REPORT: IAVA Wars To Cost $1 Trillion In Veteran Benefits, Healthcare
The recent report from Brown University updated the veterans’ portion of the IAVA wars to now cost taxpayers $1 trillion until 2053.
It is important to note Dick Cheney told American taxpayers the war in Iraq alone would only cost around $80 billion. The oil from the country was supposed to offset the cost of the war, which is now estimated to be almost $5 trillion.
RELATED: Too Broke For The Poor, Too Broke For A War
The report, Costs Of War, is an updated extension of the research conducted for the book The Three Trillion Dollar War published in 2007. Brown University published the updated report that reached the above conclusion that the wars will cost almost $5 trillion as a conservative estimate.
According to the report, the overall cost to care for veterans has eclipsed the previous forecast of $700 billion from 2007. The wars at the time were thought to be ending soon-ish. We were all apparently duped about that.
COST OF IAVA WARS FOR VETERANS AFFAIRS
The excerpt about veterans follows:
There are two major categories of future war-related spending — costs for the care of veterans and continuing appropriations for overseas contingency operations. Total costs for the veterans of these wars will increase over time. Peak spending on veterans’ disability and medical care, for every war, occurs decades after the service of those veterans’ ends. The costs for WWI veterans peaked in 1969, for World War II veterans in 1986. Cost for the care of Vietnam War veterans has not yet peaked.
The costs for veterans of the post-9/11 wars will be comparatively greater than for past wars. Specifically, the veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan often return with multiple traumas, as well as respiratory and cardiac trouble which may take some years after deployment to emerge. Further, as each veteran ages, their health care needs will become more complex and expensive.
Of those who have been discharged, Bilmes estimated in 2013 that their care over the next forty years would cost approximately $836 billion through 2053. Table 4 details Bilmes’ 2013 estimate of future costs.
Since Bilmes made the estimates in [2013], the number of service members in the VA system has grown to nearly 2 million people. This is thus a conservative estimate of costs for veteran’s care — if only because, unfortunately, the war in Afghanistan will continue to produce more people with complex wounds and conditions who will enter into the VA system. In June 2014, Bilmes updated her estimate of future spending on veterans’ care. Bilmes projects that through 2053, Net Present Value costs for veterans disability, medical, and associated costs of administration for care of veterans will be more than $1 trillion, because the rate and complexity of medical and disability claims has been higher than Bilmes originally predicted. “In addition, a significant number of veteran’s claims are now being appealed, adding to the cost of the process and in most cases, resulting in higher awards for veterans.”
As Bilmes reminds us, even though the Department of Veterans Affairs has “the fastest growing budget in the federal government,” the department “still lacks sufficient funding to fill thousands of vacancies for doctors and nurses and to finance badly needed repairs to its hospitals and clinics.” Long wait times for services have been a persistent barrier for veterans’ access to health care, and ultimately may increase the costs of care.
The Costs of War estimate takes into account the greater number of veterans in the system, and is still likely an underestimate of the final cost because more Iraq and Afghan soldiers will enter the VA system over the next several years and the costs of administration and services for the veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq will grow accordingly. This paper uses Bilmes’ estimate of $1 trillion for future veterans-related spending through 2053.
There is no question that these wars in the Middle East will continue and the price tag required of Americans will also continue to rise. Check out the data the Watson Institute at Brown University has gathered on the subject.
How will VA manage the increased costs of these wars?
You need help dude – please go get it – so much anger isn’t healthy.
Fuck off Troll
No anger here, just don’t care for wasting my time with a troll.
Now go crawl back under your bridge and think before you post again.
Hi #29 – maybe someday we’ll be almost as smart as Seymour – or not!
Should I post your name address and phone number?
I have never worked for the VA Seymour 🙂 I’m also prepping to take the VA Agent Exam so I can legally help my fellow brothers in arms. I find that by channeling my anger at the system by learning the rules and then using those rules to our benefit is much more satisfying. I would think we’d all have learned in the military that the system is the system and while we might win a scrimmage here and there the system wins in the end. So we have to learn the system and be smarter than those who run the system.
I guess what you are saying is it is only right that you get a cut of the money.
You seem to have forgotten about your prior work at the DAV fucking over Veterans.
Go crawl back under your bridge you fucking troll. No more kibble for you tonight.
Should I post your name address and phone number?
@maddog
Ditto on channeling your anger.
