“HEY DUBYA, THERE WAS AN AXIS OF EVIL . . . & IT WAS YOU & YOUR PARTNERS IN CRIME!”

By, Jay H. Berman

A Guest Commentator for ronrambles.com

Creator & Publisher, Ron Tenin

The accused “Criminal of Crawford” needs a vacation from . . . well . . . his vacation.  Asleep at the wheel for most of his eight years of continuous disaster in D.C., the inimitable G.W.B. travels frequently.  But, curiously, his destinations have not included Europe.  In 2011, he wanted to take his dirty laundry to Switzerland of all places.  The Swiss like things neat & clean, so maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.  The thing is – The “Decider” may have been advised that there was no room left on this side of the Atlantic for his evil deeds.  But, our friends across the pond weren’t having it.  Maybe “The Blair Man” might’ve tried to sneak his good ol’ buddy in by the dark of night.  Not a bad wager, considering their mutual fondness for darkness.  

“What is going on here you ask? Oh boy, strap in readers, you’re going to love this one!”

I know it’s hard to believe, but Dubya really had been invited by The United Israel Appeal to speak at their gathering in peace loving neutral Switzerland.  This was back in 2011.  The Swiss love their banks & may be accused of many things, but direct military engagement is not one of them; reported ties to the Third Reich of WWII Nazi Germany notwithstanding.  Besides, that was just a minor footnote in history as far as the Swiss bankers are concerned.  After all, they have more pressing concerns, like vaults & green pieces of paper with famous Americans pictured on them

“But hold on now ladies & gents, it gets crazier as this story unfolds.”

The trip was DOA via demonstrative protestations by multiple human rights groups.  To be more precise, the planned excursion died before it even got off the ground.  Last week, ronrambles.com asked the question, “The Bush Gang, or, The Chain Gang?”  This week, we decided to look further.  Swiss officials were called upon in 2011, to intercept the former occupant of the Oval Office, & escort him to a different type of gathering, (one clearly not to his liking).  More plainly, they were flat out asked to arrest Dubya & investigate him for authorizing torture!

In between naptime & enjoying his milk & cookies, G.W.B. likes to gaze at a map of the world, wondering where Iraq & Afghanistan are.  Sometimes, his “handlers” figure out where he should go next.  Remember, he likes to travel, especially to Orlando, Fl., & I’ll give you one guess why.  But Europe, with all its great cities & rich culture, art, & history, also has a history of international prosecutions; so it’s really interesting that he has gone out of his way to avoid it.

But a Bush mouthpiece “explained” – his cancellation of the 2011 trip was due to the probability of protests, “not at all having anything to do with possible arrest.”

“Of course, we know Good Ol’ George would never fib, right?!”

Now get this . . . Switzerland is attached to the UN Convention against Torture, & Amnesty International along with the Center for Constitutional Rights have said they are obligated because of this to investigate him; which may lead to potential prosecution.

Swiss authorities received a memo from Amnesty International in 2011that points out Bush admitted in his own writings since leaving office, that he approved water-boarding & other forms of torture; as interpreted by the Geneva Conventions & adopted by The U.N.  This includes detentions & interrogations in Afghanistan, Abu Ghraib & Gitmo.  However, still – no top ranking U.S. officials have been investigated, & there is likewise no accountability for C.I.A. crimes in secret detention facilities, according to the Secretary General of Amnesty International.

Bush might have faced investigation and potential prosecution for torture and other crimes in international law; 147 countries are part of the UN Convention against Torture. “US authorities have failed to bring President Bush to justice & the international community must step in,” quoting Salil Shetty, Amnesty International Secretary General, who along with his organization has been unsuccessful in these efforts.  A 2,500-page complaint against Bush was ready to be filed in Swiss court on behalf of two Guantanamo detainees by The Center for Constitutional Rights; yes indeed you guessed it, back in 2011 in lieu of the derailed Swiss trip.  I tried to confirm this, but George won’t take my calls.  Rumor has it that “His Pacifiers” say I ask too many questions & G.W.B. doesn’t like questions, especially the ones about his time in the White House!

