I know we should know our enemy, but I already know about Dana Priest. I can't stomach reading this article.
Ping
Effete little 60's/Woodstein wannabe pussies, in the guise of journalists.
If you are on any lists that the military read or frequent any such blogs, please let them know about this site:
Please spread the word.
(do i really need sarcasm tags?)
Funny how right before the last election, the very same rag was raising a stink about BRAC slating Walter Reed for closure and consolidation into a newly revamped Dewitt...
I can't speak about Walter Reed, and Dana Priest is certainly detestable. However, I have worked for a medical equipment company, and I recall that, at least in the 80's and 90's, when it came to x-ray machines, the VA would buy only the most basic, stripped-down models, in fact the same models that were bought by clinics at federal prisons. It was weird, because at the same time, DARPA was funding R&D on the most advanced models, to improve survival in field hospitals.
The most dangerous man nobody's ever heard of.
I think it was in The Limbaugh Letter, where Rush interviewed an Army Captain who lost a leg. The Captain mentioned it was inevitable one would become addicted to opiates in the recovery process. It sucks, but it is true. They have to pump you full of Morphine, Codine, and every other -dine. You will end up addicted. Hence the methadone.
Based on what I understand about opiate addiction, you are pretty much an addict after that happens. That has to suck.
That said, these are mostly young, fire in the belly men who still believe they can conquer the world. Who cares if the left a leg or an arm in Iraq.
They deserve our honor, our respect, and our unconditional love. They do not want or deserve pity.
Each one of them have done more, given more, than the editorial boards of the New York Slimes, the Washington comPost, the Boston Glob, and the LA Slimes have done combined.
If these pathetic liberal "journalists" would give them 1/10th the respect they fawn on Max Cleland, we would have no problems.
Remember there is no hospital on the planet that every patient of familiy member is 100% happy with. Such a creature DOES NOT EXIST. In my rather extensive experience, where you find ten people satisfied with the care they or their loved one recieved - and they WILL give you examples - you will also find ten others who say the place is a butcher shop or band-aid station which you should avoid at all cost - and they WILL give you examples. This is part of the nature of humanity. Or health care. Most likely, it's the nature of health care because we're all human, even doctors and nurses.
What's funny is that Democrats all over the internet, at least in the forums they allow the dissenting views of Republicans be heard, are rabidly attepting to devour bush in yet another "scandal". As in the march to go to war in Iraq, they paint a bizarre picture of an elected leader they insist is a dimwit unfit to be elected dogcatcher, as a uber-manager singlehandedly in charge, and with full knowledge of, every miniscule process in the Federal gov't, with the entire legislative branch his patsy, victims, or in the case of the soldiers, their only hope to be saved from Bush mismanagement.
Again, like Iraq, their position is one which requires incredible ignorance and/or dishonesty to adopt as your own.
The US constitution, Article 1, section 8, clearly places upon Congress, not the President, the responsibility to raise, maintain and regulate our Armed Forces. (I hadn't seen that point raised yet)
And Congress feigns outrage over this. Maybe they chould conduct an inquiry on themselves? I'm not suggesting Bush ignore the problem of course. Just chock up one more reason to believe that today's "liberals" or "progressives" actually insult the true meanings of both of those words with their tactics.
The American military troop is quite a unique breed. They'll sleep in the mud and eat dirt while dodging bullets but rarely complain. Dustin10thMountain was staying in Building 18 most of the time he freeped with us. Did any of us know about the poor living conditions there? No. It seems it takes an outsider to expose some of the crap the troops have to endure.
I know you don't like hearing this stuff coming from Dana Priest. But I wouldn't be so quick to denigrate the substance of this article.