ObamaCare and the Veterans Administration: A Case in Point
August 17, 2009 – As I begin this commentary, the Usurper has just flown out of Phoenix, after having given a teleprompter-guided breakfast message to the National Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), wherein PROMISING, that Veterans would not lose their health care. He exclaimed that he was “honored and humbled” to speak before the Vets.
Kinda late, Slick – isn’t it?
I mean, our Veterans do have some kind of health care – Government run health care – BUT – I have seen far too many wait in the hallways for hours, just waiting for basic services – let alone major-care, due to one affliction, or another – some, which were caused by the benevolence of the U.S. Military-Industrial Complex. GREED, my friends! GREED!
With all of the discussion (although rarely at Town Hall meetings) regarding the so-called ‘ObamaCare’ HellCare package currently being sold – er – uh – crammed down our – er, up the azzes of unsuspecting Americas, it came to me that, throughout the past 100 years or so, we have had hundreds of thousands of ex-military personnel, who have suffered needlessly – not only at the hands of the greedy – but also from a government controlled/run medical system, known as the VA (Veterans Administration).
Since WWI, military personnel all over the world have been subject to one debilitating disease after another – sometimes caused by foreign enemies – other times by ‘domestic’ – in other words – by their (our) own government. No matter the originator of the cause, military personnel are OWED, not only a debt of gratitude – but ongoing health care, as a result of both physical and emotional wounds. Those are amongst the PROMISES made to each member of the US Military forces, going back as far as I can remember. And yet….
Mustard Gas, Agent Orange & Depleted Uranium
The more we study said history, we find that Corporatocracy reigns supreme. During World War I, the use Mustard Gas caused the skin of it’s victims to blister, their eyes became very sore and they began to vomit. Mustard gas caused internal and external bleeding and attacked the bronchial tubes, stripping off the mucous membrane. This was extremely painful and most soldiers had to be strapped to their beds. It usually took a person four or five weeks to die of mustard gas exposure.
During World War II, more of the same and worse was used to suppress our enemies, and subsequently adversely affected our very own. Of course the biggest ‘agent’ of all, was introduced during this time frame, fluoride - one of the greatest dibilitators of all – and we are still suffering form the effects of this diabolical “accident.”
From 1961 to 1971, during the Viet Nam conflict, Agent Orange was by far the most widely used of the so-called “Rainbow Herbicides” employed in the herbicidal warfare program. During the production of Agent Orange dioxins were produced as a contaminant, which caused health problems for those exposed during the Vietnam War.
Since 1991, during Bush the First’s administration, the use and clean-up of munitions containing Depleted Uranium became controversial because of numerous questions about potential long-term health effects. Normal functioning of the kidney, brain, liver, heart, and numerous other systems can be affected by uranium exposure, because in addition to being weakly radioactive, uranium is a toxic metal.
And so, as hundreds of thousands of returning GI’s and Janes were affected by one chemical variant or another, they turned to the VA (Government-run Health Care) for help – in many cases only to be told that “these anomalies were conducive to returning war heroes and that there is nothing to be concerned about.”
Federal Observer contributing columnist, Geoff Metcalf wrote of these issues in August of 2003 in his article, Unintended Medical Consequences and to date, there has been no resolve – and Veterans die – needlessly – with no REAL help from Government Health Care.
Tin Soldiers or Real Heros?
In recent years, fewer and fewer of our ‘leaders’ have come to power, with REAL military background (the last being Bush the First), a complete and utter disdain for the U.S. Military has been shown by the likes of the Clintonistas, and now the Obamanites (Hmmmmmm – a left-wing Liberal and an apparent Socialist!).
The service record of Eisenhower is legendary, while Reagan’s military service was somewhat minimal, and yet unlike Bush the Lessor, Reagan actually showed up. John F. Kennedy served heroically, and Jimmy Carter served as well. By all accounts, both former President’s Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford served honorably. Then of course, there was the Commander in Cheat – Bill Clinton, who through ‘student deferment’ was able to always stay out of the fray – which he has spent his life doing. Battling the press over a stained blue dress doesn’t count.
Obama only seems to have ‘served’ as a Community Organizer and wants the U.S. Military personnel to pay their own way. I’ll bet that his wife (as a child) cut off the heads of G.I. Joe dolls, while her girlfriends played with those little Ofay dolls, Ken and Barbie. I’ll bet that she still does it!
