Did I do a bad thing?

[Jackpine Radical]

I just sent the following email to a wingnut of my acquaintance who used to have a copy of the Bush Aircraft Carrier photo hanging on the wall of his office, and who himself never served in the military.

……………………………………………………………………

Memorial Day--

A good day to honor all those who, while avoiding messy participation in war themselves, supported the wars in Afghanistan & Iraq, which did so much to increase the numbers of war dead and disabled for us to ignore for the rest of the year.

I remember the prominent display of this photo--




And then of course there's this...

(Reuters) - U.S. Senate Republicans blocked legislation on Thursday that would have expanded federal healthcare and education programs for veterans, saying the $24 billion bill would bust the budget.

Even though the legislation cleared a procedural vote on Tuesday by a 99-0 vote, the measure quickly got bogged down in partisan fighting.

Supporters said the measure would have brought the most significant changes in decades to U.S. veterans' programs. For example, it called for 27 new medical facilities to help a healthcare system that is strained by veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

With Democrats pressing for passage this week, Senate Republicans, backed by their leader, Mitch McConnell, attempted to attach controversial legislation calling for possible new sanctions on Iran that President Barack Obama opposes.

"The issue of Iran sanctions ... has nothing to do with the needs of veterans," complained Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Bernard Sanders of Vermont, the main sponsor of the bill.

[Sheldon Cooper]

1. Wingnuts show a remarkable degree of cognitive dissonance, so I'm guessing that all you'll get

in return is an angry rant from your friend.

[Enthusiast]

21. That would be a good guess.

[roody]

2. No.

[adirondacker]

3. This is what needs to be pointed out nonstop! Nice Job! Here's a little Republican history to add...

"Reagan Cuts Vet Programs
By VVAW


"In 1980 unemployment among Vietnam veterans jumped by 44%, making unemployment for Vietnam vets 5.9% of the total unemployed workforce, up 1.8% from 1979. Among minority and younger vets unemployment statistics are in the range of 20% and 17%.

So, what is the response from the Reagan Administration which, when it was trying to get elected, made lavish promises about no cuts in veterans' programs? Under the knife of David Stockman, Reagan's chief executioner, there are massive cutbacks for all American people who are most in need of government programs, and death for nearly all significant programs that vets—and particularly Vietnam vets—need most.

At the very least, six major economic programs for Vietnam vets are targeted for assassination. Those include educational assistance through the Vets Cost of Instruction Program, employment opportunities through the Targeted Technical Assistance Program, White House Outreach for blighted Urban Areas with high vet population, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program—and the list goes on.

Further cuts include elimination of the Legal Services Corporation which is presently helping thousands of vets on discharge review, some V.A. medical research programs, some V.A. special programs such as kidney dialysis, 20,000 jobs in the V.A.'s Department of Medicine and Surgery, and 2 V.A. hospitals.

But for many Vietnam vets the most crucial of the Reagan-Stockman slashes was the program of Vets Outreach Centers, one of the few V.A. programs which went to Vietnam vets where they were (instead of waiting for vets to trickle into the V.A. offices). Employing many Vietnam vets as counselors, and providing help with any number of vet's problems, the Outreach Centers have been, up to now, the single most successful V.A. program designed to do something for Vietnam veterans."
http://www.vvaw.org/veteran/article/?id=2090

Fuck the bullshitting chickenhawk GOP and their "nonpartisan" supporters!

[freebrew]

7. IIRC, Nixon was first to cut benefits...

long time ago, but I seem to remember it as an assault on the education funds for vets.
Basically cutting a four year paid education to a 2 year paid and then the rest is on you.

Anybody else? Or am I getting senile?

[adirondacker]

9. I joined in '82. By that time, the cuts were established to only have Ed benefits while you were

active ie they paid for tuition for classes you took while serving and nothing beyond (like there was plenty of time for classes). There was an education "matched savings" which they paid 2 for 1 for every dollar contributed up to $3200.00 (or 9,600 and change total))for tuition after you departed. It was an absolute bureaucratic nightmare to get them to pay back the monies with plenty of criticism and frustration among vets in the era.

An entire decade of crap VA benefits came from the GOP cowboy actor and his cohorts.

