Rethugs royally screw over Iraq veterans: Read and retch

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

As if they hadn't already sunken low enough, now it seems that the Rethugs have orchestrated US military policy around the principle, "Screw over our severely wounded Iraq War veterans at every opportunity." Read this: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/local/story/6717741p-6605054c.html

Excerpt: "Lefever {mother of a severely wounded Iraq soldier} and other critics say the Army's medical system, particularly Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C., has been overwhelmed by the number of wounded returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. They accuse the Army of attempting to discharge wounded soldiers before their essential medical needs are met and transfer them to Veterans Administration medical facilities."

I can understand that the Army hospitals are feeling vastly overwhelmed by the shockingly high numbers of severely wounded soldiers returning from the wars (even though Iraq War critics were warning about this from the outset). But the answer to these strains is not to prematurely discharge soldiers who've sacrificed so much and deny them medical care. The answer is to allocate the funds that are needed for the hospitals to give adequate care to the patients and not rush them out the door.

Yet the Rethugs and the neocons, despite their rah-rah rhetoric and superpatriot flag-waving, continue to quietly cut veterans' benefits when they think no one is looking, and shoo the severely wounded out the door. Not only are they chickenhawks who demand others sacrifice life and limb for them, they then refuse to render medical care to those who have made the sacrifice for them. Much more important to pad the bank account of yet another billionaire Rethug contributor. Makes you sick-- no wonder the Armed Forces can't seem to recruit anybody for the services, they know they'll get screwed if they sign on the dotted line.

[NVMojo]

1. we can expect shit from this administration

[indepat]

2. Definitely the compassionate conservative way to support the troops: let

it be a lesson for all.

[acmavm]

3. And this is different than what they did after Desert Storm and Viet Nam

in what way? The policy is just the same, only the numbers have changed.

How many emotionally scarred Viet Nam vets that didn't get the treatment they needed do you see everyday living on the streets? How many are in shelters or holding signs "Will work for food"? How many are suffering from being sprayed by agent orange?

Well Desert Storm brought us massive doses of depleted uranium. As well as the standard emotional stress that comes from being in combat. But in that case they had to be witnesses to or participate in the bulldozing of 100,000 Iraqis who were either trying to give up or who were retreating under that sand. That would lead to some horrendous nightmares.

The military talks a real good game when they're recruiting. Delivery on their promises is a whole other ballgame. By that time the vet is expendable, no longer of any use. So they toss the aside. But the bush** administration is cutting the little funding they have. And why not? They need that money to fight the war, to give to their billionaire supporters, to funnel into slush funds and hand out without any idea where it all went.

It's nothing new, just the number of neglected vets and funding cuts are increasing.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

4. Yeah, I'll bet the neocons are laughing at all the "cannon fodder"

in their minds, they've managed to trick into fighting for their crazed philosophies. As you say, the soldiers on the ground are "expendable" in the eyes of the Defense Department and especially to the neocons pushing for war in the first place-- expendable even before they sign on the dotted line, and even more so if they betray Big Brother by getting wounded in battle.