Unfortunately, it takes a leader with military service, to fully understand the plight of my fellow brothers and sisters. With the current administration in Power, it ain’t going to happen.
Commentary and Opinion
I challenge all to examine the current Government operated health care system – it is called The V.A.
Do you recall the huge scandal at Walter Reed a few years ago? The MOLD found in rooms with the patients? the peeling paint – the bad plumbing – and the lack of sufficient workers to care for the number of patients?
Or, how about the many returning veterans who have been PROMISED life time health care, but government has found ways to stall them (until they die or commit suicide).
Or, Obama saying they should be paying for their health insurance because they KNEW when thy volunteered what they were doing, and why should we be providing the coverage?
If you really have been siding with the Nationalization of the Health Care industry, I strongly suggest you take a good look at the current government health care and see if that is what you want – because you will get just that – and maybe less – as there will be so many more (ILLEGALS included) trying to make use of the system. No choice in what KIND of health care you want or wish to use – that will be determined by some bureaucrat who has a script to follow.
When you can honestly produce any government run operation that has been efficient or provided what it promised to produce then talk to me about a government operated health care system. Until then – JUST SAY NO to it all.
Granny
And in response…
Amen, Granny! I hadn’t thought about the VA. That’s the perfect example of government run health care WHEN THERE IS A CHOICE! Imagine how awful it would be WITHOUT a choice.
I used to know the nicest elderly lady who’s husband had had a stroke, and the nearest VA hospital that would care for him was in Augusta, Georgia even though she lived 30 minutes from a VA hospital in Atlanta. She couldn’t afford to sell her home and move so SHE HAD TO DRIVE 5+ HOURS JUST TO SEE HIM. The Atlanta facility could care for him, but for some bureaucratic reason or other, they weren’t willing to do so. She contacted every Congressman and Senator she could but to no avail. It was heartbreaking to see the red-tape nightmare she was in.
The VA is the perfect example of government run healthcare and the poor level of quality they (would) provide.
I can’t image the horrible level of care that we’ll be subject to if the government takes away all choice and gives us an expanded “VA Hospital” form of health “care”.
Joe
So, Obama wants to guarantee continued Government Health Care to our Veterans??? I don’t know if they can afford what lies ahead.
Consider the following…
• VA Hospital: Patients Exposed To HIV, Hepatitis
• Veterans’ Hospitals in Shocking Shape
• Investigators Suspects Substandard Care Led to 19 Deaths at Illinois VA Hospital
• Extent of dirty VA hospital equipment unknown
So, if the above isn’t enough to show the ineptness of Government operated Health Carethfor size….
Frankly, my nerves are shot – must be the gas!!!
• Activists Hold Little Hope for Legal Justice on Agent Orange
• Gulf war syndrome: the legal case collapses
No Case! No help!
But the Brutha from a Honkey Mutha wants to ‘give‘ America the same kind of Government controlled Health Care, which is afforded the U.S. Veterans.
I think that I will pass…
As we reach the end of this road, I’ll see you at Sundown.
Without Apology I am,
Jeffrey Bennett
~About the Author ~
A veteran of Viet Nam, student of history (both American and film), Jeffrey Bennett has been broadcasting for nearly fifrteen years as host of Perspectives on America. Jeff is considered the voice of reason on the alternative media – providing a unique and distinctive broadcast style, including topics such as health and wellness, news, political satire – with a twist, education and editorial commentary on current events through the teaching of history.
Perspectives on America can be heard at 8:00 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday on Liberty Radio Live.com.
Jeff also publishes The Federal Observer – a daily on-line publication, which authored and spear-headed a petition, which ultimately caused new legislation to be signed by President George W.Bush within 450 days of the events that rocked our world on September 11, 2001. In addition, he is the CEO of Kettle Moraine, Ltd., a production company for the daily Net-broadcast, and proprietor of Flying Eagle Gold & Silver, a precious metals firm, and it’s subsidiary, The Golden IRA, a division, which specializes in IRA and retirement account conversions to that, which holds precious metals, as opposed to instruments of paper.
Let our shovels rise to the golden moment that we can all dig. The socialist and the worm will be food for each other. Seize the day and spank their rotten syllables until twisted nouns are exposed for what they are. Drag them before their brethren and rent them to pieces to fill the catapult of expulsion, then the tea kettle will sing through in hot water up to its nose and the bag of aromatic delight will beg for a cup to fill.
