I put Middle Earth Journal in hiatus in May of 2008 and moved to Newshoggers.
I temporarily reopened Middle Earth Journal when Newshoggers shut it's doors but I was invited to Participate at The Moderate Voice so Middle Earth Journal is once again in hiatus.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Figuratively if not literally

There has been much talk of the myth of Vietnam era soldiers being spit on when they returned. I am a Vietnam era veteran who returned to one of the most anti war cites in the country and I was treated with the utmost respect when I returned in 1971 and never saw anyone who wasn't. While this may not be literally spitting on returning troops it might as well be.
Soldiers Face Neglect, Frustration At Army's Top Medical Facility
On the worst days, soldiers say they feel like they are living a chapter of "Catch-22." The wounded manage other wounded. Soldiers dealing with psychological disorders of their own have been put in charge of others at risk of suicide.

Disengaged clerks, unqualified platoon sergeants and overworked case managers fumble with simple needs: feeding soldiers' families who are close to poverty, replacing a uniform ripped off by medics in the desert sand or helping a brain-damaged soldier remember his next appointment.

"We've done our duty. We fought the war. We came home wounded. Fine. But whoever the people are back here who are supposed to give us the easy transition should be doing it," said Marine Sgt. Ryan Groves, 26, an amputee who lived at Walter Reed for 16 months. "We don't know what to do. The people who are supposed to know don't have the answers. It's a nonstop process of stalling."
And then we have this:
Bush budget shows cuts to vets’ benefits in 2009
And as we have seen this administration figuratively spits on the troops when they send them over to fight their war of choice.
Thousands of Army Humvees Lack Armor Upgrade
And the chicken hawk war mongers have the nerve to accuse those who oppose this war of not supporting the troops. And of course we have the hypocrite in chief himself, commander codpiece saying this:
“My job is to protect our troops. And when we find devices that are in that country that are hurting our troops, we’re going to do something about it, pure and simple.”
Now explain to me how this is supporting the troops - explain to me how this is not spitting in the troops.

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