Whenever the left appears to care, watch out for your pocket-book or worse. Now they are working the soldier/vet/suicide/ptsd pity party.
A long time ago BG Burkett, former Army Lieutenant in Viet Nam started doing some research on the claims of the media and some citizens about the terrible harm of Viet Nam combat on soldiers, how they were lost souls. BG was no lost soul and because of his research and his book Stolen Valor exposed hacks in the media like Dan Rather, but also phony claims of PTSD and war related psych problems–what he found was that most the whiners wearing army fatigues and claiming victim status never saw combat, some never wore a uniform issued to a real warrior, they got their ribbons and fatigues from the army navy stor or Goodwill.
So now the UK rag the Guardian pacifist as only the Brit left can be, is stirring up the same old stuff and of course politicians rush to the microphone to announce their concern about soldiers and vets and such.
Tim Worstall at the Forbes web site looks at the numbers and shows below that there is no epidemic of vet suicides. It’s nonsense.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/02/02/but-there-isnt-an-epidemic-of-suicide-in-the-us-military/
Older men are the most successful at committing suicide, but the rate of suicide is no greater in Vets, when matched with the regular population, they just “benefit” from pacifist chattering class people who pity them and want to portray them as sick and inadequate, unbalanced.
BG Burkett has devoted a good deal of effort and time to show that is just misplaced or mendacious “concern” that is really anti military animus. These pity party creeps hate soldiers, sailors airmen and marines and would put a big K on their forehead if they could, for “killer” WHERE I WOULD PUT C H AND P FOR CITIZEN HERO PROTECTOR.
As I remind the physician soldiers I teach–when they volunteered to put on the uniform and dedicate their life to the health of their comrades and others as well as support the mission in the field, they are emblematic of the sacrifice and virtue of warriors and physicians, exemplary, and I am proud to be their colleague and friend.
It’s a shame that vet and armed service advocates don’t even know how to argue for the welfare of the people they advocate for, instead they want to encourage people to brand them sick and stigmatize them. It’s a poorly disguised sense of superiority that these “advocates” have pity is not a sign of respect, it’s a sign of arrogance.
One part of this dynamic is that the DOD leadership would love to play this up even though it denigrates the status of vets and their sacrifice and service, because it means the politicians will pump funding for these programs that feed off the hype and the claims.
The media and politicians do the wrong things for the wrong reasons on these vet issues. And they do not respect people who have served–pity is not respect.
Your ignorance is showing. When apples are compared to apples, that is white older males to white older males, the suicide rates are not elevate.
Try not to look so stupid next time.
I don’t agree with your assessment of military suicide rate increases. The direct correlation between psychiatric drugging interventions for “PTSD” in the military and the increase in suicide rate statistics have been reported elsewhere as dramatic. The strong correlation between suicide, irrational violent acts, the “mass shooters” and psychiatric drugs is also undeniable in society in general. Ever seen the Black Box Warnings on these drugs?-
“We have never drugged our troops to this extent and the current increase in suicides is not a coincidence.
Why hasn’t psychiatry in the military been relieved of command of Mental Health Services?
In any other command position in the military, there would have been a change in leadership.”-— Lt. Col. Bart Billings, Clinical Psychologist U.S. Army Reserve, Ret.
Shocking Military Suicide Rates | The Veterans Suicide Epidemic | – See the linked documentary from CCHR International-
When i decided to go to work for the Army, I promised myself that i would never, ever forget to thank soldiers and their families for their service.
I will tell you that the residents think of it as kind of my schtick. or something,, but by God the soldiers appreciate it–every one.
I have thanked thousands and look forward to thousands more.
Typed and deleted this 3 times and decided I had to post. Begin Rant!!
Background – I served 24 years on active duty as an enlisted starting in 1974. Spent time in the “sandbox” and several places we weren’t supposed to be.
First, John, the people you train do an outstanding job on the battlefield! So good that the VA doesn’t know what to do with some of the survivors of traumatic injuries such as multiple amputations and traumatic brain injuries.
I am furious that there is a need for programs such as Wounded Warrior Project. This is something that should be covered by the VA in recognition of the service and sacrifice Veterans have made. Same with things like the tracked wheelchairs supplied by Bill O’Rielly’s charity.
The VA as currently administered is a joke. Waiting over a year for a claim to be processed and then the level of service and care is abhorrent. From what I have seen the attitude off most is a variation of lock the up until we need them and then forget about them until we need them again. The lack of respect shown by the government and politicians for both the military and Veterans is appalling.
I would defy anyone who hasn’t served to think about what any military member does/gives up on a daily basis. You are told where you will woke what you will do and what you will wear while doing it! Oh, and you can’t just quit if you don’t like it. They tend to jail you for that. End rant!
There is one, indisputable fact. War changes people. The effect is dependent on the person so the PTSD argument certainly is not a “one-size-fits-all” diagnosis.
I had a friend in the mid 70’s back from Viet Nam, a special operator, good friend and overall good guy. But you could not walk up behind him and tap his shoulder, you called out across the room to let him know you were there otherwise you could find yourself hurt. He could not turn it off. Occasionally he would disappear into the woods and stay gone for a couple of weeks to a month to “get his head screwed back on”. Thing is though, he never asked for special treatment or pity, in fact, he’d get pissed if you treated him differently.
I have a pin in my leg from an accident as a child so I was not able to serve. I tried to volunteer for the Air Force but because of the leg, they would not take me. I have always had the utmost respect for those who have because of the liberties I enjoy – I don’t take them for granted. I have found that for the majority of vets I encounter, respect and fair treatment is really all they looking for.
The vets I knew from WW2, Korea and Vietnam did not commit suicide, they died of natural causes, old age, and they damn sure were not looking for pity.
Sure would like to see some stats for these claims.
I seem to recall going through something like this several years ago, but perhaps it was the Forbes article. How does the suicide rates compare with other wars? My parent’s generation, relatives, teachers, next door neighbors, could discuss names like Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal, Bastogne, Normandy, Inchon, etc, from memory, not because they read stories. I don’t recall a particularly exceptional suicide rate from those folks.
“It’s a shame that vet and armed service advocates don’t even know how to argue for the welfare of the people they advocate for, instead they want to encourage people to brand them sick and stigmatize them. It’s a poorly disguised sense of superiority that these ‘advocates’ have pity is not a sign of respect, it’s a sign of arrogance.”- I agree with what you say here, but what about exploring the underlying motives for this “arrogance”- largely suspect, as often, is power and profit. What of the links of this arrogance to psychiatry and it’s junk science-dubious theories, the partnering pharmaceutical giants, the FDA, their front groups and advocates? -jim keiser, pg admin- https://www.facebook.com/jpkeis