Corporate Whoredom
Our friend Basheert, who comments here often and blogs here, sent me a post to put up, and I will do so without comment...well, how about with a bit of comment:
1) This letter to IMUS is right on in its take on pvivatization and our slipperly slide towards a corporate army that is dangerous for Democracy, yet causes Dick Cheney's system to start producing enough Ecstasy to make an elephant high.
2) The author is right to point out the fantastic work of my close friend and progressive champion Robert Greenwald (and his terrific staff at Brave New Films). His film "Iraq For Sale," much like everything he does, is amazing. I have had the pleasure of working with Robert on a few projects, most recently The Real McCain, and with Robert on your side you don't feel like you can ever lose! So show some LOVE, and buy Robert's DVDs, which you will find in the right hand column of this blog.
Now the piece:
IMUS,
The reason for the neglect of the troops is privatization of the military. This war is the most privatized war in the history of the world. Most of the money from the Pentagon went to private companies so these huge corporations like Halliburton (KBR), Blackwater, CACI could get rich. Our military is being undermined by corporations. Check out their profits. It is OUR tax dollars that is being poured into these companies while our military is being neglected.
My son is active duty, career Army, with 15 years under his belt. All the families and the military personnel have contacted people in Congress for four years regarding the neglect and treatment of military personnel. To pretend they did not know is just more lies from a corrupt Congress that is also receiving money in different ways from this war. If you want to know the truth about the Iraq War, see the movie "Iraq For Sale". This is not a underground movie it is mainstream and available at any movie rental place. Once you see it you will understand what the Iraq War is really about and why no one will end it, even though the people are demanding an end to it and why our military suffer while we are spending billions on this war.
Our military is no longer honored by anyone. Everyone's attitude now that it is a volunteer Army is that they volunteered so they have no reason to complain about anything. Currently if you are suicidal or mentally ill, the average lead time for treatment at a Vet Center is 120 days. That is 4 months!
Walter Reed is merely the tip of the iceberg. Men that seek treatment for PTSD are being diagnosed as having a preexisting mental illness to ensure they do not receive benefits. I could go on and on IMUS but there is limited space and I know your time is limited.
See Iraq for Sale. It is a REAL eye opener.
It is not the fault of the people but our government who has sold our military down the river for money and favors to corporations. Attitudes of people are formed by our government in some cases. Just like the soldier that had the nerve to speak up to Rumsfeld several years ago about armor, Rumsfeld's answer? "You have to deal with the Army you have, soldier."
The President knew, and Congress knew. The families of the military have been hounding them for four long years. They could probably build a house with all the paper from the letters we have all written regarding the treatment of our loved ones in the military. Check out Military Families Speak Out, this organization is practically LIVING at the White House these days. THEY ALL KNEW.
Mikal Hutto
Pasadena, Texas
Mother of Sgt. Kenneth M. Pereira
Military Families Speak Out - Houston, Texas
posted by Cliff Schecter @ 4:31 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
What say you oh public?
Thanks for posting this Cliff.
This is a very important letter to my way of thinking. The military has not been openly challenging to this Administration, and I believe change could have been affected earlier and perhaps more drastically if the active Army and Marine families had spoken publicly about the horrid way our troops are treated, in Iraq and while recovering at Walter Reed.
In some ways, the military families became inadvertantly part of the problem. For some reason I personally don't understand, criticising the lack of body armor or armored vehicles was felt to be disloyal to the troops. Perhaps it is a mindset specific to those in military circumstances to not question the equipment you are given, or the lack of an actual "plan" other than just trying to stay alive.
If the soldiers would realize that everyone supports their efforts and it is not disloyal to want to bring them home, everyone would benefit.
Just my opinion...humble though it may be!
Humble and wise, Basheert.
Thanks for this post. It says a lot in a relatively small space.
dang.... Now I have to start reading another blog.....
Thanks Basheert.
Hi Cliff and Basheert:
Thank you for posting the letter and hopefully it will make it's way around the blogosphere. ;)
"I believe change could have been affected earlier and perhaps more drastically if the active Army and Marine families had spoken publicly about the horrid way our troops are treated, in Iraq and while recovering at Walter Reed."
This just doesn't sound right, as well as it might have been intended. "Military Families Speak Out", Cindy Sheehan, and others _have_ been speaking out. For a long time. Since the initial scrum around Ms. Sheehan died down, what have we seen of her? ... other than an occasional comment or two in front of a rally crowd that gets 30 sec total and a DFH spin applied. She sure hasn't been resting idle.
No one was listening. Not Congress. The the Press. Not anybody. And certainly not those who dole out the reporting assignments.
Sadly, this is nothing new, as you know. I remember hearing of our Viet Nam vets getting the same treatment.
But I could never be comfortable with getting anywhere near the place where _any_ of blame goes to the military families. Whether they were active, or not.
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