Having worked in several different military hospitals I can state that we always tried to give the best care with what we had at our disposal. While stationed at Tachikawa, a fancy new officers club was being built while I was resharpening hypodermic needles for medication injections. First things first, I guess.
Medic
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
More on military hospitals.
Take this, Lou Dobbs
It seems that the facts, as usual, can get in the way of people who are determined to hate. The L.A. Times has reported that, according to a new study, illegal immigrants actually make better citizens than the native-born.
A study by the Public Policy Institute of California shows that, "Two new studies by California researchers counter negative perceptions that immigrants increase crime and job competition, showing that they are incarcerated at far lower rates than native-born citizens and actually help boost their wages."
You can read the actual study here.
I wonder how Lou Dobbs and Bill O'Reilly, those bastions of the border, will try to spin this.....
And the repercussions begin....
Thank goodness for bloggers. I was unable to locate this story in any of the four major U.S. papers, the NYT, WP, LAT, or USA Today, but several bloggers picked up this followup to the Walter Reed scandal.
It seems that the Army, which made a big show last week of cleaning up its act after the Post exposed its our government's neglect of returning wounded and incapacitated soldiers, has begun paybacks for the embarrassment it suffered.
Who's taking the brunt of the Army's fury? You guessed it, the soldiers.
"Soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Medical Hold Unit say they have been told they will wake up at 6 a.m. every morning and have their rooms ready for inspection at 7 a.m., and that they must not speak to the media.
'Some soldiers believe this is a form of punishment for the trouble soldiers caused by talking to the media,' one Medical Hold Unit soldier said, speaking on the condition of anonymity."
One particularly galling piece of information in the story, which is from the Army's own mouthpiece, the Army Times, is this: "The Pentagon also clamped down on media coverage of any and all Defense Department medical facilities, to include suspending planned projects by CNN and the Discovery Channel, saying in an e-mail to spokespeople: “It will be in most cases not appropriate to engage the media while this review takes place,” referring to an investigation of the problems at Walter Reed."
I suppose they have to take this approach, because more coverage of this would lead to increased scrutiny of the plans to send more soldiers into battle underequipped and lacking the proper training, which will only lead to more casualties and neglect of more wounded soldiers.
Everytime I read about this horror, I feel like I need to increase my supply of barf bags. Heck, pretty soon I'm going to need a new computer keyboard.
We the People....
William Rivers Pitt over at Truthout.org describes the Bush administration in one sentence, here.
It's a long sentence, granted, but well worth the read for any progressives out there who have had enough of these liars and incompetents and who remember that our Constitution opens with the phrase, "We the People..."
More on the Justice Dept. bulimia
There's an excellent article on the political purge in the Justice Department from Mark Follman in Salon. One quote in particular nailed the whole reason for these dismissals, with all replacements receiving interim (read: no Senate confirmation required) appointments: "Some former Justice Department officials say they believe the administration's moves are a politically driven power grab -- aimed not only at a tighter grip on policy from Washington, but also at creating openings with which to reward their friends and build up a bench of conservative loyalists positioned to serve in powerful posts in future administrations."
This administration demonstrates over and over again that cronyism, politics and ideological unity trump competence every time.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Oops...we goofed again! Please don't tell anyone...
This has to be causing apoplexy at the WH and the Pentagon. I haven't read the entire story, because I'll be damned if I'm going to pay money to the Wall Street Journal, but just from the free snippet available online, it seems that once again, our administration is shown to be inventing "truth" about a possible enemy. Since the Bushies say that Iran is supplying all the EFPs to insurgents in Iraq, it must be true, right? No chance those pesky Iraqis are smart enough or have the capability....do they?
And remember, this is from a paper that has supported GWB and his war 100% from the beginning.
And the rich just keep getting richer
An editorial in today's Salt Lake Tribune criticizes the Utah legislature's plan to impose a flat tax on the state. As noted in the editorial (and as anyone who can do basic math can easily figure for themselves) a flat tax places an undue burden on the poorest among us.
