Politics

[Ontario Hunter]

My father was in Vietnam from 1967-1969 straight, except for the time he was in Japan & Hawaii for R&R , has a fried back from a couple helicopter crashes and a plane wreck
And he has never been to the VA , must be a generational thing because my wife’s grandfather landed in Normandy, and was in the battle of the bulge, and into Germany
Suffered terrible PTSD and physical pain, mostly deaf , and never once had a VA visit.
Maybe they were just tougher or didnt expect entitlement?
Or the VA care was subpar, ? Or saw/ new people who were in more need of care?
But they came home and got a job and just got to work.

Many, including this writer, may not have been aware they were entitled to compensation and health benefits. I was told when I was awarded disability in 1975 (after a rigorous physical exam) that the VA would cover any health issues in the future CONNECTED TO THE DISABILITY. Nothing else. Only learned by accident during COVID that VA now covers ALL my medical issues. I have used those benefits three times when I could not get vaxed or surgery here in anything resembling timely manner. I always discharged myself prematurely and, though entitled, have never claimed for travel (which was substantial). I only take the bare minimum. I feel the VA has treated me fairly and I did my duty fairly when asked. Seems a fair trade.

 

[Mekaniks]

Now we're getting somewhere I can support. I have zero problems paying the military better and providing more service-to-private-sector employment support. I have no problem increasing pension rates for veterans either.

I can be both for the armed services and vehemently against fraud in our country. Unjustly acquired disability payments aren't meant to make up for otherwise lousy GI benefits. We can both stop fraud and also better compensate GIs, its not either/or/neither.

Yes, getting somewhere.... Who knows where that is, but.....

Thats what happens when we don't talk past each other,. We recognize the situation, without marginalizing other views....

 

[Corey0372]

Kipling was absolutely correct when he penned "Tommy."

Different priorities......

Why complain when we can trade the yo-yo?

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/...ps-killed-346-wounded-in-operation-epic-fury/

 

[Betterinthebush]

Unjustly acquired disability payments aren't meant to make up for otherwise lousy GI benefits. We can both stop fraud and also better compensate GIs, its not either/or/neither.

It took literally an act of congress and several years of research to confirm that Gulf War Illnesses (Syndrome) was real. After 25 years of veterans suffering without treatment or even acknowledgment of the obvious difference between troops deployed to the region and those not, the VA grudgingly started seeing veteran patients and treating them. 25 years.

A estimated 200K troops were neglected, while displaying very real medical symptoms. So, there’s your savings. Imagine all the interest made on denying for 25 years service members claims of a condition they have to live with forever.

I don’t know, but I’d bet many of the VA claims that you might believe are from malingerers are GWI veterans finally getting care.

 

[spike.t]

So more double talk....this isn't going around in circles..its a whirlpool.....who is bullshitting more .....and if anywhere near correct...Iran can claim to be the victors I would say

Trump blasts Iranian media, says leaked ceasefire deal terms are untrue

Trump decries 'dishonorable people' after reports Iran made few concessions in deal US has said could be soon signed.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[Wheels]

Five years ago the Biden administration, Fauci, Pesaki etc swore America didn’t have foreign biolabs doing gain of function research with pathogens.

Social media would ban people from posting about the biolabs even when they presented facts. The main stream media backed the administration and said foreign biolabs were fake news.

It’s nice to see some honesty from our government. Perhaps we will also get some accountability for what happened to our lives in 2020-2021.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2065440568423944607

 

[Hunt anything]

So more double talk....this isn't going around in circles..its a whirlpool.....who is bullshitting more .....and if anywhere near correct...Iran can claim to be the victors I would say

Trump blasts Iranian media, says leaked ceasefire deal terms are untrue

Trump decries 'dishonorable people' after reports Iran made few concessions in deal US has said could be soon signed.

www.aljazeera.com

I don’t believe or trust any of these people. Us or them.

 

[Aaron N]

We have to close the "cracks" somehow.... By that, imo EVERY veteran should be able to return to civilian life with the support that they need (combat or not)
We have seen how not supporting them works out, with a large portion of our nations homeless being former military that are living on the streets and self medicating....That should be unacceptable as a civilized nation. And it is fiscally unsustainable.....

It’s funny how thinking like this makes you a patriot, but suggesting the same amount of help for a 17 year old living on the streets because daddy raped her nightly since she was 8 makes you a libtard socialist.

