'How Do You Fund a War, But Not the Casualties?’

i work for the va.i love my job because of the vets.i see the bureaucracy the people have to go through.it isnt just iraq and afganistan vets,ww1,ww2kroean,vietnam war vets as well.i have seen vets collecting 100% disability from the government for back pain and not being able to walk ,yet i saw him in a mall he was out walking me and my children. yet when i confronted a vet rep about this he just shrugged his shoulders.

We are rapidly approaching half of the total defense spending for the entire world, and our CIA budget exceeds the total defense spending of all but a few of the largest militaries. Our soldiers in Iraq are stretched to the breaking point and our VA hospitals are an embarassment. Can somebody cut through all of the BS and tell me what is wrong with this picture.

Why can't a community pull together to meet the need of their neighbor? One does not need a local disaster to help a single individual or family all the time. We keep looking to big brother to help, but people are forgetting that the government, "Of the People, By the People, and For the People", are only a part of that people. The excuse of not looking for a hand out or taking charity is over as aide from the government are coming from taxpayers, the people. Why should those that suffer, wait needlessly when all they have to do is let their need be known locally? If one can establish an authoritative handler that the locals know and trust, then not only when the confirmation of the neighbor's need will be made known, but when that need is met so as to not just raking in the money needlessly. That would be showing respect towards the local givers as well as giving assurances that no scam is being done, because no one would want to give if there is no longer any need. A sacrifice is to help those in need; not to make those in need better off than the giver. I can't see how this process would be longer than going through red tape to get the help one needs from the government, but to love thy neighbor as yourself is something far better appreciated and valued than when you are the one waiting for the government to help you. The local newspapers have been pretty good in announcing the needs of the community, but one does not have to look far when you have a couple of eyes and a couple of ears of your own. If you do not want to give, don't. You would not want people helping you out if they didn't really want to. Jesus said to give without letting your right hand know what your left hand is doing thus to give in secret, but if one cannot, people are to give and hope for nothing to be returned. Of course, not every one is a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, but to love thy neighbor as thyself is a practise anyone would love to have in place when there may come a time one find themselves in need.

How Do You Prevent Another Pearl Harbor? Sometimes the government is forgotten by what it is made up of which is, "Of the People, By the People, and For the People". The rallying cry of "Ask not what your country can do for you, but rather ask what you can do for your country" can make the solution appear clearer. When are the people are going to rise up to support the casualties? When are those suffering are going to the churches for public help? The excuse of not looking for a hand out or not taking any charity is over, because it is either from the people that are taxpayers through the government or from the people that are cheerful givers through charitable occasions when the need arises. Either way, it is a "thank you" and "we care" from the people of the United States of America. Granted, some authoritative confirmation of the need will be announced before anyone can put aside doubts to meet the need since we live in trying times to give without any hesitant doubt of a scam in progress as it will also help when those that authorize the need should announce when the need is met, and not just raking in money. People have to understand that the chriatble drive to meet a need will gain more respect when the call is made when the need is met, and if any money came their way after the need has been met, that they would return it if possible since the sacrifice is no longer necessary. That is showing respect to the people that gives, and I believe that would cause more people to give when the need arises even though Jesus taught to give by not letting your right hand know what your left hand is doing, but not everyone is a believer and follower of Jesus Christ so this comment is given out as a solution to stop looking to the big brother government to solve all the people's ills when the people see a fellow citizen in need in front of them. Why have a community if the people are not going to pull together for a single need occasionally? Surely a local disaster is not needed everytime to go to the aide of a neighbor.

Why is the name of the wounded vet not mentioned under the photo? Apparently Newsweek supports Bush and his blind agenda rather than those sacrificing their lives, health, and bodies to the war.

Bush's body language in the picture says it all.

Bush's body language in that picute says it all.

I must agree with king george. Another thing is that when Saddam was in power over in Iraq, there was not as many IED's going off everywhere ( in Iraq).
I'm not trying to say Saddam was not evil because he was and he deserved to pay for his sins. But we should have been better informed of the real reason we were forced into Iraq. Iraq was like a kennel with 1 big dog ( Saddam ) and a bunch of other small pitbulls (who were kept in control by Saddam). Than Bush put a hit on Saddam and with the main Dog out, all the other pits now want to be the big dog.

To add to the disgust posted by nativewarrier - the billions of dollars going for no-bid and cost-plus contracts in Iraq could provide health care and quality of life provisions for all our soldiers and their families who have sacrificed too much. The waste and corruption are horrific and I think our presidential candidates should start addressing how they are going to make Halliburton et al accountable.
Please see Vanity Fair article for details:
www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/11/halliburton200711?currentPage=1

On a global scale we are graded on the effectiveness, or the lack of, of our president. The Presidency is an institution, not a person, so my earlier comment was not directed at Bush, that is what you saw because you see where he lacks yourself.
I volunteered to join the military so they would pay for my school, and they called me to active duty while I was a 21 year old college student. So we are even, I needed them, they came, they called I went. So my perspective on war may be different than yours since I was there.
The issue once again is the treatment of veterans coming back now that will be affected for life. These young troops may never live a full life because of what they saw or did over there. They answered when the government called, now they are calling the government and no one answers.
We have to find a better way of taking care of the soldiers that provide the very freedom that We as Americans enjoy! I came back in 92 and I still cannot sleep an entire night, but I will have to live with that one.

