Home 2010
Yearly Archives: 2010
VA News Releases
VA Education Call Center Again Operating Five Days a Week - The Department of Veterans Affairs today announced that the Education Call Center, closed on Thursdays and Fridays over the past two months, is again operating five days a week. (2/23/10)
Distant Wars, Constant Ghosts
SINCE the two recent NATO-led military strikes that accidentally killed dozens of Afghan civilians, I have been thinking a great deal about the psychic toll that killing takes on soldiers.
In 2007, I was an Army lieutenant leading a group on a house-clearing mission in Baquba, Iraq, when I called in an artillery strike on a house. The strike destroyed the house and killed everyone inside. I thought we had struck enemy fighters, but I was wrong. A father, mother and their children had been huddled inside.
Part V: Overcoming the Divide and Conquer Strategy — The Economic Elite Vs. The...
The primary reason why the Economic Elite have gained such dominance is their commitment to psychological operations that divide-and-conquer the US public. They use their overwhelming influence over mainstream media outlets and political candidates in very clever ways to divide us.
Federal Government Launches New and Improved National Resource Directory for Military and Veteran Communities
The U.S. Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs, as part of their continued commitment to our Nation’s Service Members, Veterans, and their families, launched a new and improved National Resource Directory (www.nationalresourcedirectory.gov).
Army Veteran Jarrod Chlapowski Speaks Out
Service in the U.S. military will soon come down to this: You hate and cannot serve with gays and lesbians, move to Iran or Uganda where bigotry reigns supreme.
Just...
The Irish Pride of the Sullivan Brothers
The words were from a letter that Mrs. Alleta Sullivan received from President Roosevelt, when it was confirmed that all five of her sons were missing in action after the sinking of the USS Juneau during the Battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942. While most aboard the Juneau perished, a few remained alive including the eldest Sullivan brother George, who would later die at sea. The last remaining survivors lived through of a horrific ordeal of exhaustion, heat, sharks, hunger and thirst.
Silent Wounds: The True Signature Wound of the War on Terror
Our country is in the middle of a health care crisis, the likes of which we have never experienced. At the center of this crisis is a silent wounding of our armed forces that often goes unrecognized. If you believe the Rand Corporation' s estimates, silent wounding may be affecting as many as 640,000 veterans.
Israel v. World on Goldstone Findings
If you live in the United States or Israel, the easiest thing to do is bury your head in the sand. Ask Naomi Chazan,...
How to avoid the Patriot Day Coup of 2016
This is a follow-up of my article on September 11, 2016 – The Patriots Day Coup, the first story was a fictional account used...
Editor’s Picks: News and Opinion Around the Web 2/23/10
The Daily Show's Jon Stewart in a very funny take on CPAC's "Festival of Whites" at TPM. Death panels and Marxist demons aside, Sarah Palin's Grandson gets Socialist medical care, Stephen C. Webster tells it at Raw Story. McCarthyism is back, ugly as ever and even more dangerous this time around by Aemilia Scott at AlterNet. Those stories and more in today's picks.
Top 10 Veterans News From Around The Country
Find out What's Inside Today's Local News for Veterans
Shinseki "Fighting To Reduce" Red Tape For Vets Seeking Benefits.
Lawmakers Urge VA Support For...
Foreign Policy Briefing 2/23/10
Dutch Prime Minister Balkenende said he expected Dutch troops to come home from Afghanistan before the end of the year, after efforts to keep them there longer caused the government to collapse, the New York Times reports. The war in Afghanistan has been increasingly unpopular among voters in in many parts of Europe, creating strains between governments trying to please the US and their own people.
Regional Veterans’ News 2/23/10
Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from: Stockton, California, Shreveport, Louisiana, Biloxi, Mississippi, Hampton Roads, Virginia, Port Orchard, Washington, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albany, New York, Columbia, South Carolina, Chicago, Illinois, College Park, Maryland, and Los Angeles, Califronia.
