Letters to the Editor
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Why am I not surprised?
Why am I not surprised? This is just the vertical integration of the corporate war profiteering that has been the hallmark of this administration.
While I would not argue that select privatization of government functions is necessarily any more certain to failure than a completely incompetent government, few would argue that the relationship between the administration and numerous firms from the military / industrial complex pass any kind of smell test. This is big business, no doubt. I've seen numerous college course offerings directly on this topic, as if this is just another form of venture capital that can only run out when the printing presses stop. Yet, this remains largely unchallenged by our political leaders or much of the general public, as if people are resigned to open corruption being just a natural part of the way society works.
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Support The Troops Indeed
The people of this country must oppose any effort to privatize veterans' access to the current system, and support - post-Walter Reed, and post-Iraq and Afghanistan - a complete and legitimate political reform of sixty-year old polices on disabilities, care, and pensions.
On the whole, the VA works fairly well, in the day-to-day sense of giving care. It's a large hospital system, actually the largest in the world. Unfortunately, due to the coming crush of returning troops from current conflicts, demand is going to go up.
The American people allowed these wars to happen; the American people must do right by veterans. That's the deal.
These companies standing in line to profit from this system - or steer it to other "Blackwater" contractors - must not be allowed to diminish the use of effective government health facilities by veterans. Ideological "enablers" to the contractors shriek - over and over, year in and year out - about the dangers of "socialized medicine," aiming to destroy the system altogether.
The fact is the VA system is a working model for better health care for many Americans who do not now have it.
Tell the truth.
Keep the hacks at bay.
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the good news is..
that this information is sometimes available. the bad news is, often it is not. maybe a nation that expects public activity to benefit the public, should require that all public activity take place in public.
politicians and bureaucrats will explain the need for secrecy, "but they would say that, wouldn't they."
i reckon anything you won't talk about in public, you are ashamed of doing, or avoiding jail.
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I think the spineless Democrats will allow his confirmation
But even if they do, Peake only has a year and some to run his shell games.
When the Democratic Party takes the White House in '09, I propose TAMMY L. DUCKWORTH for Secretary of Veteran's Affairs.
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What's wrong with privatization?
The article quotes: "This administration, besides the cronyism, they have this ideologue thing that government is bad and privatization is good,"
It seems to me that Salon has the bias that privitazation is bad and government good. I worked for the Federal Gov't. 3 months was all I could stand. Never again have I encountered a workplace with more stupid rules and less effort at getting the job done. I've spent a fair amount of my career working for Gov't contractors (not anything to do with the VA or DOD). Based on my experience,I find it easy to believe that contracting out work to for-profit companies is a more effiecient and effective way to deliver services.
My parents are on Medicare. Their health care is delivered by an HMO, not the Gov't. They get SUPERB care. I've been a consumer of health care in 4 countries, including England's NHS. And my parents get by far the best care. The clinic my father was in makes the NHS hospitals look half way to the third world.
In any situation, Gov't or private, non-profit or for-profit, needs to have accountability. Effective methods to measure performance.
The article didn't provide any evidence to suggest that the contracts to QTC were not adequately reviewed. The US Gov't has a huge number of contractors in just about every branch. Are you suggesting to nationalize it all?
As a final point, Blackwater is a red herring. It's a disgrace, but operating where bullets and IEDs are flying is a completely different situation than operating in the US.
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Agree with Malusinka
"Profiteering"...boy, there's a word you don't hear much outside of the old Soviet Union. Apparently, private business and profit are not just wrong, but sinful, in the eyes of libwit neo-Puritans.
One can support or oppose privatization in various contexts, but to try to turn it into a universal sin is seriously stupid. Then again, so are anti-capitalistic libwits.
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Thanks Mark Benjamin
I made a comment on the first sentence blue 'hit' from your last expose. shush.
Ya's are not supposed to be awarded a purple pimple. If on the butt is a wound that deserves a Purple Heart, it's because hot metal lodged in the hind-quarter. O, so we now get an award of a prestigious Purple Pimple!
When I was on convalescent leave in 1970, or maybe it was called remaining on the Hospital Hold Attachment? I forget. It was a festering left leg that would not heal and my date to get out of the army had passed. S0- To Remain in The Service at the convenience of the government was the only reality for me. Can't send a vet to the dog kennel with a leg still seeping pus. SO- because the left leg oozed with a bone-rot osteomyelitis infection-?-~
Honest. A job the army assigned me was the Medical Library. At Kimbrough Army Hospital, at Fort Meade, Maryland, there were good staff too.
I had the "privilege" of Xeroxing medical disabilities ratings. I'll never forget reading the combined %-scale of a retiring general.
You know: 2% for mortar to the head for a Pfc, a 10 % for a lost limb, and for a Lt.General- a 14% for a purple pimple on the behind rear area. I'm trying to not exaggerate, but, it is important to communicate the truth via "hyperbole" illustrations.
In addition to all the combined percentage disabilities- I not joking-- was hemorrhoids on one creepy generals compensation retirement package.