Most times the ‘rules’ are designed to confuse the veteran and obfuscate his/her claim. Learning those rules are cumbersome and time absorbing, it takes advocacy from those veterans who ‘know’ the ‘system’. The VA, like most huge government departments have systemic inefficiencies, cronyism and political influences …. given that system, a veteran’s only hopes for success is a caring advocate who can assist your claim, or, for the veteran to have the time, temperament and intelligence to learn the system, ie, as Ben obviously has. Good luck with your VA agent exam.
#29 Thank you – I have spent the better part of the last three years learning the system and every time I think I know I find out catch 22. So. I’ll keep studying and hopefully will learn enough to help somebody successfully navigate the maze.
I would love to know how anyone at VA was trying to bilk Medicare – if the article you reference is true the billing must have been against medicare supplemental insurance providers as VA is prohibited from billing Medicare and CMS would see and examine any such charges pretty quick. If you know it was illegally billed to Medicare you should contact the DHHS OIG, BTW – I have a really nice house and don’t live under a bridge but thank you for your concern.
Perhaps you should read the article troll.
As for your the house you mention is that the one you bought by fucking over Veterans while at the DAV.
Go crawl back under your bridge you fucken troll.
@See Less Klearly
what is with you? what’s with the name calling?
You need to change your moniker from Seymour Klearly to something different that reflects your blindness to other opinions and attitudes.
AHhhh! 29 another troll comes out to spread their excrement on the pages here meant for Veterans.
As for showing respect because you have worked at a VA facility does not make you a Veteran 29. So take your trolling back over to your the AFGE site and have some respect for the Veterans who post here.
Current law requires the VA to bill any private insurance you have for any healthcare services that are not directly service connected. So if you have a broken back from AD and also non AD diabetes, VA will bill for the diabetic care. They may not bill Medicare. I found it amazing that the VA blood tests are more expensive than the private sector.
Fuck You Troll we are talking about the Veterans Administration committing Medicare Fraud.
When the VA is using nurses to make unsolicited cold calls to Veterans for the purpose of billing Medicare $4,285.71 just for talking to the Veteran it is Fraud.
To hide the fact that they are doing it they instead of paying overtime pay for the hours spent logging calls, which might have raised suspicions, the nurses were paid comp time, according to the emails.
Also the Fact their target amount was to scam Medicare for $9 Million makes it very clear.
Strait out Medicare FRAUD.
Now go Crawl back under your fucking bridge you fucking Troll.
@See Less Klearly
What’s with you. Is everybody a ‘troll’ who doesn’t talk like you? Or, have a different opinion. Get a life and show some respect.
AHhhh! 29 another troll comes out to spread their excrement on the pages here meant for Veterans.
As for showing respect because you have worked at a VA facility does not make you a Veteran 29. So take your trolling back over to your the AFGE site and have some respect for the Veterans who post here.
I received a FOIA response from my local VA earlier this year after I got tired of their non responses to fixing their problems with billing my insurance for service connected care.
A part of that response is a printout of details of numerous appointments over the past two years…and details on whether the visit was billable to my insurance.
Some are for service connected Ortho followups, physical therapy, etc., and they wrongly coded them as billable, even when there are other appointments with the same provider for the same reason shown as NOT billable.
One of those “appointments” was for an after surgery follow up call from the nurse, shown as non billable. Another was from the nurse for my primary care doc shown as billable.
I clearly remember that call because he hung up on me.
Given the NY Times article about Northport VA, I emailed a good bit of information to the House VA committee.
I understand what the law is, I wish the VA did and stopped billing my insurance for service connected care.
Folks – when we served were we Democrats and Republicans? Nope we were soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen. Our country mattered, not our politics. We followed orders we may not have agreed to because we were military folks and that;s what we did. Let’s start stopping this nonsensical rhetoric and start figuring out how to fix the issues instead of blame. If your house burns down what is your priority – to look for someone to blame or to find a place to live?? Our reps need to rep us NOT A PARTY. If they don’t understand that, maybe the next rep will. Let’s come together and demand solutions to our pressing issues, VA healthcare, immigration. unfair taxes, crumbling infrastructure etc. etc.instead of stupid insults and grandiose claims without clear paths to fix those claims.
To my Vietnam Era Brothers – a belated thank you for your service – I am so proud that we will simply not tolerate the treatment we got to happen again!!