The Day America Outlawed Democracy
That's what has led to the current disaffection by both liberals and conservatives toward government. The American people can sense their rights slipping away, but they have yet to come to terms with what is actually going on. They have yet to realize that congressional gridlock is a convenient way of denying them their rights. They have also yet to recognize that the majority in the senate is allowing the minority to abuse of the filibuster procedure because both parties are in collusion. The Republican filibuster provides cover for the Democratic majority for failing to enact, or greatly watering down, legislation being demanded by the people, but neither party wants to enact.
Ms. Clinton Says Iran Headed For Military Dictatorship
Well may Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warn students in Qatar that “Iran is moving toward a military dictatorship.” She is, after all, an authority on the subject, representing a country where the Pentagon has long been ascendant. Her comment was followed up by Robert Gibbs, President Obama’s press secretary, who, at a February 16th news conference refused to deny the possibility of the U.S. taking military action against Iran, stating, “I wouldn’t rule out anything.”
U.S. Department of Defense Announces Latest Contract Awards
No. 131-10
-----------------------------
CONTRACTS: AIR FORCE
Northrop Grumman Defense Mission Systems, Inc., San Diego, Calif., was awarded a $77,915,492 contract which will provide the maintenance and...
Shinseki: Generation of Vietnam Veterans Have ‘Tough Row’
Specifically singling out Vietnam War veterans, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki said today that the VA is broken, the backlog of claims and the lack of...
Part IV: The Financial Coup d’Etat — The Economic Elite Vs. The People of...
Ever since the days of Henry Ford, the Economic Elite have needed a thriving US middle class to increase growth and profits, but now, in the global economy, they view the US middle class as obsolete. They increasingly look globally for profits and they would rather pay cheap labor in countries like China and India. On top of the millions of jobs they have already shipped overseas to increase profits at our expense, they are planning to ship an additional 25% of current US jobs overseas as well.
Vietnam Veteran Vernon Hunter Murdered in Texas IRS Crash
Ken Hunter, an IRS employee and 2 toured Vietnam Veteran loses life in Texas IRS Crash
Editor’s Picks: News and Opinion Around the Web
A power plant for the home smaller than a breadbox; does it work? Ask Google or FedEx. Video from 60 Minutes. If students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo can create a vehicle that gets 2752 MPG using existing technologies, is it too much to expect something more than 30 MPG from the big guys? That one from Jerry James Stone at Treehugger. Raw story tells the story of Colin Powell kicking Cheney to the curb and supporting the President on National Security issues. Those stories and more in today's picks.
Health Care Monday
Check White House.gov for more details. President Obama offers health care reform for American families. Specifics are difficult to argue against; the GOP's future is...
PEACE Democrats versus PRO-WAR Democrats
It is a breath of fresh air to read 'on-line' about a growing number of seriously progressive candidates challenging the politically strategic and deceitful...
Krugman: GOP Wants Fiscal Catastrophe
Fiscal catastrophe is catastrophic. Face it, Republicans do not care; catastrophe is their goal and these guys are pathological. A big clue was waging...
Remembering The Nurses
This past Friday, on February 19th, I traveled to a gathering of WWII vendors in Louisville, Kentucky. It was called "The Ohio Valley Show...
War Game: Israeli Strike on Iran Leads to Disaster
by Warren P. Strobel | McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — Here's a war game involving Iran, Israel and the U.S. that shows how unintended consequences can...
Top 10 Veterans News From Around The Country
The AP (2/22, Hefling) notes that during a recent interview, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki "said he's making it a top priority this year to tackle the backlog of disability claims that has veterans waiting months - even years - to get financial compensation for their injuries." Shinseki, "a former Army chief of staff who had part of a foot blown off when he was a young officer in Vietnam, was unapologetic about a decision he made in October to make it easier for potentially 200,000 sick Vietnam veterans who were exposed to the Agent Orange herbicide to receive service-connected compensation." Shinseki "said he's looking ahead to make sure Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries don't have similar problems getting financial compensation."
