Blaming Walter Reed on "modern medicine."
I am so sick of reading variations of this argument,
No. Absolutely Not.
The problem is not that more soldiers are surviving their injuries, it's that far more soldiers are being injured and killed than were ever prepared for.
The problems throughout the entire war from the wounded to armor and equipment to personnel shortages all root from the same cause, an absolute denial about how serious this war was going to be and now really is.
We cannot foist off blame on "modern medicine" or survival rates.
Preparations were not made because those responsible didn't prepare.
That's the blame.
I will say this: I have no doubt that most of those in the Army and VA want the best for wounded soldiers. The system in some ways is overwhelmed, in part because modern medicine saves so many more lives. In this war, there are many badly injured survivors who would have died of their wounds in earlier wars.
No. Absolutely Not.
The problem is not that more soldiers are surviving their injuries, it's that far more soldiers are being injured and killed than were ever prepared for.
The problems throughout the entire war from the wounded to armor and equipment to personnel shortages all root from the same cause, an absolute denial about how serious this war was going to be and now really is.
We cannot foist off blame on "modern medicine" or survival rates.
Preparations were not made because those responsible didn't prepare.
That's the blame.
posted by mikevotes at
1:32 PM
7 Comments:
Right. So, because they would have died in earlier wars it's OK for them to be given poor treatment and living conditions. This fit's well with the republicans' argument that it's OK for US soldiers to get killed because they volunteered for it.
By
Justin, at 3:05 PM
I almost forgot. Another conservative's argument along these lines is that its ok to kill Iraqis because their leader was an evil dictator. Or that it's OK to bomb Afghani women because they have to wear burkas.
Oh those right wingers! they're so smart. I wish I could learn to reason like them.
By
Justin, at 3:11 PM
Exactly.
The argument seems to suppose that all would be well if these soldiers would just die like they're supposed to.
Every time I hear it, my blood pressure rises.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 3:24 PM
Can we tie in the armor issue in with this?
You know, even Napoleon built this.
My blood is starting to boil, but I don't even know where to start. ... Did I say starting?
By
Praguetwin, at 3:35 PM
I think the armor and all the rest all stems from the same source.
I mean, for god's sakes, they had no real plan for occupation, no plan for an insurgency, no plan for a government or constitution, no plan for training the military.
They wanted to depose Saddam so badly (in a rush because they were using 9-11 as cover) that they went in with no plans at all for what to do once they were in.
And, yeah, armor, Walter Reed, all of it is tracable to the mad rush for this war of choice.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 4:29 PM
Hello Mike and all,
It is very interesting that Bush and Cheney always act as if they are totally unrelated to the many problems created by them and during their time in office. Besides being the heads of the executive branch, Cheney is still fused at the hip to Halliburton, which is also deeply involved in many of these debacles. I'm still waiting to hear from these duplicitous scoundrels that Walter Reed was really Bill Clinton's or Jimmy Carter's fault.
How much more evidence is necessary before more people discern that the "support the troops" mantra is a purposeful deception? These soldiers are cannon fodder for corporate profits and geopolitical gain. They have been deceived into fighting a war and others have been deceived into thinking that leaders of the political right are actually sincere in their assertions about war and the troops. People who tout so-called Christian values while beating the drums of war either can't discern good from evil or are actively being deceptive.
War is evil, pure and simple. The only humane way to "support the troops" is by ending all wars and establishing true and just solutions to human needs.
Here is Wisdom !!
By
Seven Star Hand, at 12:21 AM
I had forgotten about "Clinton's fault."
So many things have gone wrong since they last trotted that one out.
I think the last time I remember them trotting that out was when Clinton angrily responded to their attempts to blame him for 9-11, "at least I tried. Some didn't try."
I think that kind of scared them off. After all, he did try to go after Bin Laden, and when this admin took over, the shifted it off priority.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 7:10 AM
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