National Disgrace
By now just about all of you have either heard about or read the articles that Dana Priest and Ann Hull of the Washington Post have been writing about the awful situation at the lesser known parts of Walter Reed Hospital. If they both don’t get loaded down with journalism awards for this reporting, no one should. These two reporters are legally entitled to say, “We support the troops”, because they sure as hell do.
What a national disgrace they have brought to our attention. How in the hell was this allowed to happen right here in the United States? The story sounds like something we would discover in some third world country prison or something. Our injured military living with mice and roaches and mold. Our military being lost in a mountain of red tape and paper work. Our military being treated with a lack of compassion or concern.
Imagine a mother who is worried about her son or daughter being killed in either of the wars and now finding out what they will come home to if they are injured. I have no way of knowing how awful that might be, but I know it shouldn’t be that way.
For a lot of families they are fighting their own war when it comes to getting the necessary medical and financial help for their injured loved ones. And yes, in this war just like the rest, people die as a result.
It never should have come to this, but with sincere gratitude to Ms Hull and Ms Priest for exposing this disgrace, hopefully some vital and lifesaving changes will be made. They better be, and the person who wants my vote in 2008 better speak out loud and often about this subject until it has been eliminated as a national disgrace.
***
On another note, CNN reported late yesterday that Tony Blair will announce a timetable to bring British forces out of Iraq. 1,500 will be returning home in several weeks. Did bush know about this when he planned his surge? I guess the Blair and bush honeymoon is now officially over.
What a national disgrace they have brought to our attention. How in the hell was this allowed to happen right here in the United States? The story sounds like something we would discover in some third world country prison or something. Our injured military living with mice and roaches and mold. Our military being lost in a mountain of red tape and paper work. Our military being treated with a lack of compassion or concern.
Imagine a mother who is worried about her son or daughter being killed in either of the wars and now finding out what they will come home to if they are injured. I have no way of knowing how awful that might be, but I know it shouldn’t be that way.
For a lot of families they are fighting their own war when it comes to getting the necessary medical and financial help for their injured loved ones. And yes, in this war just like the rest, people die as a result.
It never should have come to this, but with sincere gratitude to Ms Hull and Ms Priest for exposing this disgrace, hopefully some vital and lifesaving changes will be made. They better be, and the person who wants my vote in 2008 better speak out loud and often about this subject until it has been eliminated as a national disgrace.
***
On another note, CNN reported late yesterday that Tony Blair will announce a timetable to bring British forces out of Iraq. 1,500 will be returning home in several weeks. Did bush know about this when he planned his surge? I guess the Blair and bush honeymoon is now officially over.
posted by pissed off patricia at 2:42 AM
22 Comments:
Just watch, now the tadica and scary islamocommienazifascists are going to follow the Brits home.
radical and scary....oops!
What an expose.
As the administration continues to berate those against the war, being against the troops, what comes of this neglect, from those in power?
I've listened to, and have made recordings with Vets, from WW2 and Viet Nam, and no one has expressed anything positive in their dealings with the VA. Thus, nothing changes.
How can anyone take a positive stand on killing, when this results in so much hardship for those that survive, and those who are innocently killed? : (
The "yellow-ribbon magnet" buying troop supporters have typically had a blind spot for our governments' neglect of this tragic deficiency. Too bad Bush clings to his fanatically support of a goal that even Tony Blair recognizes is unachievable, I'm pretty sure he knew... and probably didn't care.
Blair and Bush are one in the same. Political animals with only financial gain in mind. Any semblance of actually caring about anything but themselves is beyond their respective comprehensions.
And you can take that to the bank.
As is in anything "American Military", health care is also profit driven. And, as with anything remotely associated with "Government", the VA is a tangle of red tape beyond description. Combine the two, and you get rats and roaches.
I find it "interesting" in a sick sense, that all of the nation is called upon for sacrifices - except the war profiteers. They are instead encouraged to take advantage of the situation. The more America suffers, the more they benefit. That insane equation has to be turned around 180.
It's not a surprise that things like Walter Reed horrors are happening, but it is absolutely distressing that it is. Dana Priest received the Pulitzer for her work on revealing the CIA's secret prisons. She's doing the work all journalist should be doing. Without her, we'd all be living with the lies that the administration insists on swearing to.
