Comments on: Morality and Wingnuts http://www.mahablog.com/2008/01/13/morality-and-wingnuts/ Exposing the ugly truths about the Bush Administration. Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:39:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1.3 by: the fshk blog » soldiers and trauma http://www.mahablog.com/2008/01/13/morality-and-wingnuts/#comment-524570 Wed, 23 Jan 2008 01:52:50 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2008/01/13/morality-and-wingnuts/#comment-524570 [...] The Mahablog: On the rightie blogger reaction. [...] […] The Mahablog: On the rightie blogger reaction. […]

]]> by: The Mahablog » Numbers and Wingnuts http://www.mahablog.com/2008/01/13/morality-and-wingnuts/#comment-523847 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 20:06:47 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2008/01/13/morality-and-wingnuts/#comment-523847 [...] In the recent “Morality and Wingnuts” post, I wrote about right-wing blogger reaction to the New York Times article on violent crimes committed by veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead of expressing sympathy and concern for veterans who lacked support for war trauma, the righties went into big-time defensive mode and accused the New York Times of bashing vets. [...] […] In the recent “Morality and Wingnuts” post, I wrote about right-wing blogger reaction to the New York Times article on violent crimes committed by veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead of expressing sympathy and concern for veterans who lacked support for war trauma, the righties went into big-time defensive mode and accused the New York Times of bashing vets. […]

]]> by: vjb http://www.mahablog.com/2008/01/13/morality-and-wingnuts/#comment-523749 Mon, 14 Jan 2008 21:57:27 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2008/01/13/morality-and-wingnuts/#comment-523749 Thank you, Maha, for the lesson in logic. If only SOME people would benefit by it, the public discourse would benefit greatly. Thank you, Maha, for the lesson in logic. If only SOME people would benefit by it, the public discourse would benefit greatly.

]]> by: zeppo http://www.mahablog.com/2008/01/13/morality-and-wingnuts/#comment-523731 Mon, 14 Jan 2008 19:35:21 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2008/01/13/morality-and-wingnuts/#comment-523731 I believe there is one more factor at play here. Yeah, the wingnuts are in denial, big time, about the reality of the Iraq war. And, yes, there is a taboo apparently against acknowledging that soldiers are real people who have real problems, and many of those problems can be attributed to their serving in Iraq. But I also think there is one other thing that contributes to this phenomena. That is, wingnuts can NEVER acknowledge that those evil liberals, Democrats, DFH's, etc. might be right. Never. I believe that is what is behind a lot of the climate change denials. These people just cannot accept that the people they have labeled as their mortal enemies, that are less than human, can be correct about anything. Therefore, you get these increasingly bizarre and shrill denials on just about every subject you can imagine. That's my theory. I believe there is one more factor at play here. Yeah, the wingnuts are in denial, big time, about the reality of the Iraq war. And, yes, there is a taboo apparently against acknowledging that soldiers are real people who have real problems, and many of those problems can be attributed to their serving in Iraq. But I also think there is one other thing that contributes to this phenomena. That is, wingnuts can NEVER acknowledge that those evil liberals, Democrats, DFH’s, etc. might be right. Never. I believe that is what is behind a lot of the climate change denials. These people just cannot accept that the people they have labeled as their mortal enemies, that are less than human, can be correct about anything. Therefore, you get these increasingly bizarre and shrill denials on just about every subject you can imagine.

That’s my theory.

]]> by: Diane http://www.mahablog.com/2008/01/13/morality-and-wingnuts/#comment-523693 Mon, 14 Jan 2008 14:13:28 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2008/01/13/morality-and-wingnuts/#comment-523693 Yes, it is so much easier and and makes a great impression to pin a medal on someone then provide them with the services they need!!! This administration is all show and VERY secretive about their actions, that is why we are in the mess we are in. Yes, it is so much easier and and makes a great impression to pin a medal on someone then provide them with the services they need!!!
This administration is all show and VERY secretive about their actions, that is why we are in the mess we are in.

]]> by: Doug Hughes http://www.mahablog.com/2008/01/13/morality-and-wingnuts/#comment-523616 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 22:09:04 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2008/01/13/morality-and-wingnuts/#comment-523616 Others have mentioned the suicide rate among returning vets, which is 4 times the norm, if I recall. Suicide by vets is not a reason to end the war; it's a reason to provide help to vets under massive stress. They earned the right to help & support; it's not their fault the war is deranged. (All wars are; some are worse than others.) I am a vet, but not a combat vet. I was Navy for the end of 'Nam, and I knew combat vets. My observation is that they won't talk much about combat because those who have not been there can't understand, and they don't have to discuss it with someone who HAS experienced it So they store the stress inside, and that's emotionally toxic. The unhinged glory and gratitude that the neocons heap on the vets probably does not help. This is my opinion, but having some neocon determined to pin a 'HERO' medal on me (figuratively) is a clown. If I was a combat vet, the only person qualified to award me ANYTHING needs to have worn combat boots on unfriendly soil. But I am sure the 'Support our Troops' menatality applied by neocons adds a bizarre twist to the return home. Others have mentioned the suicide rate among returning vets, which is 4 times the norm, if I recall. Suicide by vets is not a reason to end the war; it’s a reason to provide help to vets under massive stress. They earned the right to help & support; it’s not their fault the war is deranged. (All wars are; some are worse than others.)

