartz in the Austin American-Statesman on the subject:

Department of Veterans Affairs benefits officials in Waco have denied a whopping 92 percent of claims related to Gulf War illness, giving Central Texas veterans one of the highest denial rates in the nation, according to data in a recent U.S. Government Accountability Office report.

The report found serious and persistent problems with how the VA handles the complicated Gulf War benefits claims, ranging from poorly trained examiners to inconsistent methods of handling claims in different regions of the country. For example, in the continental United States denial rates ranged from 47 percent in Boston to 95 percent in Roanoke, Va., according to an analysis by the advocacy group Veterans for Common Sense.

The VA estimates that 44 percent of the 700,000 service members who served in the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War have developed such symptoms as joint pain, chronic fatigue syndrome and neurological problems after returning home from war. The illnesses are believed to have been caused by exposure to toxic elements like smoke from burning oil wells, depleted uranium and chemical warfare agents such as mustard gas.

Nationally, the VA denied 87 percent of Gulf War illness related claims in 2015, the most recent year data was available, a denial rate that has increased over the past five years. For all other claims, the VA denied disability claims at a rate of 43 percent.

“(Gulf War illness) disability compensation claim laws and regulations need urgent overhaul,” said Paul Sullivan, director of veteran outreach for the Bergmann and Moore law firm and a Gulf War veteran whose own Gulf War claim remains in limbo after 25 years. “The issue of GWI claims is here to stay for several more decades. As Gulf War veterans age, we will file more claims … because our conditions continue manifesting and worsening, thus revealing the true long-term cost of war and toxic exposures on our health.”

Veterans and advocates fought for years to convince the VA to recognize Gulf War illness and compensate veterans suffering its effects. But while the VA has taken some steps to expand eligibility for compensation, experts say the department continues to make it unduly difficult to file and win a benefit claim.

Advocates concede that Gulf War illness claims are among the most difficult claims that VA examiners encounter. According to Michael Figlioli, deputy director of Veterans of Foreign Wars, Gulf War illness is “intrinsically difficult to diagnose and treat. … (There is) no one distinctive set of symptoms that allow for a single, unmistakable diagnosis.”

The clinical names for the two main categories of Gulf War illness reflect that uncertainty: Medically Unexplained Chronic Multisymptom Illness and Undiagnosed Illness.

Even so, government investigators found that the VA does a poor job educating medical examiners charged with identifying the illness.

(This meme is from knowyourmeme.com.)

The Best Way To Thank A Veteran Is To Vote Against Trump

The following op-ed was written by veteran Frank Biggio (pictured) for cleveland.com.

Frank ("Gus") Biggio, originally of Wooster, Ohio, earned his law and MBA degrees from Case Western Reserve University. He served on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps infantry from 1993 to 1998 and in the Marines' Civil Affairs Group from 2007 to 2010, deploying to Afghanistan in 2009, service for which he was awarded the Bronze Star. 

Mr. Biggio writes:

As one of the roughly 22 million Americans who served, or are serving, in the nation's military, I always appreciate when people tell me, "Thank you for your service." My response is always, "You're welcome," and other than the occasional department store discount or free round of drinks, I've never sought to exploit my veteran status to garner any special favors.

This year is different.

One of our options includes a man who has glibly spoken about using nuclear weapons in Europe and the Middle East and seems unconcerned about nuclear proliferation by other countries simply because it is "going to happen anyway;" who fails to comprehend the deterrent effect of U.S. troops in South Korea against increasingly belligerent threats by North Korea; who would allow NATO member states on Russia's western border to fall to Kremlin aggressions unless they "pay up;" and who has denigrated the family of an Army captain killed in action while serving his country.

This is a mercurial man who will have almost unchecked authority to put uniformed men and women in harm's way, but whose understanding of foreign affairs and military strategy is based almost solely on his instincts rather than analysis. 

I served under many commanders. Some were leaders in name only, but most deserved the title by demonstrating core leadership principles, regardless of any stress or hardship, and didn't resort to primitive and distracting antics like belligerent shouting or chest thumping. They led by example, invited collaboration, analyzed conflicting positions and took responsibility for the decisions that ultimately fell to them to make.

When successes occurred, they praised their teams. And when events turned against them, they took responsibility and didn't blame others or make excuses. 

Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower drafted a letter on the eve of D-Day which was to be released in the event the invasion failed. He wrote: "If any blame attaches to the attempt, it is mine alone." We of course know that the Allied Forces succeeded after storming Normandy's beaches and Gen. Eisenhower praised the efforts of his teams, from the generals to the privates. 