Veterans SHOULD get every support they can to integrate back, as should anyone who’s willing to accept it. Sadly a good chunk wouldn’t anyway.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

My gawd. Trump's head gets fatter every minute. Read the plaque he just put up at the White House celebrating himself. Unbelievable. The guy lives in a dream world. It will cost taxpayers in the next administration millions, if not billions, to dismantle all Trump's self-pontificating monuments to himself. The plaque was clearly written by him in his typical sixth grade writing style. I note that he once again credits himself with stopping eight imaginary wars ... but not one mention of the war in Iran which will without a doubt go down as the most significant lack of accomplishment during his second administration. Fake history from the guy who's always screaming about fake news. His own psychopathic brand of reality.

Trump’s Plaques on the Presidential ‘Walk of Fame,’ Fact-Checked and Annotated by Historians

We asked eight historians to evaluate Trump’s gold plaques for each president.

www.nytimes.com

Notice the similarity between Trump's portrait and the famous one of Winston Churchill. Comparing himself to Churchill is downright laughable. Not in his mind though.

 

[Wheels]

I’m getting a few foreigners on my X timeline that are in America for the World Cup. Things we take for granted they seem to be amazed at. Stores like BassPro, Walmart and Buc-ees.

South Africans walking through gentrified neighborhoods without 3m walls with barbed wire and broken glass on top. Women jogging alone in a park at night.

Highschool stadiums that seat 25,000. 10,000sf highschool training rooms. The size of SEC college football stadiums.

Stone Mountain, the French Quarter, never have heard of the Blue Ridge Mountains, gulf beaches.

It’s refreshing to see foreigners enjoying the real America that is outside NYC, LA, DC and Vegas.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2065133567336661432

 

[Tundra Tiger]

I don’t believe or trust any of these people. Us or them.

Dead or Alive, 1985. Pretty sure they are dancing to this song... It just goes on and on in a neverending loop.

"You spin me right round, baby, right round
Like a record, baby, right round, round, round
You spin me right round, baby, right round
Like a record, baby, right round, round, round"

 

[spike.t]

Dead or Alive, 1985. Pretty sure they are dancing to this song... It just goes on and on in a neverending loop.

"You spin me right round, baby, right round
Like a record, baby, right round, round, round
You spin me right round, baby, right round
Like a record, baby, right round, round, round"

Yeah vaguely remember partying to that...but 80s through early 90s bit of a blur for some reason .... .................fk it was fun....

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Trump's plaque reminded me of a situation I encountered at Yosemite when I worked there in 2009. The Thomas Hill Studio had just finished renovations including redoing all exhibitry with display text. A beneficiary "association" was covering the bill. As park historian the proposed changes were sent to me, thankfully before they went to Harpers Ferry for production. Besides some mistakes about Hill's life and work, the association tried to slide in some political propaganda. The park was the first of its kind in the world and initially set aside by Abraham Lincoln whom the text lauded as a pioneering conservationist. In fact, we have no idea what Lincoln's thoughts were on conservation. This was the only incident in his administration remotely connected to conservation and he made no comment beyond putting his signature on the enabling legislation. It was something the California legislators wanted and Lincoln wanted California politicians and their vast gold resources on board with the Union. Seemed like they weren't asking for much but a bunch of pretty rocks and trees so why not agree?* But Lincoln as a conservationist was a routinely accepted misconception of Yosemite history. More serious was the accompanying comparison of Obama as a national unifier like Lincoln. First, arguing for Lincoln as a national unifier is a bit of a tough sell, especially for some folks in Dixie. But what the hell does Obama have to do with Yosemite history or national unity? He was so early in his administration that it was impossible to tell if he would or could do anything to repair American partisanism ... even if he could walk on water. Of course I wouldn't sign off on that bullshit. The division boss came down to my office and pressured me to back off. The association wanted this (it was California after all). I refused and told her if they went ahead anyway, the NPS would just find itself in court in short order. Someone would call the historian to the stand and I'd tell the truth, i.e. that I did not give approval. Sure, that would be the end of my career with NPS but at least I'd have a chance somewhere else. A historian who's a proven bullshitter, unlike US presidents, has no chance of staying in that line of work. I think the courtroom threat carried the day. My revisions were all accepted without changes (or so I was told).

* Initially Yosemite was given to the state of California as a state park.

 

[spike.t]

As the prick is yet again in the headlines for being a useless fktard....

 

[PARA45]

It is sad that we are piling up all enlisted as taking advantage of the VA. Maybe this conversation should be focused on the parasites who are draining this great country dry by abusing all the free programs we have. Afterall, those who are claimed to be taking advantage of the VA served their country. What have the freeloaders done?

