'Disposable Heroes': Veterans Used To Test Suicide-Linked Drugs

[sabra]

Source: ABC News


An ABC News and Washington Times Investigation Reveals Vets Are Being Recruited for Government Tests on Drugs with Violent Side Effects


Mentally distressed veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are being recruited for government tests on pharmaceutical drugs linked to suicide and other violent side effects, an investigation by ABC News and The Washington Times has found.

The report will air on Good Morning America and will also appear in The Washington Times on Tuesday.

In one of the human experiments, involving the anti-smoking drug Chantix, Veterans Administration doctors waited more than three months before warning veterans about the possible serious side effects, including suicide and neuropsychiatric behavior.

"Lab rat, guinea pig, disposable hero," said former US Army sniper James Elliott in describing how he felt he was betrayed by the Veterans Administration.

...

Pfizer maintains that "the benefits of Chantix outweigh the risks" and that it continues to do further studies on the drug.

The FAA has prohibited commercial airline pilots from using Chantix because of its possible side effects.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5180437&page=1

[babylonsister]

1. Have these vets not suffered enough? Rec'd for OUTRAGE! nt

[flashl]

2. Veterans used as lab rats by the VA or the 'gobbermint' is new?

[TNOE]

3. The Republican Way

of supporting the troops. At least they don't hide their utter contempt for them at every turn.

[formercia]

4. "They volunteered."

says Dick Cheney.

Once you sign yourself into servitude for the US Government, there isn't a whole lot they can't do with you.


There needs to be more legal protection foe servicemen and women.

[flashl]

6. Families are fighting back ...

Military Families Battle Feres Doctrine

Imagine your son is taken to a hospital where he is first treated for the wrong injury, then misdiagnosed and ultimately declared brain dead before you can even reach his side. Now imagine being told that you cannot hold accountable those responsible for your son's death because a 55-year-old law, called the Feres Doctrine, protects them.

...

The Feres Doctrine prevents military service members and their families from suing the military, even for non-combat related deaths.

LeRoy Wulfmeier, the attorney for the Haase family, told People magazine "If he was civilian and he went into a non-military hospital, he would have one hell of a lawsuit."

NJ State Bar Foundation

[inna]

24. Feres Doctrine

wow, absolutely shocking.

thanks for the link.

[bluesmail]

5. Shocking what BigPharma won't try to pull for profits

[readmoreoften]

31. It's not just big pharma. It's the state. It's consequentialist ethics.

As far as human experimentation on soldiers goes, if they think they can potentially save a bunch of lives by ruining a few lives, they'll do it. Of course when their cure does nothing and they just ruin thousands of lives, oh well.

[Liberty Belle]

7. Outrageous for the vets, and for smokers not warned about this drug.

Just imagine people with cancer or long problems turning to this drug to help them quit smoking - only to have the drug make them suicidal.

Criminal! There must be a way to prosecute companies that use humans as guinea pigs, but also our government should be held accountable for failing to warn these vets.

[rdenney]

53. Be careful of the latest OTC allergy med, Zyrtec. It can cause suicidal tendencies in some people.

Heads up on this one.

[petwlkr]

8. I think I am going to be sick

So how long do you think it will be before one of these vets walks into the offices of Pfizer with an AK-47 and gives them an up close and personal look at the results of their studies?

[Cronopio]

9. Dark thought: Maybe the government wants them to commit suicide.

After all, these soldiers are first-hand witnesses to one of the biggest ongoing crimes the US government has committed.

This is what letting murderers, and murderous governments, get away with it does ... to the murderers.

"the benefits of Chantix outweigh the risks" - isn't this what Cheney/Bush has been telling us about the Iraq invasion?

K&R.

[formercia]

11. Discrediting the witness

One of the favorite ploys to discredit those who might testify is to give them psychotropic drugs that would cause them to act in a manner where their behavior might cause them to be determined mentally ill, thus disallowing their testimony.