It's inconceivable that Donald Trump would take such a position, either by acknowledging his team for a success (this is the man who claimed "I alone can fix it!" in his nomination acceptance speech), or solely taking blame for a failure.

Trump is no Eisenhower. He's more like the fictional Captain Queeg played by Humphrey Bogart in "The Caine Mutiny" -- paranoid, erratic, condescending and ultimately incompetent. There are many other apt analogies, but each is equally frightening when thinking of Trump directing the deployment of our military to today's ambiguous front lines, perhaps just to prove that he can.

There are many things to consider when heading to the polls in November. One of those is who should command the nearly 2.2 million members of our active and reserve military forces; who should be the elected leader with the authority to put their lives in jeopardy to protect American interests against evolving threats around the world. 

Will we elect a man who, without offering any clarity, boasts that he "will be so good at the military, your head will spin," as if his high school graduation from a military academy validates that claim, and hopes that the electorate will simply trust that will be so? Whose behavior and public comments cause a collective group of 50 foreign policy experts, most of whom are from the Republican Party and have at one time sat in the White House Situation Room and contemplated the implications -- and repercussions -- of deploying our military, to publicly denounce him and the security and foreign policy positions he has proposed?    

We have an alternative to the embarrassment that is Donald Trump, a candidate who, though not flawless, has actual experience and demonstrated pragmatism, is known and respected by military and civilian leaders in America and abroad and is capable of decisiveness and restraint as the situation requires. I'm with her.

This Election Day, please thank me for my service by voting for Hillary Clinton as our president and commander in chief.

As Committee Chair, Bernie Sanders Failed Our Veterans

The following was posted at studentnewsdaily.com on April 11th. It was originally posted by Tim Mak at The Daily Beast on February 4th.

Bernie Sanders’s tenure as chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee was characterized by glaring neglect of his oversight responsibilities, allowing the 2014 VA scandal to unfold under his watch, veterans’ rights advocates argue.

Sanders has touted his work on veterans’ issues, most recently citing his involvement in “the most comprehensive VA health care bill in this country,” in a February debate.

Left unsaid however, is that he was the chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, responsible for overseeing the Department of Veterans Affairs, as the scandal erupted.

Dozens of veterans died while waiting for medical care at Phoenix Veterans Health Administration facilities, a scandal CNN broke in the spring of 2014. The imbroglio spread with reports of secret waiting lists at other VA hospitals, possibly leading to dozens more preventable deaths.

Sen. Sanders held one-sixth of the hearings on oversight that his House of Representatives counterpart held. Republicans griped that they had made multiple requests for more oversight hearings, but received no response. A news host even challenged Sanders as the scandal erupted, saying he sounded more like a lawyer for the VA than the man responsible for overseeing it.

“We feel that he did not live up to his responsibilities as Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC) chairman to provide oversight into this. He keeps hiding behind the mantle [of the title]. And yes, he did pass the $15 billion piece of legislation, but that’s… akin to closing the barn door after the chickens have escaped,” said Matthew Miller, the chief policy officer of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

By the time the scandal broke, Sanders had been chairman for more than a year. While the House VA committee held 42 hearings on VA oversight, the Senate VA committee chaired by Sanders held only about seven hearings on the matter.

“The House needed a partner in the Senate to help flesh out the problems at the VA, and unfortunately Bernie Sanders was not that partner. Florida Rep. Jeff Miller and his House committee were the ones who pursued this and ultimately uncovered [the VA scandal]… only when the VA scandal broke was when [Sanders] ultimately decided to do oversight hearings,” said Dan Caldwell, the vice president for political and legislative action of Concerned Veterans for America.

There's more, and you can read it at studentdailynews.com.

(The photo above of Bernie Sanders is from cnn.com.)

Hillary Clinton's Stand On Veterans And Our Armed Forces

(Photo of Hillary Clinton is by Gabe Rodriguez at hillaryclinton.com.)

From hillaryclinton.com:

"I believe in making sure that people who sacrifice for us are given all the care and the benefits and support that they need. And I believe strongly that taking care of our veterans is part of our solemn duty as Americans." 

HILLARY, JUNE 18, 2015

Hillary believes that by supporting our veterans, we strengthen our military, our economy, and our country, and she knows that we cannot separate supporting our veterans from our broader commitment to take care of our troops—soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and their families.