Meanwhile, Dubya “decided” to sit at home on his throne instead, & then take a nap after watching Fox News, aka “the other Comedy Channel.”  Or, “Unfair & unbalanced,” along with whatever else you wish to call it.  Oh, one more thing folks, “an un-named source” claims, that George knows what those rectangular things inside The Bush Library, containing all the paper are.  He just can’t understand why they’re not filled with nice pictures instead of all those funny looking black markings.  

                      Several months back…I went on a date…we first met in cyber-land. The benefits of online dating sometimes make sense. You get to pick the age range, general points of common interest.You can look at photo’s…and narrow the field… giving you a general idea of who you might be compatible with. You can talk on the phone and email and text..and by the time you meet in the real world you have a pretty good sense of who your meeting…not like the true blind dates of yesteryear.

            Even so,  I had no idea   what “profession” my date had. We had a nice dinner and I came to learn that my date had spent 25 years with the FBI. I found out that South Florida is home to some big time FBI offices. We had a most interesting discussion.  I had always wondered if my “blogo-sphere activism” caught the attention of the FBI. I spoke about my blog…and having 20,000+ twitter followers and garnering some  100,000+ hits per month.

      When I asked her if the FBI had a file on me ..she looked at me with a wry smile. She said most assuredly, the FBI had my “information” at there fingertips. Millions of Americans have digital files..she explained ..”that’s what the FBI does “Never mind I have never been arrested , I don’t own a gun…and never given law enforcement any reason to be wary of me…or so I thought.

     The government has unfettered access to anything and everything. Big brother…Big sister…take full advantage of public information ..private information…no warrants needed to find out pretty much anything they want on anyone. Google now reads our private emails…and if we talk about buying a new house..low and behold the Internet immediately has ads for home mortgages and furniture store specials.

   Now we find out that the Democrat’s have used that power to put the magnifying glass on those that threaten  their power. Conservative groups, tea party affiliated groups…and those Koch boys apparently received extra special scrutiny. It seems groups more favorable towards the Democrats received much less scrutiny.

   Somehow, I’m feeling some sympathy towards any group that receives uneven scrutiny based on partisan political leanings. I’m feeling that lot’s of American’s are uneasy about this slanted treatment.

Maybe the conservatives has a point when they argue government is too big…and should be smaller and less intrusive? Is there a backlash brewing in America…are regular citizens put off by government collecting information…and offering uneven treatment to it’s citizens?   Will Democratic arrogance create an unexpected backlash towards governmental manuverings? Is the Obama “bully” pulpit about to breathe life into a beleaguered Republican party?

One investor who is a billionaire named Elon Musk made an announcement that created a firestorm for the man with a “Planetary Face” [i.e. - Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook fame]. Mr. Musk apparently plans to, (or has already), severed his ties to the Facebook creator. Why? By now the world knows of the severely negative controversy that swirls around the social media “boy blunder.” The Zuck Man made more than a few enemies over his political advocacy regarding immigration.

That’s just for starters, because a wide media spectrum reported the unfolding story. Traditional newspapers like U.S.A. today, & internet giant Huffington Post, are only two examples. In fact, it seems several news organizations additionally ran another story about Yammer founder David Sacks. He was formerly closely connected to Musk & is also distancing himself from Zuck brainchild, Fwd.us – the political startup at the center of this storm.

Has Fwd.us – created by Zuckerberg to advocate for immigration reform seemingly backfired? It would appear so, (at least temporarily to some degree), based upon the upheaval & uproar highlighted by investor ads being pulled or threatening such & other financial supporters, who verbalized their opposition.  Basically, the problem is said to be that Fwd.us, while advocating for immigration reform that would otherwise represent a progressive move forward – additionally supports political suicide issues. These include the controversial Keystone pipeline project along with drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Fwd.us took powerful blows to the chin for its T.V. ads that act as campaign tools for targeted government legislators who support the dangerous environmental action cited above.

