Join the Discussion

Comments So Far: 19

• 0%

  chuck-the-canuck1 month, 2 weeks ago

  All veterans deserve the best a country has to offer, anything less is completely unacceptable.

  Reply

  3 Replies

  • 0%

    injest1 month, 2 weeks ago

    FTA

    "egregious case, the VA is testing Pfizer Corp.'s smoking-cessation drug Chantix on a veteran population that includes post-traumatic stress disorder patients returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The Food and Drug Administration has linked Chantix to three dozen suicides in the general population and more than 400 incidents of suicidal behavior. Initially, the VA failed even to communicate the risk to the test subjects"

    Some how I find this hard to believe.

    Considering that in the USA, a suicide is attempted every 39seconds of every hour of every day and has remained unchanged for 10 years, to say 400 cases incidents of suicidal behavior because of this drug seems to be a stretch.

    BTW, every 16.1 min an attempt succeeds.

    http://www.suicidology.org/associations/1045/fi...

    http://www.ct.gov/dmhas/lib/dmhas/prevention/cy...

    Reply

    2 Replies

    • 0%

      bubba21 month, 2 weeks ago

      If you find it hard to believe, then I guess that is because the FACTS are not good enough for you.

      http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Story?id=5180...

      http://www.washtimes.com/news/2008/jun/17/test-...

      http://abcnews.go.com/images/Blotter/FDA nov20 2007.pdf

      http://abcnews.go.com/images/Blotter/Pfizerstat...

      Reply

      1 Reply

      • 0%

        injest1 month, 2 weeks ago

        Suicidal behavior, thoughts and such are common among people who are quitting drugs be it alcohol, nicotine, cocaine or whatever

        Reply
• 0%

  CRYMTYPHON1 month, 2 weeks ago

  I think that military planners have a new concept of soldiering; the 'walmartizing' of the military*, where soldiers are temp workers; train them quick and use them until you lose them.

  This is cost-effective if you keep down benefits like health care and rehabilitation and pensions, etc.

  Link that up with privitization** of other services and you got a system of peon soldiers you can treat like paper cups.

  __________...

  *Rumsfeld was the original designer

  ** no bid stuff, of course, just among friends.

  Reply

  3 Replies

  • JohnQPublicComment removed: User banned.
  • 0%

    JoseMadre1 month, 2 weeks ago

    This what happens when non-vets run things, and sorry, Bush-type National Guard service doesn't qualify in my book, unlike the guys and gals in today's National Guard who are actually serving.

    Reply

    1 Reply

    • 0%

      CRYMTYPHON1 month, 2 weeks ago

      Agreed about the diference between former and current national guard duty.

      It does seem natural that the military has to be the one watching over the benefits of those who serve; or accountants will outsource, downsize and privatise.

      I am puzzled why Mccain is not more of an advocate for veterans; maybe he just feels he has nothing to prove; maybe I am not giving him credit enough for long term stuff.

      Don't laugh, but the sci-fi book 'starship troopers' suggested the idea of a government where you had to do military service to be able to vote.

      I prefer Athens to Sparta; but devaluing what a soldier deserves, is to devalue what a soldier does; what he fights for.

      Reply
• 0%

  jordan111 month, 2 weeks ago

  By comparison, the McCain camp found time this week for 16 press releases to shadowbox with retired Gen. Wesley Clark>>>>

  The fools. It's not going to work trying to deflect by swiftboating a Rhodes Scholar, a man who graduated first in his class at West Point, a man who commanded troops in Viet Nam, a man who served as NATO's allied commander and headed the victory at Kosovo, a man who served his country for 34 years. By comparison, here is McCain's voting record on Veteran issues:

  http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/articleid...

  McCain is a mess. Plain and simple.

  Reply

  1 Reply

  • JohnQPublicComment removed: User banned.
• 0%

  bubba21 month, 2 weeks ago

  McCain and his campaigners are so vocal about how they support the troops and the veterans, yet they have had absolutely NOTHING to say about this scandal.

  Liars and hypocrites ...

  Reply

  2 Replies

  • 0%

    jordan111 month, 2 weeks ago

    Yes, liars and hypocrites. A pitiful bunch of rag tag wannabe's who would do anything for power.

    Reply
  • 0%

    Radiofreeeuropa1 month, 2 weeks ago

    McCain's record on veterans affairs is spotty at best. He has never been a reliable ally for some reason.

    Reply
• 0%

  Radiofreeeuropa1 month, 2 weeks ago

  I was amazed how McCain pretended to have been a supporter of Jim Webb's Veteran Bill when it passed. Both he and Bush took credit for it! Yet they not only didn't support it, they fought it!

  Despicable!!!!

  Jim Webb said there was bipartisan co operation on it, but not Bush and not McCain. I find McCain's lack of support for a bill that merely adjusts the original benefits promised to veterans to modern prices. McCain was a recipient of these benefits himself, though perhaps his family was wealthy enough that he did not need them. That is a terrible excuse to deny fellow Vets the same opportunities he himself enjoyed. And morally bankrupt to now pretend he had ANYTHING to do with it's passage. As for Bush, WTF? I guess we don't even expect a shred of decency anymore.

  Reply

  1 Reply

  • JohnQPublicComment removed: User banned.
• 0%

  Radiofreeeuropa1 month, 2 weeks ago

  Sorry, I meant to say I find McCain's lack of support for a bill that merely adjusts the original benefits promised to veterans to modern prices reprehensible.

  Reply
• 0%

  tchef1 month, 2 weeks ago

  They probably have a contract with the drug company to supply the needed drugs at twice the normal price while allowing the drug company to use the soldiers as lab rats.

  Reply
• 0%

  engineer1 month, 2 weeks ago

  And there are actually people who support McCain?

  Reply
• 0%

  JoseMadre1 month, 2 weeks ago

  As with all things, I like to have the reasons for anyone's reluctance to support something that seems utterly reasonable. Did the opponents support a competing bill? Except for Bush, that is. I've lost all confidence in that guy since his "19 kids" statement.

  Reply