Long wait times for health care, crippling claims backlogs, little or no coordination between different government agencies responsible for serving veterans. These problems are serious, systemic, and absolutely unacceptable. They need to be fixed—and fixed now.

Hillary has developed a comprehensive plan to support our veterans and ensure they have access to the opportunities and tools they need to succeed upon returning home. As president, she will:

• Fundamentally reform veterans’ health care to ensure access to timely and high quality care and block efforts to privatize the VA. Hillary was outraged by the recent scandals at the VA, and as president, she will demand performance and results. Hillary’s plan will transform the VA into an integrated health care system and care coordinator, and improve access and services for women and LGBT veterans. She also understands the unique challenges faced by many veterans and will ensure the VA and DoD remain national leaders in vets-specific health issues while expanding access to mental health services and treatment. And Hillary will fight as long and hard as it takes to prevent Republicans from privatizing the VA as part of a misguided ideological crusade.
• Modernize and refocus the full spectrum of veterans’ benefits across the government by implementing a “New Bradley Plan” in the spirit of General Omar Bradley, who solved the crisis in VA access and benefits after World War II. Hillary will create a standing President’s Council on Veterans to ensure the highest levels of government are fully involved and synchronizing their efforts to get veterans the benefits they’ve earned. Her New Bradley Plan also will end the claims and appeals backlog through initiatives that streamline and simplify the process and innovative solutions that ensure it won’t happen again.
• Overhaul VA governance to create a new veteran-centric model of excellence. The VA cannot be fixed without accountability. Hillary’s plan will hold every employee, from the top leadership to mid-level managers to entry-level employees, accountable for upholding the highest workplace standards and putting veterans first. But unlike some plans put forward by Republicans, Hillary’s plan includes whistleblower protections – because those who come forward to report wasteful programs or inefficient practices embody the spirit of reform and excellence that the VA must champion, not silence.
• Empower veterans and strengthen our economy and communities by connecting their unique skills to the jobs of the future. Hillary believes we have to invest in our vets and make sure that the men and women who risk their lives for our country have access to a good education and good jobs when they come home. Her plan will expand and solidify educational benefits and programs that help veterans get jobs after their service. To make sure they get a fair shot, she will strengthen measures that protect veterans from predatory schools and businesses, and improve programs that help them get back on their feet.

Hillary is committed to a strong and resilient military, built by the extraordinary men and women who volunteer to serve and the families who serve alongside them. As president and commander-in-chief, she will:

• Sustain and strengthen the all-volunteer force, including the reserve and National Guard components. As a senator and member of the Armed Services Committee, Hillary was a champion for our men and women in uniform. Her policies will continue to support a strong pay and benefits package that expands access to mental health care and ensure the health needs of military women are fully met. And Hillary is committed to modern and inclusive personnel policies that take advantage of America’s strengths while embodying its values.
• Strengthen services and support for military families, a cause that is near and dear to Hillary’s heart. She recognizes that military family readiness is a critical part of total force readiness, and her plan promotes policies that give families opportunities and flexibility, like expanded access to child care and initiatives to boost spouse employment. And Hillary will ensure that family members have access to the benefits and support services they need, because she believes nobody should have to choose between serving their country and taking care of their family.

I'd Like Your Opinion On This

This is a piece of art done by Rick Rueda of Amarillo. It is titled "PTSD".

I found it to be a powerful statement on a huge problem, and a beautiful piece of artwork. It speaks to the way this country sends soldiers off to war, but ignores the problems that war causes the soldiers when they return home. There are far too many suicides among veterans, because our government won't live up to its responsibility to care for veterans, and give them the care they need and deserve.

It was displayed in a local art gallery, and that gallery didn't see things that way. They have banned Mr. Rueda from displaying any more of his art in their gallery.

I would really like to know what my readers think. Is this a powerful piece of art? Or should it be banned from public viewing? Please tell me what you think.

I want to hear from as many of you as possible -- and to that end, I will even publish anonymous comments on this one post (if that is the only way you'll comment).

Bernie's Memorial Day Statement

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) issued the following statement:

“On this Memorial Day weekend, I want to thank all veterans who have put their lives on the line to defend our country and especially the families of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. On this solemn occasion, Congress must reaffirm its commitment to make sure that every veteran in this country and their families get the health care and other benefits that they have earned and deserve.

“During the past several years, we have made significant progress. We have expanded education and employment opportunities, reduced homelessness, improved the processing of claims for disability benefits and given new support for the caregivers of disabled veterans. In the coming year, I look forward to working with veterans all across the country and their representatives here in Washington as we redouble our commitment to the men and women who have given so much for our nation.”