Elon Musk founded electric carmaker Tesla Motors, & he is said to be against the ads which some now seem convinced are promotional tools for “Big Oil & Gas.” One media report said that Mr. Musk initially backed Fwd.us – because he agrees with a reasoned positive plan for the white – hot topic, immigration reform.  There was also word of several additional progressive groups pulling their ads from Facebook itself. If correct, it sends a signal to Zuckerberg that it is an act of protestation along the same lines as Musk & Sacks. Meanwhile, other backers of Fwd.us have remained behind it & the T.V. ads. These include Bill Gates along with other un-named tech giants.

Russ Feingold, the former Sen. from Wisconsin, & creator of liberal political action group Progressives United spoke out sharply against the founder of Facebook. Feingold & his group favor comprehensive immigration reform. But he is dead set against tying any legislation to promoting lawmakers who represent districts comprised of a clear majority of constituents, who are said to favor the Keystone & Arctic Wildlife energy projects.

The result of all this is Zuckerberg pulling campaign ads that had already run for about a week in seven states according to parties directly involved. The Huffington Post wrote that Kate Hanson made statements attempting to spin the whole mess, putting a positive “face” back on the tarnished Zuckerberg & his activities. She is a spokeswoman for Fwd.us, who logically would be expected to do all it can to plug the dike.

“More will be revealed going forward, as lawmakers & high rollers with a stake in the game duke it out!”

America’s fastest growing ethnic group, Hispanic/Latino voters has the political clout to determine the future direction of America. Reince Priebus, Republican Nation Committee (RNC) chairman says, “Were going to engage Hispanics and Latinos like we never have before.” Some 52 million Americans identify themselves as Hispanic, which is now 17% of the United States total population.

For those Americans located in Florida, Colorado, Nevada, North Carolina, New Mexico and Virginia, the Citizens United ruling is about to become a cash cow; especially for mainstream media companies. Koch Industries along with their corporate cronies will be dropping a load of greenbacks on every media conglomerate in the “pick-sixstates.” There will be new groups with friendly sounding names, who open checkbooks for every Hispanic cause near and wide. While the billionaire bullion will actually help some people that need help, the price to pay for Americans dignity is hopefully – “NOT FOR SALE!” …

…These nefarious “gifts” carry a big price tag for all Americans.

The Koch’s are poised to anoint the Jeb Bush/Marco Rubio, (bi-lingual) presidential ticket, as the “chosen ones” to carry the GOP mantle. Forget all the sideshows and primaries – we can cut to the chase right now. The Republican ticket is ostensibly set. Funding is in place and the assault on American Democracy as we know it is “game-on.“The Republicans are pissed off and they mean big business in 2016.

Time Magazine’s, Man of the Year in 2016 will either be the Koch Brothers, (if they catch their prey), or the HISPANIC community, (if they slew the evil beasts). Will cold cash be the hallmark of the American political system in 2016? Can unlimited pandering and money deliver the “pick-six” states to the GOP? Bet early and bet often.

“Will the Koch’s finally learn The Zumba, and dance to the White-House in 2016?”

Quinnipiac University conducts one the nation’s largest & widely followed polling organizations.  Recently, multimedia sources reported its latest findings regarding Hillary Rodham Clinton.  At this time, according to the numbers crunchers she remains the 2016 Democratic Party Presidential nominee favorite.

Other household names may be in the running, but they all trail the former first lady & Obama’s first-term Secretary of State. Not surprisingly the polling strongly suggests Mrs. Clinton is not merely the favorite, but well ahead of the presumed field of potential Democratic contenders. If primaries were held today, she very well might leave her opponents far behind, whereby they’d be relegated to little more than “pretenders!”

