I met an 80 year old veteran this morning.

[rwork]

He started with, I don't know about you but I don't support this government. All I did to open the flood gates was to say I don't either. He knew all about the bush* lies discussed, same as here on DU. He lives at a veterans colony, so I asked if all his friends thought the same way. He said they did. The silent majority will turn into the vote bush* out of office majority in 2004.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

1. My grandmother is 88

and leaned Republican most of her life, though she voted for the Big Dog twice. She hates * and is not voting for him either.

[Gman]

2. The few WWII vets that are left, as a group, are not happy

they didn't do what they did in the war (and as the offspring of a WWII vet, I still call WWII THE WAR), to have this happen.

Of course, my WWII ex-marine, South Pacific vet dad and I actually had a couple of fist fights over Nixon and the Viet Nam war. Nevertheless, He would be absolutely disgusted with what's going on today. He didn't take a bullet at Pelau for this.

[JPace]

3. I like old people.....

and am turning into one myself. They have lots of
time to study the issues and can become politically
savy. They also are on social security and see
clearly how necessary it is for all of us to be
supportive of each other. When they try to afford
medications it is enough to make an old repug
change parties fast.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

8. They also have decades of experience to reflect upon

and so their persepctive is richer beyond any studying mere youth can do.

[eleny]

15. I'm getting old, too!

I turned 57 this month and have been retired for 4 years. When I was younger, in college and then on into my 30s etc, I thought I was politically savy. Not so fast! It's obvious to me now how I have much, much more time to read, listen, discuss.

My kitchen may be a mess. But I've got C-Span 3 open in another window and am listening to the committee hearing while reading DU and Madeleine Albright's biography is on the nightstand.

Getting older has it's benefits of time and context. When older folks like our vets get their minds firmly made up this early in the political season, I'd say * is burnt toast cooling in the trash.

[Padraig18]

4. My 82 year-old neighbor...

...is a WW2 vet and a Republican (though not torqued as far right as many), and to use his exact words "I will vote for that little AWOL bastard (Bush) when Hell freezes over!". Apparently a LOT of his friends at the VFW feel the same way. He also dislikes the rightward turn his party has taken, and even confessed that he voted Democrat last November for both our State ticket and our incumbent Democratic congressman (who lost---barely).

I have a feeling that there may be a LOT like him out there.:)

[VicS94]

5. Veterans against Dubya

I am a Viet Nam era vet and I agree. I just heard something this morning that, if true, re-enforces my resolve. I was told by a friend that our service men are charged a daily fee for their meals. If this is true, I feel this is something else that this administration does to discriminate against the very people they are using to do their bidding.

[latebloomer]

6. Welcome to DU, VicS94!

I read the same thing about the meals-- here on DU, I believe. Unbelievable.

[Hamlette]

7. servicemen changed for meals?

only when they are in the hospital. $8.10 per day.


The Pentagon says they'll fix it. (Only after they were caught.)

[VicS94]

10. Caught

This is kind of like the time they were going to eliminate the subsidies to the schools where the children of our servicemen go. Also how they cut the VA's budget. And stopped the health benefits for a lot of veterns.

[jayfish]

20. And Tried To Cut...

hazardous duty pay for troops still in Iraq. I've said it before and I'll say it again... A lie of omission still a lie you scum swilling brigands.

Jay

[newyawker99]

9. Hi VicS94!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Noordam]

19. This was true for Viet Nam Too

If you receive a meal allowance and are in a hospital they billed you.

What this sounds like to me, is a lot of the troops in Iraq are on meal allowances and receiving military food for free. Which is good for the troops. But once they are in a hospital in the US they play by the correct rules.

But this is nothing new to whistle-ass and group.

[Bandit]

23. I agree with you

and Welcome Home by the way. When I was in Nam we were paid "rations not available" pay although it was only that way in the one unit I was with. Most got regular chow at mess halls or C-rats whenever you liked. Glad I was in when I was because I don't believe I would like this New Army.