(The image of Senator Sanders is by DonkeyHotey.)

Bernie On Veterans Benefits

This is some pretty good advice from Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. When you vote to send American citizens to war (any kind of war, even a ridiculous and unnecessary one), you have an obligation to help the veterans of those wars to access needed medical care, educational opportunities, and to find a decent job. Sanders has a bill pending in the Senate that would do that, but it is being blocked by Senate Republicans. Those Republicans were quick to send those citizens to war (and spend over a trillion dollars to do it), but now claim we don't have the money to help them. That is unacceptable -- especially since those same Republicans are now trying to pick a new war (with Iran).

GOP Refuses To Allow A Vote On Veterans Benefits Bill

(This cartoon image is by Steve Sack in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.)

The Republican Party, especially those on the far right, like to make a public display of "supporting the troops". They'll wave flags, wear lapel pins, and put magnetic yellow ribbons on their cars, but that's about as far as that support goes. Once those soldiers leave the military, the Republicans are done with them (and don't expect them to actually spend any money to help the veterans, since that might require their rich buddies to pay a little more in taxes).

A prime example of this happened just this week. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) has a bill pending in the Senate -- a bill that would help veterans get an education, find employment, and make their access to health care easier. But when Sanders tried to bring his bill to the floor for a vote, he found he was blocked by Senate Republicans. Those Republicans are filibustering the bill because they couldn't get an amendment attached to it to increase sanctions on Iran (an increase in sanctions that could derail the current talks with Iran for a peaceful solution).

When Majority Leader Reid tried to invoke cloture (stop the filibuster), 41 Republicans voted no, thus denying the 60 votes needed to stop the filibuster and bring the bill up for a vote. In other words, the Senate Republicans refused to support giving needed benefits to American veterans, unless they could get a vote that would send us further down the road to a new war -- which would create more veterans they could deny benefits to.

This is ridiculous. Republicans had no problem spending more than a trillion dollars on two wars that accomplished nothing (except to create new enemies and kill thousands of people) -- and then want to pick a new war with another country. But they can't find a few billion to help the veterans of the wars they are so eager to create.

This is shameful. You don't honor veterans by displaying Chinese-made pins and ribbons -- you do it by helping them get medical care, an education, and a decent job.

Social Security Raise Only 1.5% Next Year

According to the Associated Press, the cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) for Social Security recipients will only be about 1.5% when it is raised next January. Since the average Social Security payment is about $1162.00 a month, the average raise seen by recipients will be only $17 a month. Historically, this is a very small COLA raise, and will no doubt be a disappointment for many receiving Social Security.

This will be only the seventh time since 1975 (about 38 years) that the raise will be less than 2%. The other raises of less than 2% were in 1986, 1998, 2002, and 2012 -- while no raises were granted in 2009 and 2010.

The 1.5% figure is not official yet, since the government shutdown has prevented the release of the official inflation figures for September by the Labor Department (on which the COLA is based). Official inflation for the year so far is around 1.4%, and most economists expected the September numbers to raise it to about 1.5%.

While the pitiful 1.5% raise is bad enough news for Social Security recipients, the congressional Republicans have once again raised their idea of changing the COLA to a "chained consumer price index" (which is lower than the official inflation rate). That would mean even lower raises for Social Security (and other government programs like veterans benefits). And unfortunately, President Obama has indicated his willingness to consider the change, which would amount to a cut in benefits for many of the most vulnerable Americans.

Here is what a change to the chained CPI would mean:

Enacting a chained CPI would cut Social Security benefits by over $120 billion over 10 years. The average Social Security recipient who retires at age 65 would get $658 less a year at age 75 and would get more than $1,000 less a year at age 85 than under current law.

A chained CPI also would make substantial cuts to benefits of more than 3 million disabled veterans.  The largest cuts would impact young, permanently disabled veterans who were seriously wounded in combat. It would also impact more than 350,000 survivors who receive service-connected death benefits.     Veterans who started receiving VA disability benefits at age 30 would have their benefits reduced by $1,425 at age 45, $2,341 at age 55 and $3,231 at age 65.

Under a chained CPI, the average retired federal employee over the next 25 years would lose $48,000; the average Social Security recipient would lose $23,000; and, the military retiree would lose $42,000.

