350,000 Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans
VA Shredder Scandal
Bush Pardons
Still thinking the Bush Doctrine is a good thing? Look on this page to the right, and you will see the bill we are paying.
What you don't see is the cost of care for casualties and veterans.
Sarah Palin, when asked, did not know what the Bush Doctrine is. It is the right to premptive strike against a nation who has not attacked or declared war against us. Yes, it is going to war because we 'think' they may attack.
Acting out of fear in the realm of metaphysics is called - reacting.
It is the unfortunate result of living in the future or the past, and not living in the present. When we live in the present moment, we take steps to achieve positive outcomes.
When we live in fear of the future, we react to situations that have not yet happened. This leads to creating things that are not there - like WMDs.
In your own life, you can cite times when you reacted to situations that were unclear, and which due to your own inability to reach out, to say I do not understand, to ask for clarity, to communicate with wisdom, you reacted, and in the end became disappointed or hurt.
The Bush Doctrine is directly opposite wisdom.
Below is a note I received this morning. It is from Veterans For Common Sense, and it details some of the results of this Iraqi Premptive Strike, the shock and awe of American power taken without the voice of the people.
It also asked you what you think will happen after this election and a new president is declared. I am posting a poll so you can answer the questions that Paul Sullivan of Veterans for Common Sense asks.
Veterans for Common Sense Makes Three Predictions for November 5
What do you think might happen after the elections, no matter who is elected President? VCS offers three sobering predictions.
Prediction Number One. One Million New Iraq and Afghanistan War Veteran Patients May Flood into VA.
So far, we know President George W. Bush's doctrine of pre-emptive unilateral war caused 80,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war battlefield casualties. The Administration's failure to plan for the wars' long-term consequences led to 350,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans seeking medical care at VA hospitals - with many waiting months for assistance.
Based on 2006-2007 VA data, Harvard University Professor Linda Bilmes and Columbia University Professor Joseph Stiglitz estimated a total of 700,000 patients may flood into VA hospitals and clinics, costing taxpayers $700 billion over the next 40 years.
VCS increases their conservative estimate: one million Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans may seek VA assistant based on four new factors. First, the number of service members rose from 1.6 million to 1.8 million, and the number is expected to rise to 2 million, meaning more veterans will be eligible for VA services. Second, our economy is in a deep recession, pushing even more veterans into VA. Third, multiple deployments are taking a significantly higher toll on our overstretched military. More than one-third (630,000) of our troops went to war twice or more, increasing their risk of developing a combat-related mental health condition by 50 percent, according to an Army study. And, fourth, the military and VA are conducting more PTSD and TBI screenings, which are likely to identify even more patients who will need VA care.
Prediction Number Two: The Growing VA Shredder Scandal May Lead to House Cleaning at the Veterans Benefits Administration.
The outstanding reporting by Larry Scott at VA WatchDog and William R. Levesque at the St. Petersburg Times reveals that up to two-thirds of VA's claims processing offices may have shredded critical documents.
Since the fiasco and scandal is so widespread, many fingers are pointing to top political appointees and executives at the Veterans Benefits Administration. Are their days numbered? Will the next President clean house and restore VA's reputation?
Prediction Number Three: President Bush May Issue Hundreds, Possibly Thousands, of Pardons.
The period between November 5 and January 19 will be known as the "Lame Duck" period for President Bush. VCS predicts President Bush may issue hundreds of high-profile criminal pardons before leaving office. High on the list will be Vice President Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, and Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Donald Rumsfeld, and many others. These individuals were involved in ordering or concealing the illegal torture of humans on American soil, at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.
Others were involved in illegal domestic spying and who knows what else that will be uncovered after January 20, 2009.
Our most surprising post-election prediction? Given the large number of President Bush's disastrous decisions, many of them overturned by Congress and the Supreme Court, President Bush may issue a full and unconditional pardon to himself. Remember, President Gerald Ford issued a full and unconditional pardon to President Richard Nixon.
VCS asks you - What do you think? How many Iraq and Afghanistan veteran patients will flood into VA? Will VA be prepared? Will the next President clean house and reform VA? How many pardons will President Bush issue? And will he pardon himself?
VCS remains on the front lines documenting, tracking, and publicizing problems facing our troops, veterans, national security, and civil liberties. We urgently need your help to keep up our efforts to make sure our veterans get assistance and to make sure those who ordered torture are held accountable. If you would like to make a donation to VCS, please click here It is tax deductible.
I personally am absolutely certain that the president will make all the pardons noted including himself.
I also believe this should not be allowed and the Congress should change this law.
No president should ever be allowed to use his privilege of pardon to pardon members of his administration, himself or members of a former administration unless there is conclusive evidence that the person has been wrongfully indicted.
Where is this law? And why do we allow these people to rape our nation and then give them the power to be above the law. This is pathetic and if I were in the Congress I would push for a change in this right now before these actions take place.
Well I know you are thinking, so write your comments, and vote on November 4th or sooner, and vote in the poll too.
Best always,
Michele