My heart goes out to all soldiers affected by the VA, or the lack of. I served in Desert Storm and I have several friends that were affected mentally by the war, some are still there in spirit, and here in a shell of a body. We have taken the aspect that we must help each other. Fortunately all of us came back without any major physical damage, but this war is much more brutal and Bush acts as though he doesn't want to bring them home! I do not take advantage of the veterans benefits I am entitled to because there are many others out there that need it more than I, plus I really don't like to wait for very long periods of time for medical assistance. Just remember this bit of sarcasm. "God bless our good and gracious president, Whose promise none relies on; Who never said a foolish thing, Nor ever did a wise one!" That is from the Earl of Rochester over 100 years ago, and still rings true today.

I just don't understand people voting Republican this year. Rudy Giuliani??? what a joke!!! The more I read about the tragedies befalling our troops and their families, the more I want to scream! Politicians, Rudy in particular, can smile all they want and pretend they have the answers to hello, but where are the real answers to some very serious concerns? This war and it's veterans are NOT A JOKE and the soliders who fight so valiantly for us should be brought home with the largest ticket tape possible, thanked for their service and treated with the best medical care the US has. Waiting months for disability? unconscienable. If you MUST vote republican, and I hope you don't, look at McCain and see a real hero. Where were Bush, Rudy and others during Vietnam? Not serving I can assure you! I was opposed to the Vietnam Conflict, very opposed, but NEVER was I opposed to our servicemen and women. Just because I don't believe in preemptive bombing doesn't mean I'm not patriotic. On the contrary, I'm very patriotic. I love my country and would be proud to see it return to the glory days when the entire world envied us and being an American Citizen abroad was the best thing in the world. Please, vote democratic this year - never before have we needed you. Even if you don't agree with everything they say, Democrats and always for "the people". We may live in a global economy, but our own citizens deserve everything we can bring to them.

They don't care enough about the war casualties or dissabled veterans and its very evident. Meanwhile members our presidential administration are raking in millions of dollars from behind the scenes due to their affiliations with big defense companies such as KBR --- (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellogg,_Brown_and_Root) and Haliburton ---(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halliburton) and Carlyle group -- (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlyle_Group). This information you'll never see on national News with extensive coverage. Most of our soldiers who fighting in the middle-east don't know that their leaders are involved in this money grabbing circus while they beat their drums for wars. These leaders would'nt dare send their own children into combat. Things just don't add up here.

I agree, our vets deserve not only the best equipment, but also the best care possible when they return home. Here's the problem, anti-war politians love to complain about the cost of the war, and post combat support is also part of the war. These wars are avery expensive not just because of the military hardware, but because of the support costs for feeding our combat soldiers and medical care for our wounded. Political hacks in both parties care more about scoring points than taking care of our military. If the Republican minority acted like this during WWII, all of Europe would be speaking German and China would be speaking Japanese. How about a different approach, stop telling us how much you support the troops and actually do it.

Rick Winchester, VA

When we vote in an intelligent, capable and qualified Administration and congressional body we will have sound poilcies that help vets, as well as having good domestic and foreign policy. As long as we vote in those who show only capability in their ability to be supported by big business, raise enough funding and have 'political' connection we will have short-sighted, non-visionary leaders who only support and provide real gain to a very small minority.

The vets deserve the best, yet here's a problem. Everyone knows there are gays in the militsry and serving on the front line, but they run the risk of being discharged when they return home. How long will heterosexual parents allow the military and the government to send their kids over there to get killed or maimed? Currently the military are using reenlisment, early-ship and enlistment bonuses, yet there are thousands of gays and *** that would sign up tomorrow if allowed to be themselves and not forced to hide. Is this the America we want? Is this how we treat our vets. Everyone should be allowed to serve as everyone benefits from this great country.

The vets deserve the best, yet here's a problem. Everyone knows there are gays in the militsry and serving on the front line, but they run the risk of being discharged when they return home. How long will heterosexual parents allow the military and the government to send their kids over there to get killed or maimed? Currently the military are using reenlisment, early-ship and enlistment bonuses, yet there are thousands of gays and *** that would sign up tomorrow if allowed to be themselves and not forced to hide. Is this the America we want? Is this how we treat our vets. Everyone should be allowed to serve as everyone benefits from this great country.