”
” nonsensical rhetoric ”
Go crawl back under your bridge Troll!
hey Elf did you catch this article?
Although it only investigated Northport I am sure all the VAMCs are doing this scam.
Deaths, Fraud Allegations and an Inquiry Into a Long Island V.A. Hospital, By KRISTINA REBELO, and MARC SANTORA, New York Times, SEPT. 19, 2016
“https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/20/nyregion/inquiry-into-northport-va-hospital-long-island.html”
Article Highlights:
“the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center, in Northport, N.Y., with charges of abuse that include widespread billing fraud and the failure to report the death of a patient for months after his body was found in a building on the complex.”
“According to a person familiar with the investigation, who was not authorized to speak and requested anonymity, they will also be asked about allegations of widespread fraud, including the collection of thousands of dollars in fees to care for veterans who were never actually treated.”
“According to internal emails, and current and former employees familiar with the alleged scheme who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation, nurses were directed to make cold calls to veterans and then code those calls to look as though they had been solicited by the patient, not the practitioner, in order to enhance revenue.
One former hospital employee likened the practice to your private physician calling you out of the blue to check up on you, then billing your insurance company for the call. The former employee, who asked to speak anonymously to avoid reprisal, said the practice was a means of padding the numbers.
The goal of the calls, according to the internal emails, was to contact around 2,000 veterans and thus raise enough money by the end of the current fiscal year, Sept. 30, to patch a large hole in the hospital’s growing deficit, of more than $11 million.”
“A number of the nurses directed to make those calls appeared concerned about the activities, and a package of their email correspondence was turned over to the House Veterans Affairs’ Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. A copy was obtained independently by The Times.
Instead of receiving overtime pay for the hours spent logging calls, which might have raised suspicions, the nurses earned comp time, according to the emails.
One nurse wrote that the veterans were being used as “cash cows,” which the hospital administration wanted “to milk for $9 million.”
The worth of each veteran in the scheme: $4,285.71.”
McDonald has sure brought change to the VA. Now we are paying Nurses to do telemarketing cold calls where they do not need to sell anything just get the Veteran to answer the phone.
$4,285.71 for each time they talked to a veteran. I am sure most were on Medicare or Medicaid. Since I am sure private insurance companies would notice the practice I would think.
So lets call it what it is Medicare and Medicaid Fraud committed as a policy of the New VA under McDonald.
I should point out that when a VAMC collects money from an insurance company or Medicare or Medicaid it goes into a special fund to be used by the administration for that facility.
Normally under the direct control of the Director for that VAMC.
Hey Robbie McDonald,
With the secret investigations that are ongoing at the Oklahoma City VAMC and as the new director their stated in an interview there are multiple investigations ongoing throughout the VA at this time.
The Associate Director of Patient Care Services at the Oklahoma City VAMC put in her resignation but claimed it was for personal reasons.
Robbie McDonald just how many VAMCs are you having commit Medicare and Medicaid Fraud?
All of them or just the ones you know will cover it up?
Robbie what do you think the tax payers here in the US are going to think of your new scheme to steal even more money out of our pockets?
Robbie when you keep these investigations secret it sure bites you in ass when people take it to the press.
Really looking forward to see what Ben Digs up, Chuck Ross from the Daily Caller and Kare 11’s AJ Lagoe. I know more will be coming out in Northport tomorrow with the Congressional hearings going to be held at Northport. Good thing the Times was tipped off other wise Robbie crime spree might have gotten totally covered up.
I believe it is happening to those with private insurance as well since it is happening with me.
Nice way for worthless bureaucrats to cover their inability to manage frivolous spending….cold call veterans, bill whatever possible and make up the difference.
Huge article in USA Today on VA accountability with lots of details.
I wonder if the same thing is happening here with my insurance being billed for anything they can dream up.
I strongly suspect it is.
As for that director, he’s the same bozo pictured on VA is Lying standing next to a stripper on VA grounds.
I contacted the House VA committee about this. They are in NY for this hearing so Phat Phil the director will not be able to hide from them.
She gave me contact information to submit the documentation I have on my insurance being billed to the committee.
Of course I will email McDonald as well just to let him know. Perhaps next time he will think twice before ignoring a veteran notifying him of a problem.
I hope his last couple of months are the most miserable in his life.