The VA is emboldening the terrorists.
My Husband was wounded in the first Gulf War. I am an army brat, and I can tell you that Walter Reed and military hospital facilities have been crappy as long as I have known them. VA clinics are understaffed, and what help yhey have grossly underpaid.
Bush wants hundreds of billiuons for Iraq, just imagine what a few million could do in building 18.
Yesterday's whitehouse press briefing was all about tony snow trying to duck questions about this report. A quick check of today's press gaggle seems to prove that this issue, too, will be forgoten by the general public very shortly. Not a single question raised. The MSM is really letting us down on many fronts here. Fortunately, there are some folks willing to hang their necks out there a bit for some real investigative journalism.
Blog on PoP. blog on all.
This is a reflection of the fucked up priorities of Bushco. Spend the money getting and keeping the troops there, piss it away to incompetent and dishonest contractors to rebuild infrastructure(that doesn't happen) but not enough to protect the troops while they're there, or fix them when they come home. That arrogant, insincere bastard Tony Snow tried to say the Preznit didn't know about the deplorable conditions atthe Flagship of the VA medical system where he occasionally visits for the odd photo op when his poll numbers are tanking, and I'll bet he didn't. The question that occurs to me is what will he do about it? My bet - reward the incompetent assholes who allowed those quarters to get in such a crappy condition and talk about how much he's doing to make the VA a great support system for injured vets. NONE of the military loving Repugs who have ascended to be Preznit have done shit for the VA.
This is a down right shame. These people out their lives on the line for what, and have to come home to be treated this way. liberals are accused of not supporting the troops?
This is the sick, sad business as usual bullshit which doesn't change, regardless of the ideology or insanity level of those in power.
The electorate, our friends and families, hell ourselves often enough, eh, don't care enough to vent their outrage as we are here and when we write to our officials about how despicable such crap is.
It's another of those aspects of Government I believe Al Gore would make the best attempt of anyone to put to rights.
This is part of a familiar pattern of supporting war (as long as we don't have to go do the killing ourselves) and supporting the troops as long as that doesn't mean having to actually do anything to protect or support them. My sister is a psychiatrist who works for the VA in Portland Oregon. She says the federal government really couldn't care less what happens to our sons and daughters if they are no longer able to be deployed to combat.
Also, regarding the Arab League Video on my Blog, It is kind of a crappy production. But, those guys do know how to rap and the history lesson is spot on.
I think we would be better off dropping the mice, roaches and mold on Iraq.
Mold is a biological weapon after all.
How long before the wingnut repukes start attacking these journalists and WaPo? I give it about 48 more hours.
I can't wait for Malkin to go to Walter Reed herself and report that the cafeteria pudding is fantastic.
of course cheney knew beforehand- that's why he stuck to a specific number of troops to be sent in. they make me embarrassed to be american and sick to my stomach as a human being.
One thing that isn't mentioned much on the blogs that are (rightfully!)outraged at the Walter Reed debacle is the somewhat hidden mention of how these soldiers, many of whom are in wheelchairs or have new (un-familiar) prosthetics are expected to "fall in" for "inspection" every morning at 5:00 a.m., many of them having to cross ice and snow-covered areas in wheelchairs or on crutches - in hospital garb.
Yes, you've been blown to pieces, your brain is oatmeal mush, we haven't seen fit to replace the clothes we cut off your broken and bleeding body - but dammit, we have to maintain DISCIPLINE!!!
I almost threw up when I read about that.
"The president views this as a success," National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
I think the Tony-George honeymoon is over!
This should come as a surprise to no one.
I personally know of 2 homeless Iraq vets. One of them assuredly is really jammed up due to PTSD. What are the odds that I'd know of 2 of them myself, if there weren't a whole lot of them?
I love the fact that Bush was just there in December and they STILL hadn't done anything about the situation... what a freak show this adminstration has been. What they mean by "support our troops" boggles the mind.
is anyone surprised by ANYTHING bushco does anymore? i am not.
and the fact that vets come home to substandard care makes me want to break stuff. seriously.
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