This is nothing more than a backdoor effort to cut Social Security benefits, and cutting those benefits is opposed by a clear majority of Americans. Democrats need to stand firm, and let the Republicans (and the president) know they will not allow any kind of benefit cut to Social Security (or to veterans benefits).

A Dying Soldier's Letter To Bush/Cheney

The open letter below was written by Tomas Young. Mr. Young is a patriotic American who joined the U.S. Army two days after the 9/11 tragedy. He is now a paralyzed veteran living out the final days of his life in hospice care. I am reposting his open letter (found at truthdig) to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney because I think it deserves as wide a readership as possible. It is a searing indictment of the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

To: George W. Bush and Dick Cheney
From: Tomas Young

I write this letter on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War on behalf of my fellow Iraq War veterans. I write this letter on behalf of the 4,488 soldiers and Marines who died in Iraq. I write this letter on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of veterans who have been wounded and on behalf of those whose wounds, physical and psychological, have destroyed their lives. I am one of those gravely wounded. I was paralyzed in an insurgent ambush in 2004 in Sadr City. My life is coming to an end. I am living under hospice care.

I write this letter on behalf of husbands and wives who have lost spouses, on behalf of children who have lost a parent, on behalf of the fathers and mothers who have lost sons and daughters and on behalf of those who care for the many thousands of my fellow veterans who have brain injuries. I write this letter on behalf of those veterans whose trauma and self-revulsion for what they have witnessed, endured and done in Iraq have led to suicide and on behalf of the active-duty soldiers and Marines who commit, on average, a suicide a day. I write this letter on behalf of the some 1 million Iraqi dead and on behalf of the countless Iraqi wounded. I write this letter on behalf of us all—the human detritus your war has left behind, those who will spend their lives in unending pain and grief.

I write this letter, my last letter, to you, Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney. I write not because I think you grasp the terrible human and moral consequences of your lies, manipulation and thirst for wealth and power. I write this letter because, before my own death, I want to make it clear that I, and hundreds of thousands of my fellow veterans, along with millions of my fellow citizens, along with hundreds of millions more in Iraq and the Middle East, know fully who you are and what you have done. You may evade justice but in our eyes you are each guilty of egregious war crimes, of plunder and, finally, of murder, including the murder of thousands of young Americans—my fellow veterans—whose future you stole.

Your positions of authority, your millions of dollars of personal wealth, your public relations consultants, your privilege and your power cannot mask the hollowness of your character. You sent us to fight and die in Iraq after you, Mr. Cheney, dodged the draft in Vietnam, and you, Mr. Bush, went AWOL from your National Guard unit. Your cowardice and selfishness were established decades ago. You were not willing to risk yourselves for our nation but you sent hundreds of thousands of young men and women to be sacrificed in a senseless war with no more thought than it takes to put out the garbage.

I joined the Army two days after the 9/11 attacks. I joined the Army because our country had been attacked. I wanted to strike back at those who had killed some 3,000 of my fellow citizens. I did not join the Army to go to Iraq, a country that had no part in the September 2001 attacks and did not pose a threat to its neighbors, much less to the United States. I did not join the Army to “liberate” Iraqis or to shut down mythical weapons-of-mass-destruction facilities or to implant what you cynically called “democracy” in Baghdad and the Middle East. I did not join the Army to rebuild Iraq, which at the time you told us could be paid for by Iraq’s oil revenues. Instead, this war has cost the United States over $3 trillion. I especially did not join the Army to carry out pre-emptive war. Pre-emptive war is illegal under international law. And as a soldier in Iraq I was, I now know, abetting your idiocy and your crimes. The Iraq War is the largest strategic blunder in U.S. history. It obliterated the balance of power in the Middle East. It installed a corrupt and brutal pro-Iranian government in Baghdad, one cemented in power through the use of torture, death squads and terror. And it has left Iran as the dominant force in the region. On every level—moral, strategic, military and economic—Iraq was a failure. And it was you, Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney, who started this war. It is you who should pay the consequences.

I would not be writing this letter if I had been wounded fighting in Afghanistan against those forces that carried out the attacks of 9/11. Had I been wounded there I would still be miserable because of my physical deterioration and imminent death, but I would at least have the comfort of knowing that my injuries were a consequence of my own decision to defend the country I love. I would not have to lie in my bed, my body filled with painkillers, my life ebbing away, and deal with the fact that hundreds of thousands of human beings, including children, including myself, were sacrificed by you for little more than the greed of oil companies, for your alliance with the oil sheiks in Saudi Arabia, and your insane visions of empire.