91 Veteran, I apologize for the rant. Now the choice card. I can’t get a consult because our VA won’t allow me to see a Dr., to give me a consult. The choice people say if I can’t get an appointment in 30 days, I am eligible. I couldn’t. But, still need a consult. So, I have appt. In 40 days. I will then ask for consult, when I go to the appointment. PTSD and so much anger may get in my way. The VA cancelled my prescriptions because I am going to a clinic, a VA clinic, but out of their jurisdiction, even though it’s only 13 miles from my home. Thank you 91 Veteran, I am calmed down and that’s a good thing.
No need for any apology. In fact, I should probably be the one apologizing.
I would rather have someone armed with facts, and I likely came across harsher than I should have.
It just angers me when facts are twisted, skewed, rewritten or forgotten, and people get sucked into believing something based on lies or a twisting of facts.
Innocent people hear that and repeat what is not true.
One of the earliest experiences I have of seeing history rewritten or twisted was reading a book by Grayston Lynch on the Bay of Pigs operation. What Kennedy and the left did resulted in hundreds killed immediately, with many more thousands killed after Castro was installed in Cuba, because that was what leftists wanted.
Castro could have been taken out then, but some liars at the NY Times and 2 liars at the State Department gave him legitimacy, and Kennedy allowed it to happen.
With more than 50 years of suffering since then.
namnibor, 91Veteran and Seymore,
Have you heard, Obama ACCIDENTALLY gave over 800 immigrants citizenship today, or at least within the past few days.
Now, here’s the ending to this story. Every one of these individuals were slated for “immediate deportation”!!!!!!
I wonder if any were under investigation by our (alleged) security agencies?
Bet you won’t hear about this on MSM!
So much for a thorough vetting process huh?
I would at least pass each one through a body scanner and hell, cavity searches while at it!!
Yeah, big blunder of our Peace Prize Prez.
Sorry Elf but your numbers are wrong.
In 2014 there were 858 and in 2015 there was an additional 958 which had immediate deportation orders but instead Obama’s administration gave them Citizenship. The numbers for 2016 are not available yet but no doubt are much higher.
“Watchdog: Feds wrongly granted citizenship to hundreds facing deportation “, Fox News, September 19, 2016
“https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/09/19/more-than-800-immigrants-mistakenly-granted-citizenship.html”
Info from the News Report.
“The Homeland Security Department’s inspector general found the immigrants used different names or birthdates to apply for citizenship with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration. In the case of 858 immigrants from “special interest countries or neighboring countries with high rates of immigration fraud,” the discrepancies weren’t caught because their fingerprints were missing from government databases.
A few even managed to get aviation or transportation worker credentials, though they were later revoked. One became a law enforcement officer.
The findings were released, incidentally, as authorities were investigating a string of weekend attacks, allegedly connected to foreign-born suspects.
The tally in the report was provided by the administration in mid-2014.
But the problem could be even worse. According to the audit, as of November 2015, the administration has found 953 more “who had final deportation orders under another identity and had been naturalized,” some of whom were from countries of concern.
Mistakenly awarding citizenship to someone ordered deported can have serious consequences because U.S. citizens can typically apply for and receive security clearances or take security-sensitive jobs.
At least three of the immigrants-turned-citizens were able to acquire aviation or transportation worker credentials, granting them access to secure areas in airports or maritime facilities and vessels. Their credentials were revoked after they were identified as having been granted citizenship improperly, Roth said in his report.
A fourth person is now a law enforcement officer.”
Hey Elf,
Another Great Article.
“Police officer charged in Dundalk shooting,”
Police: Gary Martin Patterson Sr., 50, shot estranged girlfriend
UPDATED 5:30 PM EDT Sep 19, 2016
The so called policeman is a VA security Guard not a cop. Guess all the power and what he can get away with at the VA went to his head and he decided to off his ex-girlfriend.
Black on Black crime so don’t worry BLM will not care. So this Black life doesn’t matter to them.
I thought the Vietnam War was still going on at least it’s going on for me. I have one question, why is it in every state that accepts Obamacare , they’re doing fine . They have no money problems because of Obama care and people are getting cared for . I live in Alabama where they have done everything they can to deny anybody that applies for affordable care act, so as they can’t get it. I have many poor friends, some whom have died, most have given up, on affordable health care. Not because it doesn’t work, it just don’t work when the almost all Republicans electorate sabotaged every step. The same with the choice card; it is sabotaged every direction. I believe ALL POLITICIANS ARE CORRUPT AND ARE RUNNING ON A HIDDEN AGENDA. THEY ALL LIE.