The following comments have been posted on CanadaFreePress.com, where we were privileged to have this column posted.
1) Durward: Another good example of how government takes care of those they are responsible for is the North American Natives on Reserve, That is government health-care and speaks volumes for what everyone could expect from Obamacare. First the alternative is taken away, then the government owns you and can treat you anyway they want including letting you die to save a dime.
When did we forget Governments are responsible for more deaths of their own citizens than any invading army ever was when given too much power?, do we not teach of Mao, Stalin, Lenin, Hitler, Che, Mussolini and all the other socialist power hungry dictators?
2) Bob Miller: Anyone that stood up a clapped for this a hole (Obama) when he gave his speech should have their head examined.
Here is a POTUS that disrespects ANY AMERICAN AT WILL, disrespects the Queen of England and BOWS DOWN IN HOMAGE to a Muslim King.
My problem with his meeting…In my Humble opinion HE disrespected EVERY VETERAN PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE.
If you read the MSM… he had plenty of time to TOUR the Grand Canyon.. with his FAMILY… on our dime. But he was in SUCH A DAMN hurry to get back to PARTY at the White House… He moved up his departure (to tired from holiday.)
In other words about 1/3 of those planning on attending the meeting… were not there because he started 1 hour earlier.
DISRESPECT!
Dishonorable, lair, racist, Muslim.. anti christian.. and anti-veteran… UNLESS it means he gets some press from the MSM..
Investigate the legality of his Selective Service Paperwork… It may be a forgery…
3) David Briggs: Take it from me… I’m a disabled Viet Nam veteran and I’ve been on Government-run health care (The VA hospitals) for years and, as bad as it is, it gets worse by the day! I haven’t had an American doctor for ten years. The doctors I have, both primary care and specialty clinics, can’t even speak decent English. I wait for hours on end when I have scheduled appointments and in the case of an unscheduled visit, it’s an all day ordeal.
On my last scheduled visit my only request was that I had enough refills on all of my prescriptions to carry me through until my next appointment. (They’re now six months apart when it used to be three) The very next day I called in for a refill on one of my prescriptions and was told that I had no refills remaining. My doctor couldn’t even comply with one simple request. I’m still waiting for that medication.
These so-called doctors (who I seriously doubt are even licensed to practice in this country outside the VA) are concerned ONLY with spending as little time with you as possible.
For those of you not familiar with how the VA works, each veteran is assigned to a Team. Either Green, Gold, Yellow or Purple and each team has about five doctors. My team (the Gold team) has one American doctor. While the VA claims that if you’re unhappy with your doctor you can change, I’ve been trying for over two years to get assigned to the American doctor. Time after time they tell me that he already has too many patients.
God forbid you have a life-threatening problem. You’re only chance at survival is calling 911 and being taken to a civilian hospital and being treated there. To the veterans reading this, the VA will pay the civilian hospital for emergency treatment. The drawback is that, as soon as you’re stabilized, you’ll be transferred back to the VA.
I can’t even imagine the entire country being subject to VA style government-run health care. It would be an absolute disaster. I could go on but I’m out of space.
Good point about the government already implementing a failure of a health care system.
I’ll go along with what they propose when all elected officials drop their own health care plan and make it mandatory that they use the same on they adopt for the sheeple.
But – how in the hell do they intend to pay for this mess?
Oh yeah – tax us all into oblivion…
The stories of V.A. care (or lack of) will be coming out – keep
your eyes watching for them – this is a sampling of what GOVERNMENT
HEALTH CARE will be like – only worse – because there will be so
many MORE people under the GOVERNMENT THUMB.
Seniors have a lot more to worry about than most think of. Right
now, an insurance company can deny PAYMENT of some procedure if they
wish but the person being denied can pay for it out of their own
pocket.
Once GOVERNMENT takes over that *denial* will result in all medical
practitioners being TOLD they can’t deliver that or any other
service to those the GOVERNMENT has *BLACKLISTED*. It won’t matter
if you have the money to pay for it or not because no doctor will
take you.
So, once again, I am telling readers to start TODAY to build your
body up to fight off all diseases and illness by changing the pH of
your body. It is the simplest and cheapest health care you can
find. We all have to eat so eat ALKALINE FORMING foods and drinks.