I've seen it done, on me. The only problem was they could never get anyone to certify me crazy.

[barbtries]

16. i'd be willing to read the rest of that story

if you care to share it. anyhow i'm glad you got through it.

[formercia]

41. There are also drugs that will fry your brains to make you forget.

I saved some of it instead of taking it. I'm going to have it analyzed some day when this is all over.

They spiked my medications with it.

[formercia]

50. Thanks

I have discussed several of the incidents in previous threads but every time I do, I have to relive it in my mind and the stress causes me to suffer the consequences for long afterwards. I suffer from PTSD and the continuing harassment aggravates it but I have to speak out about the systematic and institutionalized abuse of those who protest against the wars and state sponsored terrorism that elements within the US government use in an attempt to promote the agenda of foreign powers and right wing reactionary elements in our society.

[Dangerously Amused]

12. Similar to my first thought:

We don't really want the American public to know how badly war messes people up, and how badly we handled this war - because we want to keep rallying their support for the next war - so we'll have a drug to blame those "crazy war stories" on.

[Cronopio]

14. That is the most heartbreaking (and beautiful) sig picture I've seen in a long time.

I think it accurately reflects how some of the most affluent and powerful (and wanna-be powerful) see the rest of us.

[Dangerously Amused]

22. Thanks. It reminds me of this A. Schweitzer quote, which I love:

“Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight.” ~ Albert Schweitzer

[biermeister]

13. dead men tell no tales

it's working for the 911 first responders

kick

[kimmylavin]

19. Plus...

A dead soldier is a lot cheaper than a wounded one.
And a soldier that kills himself? Bargain.

These people make me sick.

[pleah]

33. That was my first thought on this subject.

They can't be bothered with the high cost of aiding our service men and women.

[rdenney]

51. Gezz, I hate to tell you folks,, but for the most part we lay up as many veterans in VA hospitals

as we can, but the rest of our veterans ?

Well, we either let their families "take care of them" or we put a flag near their tombstones (if any) on Memorial Day and Veterans day, and thats about it.

The "lucky ones are those who make it back in one piece (well, physically) or die quickly on the battlefield.

Our WWII troops were *PROMISED* _FREE HEALTH CARE_ for their entire lives.

Wonder whatever became of that promise, cause my Dad, a combat veteran, NEVER got it, along with MILLIONS of his comrades-in-arms, who were wounded from the war to end all wars, and made it back ?

Fuck * and the rest of these money-bags warmongers in power for the last 60 years !!!!!!!!!!!!

This country, unlike many European countries, could care less about our wounded veterans, and worse, we always have!

[elehhhhna]

40. And a soldier that kills himself? They probably backcharge his pay for the bullet.

[rdenney]

52. Amen. Its all about money and greed. They don't care .02 about first responders.

[rdenney]

56. Chantix: nausea (30%), That is a VERY HIGH number considering the drug companies "fudge" the numbers

to say the least.

[nam78_two]

10. Good grief-K&R.nt

[jimmil]

15. In 1971 the military used troops to test drugs.

I believe it was conducted at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. They were actively recruiting SDA (Seventh Day Adventist) troops to participate in the program called, "Project Whitecoat". Usually the SDA's were CO's (Conscientious Objectors) who were placed in the medical corps (medics) due to their not wanting to carry a weapon. I don't know anything about the program other than they made them sick and cured them according to a person I knew that went into the program. They used Vietnam as a way to get people interested in the program threatening to send them there if they do not volunteer.

Using troops to test drugs as well as new medical procedures is not new.

[readmoreoften]

32. They did it throughout the fifties and sixties.

I'm the child of TWO experimented-upon disabled peacetime vets.