 

[jruby]

I’m getting a few foreigners on my X timeline that are in America for the World Cup. Things we take for granted they seem to be amazed at. Stores like BassPro, Walmart and Buc-ees.

South Africans walking through gentrified neighborhoods without 3m walls with barbed wire and broken glass on top. Women jogging alone in a park at night.

Highschool stadiums that seat 25,000. 10,000sf highschool training rooms. The size of SEC college football stadiums.

Stone Mountain, the French Quarter, never have heard of the Blue Ridge Mountains, gulf beaches.

It’s refreshing to see foreigners enjoying the real America that is outside NYC, LA, DC and Vegas.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2065133567336661432

Sometimes we forget how fortunate we are. It takes an outsider to remind us.

 

[mdwest]

the argument that "enlisted" are who are abusing the VA disability program and not including the officer corps in the equation is flawed..

on the surface it might look that way.. there are certainly a lot more enlisted guys receiving disability pay than former officers...

That said.. Officers only make up 18% of the entire US military.. there are 4+ E's serving for every 1 O..

Then consider that the average length of service for an E is 6 years (that factors in everyone.. guys that do 1 tour.. guys that retire after 20.. guys that retire after 30, etc)... and the average length of service for an O is 12 years...

So.. there's a ton more turnover among the E ranks.. which means, if you do the math, there is actually roughly 8 E's coming out that might be eligible for disability for every 1 O at any given moment..

Then factor in that enlisted ranks, depending on their MOS, can still be directly involved in combat operations their entire careers.. in certain fields it is not uncommon to see an E9 in a firefight..

As officers progress through the ranks they are far more involved in filling staff bilets, or in high level command bilets, or senior administrative bilets that remove them from the daily grind of carrying heavy shit around, listening to loud noises, etc..etc.. (they will still do it their entire careers.. but to a much lessor degree than the enlisted guys)..

So E's end up with injuries at a higher rate.. and more specifically end up with severe injuries at a much higher rate..

So OF COURSE there a shit ton load more enlisted guys with a disability rating than officers.. there are a shit ton load more enlisted guys, that have a much higher turnover rate.. and they get exposed to a shit ton load more harmful "stuff" for a longer periods of time..

I dont have the data.. but if I had to guess, from a % of the total force basis there are however probably just as many officers drawing disability from the VA as there are enlisted, if not potentially more..

whatever "fraud" might be going on would be most likely equal among the O's as it is the E's (although I am highly doubtful that any "fraud" is rampant as it really isnt that hard to get a disability rating.. if your ears ring its an automatic 10%... and EVERYONES ears ring after just a few years of service)...

theyre not defrauding the government when they draw disability for diagnosed ailments.. they are simply taking advantage of a system that the government put in place in 1945 that prior generations were often encouraged to not take advantage of..

 

[rookhawk]

the argument that "enlisted" are who are abusing the VA disability program and not including the officer corps in the equation is flawed..

on the surface it might look that way.. there are certainly a lot more enlisted guys receiving disability pay than former officers...

That said.. Officers only make up 18% of the entire US military.. there are 4+ E's serving for every 1 O..

Then consider that the average length of service for an E is 6 years (that factors in everyone.. guys that do 1 tour.. guys that retire after 20.. guys that retire after 30, etc)... and the average length of service for an O is 12 years...

So.. there's a ton more turnover among the E ranks.. which means, if you do the math, there is actually roughly 8 E's coming out that might be eligible for disability for every 1 O at any given moment..

Then factor in that enlisted ranks, depending on their MOS, can still be directly involved in combat operations their entire careers.. in certain fields it is not uncommon to see an E9 in a firefight..

As officers progress through the ranks they are far more involved in filling staff bilets, or in high level command bilets, or senior administrative bilets that remove them from the daily grind of carrying heavy shit around, listening to loud noises, etc..etc.. (they will still do it their entire careers.. but to a much lessor degree than the enlisted guys)..

So E's end up with injuries at a higher rate.. and more specifically end up with severe injuries at a much higher rate..

So OF COURSE there a shit ton load more enlisted guys with a disability rating than officers.. there are a shit ton load more enlisted guys, that have a much higher turnover rate.. and they get exposed to a shit ton load more harmful "stuff" for a longer periods of time..

I dont have the data.. but if I had to guess, from a % of the total force basis there are however probably just as many officers drawing disability from the VA as there are enlisted, if not potentially more..

whatever "fraud" might be going on would be most likely equal among the O's as it is the E's (although I am highly doubtful that any "fraud" is rampant as it really isnt that hard to get a disability rating.. if your ears ring its an automatic 10%... and EVERYONES ears ring after just a few years of service)...

theyre not defrauding the government when they draw disability for diagnosed ailments.. they are simply taking advantage of a system that the government put in place in 1945 that prior generations were often encouraged to not take advantage of..

