Support the troops

Republicans like to profess that Democrats don’t support the troops, want to lose, aid and comfort enemies, etc. Largely, Democrats tend to stick to issues and facts, and will point out disagreements with Republican tactics, rather than resorting to ridiculous fabrications like “hating the troops”.

The fact is that it’s more of an indifference that the neocon leadership of this country has for the rank-and-file troops. We’ve all heard about how billions of dollars allocated to the war against the terrorists (Afghanistan) and for oil (Iraq) have simply disappeared, but there are real ramification to the troops when you short-change the American taxpayers.

www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/23/contractor.hearing/index.html

The war against Iraq was originally sold as striking against the perpetrators of 9/11, and it would be easy because we’d be greeted as liberators, and it would be free because Iraq’s vast oil money would pay for it, and it would be very quick as it could not possibly take as long as six months. Years later it has become very clear that the chief motivator for this war is money – not just for Iraq’s oil, but also for American taxpayer dollars that can be funneled through crony contractors. The culture of corrupt contracting not only costs vast piles of money with its fraud, but it degrades the reputation of the many loyal and legitimate contractors, and worst of all it short-changes the troops themselves when they end up without the

“Tens of billions in taxpayer dollars have been lost, wasted or remain unaccounted for in Afghanistan and Iraq, and some of those funds -- and some missing weapons -- have landed in insurgents' hands.”

"As a result of this lack of oversight, billions of dollars have been lost or wasted, bad contractors have been rewarded, and shoddy workmanship -- some of which has resulted in the deaths of our soldiers -- has gone uncorrected."

To illustrate the army’s contracting path of the last decade, the work force has decreased by 50%, while the payout has increased more than 350%. Those at the top are raking in unprecedented wealth.

Thankfully, with the slight Democratic lead in the Senate, such issues can be brought to light. Senator Byrd is calling for arrests and speedy trials for any contractors accused of bilking the U.S. and Iraqi governments. This in stark contrast to previous Senate and White House action to proven fraud – forgive, pay, and renew higher contracts - if the corrupt war profiteers were friends.
Byrd said the neglect has emboldened those who have designs on embezzlement, bribery, providing shoddy goods and services or "just plain stealing." The senator from West Virginia said he would like to see more "collars and dollars" -- more arrests, indictments and recovery of lost or wasted funds.

Yet one more reason we really need a change in leadership in the White House, instead of four more years of “stay the course”.