[lovuian]

17. they have been lab rats and tested for vaccinations and

mind control

You sign up to protect America but really does America protect them

no they sign up literally to be a slave
with no rights its so very sad

[dixiegrrrrl]

18. Not to mention all that radioactive DU

that is causing so many symptoms that the VA and civilian docs can't get a working diagnosis for.
How many years did Gulf War vets complain only to be totally ignored by media, VA, etc.?

So far we have learned:

Military people have been given mega amounts of vaccines, for ages,
but complaints about the after effects have been ignored...

Military in the Middle East have been served contaminated water,
and been subject to electrocution, but the Gov't just pays contractors more money to do no work...

Injured military have been sent on repeated tours of duty...

Seriously injured vets cannot get medical or financial or educational help they were promised
BUT they can be used as guinea pigs for the welfare of corporatism.

While Exxon boasts of making the largest profits since recorded history.


Georgia Bush does not care about black, white, brown or any other color people.


Why can't folks GET this ???????????????

[Lugnut]

20. This is outrageous.

I'm so disgusted I have no words.

[pattmarty]

21. I have always been against this shit.................

....You have drug companies now using vets where before they ONLY used prison convicts. And what really pisses me of about all this is the conservatives say "well, they ARE getting paid", which is exactly the same thing as saying "we have an all volunteer army now". We here all know that you can use economics to force someone to do something dangerous or stupid, just as pointing a gun at someone will get them to usually "go along" with what you want. The Germans had the right idea with forcing humans into medical experiments, we could do the same thing here. Let's start with a few good examples; Dick Cheney, his fucking "wonderful" wife, Donald Rumsfeld, George W bush, Alberto Gonzales, and you get my idea. Seriously, this shit should be outlawed like yesterday.

[flashl]

29. Regarding 'testing' on prisoners ....

Panel Suggests Using Inmates in Drug Trials

Published: August 13, 2006

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 7 — An influential federal panel of medical advisers has recommended that the government loosen regulations that severely limit the testing of pharmaceuticals on prison inmates, a practice that was all but stopped three decades ago after revelations of abuse.

The proposed change includes provisions intended to prevent problems that plagued earlier programs. Nevertheless, it has dredged up a painful history of medical mistreatment and incited debate among prison rights advocates and researchers about whether prisoners can truly make uncoerced decisions, given the environment they live in.

Supporters of such programs cite the possibility of benefit to prison populations, and the potential for contributing to the greater good.

NY Times

[readmoreoften]

34. Retin-A came from tests at Holmesburg Prison in Philly. Scalding water and blisters.

As well as exposure to Dioxin. Will Retin-A help? Let's see...

[pattmarty]

38. I think all of us now know for SURE, that we cannot trust........

.......drug companies, oil companies, insurance companies (any kind), banks, and I'm getting tired already of typing.

[barbtries]

45. the government of the USA...

[pattmarty]

46. Yeah unfortunately, the "corporate states of Amerika".

[Jed Dilligan]

49. That place is a shithole run by corrupt pervert guards

last I checked.

[pattmarty]

36. Uh huh, sure. We all can feel safely assured that the drug......

.....companies will not take advantage of prisoners or Veterans.

[DailyGrind51]

23. Capitalism without conscience or compassion is evil!

[lonestarnot]

25. WinTHF is this! Outraged!

Sonofabitches!

[defendandprotect]

26. And still we have to ask "What else are they doing we still don't know about?" ---

[winston61]

27. My Dad was a professional soldier-

His entire adult life. When my brothers and me got old enough for Vietnam and the draft he told us all DO NOT join the Army. You will be nothing but meat on the hoof. They can pump you full of strange drugs, throw you out of airplanes, kill you and they just say tough shit. Why is anyone surprised?

[rdenney]

54. Bingo! Or like my kinfolk said : You ain't nothing but a number, and when your number is up, goodbye

NEXT !!!!!!

[RamboLiberal]

28. Obama on Vet Drug Tests: 'Outrageous'

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) is calling for an investigation after an ABC News/Washington Times report revealed that veterans are being recruited for government tests on suicide-linked drugs.