When you cram acidic food and drink down your throat you might as
well be taking rat poison as you are killing yourself by eating the
crap food and drink. If you wish to die at the hands of bad food
and drink – fine – but don’t expect the rest of us to pay for your
laziness and bad habits. By failing to prepare your body to fight
off illness you are a walking target for death…. no matter how
many of those Big PHARMA chemicals you consume and pay for.
Do you enter into a gun fight with spitwads? ARM YOURSELF NOW.
Jackie Juntti
WGEN idzrus@earthlink.net
Have you emailed Lou Dobbs about the VA Government health care?
There are many articles and comments on the Federal Observer on this
topic http://www.federalobserver.com/
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http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9A58L481&show_article=1&catnum=1
6 more cases of botched cancer treatment at Pa. VA
Aug 18 07:03 AM US/Eastern
The best way to see how the government runs health care is to look at the programs they already have.
The VA, Indian Health Service (IHS), Active Military Medicine, and TRICARE.
The reason why some VA hospitals are better than others has a lot to do with which politician in that state is sponsoring them. The VA in Wyoming is great, has been since Cheney was Sec-Def. The VA in AZ is adequate, the hospital in Phoenix pretty good, but they do service a significant voting block of elderly military veterans. A lot of it depends on the political pull of the local military veteran population. The VA also works okay if you have the time to learn the system and work through the paper-work etc.
The following was just discovered on the Facebook page of Lisa Murkowski, Republican Senator from Alaska and was posted by one of constituents.:
“I agree that while our health care system isn’t perfect, I can’t for the life of me see the need to overhaul the entire system in an effort to cover a mere 17% of uninsured Americans.
The public-option is an absolute non starter. All we have to do is look to Medicade and VA to see how well government runs what should be private enterprise. Let’s also not forget that health care is not a right… it’s a service.”
Looks like someone gets it!
Steve,
I am happy that you are a “satisfied customer” of the VA. However, I know of far too many horror stories form other Veterans. Couple this with the links, which we have provided herein – which you have apparently chosen not to follow – I believe that there are far more dissatisfied recipients of “the care” being offered, than you may be aware of.
I will admit, there are selected examples of VA hospitals, which are providing the services we were all guaranteed. I believe that this is due to the commitment of the personnel at those specific institutions – and as recent history has shown – not exemplary of VA hospitals across the country.
Many of the other “satisfied” recipients of VA health care – have no other choice.
As relates to your “Republican” commentary – since 1945, the Democrats have controlled Congress in BOTH the Senate and the House, 2/3 of the time. Historically, is it the President who makes laws, or is it the CONgress who writes and submits said Bills for signatory?
I submit to you that, there really is no difference in Party affiliation, once they ascend to their respective thrones in D.C. And how many or few are Veterans – and would go to the VA for their “health care” – given their choices?
And to your final comment I say, I too have white skin and graying hair – but it’s the the only thing that I have in common with those who make the laws. The problem is that, too many other people in this nation – of ALL colors, have continued to send these idiots back to office, over and over.
Thank you for your input.
Why not get rid of Medicaid and let the useless eaters fend for themselves.
I go to the VA Hines Hospital in Illinois. After the usual red tape getting in the system I have no complaints. I had three operations there, one included a triple bypass.
My recruiter promised me free health care for life as a benefit when I was a young fire pisser recruit, looking at him funny because health care wasn’t on my mind in my youth.
Now that I need it, they want to take it away. The Washington Bureacrats now say that there isn’t any law on the books to guarantee life time care, disregarding the fact that the recruiters were acting under color of law when they made those binding statements, then twisting the knife in our backs by offering medical treatment to illegal aliens in the VA hospitals.
I don’t know how anybody else feels, but I’m all for ditty bopping one more time as an object lesson against tyranny.
I am service connected disabled and Vietnam Vet. I paid my own health care thru Kaiser for a few years and finally gave it up because I couldn’t afford it. Shortly thereafter I found I could go to the local VA hospital here in Portland Oregon for care. I have been very pleased with the service I have received. I believe most vets getting care there are there because they do not have and possibly cannot afford private insurance. It was the damn republicans that have bled the VA to death over the past years from Raygun to Bush II. This country does need a public health care option but hey maybe not. Why not get rid of Medicare and let the old folks die sooner than later? Isn’t that the capitalist way? Let the market decide who should live or die based on the ability to pay.
Hmmmm, that’s cruel though, isn’t it? Problem is there are just too many dumb asses in this country and most seem to have white skin and grey hair.