The most pressing question for Democrats, even at this early stage, is whether or not she will run. Clinton has not yet made that clear, although many observers consider it a done deal & simply a matter of time before she formally announces her bid for the White House.  Few would argue that her party “rock star” spouse is ready & raring to go, go, and go! Former President Bill Clinton may be even more popular among Democrats than his also celebrated wife. The party faithful in their supposed best case scenario get what some view as a two for one victory in the making tag team tandem.

The Quinnipiac findings additionally pointed to a clear path to victory, [should Hillary not run], for a man who clearly wants to occupy the Oval Office. That of course is current Vice-President Joe Biden. He has run before, & was unsuccessful in his campaigns for the party’s nomination. But the V.P. is the clear favorite unless he has to go head to head against the formidable Mrs. Clinton. The poll cited here determined that if Hillary Clinton is his primary opponent, she may garner as much as 65% of potential voters compared to his 13%. Yet, if she is removed from the race, a vastly different potential scenario ensues. In that case, Biden should be the favorite, & by a wide margin.

Other names being tossed around & included in the Quinnipiac research include N.Y. Governor Andrew Cuomo,  Mass. Governor Deval Patrick & Va. Senator Mark Warner. The numbers in a field minus Hillary Clinton show Biden winning as much as 45% of voters compared to 4% for Cuomo & a paltry 1%, (or possibly even less), for Patrick or Warner. However, it still makes for interesting speculation nonetheless, because all three of these men have been seen as rising stars in the Democratic Party.

Interestingly, for those who love speculation – Joe Biden, [who presumably is a sure bet to toss his hat into the ring] – if he was a Republican instead, likely would be the proverbial, “next in line.” The political pundits, aka talking heads in some quarters, make it a habit of anointing the Republican Party faithful choice in this manner. But, reality usually speaks differently, & the buzz inside the GOP is a strong ticket of Jeb Bush & Marco Rubio in 2016.

So, it all boils down to the biggest question as yet unanswered. There is only one person who can & will answer the call. I’m putting my money on the first woman to hold the highest office in the land – Hillary Rodham Clinton. She’ll enjoy Bill Clinton & Barak Obama stumping for her, & . . .

“I envision Hillary catapulted into D.C. on the wings of a huge turnout, with women being the ultimate deciding factor!”

 Some media organizations insist the four individuals pictured above are “war criminals.”

Are they correct? Conventional major mainstream outlets like CBS & NBC recently reported it is ten years since the invasion of Iraq & the statute of limitations pertaining to criminal prosecution is quickly running out. While mainstream media may fall short of such direct accusations, a subtle implication seems clear. Should we carefully consider dramatic powerful finger pointing? The late former Pres. Richard M. Nixon & his then Sec. of State Dr. Henry Kissinger were likewise attacked in the same way. But none of these persons collectively was ever tried at The International Court at The Hague.

Today, it’s argued that G.W. Bush & his closest advisors violated constitutional imperatives. They’re seen by many as lying to Congress, & the American people. Promoting falsified evidence is fairly well accepted was a pretext to justify invasion of Iraq. We know that a Federal crime of exposing the identity of a covert CIA operative was committed. In that case, Scooter Libby, chief advisor to the Vice-President was prosecuted & found guilty. Speculation ran rampant that Dick Cheney must have known about the sordid affair.

War-profiteering on the part of Halliburton & its subsidiaries are documented; by padded invoices for fuel, food, laundry, & logistical needs. When it was discovered, the accused maintained that it was a simple matter of clerical errors. However, connecting this to the former Halliburton head, then Vice-Pres. Cheney was not accomplished.

Iraqi women & children were killed, injured and driven from their homes. Iraq did not have WMD’s, & the basic necessities of life were provided for “prior to the US invasion” – yet, not since. The US is guilty of not securing & rebuilding that nation, but constructed its largest most expensive overseas Embassy. Who benefitted financially?