I have, like many other disabled veterans, suffered from the inadequate and often inept care provided by the Veterans Administration. I have, like many other disabled veterans, come to realize that our mental and physical wounds are of no interest to you, perhaps of no interest to any politician. We were used. We were betrayed. And we have been abandoned. You, Mr. Bush, make much pretense of being a Christian. But isn’t lying a sin? Isn’t murder a sin? Aren’t theft and selfish ambition sins? I am not a Christian. But I believe in the Christian ideal. I believe that what you do to the least of your brothers you finally do to yourself, to your own soul.

My day of reckoning is upon me. Yours will come. I hope you will be put on trial. But mostly I hope, for your sakes, that you find the moral courage to face what you have done to me and to many, many others who deserved to live. I hope that before your time on earth ends, as mine is now ending, you will find the strength of character to stand before the American public and the world, and in particular the Iraqi people, and beg for forgiveness. 

GOP "Values" Make No Sense

This doesn't make much sense, but it is the position the Republican Party has taken. They don't mind sending troops to be wounded (both physically and mentally) in a foreign war, but if they make it back home they don't have any interest in helping them find a job (or a home). They showed this by killing the veterans jobs bill in the Senate just a few days ago.

And the same is true of children. They are all about "saving" the fetus, but once a child is born they have no interest in seeing that the child has food, shelter, clothing, and a decent education. That's why they want to drastically cut social programs and education (even though 1/5 of this country's children live in poverty).

But they're quick to say the rich should have a new and massive tax cut. After all, that worked so well in the Bush administration (increasing the deficit and debt, throwing the country into recession, and destroying millions of jobs). Now they want to make veterans and children (and the elderly and the working poor and the disabled) pay for their own bad economic policy.

You'd have to be insane or extremely cold-hearted to vote Republican this year.

Supporting The Troops ?

Once again the Republicans have exposed themselves as hard-hearted liars. They puff out their chests and claim to be patriotic supporters of the brave American troops they have sent to fight ridiculous foreign wars (wars that should never have been started in the first place). But do they really support the troops, or is that just an act for the benefit of voters (who really do support our troops)? I suspect it is just the latter -- an act.

Putting a magnetic ribbon on your car is not supporting the troops, and neither is supporting the continuation of wars that are accomplishing nothing (except further deaths of soldiers and innocent civilians). It takes more than empty words and bumper stickers to support the troops. It takes action.

Passing the senate bill to help veterans find decent jobs would have been a good way to support the troops. Why then did senate Republicans, forty of them, kill a bill that would have done that? Could it be they don't really care about the troops at all, especially once they've completed their service and could use a little help from a grateful nation? Could it be they don't really care about any Americans unless they are rich (or corporate moguls)?

In killing the veterans jobs bill, the Republicans have shown their true colors. Like their presidential nominee, they simply don't care about ordinary Americans.

Combat Veteran Scolds Rick Perry

Republican candidate Rick Perry made one of the most inane statements the other day that I have ever heard from a candidate. He said he was running for president to "make sure that every young man and woman who puts on the uniform of the United States respects highly the president of the United States". The obvious inference was that President Obama was not deserving of respect because he had served his country as a community organizer rather than a member of the military. This wasn't just an insult to the president, but to millions of Americans who dedicate their lives to making this country and their communities better in a myriad of ways.

And it angered combat veteran Dan Futrell, who served 27 months in Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom and earned two Bronze Stars. Futrell wrote a piece for Politico in which he scolds Perry for denigrating the work done by millions of patriotic Americans. Here is what he had to say:

Texas Gov. Rick Perry recently asserted in Iowa that one reason he entered the GOP presidential race is to “make sure that every young man and woman who puts on the uniform of the United States respects highly the president of the United States.” He was clearly implying that our current commander in chief does not have, or deserve, this respect from our active duty, reserve and veteran military community.


As a veteran of two Iraq tours of duty, I was stunned to hear Perry – the latest GOP candidate claiming to speak on my behalf – say that the military does not respect President Barack Obama because he had never served in the military. He is mistaken.


Aside from a professional respect due to the office of the president, no matter who holds it, what Perry fails to recognize is that military service is not the only national service that matters.


I did not lead a platoon in Baghdad just so the United States could continue to have a military. The U.S. military does not exist for its own sake. It exists to protect and promote American interests and values — one of many tools used to do so. For there are many ways that Americans can serve their country.