Cheers to the Tribune (a phrase I never thought I would hear myself say) for their stand against yet another attempt by the "have-mores" to have even more at the expense of the "don't have enoughs."
Something new or deja vu
I had the chance to hear Ron Kovic interviewed by Randi Rhodes last night. It really wasn't an interview because the minute Randi asked her first question Ron let loose and rapped almost non stop. With a hundred more Rons we could end this fookin war in a month.
Anyone surprised by the conditions in building 18 (see mission mans posts) should read an essay Ron wrote over a year ago.
Randi has last night's interview up on her site. .
Like Ron says "we should demand more than an investigation".
The current administration has lied to us for 5 years about this war. Now they say the conditions facing the wounded is a big surprise. BS! With every bill they intruduce more money is taken from those who suffer because of it. They know very well what they're doing.
I ask you.
Whats a pissed off vet to do?
Keith on Condi
Keith Olbermann's Special Comment last night on Condoleeza Rice's appearance on Faux News with Chris Wallace was absolutely priceless. After watching her prove over the last six years as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State that the Peter Principle is absolutely correct (one eventually rises to one's level of incompetence and then is promoted one level above that), it was a laugh riot to watch her state her interpretation of history -- it was not only inaccurate, but hilarious. You would think that someone with both a Masters and a Ph.D in Political Science would have taken at least one history course somewhere along the way -- or maybe at least have read a book.
To see the video, go here:
Monday, February 26, 2007
Here we go again....
As Michael Klare notes at TomDispatch.com, if you substitute the words Ahmadinejad and Iran for Saddam Hussein and Iraq in the speech the Shrub gave on the eve of war (March 19, 2003), the words sound eerily familiar.
To read Klare's piece, go here. To read the Shrub's warmongering speech, go here.
And then be afraid. Be very, very afraid.
Cheney, the Constitution, and Iran-Contra
Kagra X over at the DailyKos has a perceptive piece on our humble VP and his thoughts on executive power. I urge you all to read it as soon as possible, and really think hard about what it means if we don't somehow get the Dems in Congress to start asserting its status as an equal branch of government.
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
The Associated Press reports that Dick Cheney made an unscheduled trip to Pakistan to confer with Dictator (I mean President) Gen. Pervez Musharraf yesterday.
I wonder if he found any time to go looking for Mr. bin Laden while he was in the area? Somehow, I kind of doubt it. I keep forgetting that he's just not that darned important anymore.
Well, the trip at least accomplished one thing. It kept him away from the U.S. for an extra day, and I see that as always being a plus.
Lucky Marty, poor Peter
I caught the last few minutes of the Academy Awards last night, just in time to see Helen Mirren rewarded for her brilliant spot-on portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II. I was extremely glad to see Martin Scorsese finally win his Oscar for "The Departed," even if I don't think it's his best film, because it could easily be argued that he's deserved it many times over in the past and been screwed every time (see "Goodfellas). I also don't argue that "The Departed" shouldn't have beaten "The Queen" for best film, although I would have preferred to see it go the other way.
However, while Forest Whitaker's rendition of Idi Amin was amazing in "The Last King of Scotland," I shed a tear that one of the greatest actors of our time was once again denied by the Academy.
Peter O'Toole must be the most snakebitten actor in the history of film when one considers his unrewarded performances in such films as "Lawrence of Arabia," "The Lion in Winter," "The Stunt Man," and "My Favorite Year."
The sad part is that with his age (and obvious frailty), this may have been his last shot. And that's a crying shame.
I knew when I was young that the Oscars were a bit of joke when Cliff Robertson in "Charly" beat out O'Toole in "The Lion in Winter." It was confirmed when "Titanic" got the nod over "L.A. Confidential." But I really hoped that this year would be the year when they got it right in most of the major categories. Well, I suppose two out of four ain't bad.