More than a decade later the Iraqi people are reportedly still without electricity & necessary sanitation. Doctors, nurses, & engineers required to rebuild & serve the needs of the nation have left Iraq in huge numbers. Security is a thing of the past, & oil resources are still subject to sabotage. The Iraqi people, including high-ranking officials, live in constant fear & danger to life & limb. But, it’s true that an antagonistic relationship between the two countries did in fact exist.

Was the US invasion justified in lieu of a post 9/11 world?  Even with faulty intelligence, those defending the war reiterate that it was the right decision at the time. The fact is that confusion still remains, & we are left arguing the pros & cons.

Recently, as the US focused on its own domestic security, Iraqi civilians were killed in Baghdad by yet another bombing. Throughout the past two years, the US implemented its military troop withdrawal, & the violence within Iraq increased. This nation is far from establishing security along with basic everyday human needs.

More than a quarter of its people are unemployed, the largest percentage young males under the age of 35, are a breeding ground for ideological extremism. It’s analogous to US urban minorities whose young males endure unemployment & under-employment. This segment of Americans falls prey to the lure of gang violence & crime – young male Iraqi’s are easily drawn to indoctrination, becoming the terrorists of tomorrow.

Did the G.W. Bush administration lie & steal? Many believe the answer is yes. They did unleash terrific destructive power. But, was this done with disregard for the US Constitution they swore to uphold. Are they war criminals? A very complicated question is left to the degree that makes indictment unlikely.

Only the history of many tomorrows may have an inarguable answer.

By Borje Melin

Episcopal Bishop Wright was not the first one to get things totally wrong.  We should cut him some slack though.  We should also overlook his paternalistic bent to organize the minds of the faithful on that 1896 Sunday morning in Dayton Ohio, as he delivered truth from on high.  After all, is that not what we need society’s leaders, like bishops, to do?  Should we not leave it to the few who know what’s up to direct and control the lives of the many who don’t, and for their own best interest at that!

“If man was meant to fly,” Bishop Milton Wright exclaimed, “God would have given him wings!”

Like the rest of us who at times claim divine or perhaps self-appointed infallible endorsement for that which we know little or nothing about and, even more, for that which seriously frightens us, Bishop Wright too had his haunting fears.  It wasn’t really his 26 year old son, Orville, that troubled him so much as it was Orville’s three years older genius brother, Wilbur, who had a mind to catapult himself through the air on little more than a motorized kite with good prospects of killing himself and maybe his too easily led and spell-bound brother too in the process, thus bereaving the Bishop of his progeny.

The appeal to infallibility on matters betraying our profound ignorance, disguised personal agenda and fears has become a hallmark signature of modern discourse.  I do not intend to rail against this, however, but suggest -and sincerely so – that we should kindly and gently overlook it.  I assure you, this strange mood is a social deficiency in transition out the door, its demise hastened as we continue to require more and more transparency, authenticity and accountability in our dealings with each other.

Currently we still resort to the curious practice of ensuring ‘certainty’ and authority by labeling our enemies and all non – or wrong – believers.  Label it and it is so.  The truth is defended and the enemy, always those labeled ones with the black cowboy hats, is vanquished.

As a seminary student, a lifetime ago, I was urged to establish (read label) and defend a personal theology to stream me and carry me through life.  This, I was told, should provide a decent living and afterward take me hopefully to heaven if I got it right – if possibly a different heaven to those with different theologies.  Labeling offered the religious community a welcome certainty and comfortable alternative to the struggle of faith and the enigma of embracing the miraculous.

It was apparently important for me to determine whether God was supra or infra-lapsarian , whether I decided that “baptized” babies who were sprinkled with water had the same chance of making heaven as adults who were solidly drenched in a water tank, river or lake. I needed to declare whether eternity was to descend on human history in a pre, post or a-millennial time frame and whether that should indeed come with a side label of mid, pre or post-tribulation.  Finally, I needed to avoid the ‘moral failure’ label, a designation that came with an automatic life suspension from church leadership and loss of a passport for heaven.

