hwood007

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

you should read the health plan in the new bill and see how the military will soon be paying much more for medical care. Let me see, we bust them up and then charge them more to fix them. we may have a manpower problem if that really happens.


On Mar 02 01:56 PM Welcome Home Soldier, Thanks for the Sac wrote:

> Welcome Home Soldier, Thanks for the Sacrifices – Invisible Costs
> of the Iraq War
>
> By James Rickman , (Author / Entrepreneur – March 3, 2009)
>
> Most breathed a sigh of relief as the new President announced the
> troops would return from Iraq by the end of August 2010. Gee, what
> a treat for their sacrifices. They return to a country trillions
> of dollars in debt, financial chaos, Wall Street bailouts, growing
> 10% unemployment, increased crime, school budget cuts, and broken
> healthcare systems. It should be no wonder if a solider or two questions
> just what their sacrifices really accomplished.
>
> So far very little open national dialogue has focused around caring
> for the returning soldiers, the “invisible” costs of the Iraq war.
> For example, a recent RAND Center - National Security Research Division
> study found that of the 1.64 million troops deployed since October
> 2001; of those an estimated 620,000 return with invisible wounds
> including, serious mental health and cognitive disabilities: post-traumatic
> stress disorder (seekingalpha.com/symbo...), major suicidal
> depression and traumatic brain injury (seekingalpha.com/symbo...).
>
>
> Given the sobering statistics, perhaps the national dialogue might
> pause just for a moment from its focus on Wall Street bailouts, to
> consider the lifetime costs associated with war time lost lives,
> injuries, and medical treatments estimated at between $700 billion
> and $1.2 trillion through 2015.
>
> For example, annual costs of a single service member diagnosed with
> moderate traumatic brain injury reached $383,227 in 2007. All of
> these related conditions affect mood, thoughts, and behavior; yet
> these invisible wounds often go unrecognized and unacknowledged.
> The effects of mental health and traumatic brain injury are sometimes
> poorly understood, leaving a large gap in knowledge related to how
> extensive the problem is or how to address it.
>
> Iraq war soldiers are found to return with very high rates of suicide,
> intimate / marriage relationship and substance abuse problems, unable
> to hold jobs, homelessness, and other disabling social issues. It
> will require significant trained medical staffing to coordinate the
> large numbers of soldiers and their families that will seek treatment
> some for the rest of their lives.
>
> Most would not dispute that mistakes were made in launching the Iraqi
> military campaign but we should accept what has occurred remaining
> focused on providing the best possible treatment for those men and
> woman returning with invisible wounds.
>
> The 1.64 million brave soldiers gave their hearts and sole in support
> of our country despite many questions that will linger on forever
> as to the mission and its effectiveness in accomplishing any significant
> tangible goals that actually improve the daily lives of Americans.
>
>
> Based on the facts one must ask former President, George W. Bush;
> was the Iraq war more important than investing in competitive jobs,
> better education for our kids, crumbling infrastructure and healthcare
> for the 48-million plus Americans with no medical coverage?
>
> Are Americans more secure as a result of the Iraqi war? Was it all
> simply a misguided distraction during years of opportunity to investment
> in rebuilding at a predictably critical strategic time that would
> have enabled the United States of America to maintain it’s now lost
> global leadership role.
>
> Were there other critical national security interests to begin planning
> for such as the coming “clean water” crisis, already being addressed
> by many Asian countries, that has the potential to devastate large
> segments of global populations effecting food supply, disease sanitation,
> and employment?
>
> For example, California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenagger’s declared
> a state-of-emergency due to draught and clean water issues that have
> cost that state over $2.8 billion and 95,000 jobs lost in 2008.
>
>
> This is only a small preview of the coming global clean water crisis
> that could leave 20% of the Earth’s species extinct, one fact already
> being studied by leading scientist such Dr. James Martin of the Oxford
> University Institute of Science & Civilization.
>
> Perhaps these questions bare serious scrutiny and truthful answers,
> so that future decisions of national security involving trillions
> of tax-payer dollars are better spent next time on directly improving
> people’s lives.
>
> As the new President, Obama stated, “the time of reckoning” has arrived.
> Every one of our citizens should make standard of living sacrifices
> for the good of the whole. By 2025 the worldwide population is calculated
> to exceed eight (8) billion people, a level that will consume resources
> beyond the capacity found on Earth.
>
> Obama made his initial opening move on a health care overhaul last
> week: his speech to Congress and a budget that set aside $634 billion
> over 10 years as a down payment on coverage for all Americans. It's
> a goal that could ultimately cost $1 trillion or more.
>
> The Obama Health Plan attempts to expand coverage while slowing the
> rate of increase in costs. Administration officials say they hope
> that will lead to a more affordable system, without the coverage
> gaps that now leave an estimated 48-million people uninsured.
>
> Regardless of how the crisis dialogue is often presented, the fact
> remains starting in 2010 the Iraq mission will end as thousands of
> soldiers that have been deployed for months and years will return
> to our country. Over 620,000 of these returning soldiers are known
> to require temporary and costly lifetime disability treatment for
> invisible wounds, a symptom of their sacrifice to our country. <br/>
>
> The costs of being lead astray with neat slogan campaigns is the
> real, “shock and awe” that will haunt America not in some far off
> land but rather increasingly close at home requiring we deliver truthful
> answers to the people of our country so that we can find innovative
> practical solutions.
>
> How could we have been lead so astray? JFK once said, “We have nothing
> to fear but fear it- self”. In this case these are fitting words
> to ponder, we might all take a moment to examine the depth of “fear”
> tactics that manipulated many decent people.
>
> Did the facts ever really exist to justify launching the decade long
> war costing trillions of American tax-payer dollars that resulted
> in the displacement of an estimated 5.2 million Iraqi people?
>
> Instead of chasing “terrorists” in Iraq, should we have used that
> money here at home to rebuild tangible national security interests
> including, innovative training and education, infrastructure and
> affordable health care?
>
> Throughout history America has always lead the world not only as
> an economic power but even more important is its defining role as
> the “truthful, moral and ethical” beckon of light.
>
> Perhaps, we should each thoughtfully consider the millions of citizens,
> soldiers and their family’s lives that could have been spared the
> scars of deep wounds that will cost this country and others worldwide
> for generations.
> ###
>
> About Author
> As the Founding principal partner of Sustainable Virtual BiZ, LLC.
> Mr. Rickman has over 18-years of enterprise experience and he's an
> expert in sustainable "green" virtual business support services.
> He is a member of the Oregon Sustainability Angels Network - venture
> capital association.
>
> He is a Founding Director of Business Development for Artel Software,
> Inc., IMAGRAPH Corporation, and Interactive MicroSystems, Inc. He
> is a sought after published technical evangelist including COMDEX
> (Consumer Electronics) and the (seekingalpha.com/symbo...)
> National Association of Broadcasters. He holds advanced degrees from
> Boston University.
>
> In his free time, Mr. Rickman enjoys involvement in educational service
> roles within the Portland State University, Hillsboro, and Beaverton,
> Oregon community. His hobbies include reading, golf, SCUBA, hiking,
> kayaking, and fishing.