I think Obama care was set up to fail from the start so government could have single payer. The problem is, I don’t think they planned on Obama care failing so fast. I believe they thought younger people would accept their mandate and sign up much faster to pay for others, and it just never happened. Add that on top of it being run so incompetently where nobody could sign up in some areas if they wanted, and you end up with a giant mess that works for nobody.
I also believe Veterans Choice/HealthNet is a smaller example of Obama care and single payer.
Republicans had nothing to do with authoring the legislation since the Democrats wouldn’t allow any amendments, so they also didn’t want any part of voting for it and the resulting mess it would turn into.
Republicans had nothing to do with state exchanges in several states being little more than scams and going bankrupt.
Republicans had nothing to do with big insurance companies bailing out of Obama care after losing millions since it is such poorly written law.
If Republicans had any hand in “sabotaging” anything, it was preventing an expansion of Medicaid in their states which would have burdened the taxpayers in their states because it would have expanded much more than what the liars projected. That too was an intent to lead to single payer.
Republicans did not force this administration to lie to the public about the law, about keeping their doctor or about their premiums being lowered $2500.
The VA sucks badly. I do not want that health care model for the entire country.
That is exactly what is in store for the country (ie. everyone). A Hillary fix for OBcare, in increments, modeled after the VAChoice Program which is doing great, which will come about in the second year of her office (if she doesn’t have to resign because of poor heath, or is indicted because of C-Foundation felony charges), which will be run by HealthNet (the same band of incompetents who run Medicaid program). Yes, Jo3N, all politicians are running on a “hidden agenda” called orders from the American power structure (or World Order). Republicans and Democrats both take their marching orders from them or they will be facing the “squad”.. Don’t let the smoke blind you, Sargent. And yes, the VA Budget is leans heavily from The Independent Budget drawn up yearly multi/jointly by groups like the DAV and others and given to Congress as a guide.
The government is at a complete loss and at a stalemate as to what the fuck to do about healthcare, the economy, the Middle East, China, Russia, terrorism protection, paying for education and handing out degrees, rogue shootings at your local schools or cinemas, and immigration issues. Veterans are a pain in the ass with the VA shit, and that takes second place to all the above, That is what politicians think, and that is the protocol going forward. Let’s open our mouths and tell the elite that they suck and we ain’t gonna buy it anymore going fucking forward!
While multiple deployments and war specific injuries can be attached to the current 15 years of war the numbers of veterans is way off. Vietnam produced around 12 million veterans while post 9-11 have no produced even 4 million. Mainly because of multiple deployments. The VA loves to claim they are being overrun by new veterans. I doubt all 4 million use the VA and as for disabilities its a fraction of that number. Its not the number of disabled veterans ( about 5 million according to the DAV ) or the 2 plus million over 50 % or the less than 1 million at 100% that costs the taxpayer but the utter waste of resources by the VA, bloated payroll of non-essential employees and lack of accountability in the work force.
I don’t disagree there is a cost of war long after the first round is fired, but does anyone else get the sense this is an argument for another increase in the VA budget?
I would be the first to bitch about an open checkbook when we are sent to war, then standing with a cup out begging when we come home. I just can’t see increasing a budget given how the VA has wasted hundreds of millions just the past 2 years alone.
I wonder how these cost numbers were arrived at. Are these based on budgets provided to the VA over the years? Are they based on total spent by the VA with estimates for future years?
If these are numbers based on total budget or numbers based on what is spent, I have a hard time accepting millions spent on art as something required for the health care of veterans. Or money spent bribing officials that should be fired. Or money spent on bonuses obtained by fraud. Or money spent moving bimbos around the country.
It’s irritating when veterans medical care is acknowledged when it benefits the VA asking for more money, when they know full well a good portion of their budget will be wasted.
It’s like the friggin Sham Wow guy. Hey! Look at this poor schmuck in the wheel chair. For a couple million we can provide him a new, repaired, partially broken chair.
What they don’t say is they will spend the minimum if necessary and use the rest for a new interior design.
“[It’s like the friggin Sham Wow guy. Hey! Look at this poor schmuck in the wheel chair. For a couple million we can provide him a new, repaired, partially broken chair.]”