P.S. I was gratified to learn the Al Gore did win the Oscar for "An Inconvenient Truth," even if Leo DiCaprio couldn't talk him into announcing a run for the big job last night. Oh well, there's still Stockholm to come.
Bad performance, or bad politics?
The Bush administration just gets funnier by the day. First, it gives us the most incompetent Secretary of Defense since Robert McNamara, and praises him for his extraordinary ability up until (and after in Dick Cheney's case) the day he is fired. It gives us the man who had absolutely no comprehension on how to run FEMA before or after the Katrina disaster. And in the Justice Department, headed by the man of whom Keith Olbermann said, "I'd really like to see his diploma," eight attorneys have recently been fired.
Each of these attorneys, all Republicans appointed by Bush, received strong performance evaluations repeatedly between 2003 and 2006. Yet, the administration claims they were fired due to "poor job performance."
In today's NYT, Adam Cohen looks at possible reasons for the firings. And they are not pretty -- unless, of course, you encourage cronyism and politics as a more acceptable way of running a government than competence.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Iran, here we come -- maybe!
Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Seymour Hersh has written an explosive look at the U.S. dealings with Iran in this week's New Yorker. In the article, Hersh takes a look at how our dealings with Iran could affect our presence and strategic interests throughout the Middle East. It's definitely worth a look-see.
I've just found a great new religion!
If you're not aware of it yet, I've found the Holy Grail of religion -- comedism. You owe it to yourself to check this out!
Hey we're a team!!!!!!!!
Welcome MEDIC I'm sure you'll get under the skin of a few folks who drop by here. Oh well.
I'll tell ya guys the last week has been hard on me. The articles here and the images on TV of our brothers and sisters being treated like cattle is taking my head to some places it hasn't been in a while. I know the smells and moans are coming back to you too MED.
If our sons and daughters are being treated this way at home I can't imagine how the "collateral damaged" (wounded civilians) are being treated in hospitals in Iraq where the electricity functions only a few hours a day in some places.
Though some will jump to defend these deplorable conditions most in this country are outraged and maybe this time some things will change.
From the days Civil War vets had to stay in line for days waiting for their papers that were bound by "red tape", yes thats where the words came from, to the day "Dugout Doug" ordered his men to beat and bayonet "Bonus Marchers" while burning down their tents vets have had to fight for every damn thing they've received from this government.
Ask any vet who has gone through the "red tape" to receive their Agent Orange or Gulf Syndrome bennies.
I can't believe there are officers in the military who would defend this BS. But thats me.
I'm a "traitor who stabbed my brothers in the back for protesting in the 60's", and "have the blood of the dead and wounded on my hands" today because I march against this one.
Whats a pissed off vet to do?
BRING THEM HOME!
This breaks my heart
Newsweek has two stories published today regarding our vets returning from Iraq, and while they are both sad, this one absolutely breaks my heart.
Dan Ephron and Sarah Childress have done a remarkable job reporting about the plight of many of the new returnees -- homeless in many cases, suffering from PTSD, and already turning to alcohol and drugs to get by.
I am so f***ing fed up with people and their magnetic stickers on their SUVs and Mercedes not doing a damned thing to really support the troops. As a disabled vet, perhaps my anger is out of proportion, but I think not.
Folks, if you have any heart, do not leave this to the VA or the military. Do not show empty support with a stupid ribbon on your vehicle. Instead, take it upon yourself to write to a soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan and see what they need. Go to your nearest VA hospital and see what you can do to help. You would be amazed at what just having someone who cares can do for a person, especially when the system has failed them miserably.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Say it can't be so
You mean there's a chance that the U.S. may be providing faulty or incorrect intelligence to diplomats in attempting to get backing for a possible war with Iran? That can't be true -- we would never stoop so low.
It seems the L.A. Times is more on top of the Iran story than any of the leading East Coast papers, and this story in the Sunday edition is just another example.
Sunday's open thread
Feel free to comment on anything and everything, with the exceptions of Anna Nicole Smith and Britney Spears....
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