Another struggling underclass Bush has fostered into bankruptcy (and ignored)

[bigtree]

On return, veterans face financial ruin
Nation: Physical, mental injuries prove costly for families and loved ones.

Associated Press
09/29/2007


TEMECULA - He was one of America's first defenders on Sept. 11, 2001, a Marine who pulled burned bodies from the ruins of the Pentagon. He saw more horrors in Kuwait and Iraq.

Today, he can't keep a job, pay his bills, or chase thoughts of suicide from his tortured brain. In a few weeks, he may lose his house, too.

More than in past wars, many wounded troops are coming home alive from the Middle East, a triumph for military medicine. But they often return hobbled by prolonged physical and mental injuries from homemade bombs and the anxiety of fighting a hidden enemy along blurred battle lines.

These troops are just starting to seek help in large numbers, more than 185,000 so far. The cost of their benefits is already testing resources set aside by government and threatening the future of these wounded veterans for decades to come, say economists and veterans' groups.

. . . few predicted such a protracted war in Iraq, one in which Iraqi insurgents would rely on disfiguring bombs and bombardment as chief tactics. Better armor and field medicine have kept U.S. soldiers alive at the highest rate ever, according to one study based on government data. However, many are returning with multiple amputations or other disabling injuries.

The Pentagon counts more than 29,000 combat wounded in the Middle East since the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. Tens of thousands more got hurt outside of combat or in ways that only surface later.

Of 1.4 million U.S. forces deployed for Iraq and Afghanistan, more than 185,000 have sought care from the VA - a number that could easily top 700,000 eventually, predicts one academic analysis.

But many also need to help themselves . . .


story: http://www.presstelegram.com/ci_7041788?source=most_viewed

[judaspriestess]

1. I wish they would start speaking out

more often, not that the msm would carry the story but you never know......

I hope things get better for them.

[bigtree]

2. It reminds me of the reports from Russia at the end of their occupation of Afghanistsn

It was the activism of their families back home which helped compel the Russian leaders to finally withdrawal.

[Mr Rabble]

3. Absolute revisionist history and propaganda here.

Check out this line:

". . . few predicted such a protracted war in Iraq, one in which Iraqi insurgents would rely on disfiguring bombs and bombardment as chief tactics."

Really? Few predicted?

I fucking predicted it, and I am just a guy on the internet.

In fact, I would say that overwhelming numbers of people predicted it, however just not "the right" people.
We were all called Pollyanna, conspiracy theorist, Defeatocrat, and every other derogatory term.

We were correct. And here we are, still screaming the truth to a deaf ear.

[ljm2002]

4. Don't forget "focus group"...

...that's what Bush dismissively called the millions of protesters against the illegal and immoral invasion of Iraq.

Bastard.

[bigtree]

6. most Americans rolled over for the invasion

we've got a good, smart group here, but I think it's safe to say that the majority of Americans bought the administration's media-enabled propaganda leading up to the point Bush invaded. The invasion itself was a media spectacle, at least until their correspondents started getting killed. We were correct, for what that was worth in the haze of 9-11 media-induced fear.

[Mr Rabble]

9. That is not what they are implying.

When the article implies that "few" predicted the violence, they are flat out lying or stupid.

The CIA predicted this exact outcome, as did virtually every serious analyst outside of the US mainstream media bubble.

If they are in fact meaning the US population as "few", then what kind of numbers are we talking about here? 10% of the population?

Fine then. 10% is 30,000,000 US citizens. How the fuck does that qualify as "few"?

These fuckers are re-writing history, one story at a time.

[bigtree]

10. alright, the author got that part wrong, but it's not the point of the article.

the story is about the disabled soldiers and their burdens. It covers that well.

[Mr Rabble]

11. That it does. All the while creating history.

You know how we always complain about the media? You know how we are always befuddled about the population's total lack of knowledge about world events?

This is the reason. The ability of writers to "slip" shit like this into otherwise good stories is what creates the narrative.

Now, you can try to excuse this all you want, but in doing so you forfeit the right to complain about any of this.

This is a subtle framing of a highly dubious assertion as unquestioned fact. That can not be allowed to stand.

[bigtree]

12. I think this writer was trying to make a dramatic point and was off

But I don't think the article was written to pass off that one line. It's about the suffering of the disabled troops and their ruined lives. This post is about those troops.

[ikojo]

5. Many of these troops come from the working class and lower

middle class where there is little in the way of emergency funds or extra money. They joined the military, hoping to use it as a hand up out of poverty but are finding out they are still poor when they get home,.

[bigtree]

8. once they discharge

almost none of the military support systems are available to them anymore, no emergency fund, no insurance, no military charity . . . Ironically, the only attention they actually get when discharged is in the screwed up system we're fighting, but only if they're disabled. The rating system is a joke. For disability payments, you have to wait in line (pay your money to join the VA) behind, not only this occupation's casualties, but many of the last 'Gulf War', as well as the aging veterans who are just finding themselves in the system with war injuries aggravated by age.

Not disabled, relatively short term of duty (not enough to collect a pension), and you're on your own. The military doesn't want to know you. You get in line behind the rest of the struggling Americans in the food stamp lines etc. If you're single, without children, it's much harder to get any of that aid . . .

[onethatcares]

15. many come home to the fact that the law requiring them to get

their jobs back is nothing but a joke, that they have to prove their job is gone because of military service. As crazy as it sounds, everyone should have a job in this booming economy that pays for all needed medical care:sarcasm:

[NMMNG]

7. "Support the Troops" is an empty slogan

And they're only troops as long as they're overseas killing people. Afterward they're just burdens on the system to be ignored.

[Desertrose]

14. Support the troops. No child left behind.

Too many empty slogans that usually mean just the opposite of what they say.

[Quantess]

13. Terrible.