Military Madness, The TPP and The Empire

[unhappycamper]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Military-Madness-The-TPP-by-Timothy-Gatto-Empire_Madness_Military-Commissions-Act-Of-2006_Military-Failure-131207-536.html



Military Madness, The TPP and The Empire
OpEdNews Op Eds 12/7/2013 at 04:07:59
By Timothy Gatto

~snip~

One thing I find disturbing is this "Wounded Warrior Program". Why do we have celebrities asking American taxpayers to send $19.00 a month to this project that is providing assistance to Veterans to recover from physical and psychological wounds? Why are these celebrities asking us to pay at all? I'm not complaining about to helping them, but the fact is, they should already be receiving help. The government sent these people into harm's way and it should be the government that supplies care for their wounds. What I find outrageous is that these Veterans have to ask for anything! If the government can't or won't provide for the people they have asked to sacrifice for the nation, they should never again put them in harm's way!

First of all, one of the reasons why our Veterans are once again heroes is because there are very few people in the United States with any "skin in the game", so to speak. In the years during the Vietnam War, almost everyone had or knew, someone participating. Sons were being drafted and everyone had a lottery number dancing around in their heads. Everyone couldn't just soil their boxers like Ted Nugent ...and get a deferment. Dick Cheney had hemorrhoids, but everyone didn't get so lucky. There were only so many potential Army Dads and Moms with a Senate or Congressional seat. It was cold in Canada and Sweden, and to be there without a guaranteed income could make for some mighty cold winters.

Today, some of the same people that protested the "imperialism" that America practiced in Vietnam now have "I support our troops" bumper stickers. It is quite possible that the person that threw that beer can at me outside of Seattle is now thanking veterans "for their service". Do I sound bitter? You're damn right I am! I'm also disgusted and revolted. Where are all of the people that "couldn't live with the war on their conscience" during Vietnam? I could go on, but I won't. I've already said enough. The people I'm talking about know who they are and if they don't... if amnesia has fully engulfed them, no amount of shame will reach them anyway.

Still, after watching history unfold in my lifetime, and my knowledge of the military, I have come to some conclusions about how we as a nation could rectify some of the harm that American Presidents, Congress critters and foreign policy "experts" as well as some military people have wrought. Maybe rectify is the wrong word. Maybe I should use the word "prevent".

[bemildred]

1. "but the fact is, they should already be receiving help"

That occurs to me every time I get one of those letters. Why has the care of our soldiers been turned into another charity racket? But I know the answer, we take shitty care of employees of all stripes in this country, and the soldiers are seen as a bunch of burdensome employees these days, an unfortunate "expense" of our glorious wars, a cost to be minimized.