[Jackpine Radical]

15. When I got back into school after Vietnam, the dollar amount of school benefits

had not increased a penny since the early post-WWII era.

Inflation between 1948 and 1969 had not exactly been zero.

[Enthusiast]

20. +1 a whole fucking bunch.

[Major Hogwash]

34. I think that was what caused the impetus for the creation of the Pell Grant program.

If I remember correctly, the staunch Republicans in the 70s didn't want to increase the amount of benefits a veteran could obtain with the same lame warnings the GOP uses today, that it would bust the budget.
They made those same claims back then with the very same braggadocio that the current Republican jackass crowd in Congress uses to claim that they are actively controlling costs for America.

But, those asshats couldn't keep the Democrats from going around them by creating the Pell Grant program, which was available to veterans, as well as those who didn't serve.

[Art_from_Ark]

39. The Pell Grant program started in 1965

although it was known as the Higher Education Act at the time. It was amended in 1972, and again in 1978 when Basic Grants were renamed after Claiborne Pell, Democratic Senator from Rhode Island who had been instrumental in getting the 1972 reforms passed.

[Major Hogwash]

45. Thank you, Art.

You're a scholar and a gentleman!
I couldn't remember if the program was expanded in the late 60s or the early 1970s.

[llmart]

24. "GOP cowboy actor"......

absolutely right. Then he tried to pretend he was a WWII hero just like the coward W. Bush did when in fact he did everything he (and his daddy) could do to stay out of the war.

I have no use for either one of these phonies.

[Ilsa]

10. Retired military folks I knew were praising Raygun

Because their monthly pension checks went up. I don't remember them mentioning how difficult obtaining other services was becoming. Very convenient forgetfulness.

[rustydog]

4. And Bush and Cheny and KKKarl Fucking Rove

and Faux News all pointed fingers at everyone but the man who took the photo-op and declards mission accomplished over Ten Years Ago.

But then the banner was 100% accurate. The Right wing agenda had been accomplished 100%. They had their war. The military industrial complex was getting hundreds of billions of dollars as republicans demonized poor Americans and slashed social programs.

Remember, it was the REPUBLICANS who killed the latest Veterans bill put forward by Democrats. REPUBLICANS will let you die for their cause. Then when you return, it is fuck you, oh, we also cut welfare, and the GI bill so go pull yourself up by your bootstraps.

BENGHAZI!!!!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. You did exactly the RIGHT thing.

As did I, by giving the fifth recommendation to your post, thus sending it to the Greatest Page.

Well done!

[Scuba]

6. Wrong? No. I'm glad you sent it.

[Tribalceltic]

8. Please proceed sir

You have reacted in the manner of a hero.



Edited for spelling error.

[MrMickeysMom]

11. Heh...

You kid din?

The "Let them eat cake" poster boy with a spoon up his nose poster should line every men's tall in the airport.

[Glorfindel]

12. You did exactly right...wingnuts should be reminded of the TRUTH often and forcefully

We have been polite and considerate of the delicate feelings of these monsters for far too long.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

13. K and R!!!!

you did a GOOD thing.

[JEB]

14. You might have reminded him

that freedom isn't free. The reiteration of that insipid phrase was all over the place justifying our military adventures. Now that the true cost is coming home, we don't hear "Freedom isn't free" much at all.

[Doctor_J]

16. If the media in the country were "balanced", the Repukes would be stone dead in 8 years

the kind of shit you point out would be broadcast 24/7 in every square inch of the country, and McTurtle would have as much chance of holding his seat this year as I do of dating Norah Jones.

Alas, our Dem reps thought that "deregulating" the media was a wise thing to do. A very big reason why the nation is in such terrible shape.

[Enthusiast]

19. +1! There is much value in your post.

If we had a fair media in this country the Republicans would be ashamed to show their faces in public.

[ctsnowman]

40. Nailed it.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

17. Uhhhh, no

you did a GOOD thing.

[Enthusiast]

18. You did a good thing.

These righties® need to own up to it. Even though they are being told the very opposite by Fox "News".

[Demoiselle]

23. What Enthusiast said….Thanks!

[spanone]

22. bless you!