Later in life I have settled for being a pan-millennial (it will all pan out in the end) and Little Bo Peep theology (leave all of God’s people alone and they will come home wagging their tails behind them.)  In fact I have come to understand that we are all already home.  Not aware of this beautiful truth just yet we still desperately dream of how to create hell on earth to ensure that our version of a sad, lonely and dangerous reality is widely adopted.  It is clear that this is the strategy.  What is not as clear is any possible gains that may be realized from this strategy.

As an unenthusiastic champion of religious labels and absent a passionate interest in theology there turned out to be minimal prospect for me to experience and understand life primarily within the benefits and embrace of an ecclesiastical context.

Now, I sincerely said we should cut people some slack who are casting about trying to be “right” when clearly in over their heads.  You would not be angry at someone, who asleep, dreams that they are a pink elephant, would you?  Understand, people are asleep. They are dreaming of being trapped in sin, shortages of every kind and separation from each other and from the All-That-Is. They dream that they are defined and limited by time and space. In this dream they are a body that finds itself possibly among some good but certainly mostly among other bad and dangerous bodies.  Their body can hurt or be hurt by other bodies. The rules are that the last body standing wins.  In case of a tie, the more beautiful and thinner body get the trophy although it hasn’t exactly been determined what that could be. It can’t be fame because that needs admirers and in this aspired scenario everyone else’s body is dead.  It can’t be heaven because that’s about community & sharing…joy and that stuff.

This context of self as marginalized, challenged, and isolated spawns social behaviour and rationale as bizarre as this invented and impoverished version of life. For example, if you follow and trust U.S. politics you could be forgiven for believing global warming is a derivative of the political will of the people and that it has no reality outside of this scope. If Americans vote into power the Democrat label, global warming is acknowledged and remedial legislation and political initiative is activated to ‘save the world’.  If a majority of people vote the Republican label the problem is solved because there is no global warming.

In the case of a divided vote, tune in your favourite self-echoing entertainment on Fox News or ESPN and join the label war. The enemy is always the one you paste with negative labels.  Pro Choice/Pro-Life for example are home team shirts while Pro-Abortion/Anti-Abortion are pasted labels for away games.  God or self-as-God is always on your side as you fight or support your cause, be it abortion, homosexuals, atheism, God-fearing Christians,  immigrants, criminals, social equity, diversity, military supported economics, more guns or less guns and a host of other issues that divide.

If you are a government, strategic labels like “foreign fighters” are handy to introduce and ingrain for it will allow you to invent whole new illogical and separate systems of legislation and incarceration once those unable and unqualified to lead themselves have bought into the “truth” and impact of these new labels.  If you are a government official it is imperative that you look straight into the camera when you use these newly minted labels.  You must look deadly serious without a hint of a smirk or smile.  Using phrases like “read my lips” and “make no mistake” should seal the matter. Studies show wearing a tie of the appropriate colour and fashion will help maximize the authenticity of this construct.

I suggest we set aside all this uproar and dramatic finger pointing. Being asleep to reality and believing we are the arbiter of how things really are, we routinely deny the wonder of life and the wonder of every single person we have met or will ever meet.  I offer a more enlightened approach that can enliven society and help us escape this madness.  It will also considerably lighten our journey as we can dispose of all labels and their cumbersome baggage.

An introduction to this wholeness is found in two defining questions Albert Einstein posed. First, do you believe you are in an always friendly or an always hostile universe and, secondly, do you believe all of life or none of life is miraculous.  These are bifurcated issues that cannot be straddled with any more ease than a tall picket fence nor blended with any conceivable survival of credibility, coherence and logic.  A little of both alternatives, though too often opted for, is a recipe for impotence, disaster and confusion.