****BUT WAIT****!!! If you call now, for the price of extra processing and shipping, (and political donation), we will send you a second partially broken wheelchair for FREE. VSO’s are on the line in funny hats waiting for your call. 🙂
…some assembly required.
…battery pack not included.
Rajneesh, by our call center is by standing if you need assistants immediate.
As is Abdar at our other call center to take your order for the special tools needed for assembly.
usa a corpate facist police state from hell next fema deathcamp;s for our saftey !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Breaking News: “Dallas cop files lawsuit against Black Lives Matter, Obama & Soros”
“”https://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/09/18/dallas-cop-files-lawsuit-against-black-lives-matter-obama.html””
Law enforcement was on the end of my block 2wks ago investigating a murder that occurred a few other blocks away & “BLM” dude was harassing the offices saying F-U to the whites & to others your ok I have no problem with you. This was in the paper too & of course his name was not mentioned. I watched it on & off as the road was blocked most the day & So its about time the police stop absorbing abuse.
I posted that to show depth of the corruption and neglect of this administration. What’s very, very remarkable about this lawsuit is the Dallas Police Officer filing the suit happens to be African-American. I hope this launches a full inquiry of epic proportions because the DOJ can decide to not prosecute thugs at the VA but enables the bad behavior of a few bad apples in USA. As Vets we stand no chance with such a lawsuit but maybe this case will break the bowels somehow because the Dallas shooter also happened to be a Veteran. See where this may lead?
I wish that Dallas cop the very best- I didn’t read all the details but maybe it will kick the shins of Obama. Soros too- he is an evil old man. Soros is supposed to be the mastermind of BLM.
Everything is for sale, even their SOUL ! Cant wait for them to have to pay up !
Hell will be over flowing !
James,
In the movie, “Amerigedon”, there’s a scene, of a “Soros lookalike”, saying; quote:
“When you sell your soul to the devil, it’s a one time thing! There’s no turning back!”
Isn’t that so freaking true!
“[How will VA manage the increased costs of these wars?]”
Ask of course, for yet more $$$$, but only a small % will actually go towards helping Veterans because the VA will appropriate the rest of the coming cash grab for unauthorized performance bonuses, relocation expenses, and a grand VA Haunted Asylum packed-full of Hungry, Hungry Zombie Hippos, and a possessed and repossessed haunted shredder ride, ALL located at each of our local VAMC’s.
Oh, and IBM’s Watson Computer requires daily cash-grab sacrifices to the Black Hole because the VA is also trying to starve to death IBM Watson, as the AFGE sees Watson as a direct threat and IBM Watson has been reported to the Disruptive Behavior Committee. The Rand Corporation thanks you for choosing us for keeping you informed during this VA Zombie Apocalypse.
VA: What “Wars”? We were supposed to prepare? What is PTSD again? “Please Turn Shades Down” so I can see my screen when I play computer games while ignoring Veterans at the VA? Yeah, that’s it.
I guess Mr. Trump was correct about Iraq and “taking the oil!”
And, now one has to wonder, what the hell is Kerry up to by selling our oil to the Saudis!? And, don’t forget how Clinton sold our uranium to Russia!
As far as I’m concerned, some of the asswipes we have in government, believe – “AMERICA IS FOR SALE TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER!”
Since we know this is occurring, could this not be considered “Traitorism” by these individuals?
Now, the way I see this is simple, our government needs to stop starting and continuing these wars!
With the escalation of wars in the Middle East, I don’t see that happening any time soon! Why? Because, there’s too many people “…getting rich(er) off the blood of the innocent!”
I read somewhere, once our deficit reaches $23 TRILLION, the U.S. will, or may, have to declare bankruptcy(!?) Of course, with China now wanting to devalue, or change, their currency, we will be screwed! It’s been reported, we stand at just over $20 TRILLION now!
Oh, and let’s not forget the threat, against the American people, of raising the interest rates! Thereby causing a depression the likes no one, or very few, today will survive!
Maybe, the American citizens should start thinking about “isolationism” once again! ie;
1.) Our National Security has been compromised by Hillary AND others. So, who really knows how many “State Secrets” are in the hands of our enemies? Which, BTW, has been confirmed!
2.) Our “Infrastructure” is falling apart! Our “interstates”, especially our bridges, are in serious need of repair!
3.) There seems to be no end of these wars in the Middle East! Now, we have “hot spots” all over there! Let’s not forget what’s occurring in, and around, the Ukraine!
