Increased taxes on corporations and high income individuals in addition to cuts in the bloated "defense" budget will be required to provide adequate funding to treat, care for and supplement the income of these and other wounded soldiers.
Posted by Pvt. Keepout at November 25, 2007 07:23 PMThis is REALLY an excellent post, too bad only a tenth of a tenth of percent of BushAmericans will ever see these facts.
The actual costs of this soon-to-be five year old hot occupation are incalcuable, and in true militarist fashion will never be paid. We could defund the Pentagon entirely, move all the "defense" money to the VA and still run out of funds.
And of course, it's likely that millions of Iraqis have been subjected to these blasts (and ours) and will never receive the slightest medical care. That country is going to be an absolute basket case, likely for good. And that will really help us in our war against terra.
A major part of the failed bu$h legacy will be his inefficiency to provide benefits for Veterans in need.
Posted by Seven of Six at November 26, 2007 06:10 AMWell, as my Republican friends would say, "that's the cost of war" (and not meaning the cost as in dollars).
Posted by Judith at November 26, 2007 06:12 AMI think this militarist country always skimps on the VA benefits promised.
The difference between the parties here is that Repubs keep starting hot wars so that the (inevitably ignored) damage to the troops' health and lives is that much greater.
Militarism is very, very expensive, even when you blithely try to ignore the costs---as Repubs (like judith's friends) always do.
Posted by euzoius at November 26, 2007 06:18 AMThe question of Depleted Uranium (DU) will always be on my mind concerning the Iraqi people. When we leave, yes, our men and women will have to prove it's existence and continue the fight with the VA for treatment. But the Iraqi people will be dealing with it for 4.5 billion years.
Posted by Seven of Six at November 26, 2007 06:19 AMOh no, I just discovered a new reason on why we have to stay in Iraq! We have to clean up the DU.
Posted by Seven of Six at November 26, 2007 06:22 AMThere's a poster at Vet Voice who is doing research for an article he's doing for DKos on the number of troops who've incurred TBI's and, like this article indicates, he's finding the number is staggering.
http://vetvoice.com/
Posted by at December 3, 2007 11:49 AM