May 24, 2005


Used Cogs

After Vietnam Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder became an accepted diagnosis and the basis for lots of Hollywood's "B" Psycho-killer-vet movies. Unfortunately, the whole PTSD thing is becoming too real now that Preznit Crapfest Commando has his war on.

But it is the injuries you cannot see that are beginning to worry the Pentagon.

"My nightmares are so intense I woke up one night with my hands round my fiancee's throat," says Lt Julian Goodrum.
...
More than 10,000 returnees from the Iraq war have sought help for a condition in which the mundane becomes a menace.

"The smell of diesel takes me back to Iraq," Lt Goodrum says.
...
It is the nature of Iraq's insurgency of unseen snipers and roadside bombers which has fuelled the trauma.

I don't think it took any genius to have forseen the Mess that would cover Mesopotamia in darkness once Beloved Leader launched his reelection adventure across the Iraqi border. A short reading of Iraqi history would have revealed a lot about the fate of other "foreigners" who sought to control Iraq. The pundits who cried "You don't have to have served to be an expert!" are still sitting comfortably on the sidelines as the LT Goodrum's come back to face their silent ordeals at the sound of any loud noise, smell or other trigger that transports them back to that awful place.

I am glad that at least for now, the Pentagon is giving some recognition to this problem for what it is: a real medical issue that need effective, long-term treatment. The biggest danger: when the 1600 Crew decides that the cannon-fodder it sent off to war have become the "welfare queens" of their generation by fiat (as if that's not a real possibility) and decide to send another tax-break to their Pioneer buddies and corporate sycophants at the expense of our brave men and women. Who will find themselves portrayed questionably in yet another spate of "B" movies as the Psycho Killers from Another Foreign Entanglement while being marginalized with inadequate care and support from the very Chickenhawks who sent them off in the first place.
posted by Jo Fish on 05.24.05 at 07:09 PM





Comments:

You forgot one thing--democrats like ourselves will then be portrayed as having lined the avenues and boulevards, tossing buckets of spit and urine on the heads of the returning troops, while the neo-cons and pajama bloggers and keyboard kommandoes will wistfully recall how they lay rose petals and gold sovereigns at their feet.

plus ca change

 posted by: OTB on 05.25.05 at 08:00 AM [permalink]

The mess in Iraq is wounding the psyches of our troops. These wounds are just as real as those caused by shrapnel from mortars or IEDs. They will suffer from these wounds for years to come--long after chimpy, cheney, and the neocon cabal are gone. And for what? The salient irony is that when it was their turn to serve--chimpy, cheney, and the neocon cabal--they shirked. Cowards all.

posted by: mando on 05.25.05 at 09:04 AM [permalink]

King Faisal I was succeeded by his son, Ghazi, after the death of his father in December 1933. King Ghazi's reign lasted for some five and a half years, during which he claimed Iraqi sovereignty over Kuwait, as part of the former Ottoman province of Basra. An avid amateur of fast cars, the king drove into a lamppost and died instantly on April 3, 1939.


Nice post from wikipedia. i've got a pic of Richard Halliburton flying prince Ghazi heir to King Faisal's Iraq aboard his plane the "Flying Carpet", ascorted by two RAF biplanes.


If the copyer was compatable I'd send it...

 posted by: Mr.Murder on 05.28.05 at 05:19 AM [permalink]

As for PTSD, there is probably a plan to thorazine them all. make them dependent on the medication instead of wean them off by developing lower stress reintroductions to society for those showing symptomatic occurrence.

Increase aid, reduce the work hours. One thing we hate about France- their overtime starts at 34 hours. heaven forbid we pay living wages that scale for those coming back to reduce stress and improve their counseling opportunity.

it might set a dangerous precedent- living wage for all and the time free to actually practice the family values those republiclowns laud so damned much.

 posted by: Mr.Murder on 05.28.05 at 05:23 AM [permalink]


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