Tag: Military
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Duncan Hunter Draws a False Comparison
“I was an artillery officer, and we fired hundreds of rounds into Fallujah, killed probably hundreds of civilians. Probably killed women and children if there were any left in the city when we invaded. So, do I get judged too?”
— Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) said he probably killed “hundreds of civilians” while serving as an artillery officer in Fallujah, KPBS reports.
In Past Four Years 500 U.S. Military Officials Sanctioned
500
USA Today: “Since 2013, military investigators have documented at least 500 cases of serious misconduct among its generals, admirals and senior civilians, almost half of those instances involving personal or ethical lapses.”
Coast Guard Head Expresses Support for Transgender Troops
“We have made an investment in you and you have made an investment in the Coast Guard, and I will not break faith.”
— U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Paul Zukunft, pledging he “will not break faith” with transgender personnel, “marking the strongest rebuttal yet by a leader of the armed forces to President Trump’s declaration that he wants to ban all transgender troops,” Politico reports.
Wide Majority Approves of Transgender Service Members
68% to 27%
A new Quinnipiac poll finds American voters say by a 68% to 27% margin, including 55% to 39% among voters in military households, that transgender people should be allowed to serve in the military. Republicans oppose transgender service, 60% to 32%, but every other party, gender, education, age or racial group supports transgender service by margins of 22 percentage points or higher.
Trump’s Mar-A-Lago Trips Cost More than Transgender Troops Medical Care
0.14%
In announcing his ban on transgender people in the military, President Trump said that taxpayers “cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Except that USA Today points out that trans troops don’t really cost that much: “A report for the Pentagon last year found that transition-related care would cost between about $2.4 and $8.4 million per year — less than 0.14% of the military’s medical budget. That’s roughly the cost of four of Trump’s trips to Mar-A-Lago.”
Army Misses Recruitment Goal
14%
Percentage by which the Army fell short of the recruits it needs to fill its ranks, “marking the first time in six years — and only the third in the last 20 — that it may fall short of its recruiting goal for the year,” USA Today reports.
Unemployment Unacceptably High for Veterans
11.8%
The shameful unemployment figure for veterans. For the population at large, unemployment is less than 9%. Even worse, for veterans ages 20 to 24, the figure is closer to 30%.
Does Anyone Remember What the Mission We Accomplished Was?
Because after a decade of war, the nation that we need to build is our own.
— Pres. Barack Obama, announcing all American troops will depart Iraq by year-end.
The Right’s Target List
This list was started on Twitter, by Peter Daou:
As I’ve said, the right’s target list speaks volumes: unions, scientists, academics, public broadcasters, health providers, women.
We can think of a few more.
- Gay people, especially those in long-term, loving relationships who want to marry and/or adopt children
- Veterans, once they’ve been injured, maimed, or traumatized in defense of our country
- Children, when they are out of the womb and require food, health care, or education
- People who adhere strictly to religious faiths, unless it’s Christianity
- Anyone who wasn’t born an American citizen but yearns to become one
- Doctors who want to protect children from accidental shootings
- Mass transit, renewable energy, and anything else that does not involve paving more land for more cars and SUVs
We’ll stop now but please keep this list going. What else do Republicans, tea partiers, and the right want to get rid of?