4.) “Radical Islamic Terrorist Attacks” are becoming more frequent around the world. Could this be because of the allowance of “unvetted” individuals into our country?
Europe is in complete disarray for allowing all those “third world beggars” into their countries! They have absolutely no clue how to act in a “civilized society”!
Now we’re seeing the same thing happening in our country!
!THERE’S MORE,- MUCH, MUCH MORE!
There’s much more coming. Wait for it to happen! In my opinion, we haven’t seen the worst of it YET! It’s in our “back yard” right now. When it comes around to our “front yard”, beware!!!!!!!!!
Agree with all you said, crazy elf. We need to also take care of this ‘war’ and ‘dissonance’ and “home-grown terrorists” in these United States. The enemy even has Obama’s assistance in letting hundreds of thousands MORE potential shoddily vetted terrorists…as just this weekend displayed across USA…then we have our own police officers being killed by homegrown terrorists, way more often than the media wants to inform the public but after this bombing in NYC and machete attack in MN, cops being mowed down intentionally by a thug terrorist in a car in Arizona; I am quite sure the media will again be all about keeping tabs on which unpatriotic terrorist football player is refusing to show respect to the Flag and Pledge of Allegiance…it’s all about ratings and facebook likes now…while the VA is lying and Vets are Dying, the average taxpayer is happily sedate staring at a touchscreen, oblivious….unless it arrives on their doorstep and neighborhood…and affects their football game…
What my rant is about is: The American Public has become effectively desensitized to fact we are now in 15+ years of ACTIVE WARS. Almost like Orwell’s “1984”, except the ‘wars’ are very real…but those wars keep the contracts and meatgrinder operating and all about $$$$$, Ratings…and Like$. What Vets? Is there a parade? Holiday?
Based upon early day estimates of cost of these wars and what the reality $ has become, war profiteers and all, why wouldn’t the DOD and VHA *****over estimate***** to allow for the extended cost of the ‘fog of War’? Vets? Or was that $ for providing homes, EBT Cards, and every benefit under sun for incoming refugee settlements, coming your way, whether you like it or not? While there’s Homeless Vets? TBI Vets still on back burner? AO? Depleted Uranium/Shells/Burn Pits? Gulf War Illness? PTSD?
Anyone remember that private mercenary group that got caught in scandal called ‘Blackwater’? Remember after the scandal, they changed their name of group to something else and carried-on and those private mercenaries make at least 10X $$$, but with no diplomatic red tape? War Profiteers screwing Vets with shoddy and totally ineffective body armor, helmets, insufficient vehicles/IED shielding….the list goes on…these WARS are feeding the Monsters and every bit of that affects the lucky to return home Vet when trying to get healthcare at the VA…because they cannot count, because it’s hard like math!! It affects their cookie jar.
Rant Out. Have a great day today and be careful out there. It’s a feral zoo.
Aiding the enemy in ANY Way is Treason. Period. On the Cost of War(s) (Other in Human life & Suicide) Look at Vietnam at least 60 70 yrs after Veterans will need Healthcare cost. This, Our longest War (IF) They all came back today. These Veterans will need Healthcare for another 70 yrs. The Est of 2053 Above, Someone got their math wrong by 30 to 40 years.
PLUS, These people doing 3-4-5 Combat tours PTSD is a “Guaranteed” Cost. And the Suicide rate will only increase.
Vietnam vets said of Sec of Defense, Robert “Bob” McNamera “Knew the Price of everything and the Cost of Nothing”.
Surviving Veterans of the War, As recently written about here by Ben, Were & Are still Killing themselves into their 70`s. He (McNamara) Got the numbers wrong as well.
Damn right We SHOULD Have taken the Oil. The Oil is whats Feeding & Weaponizing ISIS (With the AID Of Clinton, Obama & Kerry. Which the Buck stops with Obama. They should ALL Be Shot for TREASON!
Treason in time of war USED To be a Capital offense. You or I Send ISIS a hundred bucks, We`d be charged & Executed.
These Bastards doing it in the open & Nothing. No Charges. AND They get Rich selling the enemy OUR Weapons. “Justice for All” is a punchline to a really FU Joke. Why? Because WE THE PEOPLE don`t care enough to DEMAND IT.
