Do I trust Democrats on Veterans issues

[Monkeyman]

For This Vet it is wait and see! The list is huge they have to fix.
600,000 Veterans denied or put on waiting list for health care
Education promised not being paid for
One out of Four returning troops with PTSD or other mental problems
Chairman Buyer took the voice away from Veterans in Washington
Every Promise made by Republicans to veterans broken
Over 25,000 wounded from the current war zones
VA Hospitals under staffed ,under funded and no new equipment
They will have the liar Sec. Nicholson to deal with
The Veterans 2008 Budget put out by Bush cuts even more benefits

This is just part of the list of what Republicans have broken. Do I trust Democrats to fix this problem. I have had promises from the Leadership they will. It is now wait and see all I can do is hope they will keep their promises to this Vet.

[mike_c]

1. many of those problems cannot be realistically fixed, IMO....

The real problem is that there is too little infrastructure for veterans benefits and the U.S. creates vets at too high a rate. The long term costs of the war against Iraq alone have been estimated in the trillions of dollars. If America is going to honor its contract with veterans, we need to take a long hard look at our militarism, and whether or not we want to commit the military to foreign policy adventures with serious long term social costs. As a taxpayer, I don't want to write a blank check for today's militarism, let alone the long term costs avalanching into the future. The U.S. is creating those obligations in my name, without my consent.

[Monkeyman]

3. So you are saying it cannot be fixed

So then to get my vets out all over the Country I been lied to. And if I understand you we veterans are not worth helping hmm

[mike_c]

4. I didn't say the later, but I suspect the former is true....

No, I don't think the problem is going to be fixed anytime soon. I think one major reason is that the national will to create a large class of social service recipients does not match very well with the will to use military solutions to diplomatic problems at the drop of a hat. If people THOUGHT about the long term costs of veterans benefits, they'd think twice about the rate at which America creates the recipients of those benefits.

As for your second comment, it goes way beyond what I said. Personally, I think America SHOULD honor the commitment to veterans, but that all Americans should have more say in whether we are willing to take on that commitment in the future, and for what causes. The costs of militarism extend far into the future, and they grow bigger and bigger with time.

[Monkeyman]

5. I accept that and your right

[acmejack]

9. The prisons will be full of criminalized veterans.

Unemployable, alienated, people who don't fit into society. They will say OH, they were the dregs, that is why they had to join in the first place, we have already seen the elitism here. Folks unfortunately too closely parodying the Doonesbury strip in real life. But I think we'll know the truth, throw away people. Someday perhaps America will develop a collective National conscience, probably not though, it would get in the way of doing business.

[acmejack]

6. Veterans are used to having promises broken.

Standard Operating procedure. I hope you personally someday have the opportunity, as I have to look a widow in the eye and hand her that folded flag and tell her "On behalf of a grateful nation." I don't think you honestly could, now could you?

Amended for post while I was responding.

edit: and these are our friends!

[Monkeyman]

7. I handed the flag to my best friend wife it broke my heart

I know this much we need a fix in a hurry veterans are dying due to Bush's cuts

[mike_c]

8. cool your jets, 'bro-- there's no reason for personal attacks....

This is a DISCUSSION and the OP raised a topic there are differing views about. Did you think everyone would automatically run up the flag and salute? It's a serious topic, and simplistic answers have not worked yet-- they won't likely work in the future, either.

[Monkeyman]

10. Did you read about veterans dying due to lack of info

Urgent care units closed at 4 at 405 they refused to treat a vet. Look I don't want hand outs we earned our benefits in blood. I did not ask to go to Nam and marched against it when I came home. I marched against this war too. But in the Military we have a code I live by never leave a man behind. Plus the promise I made to my brothers on the wall was never again. But it seems both Republicans and Democrats have now broken my trust.

[acmejack]

11. Simplistic?

IMO, that would be closer to a personal attack than what I had to say to you. But no matter. I simply know I did what was asked and I feel I have reasonable right to expect what was promised. I have watched as piece after piece has been taken away over the years and you support stripping away yet more.

I am the disabled veteran here who relying upon these benefits, believe me I take this topic very seriously. Then you have the audacity to lecture me about simplistic answers to a serious topic?

[libodem]

2. Short answer Yes

We are simply better stewards of the resources. We care more about the social issues like living wages for families. Many military families qualify for food stamps. The Military takes half the pie chart of Federal spending and yet manages to dip into the civil programs as well. Mismanagement and misspending have dominated the Republican owned Congress. We could do a better job blindfolded and facing backward on our horse.

[karynnj]

12. I think that one thing all of us will have to do is to

demand that these promises be kept. The veterans deserve it, they were promised it and are entitled to it. We have to be as hard on any Democrat as we would a Republican who would try to avoid paying what has to be paid - no matter how hard it is to do it.

I was shocked in 1971 when I read John Kerry's full testimony - because though I was the same age as the Vietnam veterans I never knew how hard it was for them to get treatment and help. In 1971, far more attention was given to Kerry's call to end the war and to turn the country away from war. Reading it, I was amazed at how good an advocate for veterans needing assistance he was.

[snowbear]

13. Ahh, Monkeyman.. I hope for you the VERY best of everything..

... because YOU deserve it!! :patriot:

Call me an optimist.. but I do thinks things will be better for our brave Veteran's under the the congressional control of Democrats.

You're right to wait and see -- and I hope that it's not long at all that you're seeing MAJOR improvements!!

I think you'll see them SOON.

~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~

[BlueCollar]

14. I am not optimistic

I'd like to believe that Veteran's Issues should be a top priority but my experience tells me that they won't...

[Debs]

15. I wasnt a huge Clinton supporter

But if I remember right he took a Vetrans Hospital system in crisis and made it much much better. It was the Bush administration that decided to cut benifits. I think you always have to wait and see what happens but clearly you CANNOT trust the GOP on veterans benifits.