[smallcat88]

25. No

We can't call them out enough on their hypocrisy. They repeat lies over and over again as if the constant repetition somehow makes them true. I used to work as an assistant to the disabled. A mentally disabled woman (in her 30's) I used to work for, who had a maturity level that ranged between 5 and 15 years old, did this on a daily basis. She was a chronic liar. Repeating stories she made up to excuse her bad behavior. She had the excuse of brain damage. What's their excuse?

[H2O Man]

26. A good thing!

[barbtries]

27. you may lose a friend on fb

but no, i'm glad you put it in his face.

[Jackpine Radical]

29. It wasn't on Fb, just email.

He's always sending me RW crap.

[TNNurse]

30. If he sends you RW crap

Please send him more like you did, he needs to understand that you and I and many others do not agree with him.

[barbtries]

32. my sister tried that one time

i wrote back, replying to all, with links and discussion and ended my email by asking to never send me that crap again. she hasn't.

[malaise]

28. You did something great

Rec

[nikto]

31. The GOP despises our Veterans

The GOP has always hated our returning Veterans.

It's who they are.

If YOU vote GOP, then YOU hate the vets too.
It's empirical.

Like 2+2=4

[Half-Century Man]

33. I feel the need to criticize.

A deplorable lack of swear words...In all seriousness, I think you should have used stronger language (sans swear words); ie change "avoided" to "manipulated" or one of their favorite dog whistle words "dodged". Changed "supported" to "profited by" or "lied to start".

I see very little subtlety from the wing nuts, I take this as valid evidence that they won't see it if applied to them. Newspapers are written for an eighth grade comprehension for a reason (TV news at a sixth grade level).

[blkmusclmachine]

35. You did good.

Rub their noses in the bald-faced hypocrisy!

[Wounded Bear]

36. Not bad at all, but probably useless....

It has been my experience that RWNJs have amazing power to ignore facts and evidence in favor of what they hear from their RW talking head menagerie of idiots.

Of course, if they un-friend you and stop sending you that crap, that could be construed as a good thing.

[nikto]

37. Bury the RWers, with TRUTH

Truth is toxin to them anyway, so that just makes the burying better.

[KansDem]

38. "...would bust the budget. "

And yet, a unnecessary war based on lies and costing us trillions won't?

I'm really beginning to despise these people. I mean, really despise them!

[ctsnowman]

41. You did good

but cons are impervious to logical thought.

[brewens]

42. I post this about "Mission Accomplished" day once in awhile, usually to slam Chris Matthews for his

part. I remember listening to some of this in the days that followed. It was sickening to hear Matthews fawning all over his President. Then it was almsot comical that some pundits tried to make it sound like Bush landed the plane on the carrier himself.

http://mediamatters.org/research/2006/04/27/mission-accomplished-a-look-back-at-the-medias/135513

[hue]

43. Very poignant! Thanks Jackpine!! Love Ya'!!!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

44. "it called for 27 new medical facilities"

THAT is what killed it.

This was seen by Republicans as a JOBS BILL and the LAST THING they want is ANY kind of public works project that would create jobs.

I'll bet there was a counter proposal to privatize the VA.

Keep in mind that we USED to build things like THIS for our Vets.



The only "debate" we used to have is what they were going to be NAMED as Republicans want EVERYTHING to be named after Reagan.

[pinboy3niner]

46. K&R, Brother! K&R!

I just spent a week out of town with a "moving" Wall--a mobile half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial.

I admire your restraint. I know how we both feel about the subject of chickenhawks.

And after scanning just a few of the above replies, I want to point our that it has been the Republicans who have consistently insisted on underfunding the VA while promoting war.

During the W administration the GOP leadership in the House even took the unusual step of not giving a Repubican House veterans committee chair a second 3-year term as chairman because he fought for increasing VA funding above the level set in W's budget. Moreover, Speaker Hastert even skipped over the most senior GOP members on the committee to replace him and went down to the 3rd or 4th level of seniority to find someone who would be compliant enough to hold the line on W's limits on VA funding. (This is from rusty memory, but I posted about it at the time.)

It was not until President Obama's first year in office that the VA received its largest funding increase in 30 years.