Regional Veterans’ News 2/22/10
Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from: Sarasota, Florida, Chillicothe, Ohio, Minneapolis, Minnesota, South Bend, Indiana, Fort Myers, Florida, Remsen, New York, San Clemente, Caliornia, Evergreen Park, Illinois, and Kings Park, New York.
Bring Back the Civilian Conservation Corps
Our country exists for the people; not for the military-industrial complex, not for Wall Street speculators and banks. As soaring levels of unemployment appear...
Dissident Israelis and Palestinians Forge Peace
Human beings make peace through direct action of recognizing shared humanity. 'Verbal terrorism?' Sure, militarists won't like it. But America should be funding Villages Group. When people...
U.S. Congressional Candidate in CA – ReThink Afghanistan
Thus far we at VT have only managed to find two seriously progressive and independent thinker political candidates willing to take on the two...
Army Veteran Faces Fed Charges after Assault at VA
Another veteran frustrated with the Dept of Veterans Affairs (DVA) and suffering from PTSD after surviving three combat tours, lost it and allegedly "made a...
Wealth Disparities in U.S. Approach 1920’s Levels
Update: A reader, who identifies himself as "Rob" says the powerful moneyed interests are American heroes as opposed to the "socialist cronies have created...
`All the free speech big money can buy’
Despite the public's epidemic disgust with politicians, now would be a splendid time to run for office in this country. That's because the U.S. Supreme Court has made it infinitely easier for candidates to sell themselves to special interests, who in return will peddle those candidates to voters.
SEC Repeatedly Turned a Blind Eye to Valid Complaints of Madoff Fraud
The SEC’s own Inspector General(OIG) has found that between 1992 and 2008 the SEC received six substantive complaints about fraudster Bernie Madoff’s hedge fund operations yet never conducted a thorough and competent examination of them. The SEC conducted two investigations and three examinations based on credible complaints about Madoff’s operations but never verified Madoff’s trading or conducted a Ponzi scheme probe.
Wall Street, GOP Want Your Social Security
These people are unbelievable. Henry M. Paulson says in a New York Times op-ed (Feb. 15, 2010) the biggest problem facing America is Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Paulson,...
Regional Veterans’ News 2/21/10
Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from: Camp Lejeune North Carolina, San Francisco, California, Tallmadge, Ohio, Cicero, Illinois, Hampton Roads, Virginia, Sioux City, Iowa, Newton, Massachusetts, Fort Myers, Florida, Athens, Georgia, and Louisville, Kentucky.
Probes overlook McChrystal’s role in costly Afghan battles
By Jonathan S. Landay | McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, kept a remote U.S. base...
Editor’s Picks: News and Opinion Around the Web
In a political convention which, by most accounts, was heavily overstocked with nut cases, Glen Beck was apparently a standout at CPAC; Mike Madden at Salon has the story. Sunnis, Baathists and Baathists go Lightly, may boycott next month's Iraqi elections from Juan Cole at Informed Comment and John Yoo says that George Bush had the power and authority to eliminate entire villages if the mood struck him from Raw Story are among the stories in today's picks.
Unemployed Face Long Road
Why we do not at least try for the United States do dedicate itself to providing jobs is beyond me. Free market nostrums mean...
Honor Killing in Turkey
A Turkish sixteen year old girl was buried alive for talking to males who were not part of her family.
Alexander Haig, Veteran, Dead at 85
His people loved him. Haig deserves respect.
By Tim Weiner--Alexander M. Haig Jr., the mercurial four-star general who served as a confrontational secretary of state...
Israel Threatens “Sabotage” and “Attack” on Global Peace/Justice Groups
Update: Read MuzzleWatch's Think tank tells Israeli government to declare war on peace groups.—"They’re baaaaack - Israel’s 'most influential' think tank tells Israeli government...