The Law of Unintended Consequences

[trof]

A few years ago the cities and towns of a far eastern country were being overrun by rats. The minister of health, instead of addressing the unsanitary conditions which caused the explosion in the rodent population, lit on a seemingly quick fix. A bounty on rats. Citizens would be paid for each dead rat presented to the proper authorities.

In fact, this exacerbated the problem. Enterprising citizens began trapping, caging, feeding, and BREEDING rats. A new cottage industry was born, and the rat population increased exponentially. This is a prime example of the Law of Unintended Consequences. It seemed like such a good idea at the time, but...

During the Viet Nam war years, approximately 30% of severely wounded soldiers died from their injuries. Thanks to the advances in medicine, and rapid med evac since then, that number in Iraq and Afghanistan has been reduced to about 10%. On the surface, this would seem to be a good thing. Except...

Except that now thousands of our young men and women are coming home missing parts. Some may compensate, to one degree or another, with space age electronic prostheses. They are coming home with severe head wounds from which they can never fully recover. We have not yet developed prosthetic brains. In spite of our clever inventions, nothing can ever truly replace your good right arm, or your legs, or a fistful of grey matter.

What I will say next may sound cold, but it is a fact of life. We, the people of the United States of America, now owe these unfortunates the best in health care and living assistance that money can buy for as long as they are able to survive. They deserve no less. In spite of their injuries, and, again, thanks to modern medicine, many will live to a ripe old age. And I would wish no less for them.

And then there's this: these disabled veterans will serve as walking (or rolling, or bedridden) billboards for the consequences of war. Not a "Pearl Harbor" war where we were attacked by another country. A war of "liberation" to bring down a dictator who all agree "was a bad man". Now, even many on the conservative side of the political divide admit that this is an "elective" war, not a response to a clear and present danger. If the red and blue states agree on anything it's "Well, for whatever reason, we're there and we have to make the best of it." We have grasped the Tar Baby and now we can't let go.

Recruiting for active duty, reserves, and national guard, in all branches, is already falling below needed levels. Our military is spread dangerously thin and getting thinner. And we are now literally a bankrupt nation which has taken on the added expense of caring for combat victims who never should have existed.

Beware the Law of Unintended Consequences.

[BillZBubb]

1. What you say may be true, but it is what it is.

We are in a mess and there is now no popular demand to end it. A majority still support Chimp's War. We must care for the injured, no matter the cost.

[trof]

2. Totally agree.

But I believe the consequences of this invasion and occupation go far beyond what the instigators envisioned.
And I don't guess I'm really surprised at that.