There are members of Congress and the general public at-large who have spent the better part of the past decade lionizing that dreadful day in September 2001. You know the day I'm talking about. The day several planes crashed into buildings in New York City and Washington D.C.?
These folks have supported a massive increase in defense spending and two wars (that genuinely were NOT connected to 9/11). They have supported the evisceration of the Bill of Rights in the name of protecting God-fearing Amerkons from evil "terrorists." And they have memorialized every Christian American citizen (none of them thar foreigners or...eh gads...non-Christians) who died in that horrific tragedy.
Yet, for all their devotion to this so-called seminal event in the vaunted history of the red, white and blue, they seem completely disinterested in supporting a bill that would extend needed medical benefits and just compensation to the first responders of 9/11. It makes no rational sense whatsoever!!!
Today the senate finally was able to muster enough votes to pass a much weakened version of the bill. The original incarnation called for $7.4 billion, but the final passed version almost cut this amount in half. For all the political mileage that the opponents of the bill have squeezed out of the tragedy, this seems like a cold slap in the face to those individuals and families who have suffered most from the continued ravages of 9/11.
But it's not simply this one issue. Over the past few years, I've noticed that many of our congressional war hawks are the very same people who vote against VA benefits, mental health services and employment assistance programs for returning veterans. These folks seem all enthused about war itself, but seem to care little for those who have served and been used up by those very wars.
Anyone care to explain to me the logic here?
These folks have supported a massive increase in defense spending and two wars (that genuinely were NOT connected to 9/11). They have supported the evisceration of the Bill of Rights in the name of protecting God-fearing Amerkons from evil "terrorists." And they have memorialized every Christian American citizen (none of them thar foreigners or...eh gads...non-Christians) who died in that horrific tragedy.
Yet, for all their devotion to this so-called seminal event in the vaunted history of the red, white and blue, they seem completely disinterested in supporting a bill that would extend needed medical benefits and just compensation to the first responders of 9/11. It makes no rational sense whatsoever!!!
Today the senate finally was able to muster enough votes to pass a much weakened version of the bill. The original incarnation called for $7.4 billion, but the final passed version almost cut this amount in half. For all the political mileage that the opponents of the bill have squeezed out of the tragedy, this seems like a cold slap in the face to those individuals and families who have suffered most from the continued ravages of 9/11.
But it's not simply this one issue. Over the past few years, I've noticed that many of our congressional war hawks are the very same people who vote against VA benefits, mental health services and employment assistance programs for returning veterans. These folks seem all enthused about war itself, but seem to care little for those who have served and been used up by those very wars.
Anyone care to explain to me the logic here?
There is no rational logic (or compassion). Politics is all about trade-offs and bargaining.
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