Our country now has roughly 12 million teachers and education administrators; 17 million health care and social workers, and another 18 million federal, state and local government employees, according to 2010 Census data,. That’s 37 million Americans – more than 10 percent of our population — who went to work this morning in service to America.


Though they may not necessarily risk physical harm, their service is essential to a prosperous and healthy America. I would hope that a man seeking the presidency understood that our military does its job so that U.S. educators, nurses, social workers and other public servants can do theirs.


Most of what we’ve now heard from the Perry campaign has to do with American values. I would like to ask Perry how strength, character and altruism are missing in the day-to-day work of a community organizer in Chicago.


Please explain to me how a fourth-grade science teacher is less patriotic than a drill sergeant in Killeen, Texas. Or how a social worker who helps single mothers in East Los Angeles is less patriotic than a convoy driver in Baghdad. Please explain how a fire fighter in Boston is less qualified for political office only because she has not volunteered for military duty.


Service to our country comes in many forms. It is not exclusive to taking up arms in its defense. Military service, while a beneficial foundation of growth and leadership for many — including myself – is not a prerequisite for political office.


Not every American can, or should, serve in our military. The make-up of our political leadership should reflect the make-up of our people across the spectrum of service, leadership and experience.


I am fiercely proud of my military service. But it would be short-sighted and damaging to promote the idea that it must be a prerequisite for national leadership. Doing so overlooks the inherent strength of America – the character of its people.


I ask that Perry please not try to speak for me anymore. I fought for the right to express my own opinions.

Palin Embarrasses Herself Again

Rolling Thunder is a bipartisan and non-profit organization dedicated

Rolling Thunder is a bi-partisan and non-profit group "dedicated to the search for American military personnel who are prisoners of war or missing in action." Toward that end they welcome any riders who want to help that goal, but they expect people to subordinate their own personalities and desires for the good of the organization and its goals. On Memorial Day the group rode to the National Mall.

But for Sarah Palin it was just another event to use to score political points. Instead of just joining the group as a normal person, she had to make sure she was in front (and wearing her high-heeled shoes with a black leather jacket so she could look good for the cameras) where all the news people covering the rally could see her. And she made sure she could give a little speech to let everyone know how "patriotic" she is.

But not everyone associated with the group appreciated Palin's turning the event into a vehicle to promote herself. Ted Shpak, legislative director for Rolling Thunder, said, "I'm not very appreciative of the way she came in here. If she wanted to come on the ride, she should have come in the back." He fails to understand that the reporters were up front and she was there to promote herself -- not the organization or its efforts. Sarah Palin cares only for herself -- not for anything or anyone else.

It's too bad no one ever taught her the meaning of humility when she was younger.

Could Michele Bachmann Get Any Meaner ?

It pretty obvious that the teabaggers in Congress are a crazy group of people. They think that anything that doesn't put dollars in the pockets of the rich is unconstitutional, and have demonstrated that they would love to remove all the safeguards of the working and middle classes and the elderly. Among the things they want to abolish: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, minimum wage, child-labor laws, Education Department, health care reform, corporate regulations, birth-right citizenship, drilling regulations, environmental protections, and much more.

But when it comes to bringing the crazy, Michele Bachmann is supreme. And she has just shown that she is the most mean-spirited and hard-hearted of all the teabagger politicians. She has proven that with her desire to cut veteran benefits while the country is still engaged in two unending wars, and our soldiers are still being killed and wounded every day -- not to mention the physical and mental traumas they still face even after completing their military service.

Bachmann wants to freeze health care spending by the Veterans Affairs Department and cut disability benefits for veterans -- by $4.5 billion, including reducing disability compensation checks for over 150,000 veterans. It should come as no surprise that the veteren's groups are incensed over her ridiculous proposal. Here is some of what they are saying.

Veterans of Foreign Wars national commander Richard L. Eubank:
"The only discussion the VFW wants is to tell the congresswoman that her plan is totally out of step with America's commitment to our veterans. No way, no how, will we let this proposal get any traction in Congress. There are certain things you do not do when our nation is at war, and at the top of that list is not caring for our wounded and disabled servicemen and women when they return home. I want her to look at those disabled veterans in the eye and tell them their service and sacrifice is too expensive for the nation to bear."

Rich Rudnick of the National Veterans Foundation:
"Cutting back on the VA right now would be showing contempt for American servicemembers' sacrifices."