@mdwest I wasn't pissing on the enlisted over officers out of some sort of biggotry. What I saw was that 10%-ish of claimants were officers but the officer corp is slightly bigger than that number.

Do I think officers are saints and enlistees are crooks? No and no.

What I do acknowledge is that wages are higher for officers and it would be less likely an officer would find full disability plus SSDI to be a sufficient salary to justify living on that without being in a productive private sector career. It isn't about ethics, its about economics.

Of course any allegation of bad news is always going to direct first to the majority group whatever topic we are speaking about. Enlisted are obviously the super majority of the armed forces so that is where the interesting data directs the eyes.

Anecdotally, I've found the best and brightest of our society are the senior NCOs and warrant officers. Those I've been blessed to meet over my life seem to point to those cohorts being the most passionate servicemen for whatever anecdotal reason one could ascribe. Then again, they are "lifers" which probably creates a special pride in their service as well.

I'd like to close my commentary on this topic by easing ruffled feathers. I'm just an overtaxed taxpayer. I have a right to question fraud. That doesn't infer my superiority over those that defend our country and constitution. Nonetheless, I don't have to enlist to scrutinize any government expense. I'd remind all members of this forum that this thread spawns great emotion. It must be tempered. Reagan said that any man of good conscience that agrees with one another 80% of the time is a friend. Everyone needs more good friends. Life would be a boring place if we all thought the same way and saw the same areas in need of improvement.

I can crap all over bureaucracy while still holding the armed services in high esteem. If that's a deal breaker for certain forum members, they can hate me and I still appreciate them. They own an unnecessarily polarizing reaction to a friend and booster.

 

[mdwest]

@mdwest I wasn't pissing on the enlisted over officers out of some sort of biggotry. What I saw was that 10%-ish of claimants were officers but the officer corp is slightly bigger than that number.

Do I think officers are saints and enlistees are crooks? No and no.

What I do acknowledge is that wages are higher for officers and it would be less likely an officer would find full disability plus SSDI to be a sufficient salary to justify living on that without being in a productive private sector career. It isn't about ethics, its about economics.

Of course any allegation of bad news is always going to direct first to the majority group whatever topic we are speaking about. Enlisted are obviously the super majority of the armed forces so that is where the interesting data directs the eyes.

Anecdotally, I've found the best and brightest of our society are the senior NCOs and warrant officers. Those I've been blessed to meet over my life seem to point to those cohorts being the most passionate servicemen for whatever anecdotal reason one could ascribe. Then again, they are "lifers" which probably creates a special pride in their service as well.

I'd like to close my commentary on this topic by easing ruffled feathers. I'm just an overtaxed taxpayer. I have a right to question fraud. That doesn't infer my superiority over those that defend our country and constitution. Nonetheless, I don't have to enlist to scrutinize any government expense. I'd remind all members of this forum that this thread spawns great emotion. It must be tempered. Reagan said that any man of good conscience that agrees with one another 80% of the time is a friend. Everyone needs more good friends. Life would be a boring place if we all thought the same way and saw the same areas in need of improvement.

I can crap all over bureaucracy while still holding the armed services in high esteem. If that's a deal breaker for certain forum members, they can hate me and I still appreciate them. They own an unnecessarily polarizing reaction to a friend and booster.

The VA disability and SSDI are two completely different animals with completely different standards and completely different purposes..

again, pretty much EVERYONE coming out of the military these days is going to be eligible for VA disability to one degree or another.. it doesnt matter if you were a clerk in the finance corps (think Radar O'reiley) or a Green Beret.. youre going to almost certainly get a VA disability rating when you exit the service..

theres no reason to defraud the government on the VA side for the overwhelming majority of participants.. because obtaining the rating legitimately upon exiting is EASY.. "my ears ring" gets you 10%.. there were 273,502 people in 2024 that were rated disabled by the VA for tinnitus.. only 215,000 people exited the military in 2024.. that tells you pretty much every single person that exited that year got a VA rating for tinnitus.. and a lot more that didnt bother to get a rating years ago, now that it is socially acceptable within military circles to do so, went back and got their rating..

The total number of veterans with a VA rating for tinnitus that are currently receiving disability payments from the VA for it 3,255,323 (2024 numbers)...