I am a vet, but not a combat vet. I was Navy for the end of ‘Nam, and I knew combat vets. My observation is that they won’t talk much about combat because those who have not been there can’t understand, and they don’t have to discuss it with someone who HAS experienced it So they store the stress inside, and that’s emotionally toxic.

The unhinged glory and gratitude that the neocons heap on the vets probably does not help. This is my opinion, but having some neocon determined to pin a ‘HERO’ medal on me (figuratively) is a clown. If I was a combat vet, the only person qualified to award me ANYTHING needs to have worn combat boots on unfriendly soil. But I am sure the ‘Support our Troops’ menatality applied by neocons adds a bizarre twist to the return home.

]]> by: PurpleGirl http://www.mahablog.com/2008/01/13/morality-and-wingnuts/#comment-523515 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 16:49:23 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2008/01/13/morality-and-wingnuts/#comment-523515 As I read this post two songs came to mind: Phil Ochs" I Ain't A Marching Anymore and Buffy St. Marie's Universal Soldier. Not quite sure of the connection in my mind, but it's there... maybe that we harm our soldiers in so many ways and don't want to face the consequences. A friend's brother fought in Viet Nam and the mental hurt was worse than the physical hurt. When he first came home he needed more help than he got and once he figured some things out for himself he began to work with others. (Eventually he became a peer counselor at a V.A. hospital.) I'm sure he'd agree with me that our servicemenbers today need a lot more help and support than they are getting. (Nam killed him in the end, he died a few years ago from the effects of Hep B, which the doctors think he picked up from a blood transfusion either in Nam or the hospital afterwards.) As I read this post two songs came to mind: Phil Ochs” I Ain’t A Marching Anymore and Buffy St. Marie’s Universal Soldier. Not quite sure of the connection in my mind, but it’s there… maybe that we harm our soldiers in so many ways and don’t want to face the consequences.

A friend’s brother fought in Viet Nam and the mental hurt was worse than the physical hurt. When he first came home he needed more help than he got and once he figured some things out for himself he began to work with others. (Eventually he became a peer counselor at a V.A. hospital.) I’m sure he’d agree with me that our servicemenbers today need a lot more help and support than they are getting. (Nam killed him in the end, he died a few years ago from the effects of Hep B, which the doctors think he picked up from a blood transfusion either in Nam or the hospital afterwards.)

]]> by: Military Blog Updates » Morality and Wingnuts http://www.mahablog.com/2008/01/13/morality-and-wingnuts/#comment-523514 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 16:46:57 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2008/01/13/morality-and-wingnuts/#comment-523514 [...] Read the rest of this great post here [...] […] Read the rest of this great post here […]

]]> by: abgdinstr http://www.mahablog.com/2008/01/13/morality-and-wingnuts/#comment-523512 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 16:23:41 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2008/01/13/morality-and-wingnuts/#comment-523512 A small glimmer of hope...There are additional links embedded at the Kos link. A federal court in San Francisco today cleared the way for a major national class action lawsuit on behalf of disabled veterans to directly challenge the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The ruling affirms the rights of veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to sue in federal court over the huge backlog of claims, the lengthy waiting time that veterans face in receiving needed mental health care, and the inadequacy of care for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/1/11/172421/698/994/435293 mark carlisle iowa A small glimmer of hope…There are additional links embedded at the Kos link.

A federal court in San Francisco today cleared the way for a major national class action lawsuit on behalf of disabled veterans to directly challenge the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The ruling affirms the rights of veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to sue in federal court over the huge backlog of claims, the lengthy waiting time that veterans face in receiving needed mental health care, and the inadequacy of care for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/1/11/172421/698/994/435293

mark
carlisle iowa

]]> by: Diane http://www.mahablog.com/2008/01/13/morality-and-wingnuts/#comment-523503 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 15:13:07 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2008/01/13/morality-and-wingnuts/#comment-523503 My husband is a psy social worker and works with returning vets. I mentioned this article(did not read) and and he had 2 good points 1)Look at the type of people they are letting into the military now. We have all read about the incidents of gangs in Iraq, they keep lowering the standards and the scandals around the recruiting. We are having to scrape the bottom of the barrel. I know great people enlist but they have been lowering the standards for the last several years. 2) The care some vets get, especially mental health services is pathetic. We all know it the suicide rate has been documented. It is a crime of George Bush and this administration, Congress and yes, we the people that we do not demand better for those that serve our country. I have been against this war from the start, but I support ALL Vets from this and all previous wars. This situation is only going to get worse because the services are not there and will not be ther as long as GW is in office. My husband is a psy social worker and works with returning vets.
I mentioned this article(did not read) and and he had 2 good points
1)Look at the type of people they are letting into the military now. We have all read about the incidents of gangs in Iraq, they keep lowering the standards and the scandals around the recruiting. We are having to scrape the bottom of the barrel.
I know great people enlist but they have been lowering the standards for the last several years.
2) The care some vets get, especially mental health services is pathetic. We all know it the suicide rate has been documented.
It is a crime of George Bush and this administration, Congress and yes, we the people that we do not demand better for those that serve our country.
I have been against this war from the start, but I support ALL Vets from this and all previous wars.
This situation is only going to get worse because the services are not there and will not be ther as long as GW is in office.

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