If ever there was a "sign" that a war was descending into chaos, it's when the "good-guys""flip-out" and massacre innocent, un-armed civilians. Such has been the case, recently in Iraq. American soldiers are suffering "record-numbers' of "Post-Traumatic-Stress-Syndrome", suicide-rates among soldiers are at an all-time high. An American General, after having served in Iraq has stated that the chaos and death there is the result of MASSIVE failures of the Bush administration to "plan" for the aftermath of the invasion. Bush appeared frequently on television, saying we must "Stay the course", when he OBVIOUSLY had none. The disbanding of the Iraqi army was the most catastrophic failure by Bush/Cheney.. These Iraqis were largely "conscripted" into the military. With the exception of the "Republican Guard", most were friendly to the American invasion and were the BEST source of "security" in post-war Iraq. The Bush/Cheney philosophy was to "throw-vast-sums-of-money" at the problem and hire "security-contractors", instead of hiring the Iraqis. (Who had MUCH more experience and linguistic-skills) These same "dis-enfranchised" Iraqi military are now SO "fed-up" with the American invasion that many are now joining the "insurgency" or various "militias" simply to protect themselves or their families. Either the Bush/Cheney "course" was INCREDIBLY STUPID, or a calculated plan to allow the profiteering of chaos. Either way, it is criminal. Recently, the deadline to "sign-up" for various Medicare plans has passed. Millions of American "seniors" failed to sign-up; many were too-confused and many others probably recognized it for the "shell-game" that it truly is. Have you noticed all of these new companies which CONVENIENTLY appeared to 'administer" the new Medicare plans?? Some of them bought expensive motorhomes, brightly painted and filled with "advisors" to "help" the seniors select a new drug-plan. Just WHO do you think PAYS for these motorhomes, advisors, and barrages of television commercials??? YOU & I, AND EVERY "SENIOR" WHO BUYS PRESCRIPTION-DRUGS!!! Frequently, a "drug-plan" has a lower price for ONE drug, while raising the price of many others... the result is that NO plan ACTUALLY saves anyone money!! The pharmeceutical companies have carefully arranged their pricing structure, so that a "cholesterol-drug" may be cheaper, but the "blood-pressure drug" which is ALSO required ends up costing more. How is it POSSIBLE that Medicare has just enacted ANOTHER LAYER of "bureaucracy" and red-tape; yet claims to be Saving-money"???? Meanwhile, they are NOT allowed to "negotiate" quantity-discounts, much the way that state governments and the Veteran's Administration do?? THE WHOLE THING STINKS!!! AND IT SMELLS LIKE REPUBLICAN CORRUPTION!!Don't forget, that ALL of the major Pharmaceutical companies are represented on the list of "Top Twenty Republican Contributors"!!! I guess that "G.O.P." stands for: "Greed Opressing People"!!
- posted by Dave @ 9:03 PM