Support the troops - Get Rid of Bush
Today is Veteran's day. I hope all American citizens take the time to remember those that made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Paul Krugman has a great article today in the New York Times entitled "Support the Troops." Here's a portion of it:
One of George W. Bush's major campaign themes in 2000 was his promise to improve the lives of America's soldiers — and military votes were crucial to his success. But these days some of the harshest criticisms of the Bush administration come from publications aimed at a military audience.
For example, last week the magazine Army Times ran a story with the headline "An Act of `Betrayal,' " and the subtitle "In the midst of war, key family benefits face cuts." The article went on to assert that there has been "a string of actions by the Bush administration to cut or hold down growth in pay and benefits, including basic pay, combat pay, health-care benefits and the death gratuity paid to survivors of troops who die on active duty."
At one level, this pattern of cuts is standard operating procedure. Just about every apparent promise of financial generosity this administration has made (other than those involving tax cuts for top brackets and corporate contracts) has turned out to be nonoperational. No Child Left Behind got left behind — or at least left without funds. AmeriCorps got praised in the State of the Union address, then left high and dry in the budget that followed. New York's firefighters and policemen got a photo-op with the president, but very little money. For that matter, it's clear that New York will never see the full $20 billion it was promised for rebuilding. Why shouldn't soldiers find themselves subject to the same kind of bait and switch?
READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE AT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/11/opinion/11KRUG.html.
or
http://www.wws.princeton.edu/~pkrugman/
or even
http://www.pkarchive.org/
This particular blog entry was cross-posted on the new TooManyReasons.com website, which focuses on the many reasons why G.W. Bush should no longer be president.
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Today is Veteran's day. I hope all American citizens take the time to remember those that made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Paul Krugman has a great article today in the New York Times entitled "Support the Troops." Here's a portion of it:
One of George W. Bush's major campaign themes in 2000 was his promise to improve the lives of America's soldiers — and military votes were crucial to his success. But these days some of the harshest criticisms of the Bush administration come from publications aimed at a military audience.
For example, last week the magazine Army Times ran a story with the headline "An Act of `Betrayal,' " and the subtitle "In the midst of war, key family benefits face cuts." The article went on to assert that there has been "a string of actions by the Bush administration to cut or hold down growth in pay and benefits, including basic pay, combat pay, health-care benefits and the death gratuity paid to survivors of troops who die on active duty."
At one level, this pattern of cuts is standard operating procedure. Just about every apparent promise of financial generosity this administration has made (other than those involving tax cuts for top brackets and corporate contracts) has turned out to be nonoperational. No Child Left Behind got left behind — or at least left without funds. AmeriCorps got praised in the State of the Union address, then left high and dry in the budget that followed. New York's firefighters and policemen got a photo-op with the president, but very little money. For that matter, it's clear that New York will never see the full $20 billion it was promised for rebuilding. Why shouldn't soldiers find themselves subject to the same kind of bait and switch?
READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE AT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/11/opinion/11KRUG.html.
or
http://www.wws.princeton.edu/~pkrugman/
or even
http://www.pkarchive.org/
This particular blog entry was cross-posted on the new TooManyReasons.com website, which focuses on the many reasons why G.W. Bush should no longer be president.
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