I can assure you they arent faking it... if you served for 4 years.. even if you didnt drive a tank, you stood on the side of the road more times than you can count while those jet turbine engines drove by 10 feet away... you have hearing loss and ringing ears..

and it doesnt stop there.. (tinnitus is just something that pretty much EVERYONE has)... there are 2,069,942 people drawing disability for knee flexion (common injury for runners that run a lot on hard pavement which the military does daily, and is a HUGELY common injury for people that participate in airborne operations, HUGELY common for people that carry heavy rucksacks, etc)... knee flexion depending on severity gets you an additional 10-30%.... there are 1,745,3124 drawing and additional 10-80% for sciatic nerve damage (common back issues related to carrying heavy crap around).. etc..etc..etc..

These people arent defrauding anyone (for the most part).. they are going to see a physician (typically their command demands this these days), getting an examination, and the physician is determining their rating... it is a benefit they receive as a military service member.. If we want to stop paying the benefit the only solution is to tighten down on the requirements, or kill the benefit alltogether..

the benefit is nothing new.. its been around since 1945.. post WW2 it was seen as necessary if the military was going to attract and retain new talent after the 4 year meat grinder we had just been through... the only thing that is different today is a culture change.. from 1945 to about 2000 the culture of the military was not to take the benefit.. it is optional.. no different than the GI Bill.. a lot of guys never actually take advantage of that benefit even today.. you were sorta seen as less of a man if you took disability and didnt have a severe problem... the culture from 2000 forward has been very different.. the 21st century military has been put through the ringer.. and the service members believe that the govt made them a promise (the same promise it made to me, that I chose not to cash in on).. and they expect the government to honor it..

Nothing says a person that is 100% service disabled cannot work.. the VA disability program is not the same thing as SSDI.. I know A LOT of 100% service disabled veterans that not only work, but work in very physical fields... (one happens to be a member here).. nothing in the law or the VA rules says they cant do that.. their disability pay is about what they have done and what they have suffered as a result.. not about them being unable to work moving forward and therefore compensating them.. the rating most recieve is called a 100% Scheduler rating which provides no limitations to the veteran.. they can do any work they want to do, however much they want to do it..

Only if they get a 100% TDIU rating (which is uncommon and usually tied to mental health issues or brain issues, but can be given for severe back issues, etc).. are there any limitations on the work they can do..

SSDI is a completely different animal.. there is rampant fraud in SSDI.. I dont think anyone would dispute that..

 

[spike.t]

the argument that "enlisted" are who are abusing the VA disability program and not including the officer corps in the equation is flawed..

on the surface it might look that way.. there are certainly a lot more enlisted guys receiving disability pay than former officers...

That said.. Officers only make up 18% of the entire US military.. there are 4+ E's serving for every 1 O..

Then consider that the average length of service for an E is 6 years (that factors in everyone.. guys that do 1 tour.. guys that retire after 20.. guys that retire after 30, etc)... and the average length of service for an O is 12 years...

So.. there's a ton more turnover among the E ranks.. which means, if you do the math, there is actually roughly 8 E's coming out that might be eligible for disability for every 1 O at any given moment..

Then factor in that enlisted ranks, depending on their MOS, can still be directly involved in combat operations their entire careers.. in certain fields it is not uncommon to see an E9 in a firefight..

As officers progress through the ranks they are far more involved in filling staff bilets, or in high level command bilets, or senior administrative bilets that remove them from the daily grind of carrying heavy shit around, listening to loud noises, etc..etc.. (they will still do it their entire careers.. but to a much lessor degree than the enlisted guys)..

So E's end up with injuries at a higher rate.. and more specifically end up with severe injuries at a much higher rate..

So OF COURSE there a shit ton load more enlisted guys with a disability rating than officers.. there are a shit ton load more enlisted guys, that have a much higher turnover rate.. and they get exposed to a shit ton load more harmful "stuff" for a longer periods of time..

I dont have the data.. but if I had to guess, from a % of the total force basis there are however probably just as many officers drawing disability from the VA as there are enlisted, if not potentially more..

whatever "fraud" might be going on would be most likely equal among the O's as it is the E's (although I am highly doubtful that any "fraud" is rampant as it really isnt that hard to get a disability rating.. if your ears ring its an automatic 10%... and EVERYONES ears ring after just a few years of service)...

theyre not defrauding the government when they draw disability for diagnosed ailments.. they are simply taking advantage of a system that the government put in place in 1945 that prior generations were often encouraged to not take advantage of..

How the fk you have the patience time after time I honestly haven't a clue.....mmm....just to mess with your patience if you ever come hunt here....which I have basically given up on....but you can have a blue duiker on the house.....then I can watch and and have a quiet laugh ....