Hmm, weapons that don’t exist, like all those in Israel that make constant a threat against Iran, and gives Persians sound grounds for needing their OWN nuclear arsenal for DEFENSE? Remember “MAD”?
After my experience in ‘Nam, I agreed with Kerry’s actions back then. Knowing the people of Viet Nam, and the REAL situation, like attending a political rally in ’67 where we had orders to shoot any in the audience that started “problems” against the Saigon sponsored folks, or the fact that all but one of those “opposition” candidates were assassinated before the election took place in that province??
Our involvement in other countries since, has been pretty consistent, and frankly, unsupportable ethically (hmm, Iran/Contra in Nicaragua et al).
At least Kerry served, shall we look at the last Republican administration and see who served? I see a bunch of derferments but not much combat expereince.
Actually, REMFguard, yes, I have been having problems with flashbacks again. It happens when folks with no brains start the war drums again, and remember, it was Republicans who wanted Obama to bomb ’em, right up until the moment he started talking about doing it.
When one can relate back to nearly 50 years of American stupidity, and brutality, and wars and “mini-wars”, where my friends have continued to die in “defense of the nation”, it DOES bring back those flashbacks. Many of my friends, and now my son who served in Bosnia, Iraq, and elsewhere, and has also lost friends, are in that same “boat”.
David: you’re probably aware that it’s the “conservative” element at the Pentagon, and in Congress, who’ve long thrown our veterans overboard, you know, THAT “boat”. VA tries, and is underfunded by Congress to actually keep up, but they can whine when their budgets make things harder. As to the Pentagon, it’s all those folks with “personality disorders”, not getting treatment, or aid, because they can’t get declared by the military, or get it “combat related”, that shafts a lot of folks.
BTW: treated PTSD gives people a way to cope, and VA is doing much better to get to the folks early in the process today, but “chronic” is, well, pretty much permanent, like all the ‘Nam vets who went decades before getting treated. But, even after years, when we keep blowing people up, like Afghanistan, Iraq, and threats on Syria and Iran, we who’ve had “experiences” do see things “differently”, and it’s back to flashbacks again.
ON a slightly different track, those who’ve NOT even been “in country” and are claiming PTSD, getting the words right to get benefits, who do NOT want treatment, only the money, ARE making it harder for those who really do have a case!
Trying to educate “the public”, and help our veterans who need it, is neither simple, easy, or even accepted in some circles of chickenhawks.
Dtroutma over 10 years ago
Hmm, weapons that don’t exist, like all those in Israel that make constant a threat against Iran, and gives Persians sound grounds for needing their OWN nuclear arsenal for DEFENSE? Remember “MAD”?
After my experience in ‘Nam, I agreed with Kerry’s actions back then. Knowing the people of Viet Nam, and the REAL situation, like attending a political rally in ’67 where we had orders to shoot any in the audience that started “problems” against the Saigon sponsored folks, or the fact that all but one of those “opposition” candidates were assassinated before the election took place in that province??
Our involvement in other countries since, has been pretty consistent, and frankly, unsupportable ethically (hmm, Iran/Contra in Nicaragua et al).
STLDan over 10 years ago
At least Kerry served, shall we look at the last Republican administration and see who served? I see a bunch of derferments but not much combat expereince.
oneoldhat over 10 years ago
assad should use napalm [like civilized countries do]instead of sarin gas
Dtroutma over 10 years ago
Actually, REMFguard, yes, I have been having problems with flashbacks again. It happens when folks with no brains start the war drums again, and remember, it was Republicans who wanted Obama to bomb ’em, right up until the moment he started talking about doing it.
When one can relate back to nearly 50 years of American stupidity, and brutality, and wars and “mini-wars”, where my friends have continued to die in “defense of the nation”, it DOES bring back those flashbacks. Many of my friends, and now my son who served in Bosnia, Iraq, and elsewhere, and has also lost friends, are in that same “boat”.
halavana over 10 years ago
and 17 UN resolutions later…
Dtroutma over 10 years ago
David: you’re probably aware that it’s the “conservative” element at the Pentagon, and in Congress, who’ve long thrown our veterans overboard, you know, THAT “boat”. VA tries, and is underfunded by Congress to actually keep up, but they can whine when their budgets make things harder. As to the Pentagon, it’s all those folks with “personality disorders”, not getting treatment, or aid, because they can’t get declared by the military, or get it “combat related”, that shafts a lot of folks.
BTW: treated PTSD gives people a way to cope, and VA is doing much better to get to the folks early in the process today, but “chronic” is, well, pretty much permanent, like all the ‘Nam vets who went decades before getting treated. But, even after years, when we keep blowing people up, like Afghanistan, Iraq, and threats on Syria and Iran, we who’ve had “experiences” do see things “differently”, and it’s back to flashbacks again.
ON a slightly different track, those who’ve NOT even been “in country” and are claiming PTSD, getting the words right to get benefits, who do NOT want treatment, only the money, ARE making it harder for those who really do have a case!
Trying to educate “the public”, and help our veterans who need it, is neither simple, easy, or even accepted in some circles of chickenhawks.