Journal Entries
The US gov't vs the US military - part 2
Posted Feb 8, 2004
http://www.usavanguard.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/01/28/401970abb42d7
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The Bush Administration's 2004 budget proposed gutting Veterans Administration (VA) services, including health care funding. Proposed cuts included: denying at least 360,000 veterans access to health care; $250 annual premiums; increased pharmacy co-payments; a 30 percent increased primary care co-payments; and increased waiting time for a first medical appointment.
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The FY 2004 budget approved by Congress calls for reducing VA funding over a 10-year period by $6.2 billion. Cuts are in the areas of veterans' health care and disability benefits.
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Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, disputed the credibility of Bush's budget proposal. He doubted reducing VA medical staff could meet the expanding needs at the Veterans Health Administration.
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Rep. Bob Stump(R-AZ) noted the VA budget "identifies hundreds of millions of dollars needed for existing fixed costs, new advanced treatments and new initiatives to provide greater care for veterans. Unfortunately, the Administration hasn't included any new funding to address those needs."
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An army of veterans twice the size of that involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom has lost health insurance benefits since Bush took office. As many as half a million vets are homeless. Seven VA hospitals are being closed as part of an effort to "restructure" the Department of Veterans Affairs. Meanwhile, veterans of the Iraq campaign can fall in line with over 250,000 veterans who are already waiting at least six months to see a doctor.
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Disabled American Veterans (DAV), an organization that since 1920 has helped U.S. combat casualties learn about the benefits they have earned and how to apply for them, has been obstructed in its efforts by Bush.
The Pentagon has been severely limiting DAV access to wounded veterans on grounds of "security" and protecting "privacy." The Pentagon protects the veterans' privacy by not allowing them to speak with DAV representatives "unmonitored."
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Latest reply: Feb 8, 2004
Another American Casualty: Credibility
Posted Nov 19, 2003
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14360-2003Nov7.html
Another American Casualty: Credibility
By Zbigniew Brzezinski
Sunday, November 9, 2003; Page B01
Forty years ago, an important emissary was sent to France by a beleaguered president of the United States . It was during the Cuban missile crisis and the emissary was a tough-minded former secretary of state, Dean Acheson. His mission was to brief French President Charles de Gaulle and solicit his support in what could become a nuclear war involving not just the United States and the Soviet Union but the entire NATO alliance and the Warsaw Pact.
At the end of the briefing, Acheson said to de Gaulle, "I would now like to show you the evidence, the photographs that we have of Soviet missiles armed with nuclear weapons." The French president responded, "I do not wish to see the photographs. The word of the president of the United States is good enough for me. Please tell him that France stands with America."
Would any foreign leader today react the same way to an American emissary sent abroad to say that country X is armed with weapons of mass destruction that threaten the United States? It is unlikely. The recent conduct of U.S. foreign policy, by distorting the threats facing America, has isolated the United States and undermined its credibility. It has damaged our ability to deal with issues in North Korea, Iran, Russia and the West Bank. If a case ever needs to be made for action against a truly imminent threat, will any nation take us seriously?
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Latest reply: Nov 19, 2003
The US gov't vs the US military
Posted Nov 15, 2003
Support our troops! Someone has to. Our government won't.
http://www.komotv.com/stories/28230.htm
They mean it. They *really* won't.
http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2386496.php
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Latest reply: Nov 15, 2003
Freedom of the press?
Posted Nov 8, 2003
From http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0311/02/bn.01.html
[RENAY] SAN MIGUEL (CNN ANCHOR): Well, Jane, I'm sure that the folks that are upset there are the U.S. military, officials who are investigating this attack. Have you had a chance to talk to any of them? I know that they're keeping you far away from the crash site and may not have had a lot of time to give you any kind of official statements or anything like that. But have you been able to gauge anything about heir demeanor or whatever?
[JANE] ARRAF (CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF): Well, they're reluctant to talk here, Renay. In fact, they've been confiscating film. They've threatened to confiscate ours and everyone else's, which is why we're on this rooftop of a private home.
Officials here are understandably nervous. There aren't any senior people on the ground. When these things happen, they generally do not make statements. And, in fact, they're forbidden to talk.
This has become a climate over the last few months where it's very difficult to get information from the military on the ground either because they've been forbidden to talk or they have been ordered that no one is allowed to take pictures. And increasingly, what we're seeing in sites like this, and even in Baghdad, is that it has become the kind of place where you cannot -- you are not free to take pictures, you're not free to talk to soldiers.
They are extremely nervous given these continuing attacks. And it's reflected here
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Latest reply: Nov 8, 2003
Rant of the moment - 2 November, 2003
Posted Nov 2, 2003
American tax dollars at work:
This comes from a blogger in Baghdad - http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/2003_08_01_riverbendblog_archive.html#106208201838841818
"Listen to this little anecdote. One of my cousins works in a prominent engineering company in Baghdad- we’ll call the company H. This company is well-known for designing and building bridges all over Iraq. My cousin, a structural engineer, is a bridge freak. He spends hours talking about pillars and trusses and steel structures to anyone who’ll listen.
"As May was drawing to a close, his manager told him that someone from the CPA wanted the company to estimate the building costs of replacing the New Diyala Bridge on the South East end of Baghdad. He got his team together, they went out and assessed the damage, decided it wasn’t too extensive, but it would be costly. They did the necessary tests and analyses (mumblings about soil composition and water depth, expansion joints and girders) and came up with a number they tentatively put forward- $300,000. This included new plans and designs, raw materials (quite cheap in Iraq), labor, contractors, travel expenses, etc.
"Let’s pretend my cousin is a dolt. Let’s pretend he hasn’t been working with bridges for over 17 years. Let’s pretend he didn’t work on replacing at least 20 of the 133 bridges damaged during the first Gulf War. Let’s pretend he’s wrong and the cost of rebuilding this bridge is four times the number they estimated- let’s pretend it will actually cost $1,200,000. Let’s just use our imagination.
"A week later, the New Diyala Bridge contract was given to an American company. This particular company estimated the cost of rebuilding the bridge would be around- brace yourselves- $50,000,000 !!"
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Latest reply: Nov 2, 2003
David Conway
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