Kool Aid is easy to drink. In 1973 when I walked through the San Fran airport, I got spit on. When I went to McDonalds with a flight crew in Indianapolis a young boy said “Look Mommy, soldiers” His mother grabbed the child and said “They kill children stay away from them.” No Thank You for Your Service.
We seem to forget that Saddam Housain (sp) was a brutal dictator who kept his thumb on the Middle East. We took him out, removed all his government officials who ran the infrastructure and didn’t have a plan to run the country so it turns into chaos and we go from hero’s to villains. Not just villains but the great Satan.
We are now still in the longest and most intense war in the history of our country and I have the greatest respect for today’s soldiers.
We need to make both of these candidates explain in detail what they are going to do for us. We can’t have a revamped VA, a larger military force, pay for immigration reform, repair infrastructure, maintain medicare, social security and cut taxes. There is no way on this God’s earth that the math works, Doing away with the second amendment takes a Constitutional amendment – check out what that takes!! It ain’t easy and it ain’t happening.
They need to tell us how they’re going to do what they say they will do. Some of it simply cannot be done. Don’t be taken in by mere rhetoric, Understand why we’re taking the hill and what taking it means rather than just take it for the sake of taking it.
Maddog
I know what you are saying about leaving a vacuum in a state when a dictator is removed, but I believe after 911, the US had no choice in confronting some threats in the world, and Saddam was a serious threat regardless of how the left wants to rewrite history.
I have a book that is almost 900 pages long. It is a book on UNSCOM and was sold by the UN, and may still be for sale on their web site. I won’t bother quoting many of the excerpts from that book which come directly from the UNSCOM inspection reports.
What I can say is that UNSCOM had evidence of many TONS of biological growth media and many TONS of precursor chemicals in his country after the first Gulf War, but Saddam would not prove where it was or what happened to it.
If you search on UNSCOM, and pull up the Wikipedia (of all places) entry and read it, you will find a LOT of information on his biological weapons program, which Saddam would not even admit having until 1995…years after the inspections began.
The left likes to downplay what was or was not found after the first Gulf War, and after the latest war started in 2003. The NY Times did an article on over 500 US military exposed to WMD since 2003.
Rihab Rashid Taha was his bio weapons program head. When confronted by inspectors with evidence of a bio weapons program in 1995, she admitted:
10 tons of growth media used in hospitals for diagnosis. Iraq’s usage in hospitals was 200 kilograms per year. In 1988, Iraq imported 39 tons of it. This is used to grow germs on a massive scale for biological weapons
After being confronted with that evidence (and evidence from a defector left out of the wiki entry), Raha admitted to having grown 19000 liters of botulism toxin, 8000 liters of anthrax, 2000 liters of aflatoxin, clostridium perfringens and ricin.
Regardless of what Bill Clinton or that asshole CIA director John Deutch said, they weaponized 157 bombs and 16 missile warheads with botulin toxin, and 50 bombs and 5 missile warheads with anthrax.
That information and those numbers come directly from the UNSCOM reports and the book I mentioned above. Those reports were provided directly to the UN. The UN and the left knew what Saddam had…they just didn’t give a shit.
The book spells out many more examples of biological weapons that were weaponized, along with many thousands of weapons containing VX nerve gas, Sarin nerve gas, mustard gas and others.
Imagine a single liter of anthrax given to a terrorist and released into a subway system? Recall what happened with much smaller amounts released in Florida and Washingon, DC. Congressional mail is still irradiated to this day because of that.
Rather than confront that threat, many politicians decided to play politics, and still do to this day.
91Veteran in Wikipedia under Scott Ritter it reads: UNSCOM inspectors regularly took Lockheed U-2 imagery to Israel for analysis, but did you know they employ volunteer high-functioning autistic teens/young adult soldiers to read that imagery & they’re very good at it. Waste Not, Want Not.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/soldiers-with-autism-give-army-rare-view-into-intel-and-disorder/
@ maddog
You hit the 16 penny nail directly on the head!!
I can remember commander’s calls where we were advised to not wear our uniform off post!! How about those names we were called …. not too many people thanked me for my service.. want to end these ‘new’ wars? make the government start charging an ‘income tax surcharge’ …… after all, these wars haven’t cost non-military families NOTHING. The income tax surcharge was instrumental in ending the Vie Nam ‘conflict’
Make BOTH of these major party candidates explain their plan that will service our service people, and HOW they are going to diminish the possibilities of more wars ….