"It is outrageous and unacceptable that our government would irresponsibly endanger veterans who have already sacrificed so much for our country," said Sen. Obama in a statement Tuesday morning.

"Our veterans - particularly those suffering from mental health injuries - should have the very best health care and support in the world, they should never be needlessly exposed to drugs without proper notification of the dangers involved or effective monitoring of the side effects. I will immediately be asking for a full and thorough investigation of how our government could yet again let down our veterans and their families who have given so much to their country, and who have paid so much for the failures of civilian leadership in Washington," said Sen. Obama.

"It is time to demand accountability and to ensure that this kind of breach of trust never takes place again," said Sen. Obama.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5184026&page=1

Gee, maybe we'll get a president who will actually pay attention to the news and do something about the outrages!

[McCamy Taylor]

30. Absolutely outrageous. Pilots can not take Chantrix, but the VA will test it on vets.

I wonder who at the Pentagon is getting a kick back from the drug company for supplying the test subjects?

[GreenPartyVoter]

35. Disposable... So sad! Like they haven't been through enough already

[hootinholler]

37. Well, it's not like they gave them syphilis!

:grr:

I'm ready to dismantle the DOD from Colonel up. Just fire them all, today.

-Hoot

[33_Leaves]

39. We're just cattle to them, man.

We're their largest renewable resource. We're nothing but cattle to them and "patriotism" is their cattle prod.

But Americans never have and never will do anything about it, so what's the difference?

{***Cue "The Star Spangled Banner"***}

MOOOO!

[yurbud]

42. no one who is a corporate tool can claim to support the troops

[Reterr]

43. Some of the comments to the article are unbelievable

There are none so blind as those who refuse to see.

Or maybe this is extreme sarcasm :shrug:? I do understand the need of the sarcasm emoticon. Some say it is for idiots-but honestly Freepers can sound so much like parody sometimes. I honestly can't tell if this is sarcasm or whether this person actually believes this stuff:


"This is BS. Our President is a decorated warrior in his own right and this wouldn't happen on his watch. Just like the Walter Reed bunk, this is a smear. I look forward to Rush setting the record straight. GB President Bush. Vote McCain.....
Posted by:
VoteMcCain 2:15 PMMark As Violation "


Walter Reed was bunk? Rush will set the record straight..must be sarcasm. Even a Freeper couldn't be this dumb-or could they?
Actually that first line is hilarious:
Our President is a decorated warrior in his own right

:rofl: Yeah sure...

[PerpetuallyDazed]

44. I KNEW IT!!! Those fucking liars!

My hubby had a psychotic episode one night (after three months home from Iraq, no warning signs whatsoever) after on this drug for 6 weeks... Everyone else (including the doctors) attributed it to the alcohol, but we both suspected it was the Chantix he was on. Now I know I wasn't being paranoid.

[jazzjunkysue]

47. In the car, heard Michael Savage discuss this. He was pissed, but stopped

short of condemning the B* cronies of unpatriatism. Then, of course, begged for ligitation donations.

[rdenney]

55. Whatever "Savage" said it ain't worth a hill of beans. He is a Rethugilan suckup, plain and simple.

[Bigmack]

48. Perfectly reasonable...

....for a country that has lost its soul to do this kind of thing.

Ask the Dipshit-On-The-Street to guess as to the number of Iraqis who have been killed in this clusterfuck, and he'll say "Oh, a couple of thousand, I guess." (As if a few thousand wasn't a huge, unacceptable number.)

So, it's perfectly logical that the government... and even the people themselves... might be involved in using veterans for lab animals.

[glowing]

57. G.I.-- Government Issued.... Does it surprise anyone... they've been

using the soldiers as guinea pigs for a long time.. any new vaccine out is tried on them. and psychodelic, why not... And now they are hopped up on a mix of prozac and ambian and xanex... and we wonder why little puppies are flying over cliffs?