Great article

My favorite line popped right out at me:

"It’s a given that our war-loving leaders and their enablers do not care about American mass society. But how do they treat their warriors?"

Well, that's two lines, but they're tight!  This was the question after Viet Nam and Gulf War I.  It's answer is always the same.   They treat their warriors worse than their citizes.  The warriors faithfully go to toxic waste dumps like Iraq.  How much care does that show for them on the part of the oilcoholic bush administration. 

by Michael Collins (85 articles, 13 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 315 comments) on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 2:17:16 AM
 

9 bn.

"Our national debt is over $9 billion, "

It's over nine trillion, actually, which is over "9 billion", I know, but quite a bit over.  Even the 2.3  or was it 2.6 trillion USD that Dov Zakheim filched from Pentagon funds is quite a bit more than just a piddling little 9 bn.  We don't hear much of that these days, do we, and Dov is still walking around free.  I wonder why.

Including the internal debt, this debt figure rises to some 78 trillion.  Who do you think is going to have to pay for all this gross splurging of the national wealth?

Sure, just guess who.  And guess who is not going to repay one red cent.

by Geraldo (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 105 comments) on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 12:12:43 PM
 

Yes, of course it is trillion not billion! Thanks

I've corrected it.

by Kathlyn Stone (33 articles, 208 quicklinks, 20 diaries, 569 comments) on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 1:22:22 PM
 

Kathlyn

Very nicely done, Kathlyn. I wrote about this earlier but you a good deal more detail, very fine piece. Oh, and I love the new photo!

by Professor Emeritus Peter Bagnolo (144 articles, 1 quicklinks, 95 diaries, 1270 comments) on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 3:07:17 PM
 

and there's so much more to be said

But I for one must resist the temptation to write everything I think I know. :-)  My main motivation is to amplify the voices of active-duty soldiers who are speaking out. We have to work harder to correct the lies of the extremists.

There is a dance of collusion taking place between the pro-war people (and I do view them as extremists) and the elected leaders who keep this going despite widespread opposition. It is ludicrous to try to shut up opposition by repeating "support the troops." They have NEVER supported the troops beginning with day one and the revelations about the inferior armor and the tainted drinking water and outdated overpriced meals.

The peace and anti-war movements, of which Veterans for Peace, VVAW and IVAW are a major part, continue to advocate for the soldiers, not the chickenhawks.

by Kathlyn Stone (33 articles, 208 quicklinks, 20 diaries, 569 comments) on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 3:38:34 PM
 

Amen!!

We also need to stop the insane notion that, cutting funding to these "kids" is  the answer. It might make "Big Oil" Bush mad but it's going to add to the generation gap, and more single parent children (which this country definitely doesn't need more of), resultant from this disgraceful attrocity in Iraq!!

by (8 articles, 4 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 143 comments) on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 3:52:28 PM
 

KS

"But I for one must resist the temptation to write everything I think I know. :-)"

I have the same problem. Writing advertising scripts for 30-60 second commercials did not break me of my habit of writing my brains out. Now my main editing cutting out paragraphs.

One of the most galling things I encountered is Halliburton making meals as "Uniquely Qualified No Bid contractors?" There are jillions of excellent food service contractors, restaurant chains, cafeteria's and more with good food at reasonable prioces and Halliburton is considered uniquely qualified No-Bidders? In America except of some athletes, Performers, and a few professors, artists, architects and scientists, there are very few "Uniquely Qualified" anythings.

I wrote sometime back about FDR's workable plan in which he vociferously sought and succeeded to force contractors, after the fact, to rebate all but 2%-3% of their profits. When I was in the service I was paid half as much per month than I was making per day in advertising, while contractors were making huge profits selling ordinance and hard and soft goods to the government. They should make no more than 3%-5% profit, they should make sacrifices for their countries just as our servicemen and women have made, whether drafted or otherwise.

Fine work and with pictures! I have had little success uploading pictures. Half the time I get nothing. I may ask you the secret of successful uploads. Rob told me once, but now either I've forgotten or my system is not working properly.

by Professor Emeritus Peter Bagnolo (144 articles, 1 quicklinks, 95 diaries, 1270 comments) on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 4:33:47 PM
 

limiting profits for war contractors not only makes sense

it also would discourage corporations from promoting the war. Can't have that.

I wonder what the profit margin is in this war. 25%? 50%? We've known of massive overcharges for years. The GAO folks must have nightmares following their audits.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. You can always tell a real veteran (as opposed to a chickenhawk) because their words have the ring of truth!

*Photos. Are you uploading photos into your image library in your profile area and giving them a tag?

by Kathlyn Stone (33 articles, 208 quicklinks, 20 diaries, 569 comments) on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 5:11:14 PM