-  It should be observed that not everyone seeks to eliminate confusion. Confusion is sought by some as a valued strategy to achieve their ends. Having lost their moral compass and their way the goal becomes simply to stay ascendant in the game by deliberately introducing the mayhem of non-logic and grabbing control. -

The real insight into the accelerating change toward social enlightenment and progress that is upon us lies in these  two poignant questions of this sage who left us almost six decades ago; it also lies in a new understanding of the real quarterback of our bodies and society, the human heart.  That is for another blog and until then I leave you to contemplate the wisdom of Albert’s two questions and look forward to hearing from you.

Millions of Americans stand tall & steadfastly support returning combat vets from the ravages of war. But the plain truth is that the government who sent them off to distant lands has failed them. The U.S. war machine that torments its adversaries with ferocity heretofore unknown to mankind – does not ably supply its wounded warriors with a successful transition back to civilian life. This amounts to a morally contemptible & spiritually bankrupt military that is unable or unwilling to take proper care of its own!

Statements as harsh as these must be supported by proper verification lest they be relegated to the ranting of a madman. The following documentation shall provide more than ample supply of credible evidence in support of these outrageous accusations. I have extracted in large part materials taken directly from the archives of U.S. government agencies & organizations.

Among others, a giant multifaceted grass-roots non-profit nationwide program has both corporate & individual support. This is known as Operation Home-Front & Wounded Warrior Project. Large U.S. corporate sponsors provide necessary supports for volunteers in all fifty states who do the work that our government fails to. They provide counseling, housing, peer support, financial resources, reintegration programs, educational opportunities, business assistance, & family supports. Why do organizations such as these exist in the first place, & why must they operate on such a huge scale? It is exactly because the government’s military structure is not getting the job done.

The work of this non-profit & many more like them are only urgently needed as a result of abject failure on the part of the U.S. Dept. of Defense & the Veterans Administration. Failure to properly & effectively take care of its own can be witnessed through a variety of lenses. The aforementioned organization has been hailed by these very agencies as, “doing great work.” Is this not in & of itself an admission of guilt without intending such? For, why else are the people of this nation forced to supply that which its government promises & then reneges on that promise?

Some point out that the military is doing all it can. They place blame instead on lack of adequate funding via the Congress of the U.S. While this must be taken into consideration, for its truth clearly has merit, funding alone does begin to tell the whole story. It is true that both the D.O.D. & the V.A. have expanded & improved certain aspects of vital services. However, the military was woefully unprepared for the unusually high percentages of returning combat vets requiring extensive services. Just as we were unprepared to wage war – we were even less prepared for its aftermath.

The quagmires abroad are duplicated in design by a causal relationship. So that here in America a quagmire likewise exists that is the direct result of returning troops & facilities woefully inadequate & unprepared to meet their needs. Today, we witness homeless vets in numbers never before seen,& 40% or more are suffering from a mental illness. Suicides, addiction, domestic violence, unemployment, financial hardship, harmful sexual indiscretion, abusive relationships, & other forms of dysfunction permeate the community of returning combat vets & their families.

As drone attacks cause civilian casualties abroad, our government’s policies likewise inflict irreparable harm on afflicted civilians here at home! Paralysis, amputation, loss of vision &/or hearing, PTSD, major depressive episodes, severe anxiety disorders, insomnia, violence & inability to function & resume normal civilian activities are now all documented as the domestic result of our military interventions in Iraq & Afghanistan.

When we speak of the cost of war – usually raw data provides numbers of casualties& financial resources spent. These wars have a further long term consequence for the American people. The sights & sounds of lingering horrors brought back home within the minds & bodies of those who sacrificed all. For references to provide support for this summation & all of its particulars go to:

- D.O.D. / Dept. of Defense website

- V.A. / Veterans Administration website

- Veterans Health Administration website

- Stars& Stripes online editions, (Newspaper of the U.S. Military).

- Operation Home-Front

- W.W.P. / Wounded Warriors Project

- P.V.A. / Paralyzed Veterans of America

- ptsd-alliance.org

- The N.Y. Times archives

- Forbes Magazine archives