David Gorman, Washington executive director of Disabled American Veterans:
"It is unconscionable while our nation is at war that someone would even think of forcing our wounded warriors to sacrifice even more than they already have. Their injuries and disabilities were the result of their service to the nation, and our nation must not shirk its responsibilities toward them. How do you tell a veteran who has lost a limb that he or she has not sacrificed enough? Yet Rep. Bachmann wants to do just that."

Veterans for Common Sense executive director Paul Sullivan:
"Cutting veterans' health care spending is an ill-advised move at a time when the number of veterans continues to grow as troops return from Iraq and Afghanistan. It is really astonishing to see this."

VoteVet.org chairman Ashwin Madia:
"Michele Bachmann's plan would turn veterans away from the care they've earned and deserve. Congress voted for two wars that have created many veterans that now need help, and we cannot -- and will not -- turn our backs to them. That's bad policy that I think even a majority of Republican voters will stand squarely against."

Is this really what the teabaggers voted for? Do they really support the destruction of all safeguards for ordinary Americans and turning our backs on America's veterans in the middle of two wars? Or has Bachmann just gone off the deep end? I hope it's the latter.

Some Things To Ponder On Veteran's Day

November 11th was first celebrated after World War I as Armistice Day.   That's because the fighting in the "Great War" ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.   Here in the United States we have changed Armistice Day into Veterans Day, and made it a day to celebrate and remember the veterans of all of America's wars.

I believe these veterans should be honored for their service to their country -- even those who fought in unpopular or unnecessary wars.   These men and women did not make the decision to go to war.   They just fought the wars declared by the politicians in Washington, and they did it with honor and integrity and bravery.   All Americans owe them a debt of gratitude.

Anyone who reads this blog even semi-regularly will know that I oppose the current and seemingly endless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (just as I opposed the Vietnam War when it was being fought).   But my problem is with the politicians who started the wars and continue them to this very day -- not the brave young men and women of all races, colors, ethnicities, ages, religions, or sexual preferences who did their duty as ordered.   I honor the men and women veterans of all American wars for their bravery and heroism, and for doing their duty to the best of their ability.

Having said that, here are some things we should ponder seriously on this hallowed day:

1,378 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan

7,266 Americans have been wounded in Afghanistan

4,745 Americans were killed in Iraq

31,902 Americans were wounded in Iraq

These figures do not include the suicides committed by soldiers that have served in these wars, or the serious psychological problems experienced by many Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

And despite what you may have heard, both wars continue.   How many more American casualties will there be before the Washington politicians come to their senses and end these wars?

Taking Advantage Of Deceased Veterans' Families

Far too many American soldiers have died in the ridiculous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.   If you are like me, regardless of what we think of the war, we believe the families of those soldiers who have given their lives should be compensated fully and immediately.   Sadly, it looks like at least one insurance company is failing to do that.

I must tell you up front that I have very little respect for insurance companies.   However, I didn't think they would stoop so low as to take advantage of the families of fallen veterans to make money.   It looks like I was wrong -- nothing is too low for an insurance company.

U.S. law requires that the families of deceased veterans be paid in a lump sum by the insurance company.   The family then can do whatever they want to do with that lump sum payment.   But Prudential Insurance Company isn't doing that unless it is demanded by the family.   They are taking advantage of these families in their time of grief by talking them into leaving the money in an account with the insurance company, and then sending the family some "checks" to access that account when they need to.

They convince these poor families that this is a good deal since they will pay them 0.5% interest to leave the money in that account.   It is NOT a good deal.   The families could more than double that interest by putting the money in a savings account at their own bank.   And what does the insurance company get out of this?   They use the money to earn 4.5% interest for themselves.

The American Legion, with its 2.5 million members, doesn't like this.   They have asked permission of a court in Springfield (Massachusetts) to file a legal brief on behalf of a family in a case pending -- Lucey v Prudential Insurance.   The American Legion says Prudential's "disingenuous practices take advantage of the grieving families of America's fallen heroes.   This procedure is morally objectionable and unlawful.   It should be stopped."

I agree with the American Legion.   This is just another repugnant and odious action by a greedy insurance company.   I hope it can be stopped.   Once a claim has been made, the insurance company should send a check to the grieving family -- without trying to hold on to that money and keep profiting from it.

This is just another example of financial greed being perpetrated against ordinary people by the giant financial institutions.   And its just the kind of thing the Republicans are trying to perpetuate with their policies that favor the rich and the corporations over Main Street Americans.   It would not surprise me if the Republicans come to the defense of this insurance company and its repugnant practices.   After all, they have been voting against the best interests of veterans since President Obama took office.