[F.Gordon]

11. It's an insult to WWII vets to compare........

...then to now. For that matter it's an insult to anyone still living from that time period that actually made real sacrifices during WWII. If all these fucking piece of shit repukes had to make the kind of sacrifices that were made during WWII they'd be all hiding in their basements...they don't have a fucking clue what life was like back then and when this morans make ANY WWII comparison it makes my skin crawl....

I just chatted this am with a VA staffer....was having to spend the entire day in meetings....trying to figure out how they were going to handle our "pretend" Military hero's budget.......I guess Bush* figures "fuck em'"....they'll all be dead soon......

sorry....I feel better now....

[NewYorkerfromMass]

12. really..bring back gasoline rationing

war?...what war?

[VicS94]

13. Veterans

I am really enjoying finding out all these other vers are sounding off about the same things I find offensive. I heard a comic comment about when Steve Forbes withdrew from the race that it was good. The reason being that he was splitting the "spoiled rich kid" vote. I remember when I was in the service that I never met many, if any, rich republicans. Imagine.

[leftbend]

14. Veterans Against Bush!

I hope. This bushbastard is doing every thing he can hurt and destroy lives of disabled veterans from trying to cut disability, reducing VA budget, opposing concurrent receipt for disabled retirees to the point of veto threats, anything he can do. He also does not "support the troops" that are on active duty or their families. This incompetment,illegal failure as pResident and chicken -hawk-in-chief must be removed. I am talking to every fellow veteran I know, he is alienating veterans every time any of the issues above are mentioned. I cannot believe the heartlessness of destroying the lives of disabled veterans to save a few bucks for tax cuts for rich businessmen, even for repugs this is incredable.

[jayfish]

16. Wasn't Will Pitts' Speech That Was Aried..

on C-SPAN given to a veterans group. I thought they were all going to storm the podium and give him a big wet kiss. And that was during the speech. This also should reinforce the need for us to GET OUT THE VOTE in 04’, no matter the nominee. My personal campaign with co-workers and family starts soon.

Jay

[DinahMoeHum]

22. Yes. It was at the Veterans for Peace annual convention. . .

For details, go to www.veteransforpeace.org


:kick:

[Media_Lies_Daily]

17. I've known a WWII vet for more than 50 years...

...he's my 83 year old Dad. He was a nose-turret gunner on a B24 that was based in Italy in 1945...his bomber was one of many of the 15th Army Air Force that flew over targets in Austria, Germany, Romania, and Bulgaria.

He told me about a year ago that the very thing that he fought against in WWII has come to pass in the United States. His more recent comments have made it clear what he thinks about our current form of Government, a form that has very little to do with being a Democracy.

Dad recently visited the nearby VA hospital to inquire about the possibility of signing up for some medical treatments. He was told that he could put his name on a list but they couldn't do anything for him. All of this for a guy that was told that in exchange for defending the country he would always be taken care of by the VA.

[bobthedrummer]

21. "He told me about a year ago that the very thing he fought against

in WWII has come to pass in the United States.".

Yes, it has and it began right at the close of the war when Nazis were given identities and jobs as Americans doing national security work battling godless communism IMO.

http://www.spiritone.com/~gdy52150/ratlines.htm

http://www.goordnance.apg.army.mil/OPpaperclip.htm

http://www.infoage.org/paperclip.html

http://globalresearch.ca/articles/ROG309A.html

[RobertFrancisK]

18. Bush will lose a lot of republican votes I think

There are a lot of intelligent, older republicans that somewhat politcally apathetic so they stick with the party of Abe, but the disaster known as the Bush administration will wake them up.

[JohnKleeb]

24. my 74 year old grandfather also a veteran

sounds like a DUer too at times although I think on some social issues he is a bit more conservative than your average DUers but hes pretty economically liberal and isnt what I would call a dove but he is no war hawk.