Simpson Blames Fiscal Mess On Veterans!

"You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"

There are words which resonate, reverberate, and echo through the consciousness of those of us who have lived long enough to have a sense of history.  We find inspiration and fortitude in them.

Not so strangely, those words have invariably sprung forth from people of liberal belief in the concept of decency, justice, fairness, dignity, and respect for all peoples: "I have a dream", "Wrong is still wrong if every one's doing it, and right is still right if no one's doing it!" and, of course, those words above, spoken to a mentally unbalanced Senator Joseph McCarthy by Joseph N. Welch during the "Red Scare" Army Hearing in the 1950's

Now, here we are, more than a half-century later with another deranged (former) senator, Alan Simpson, outdoing even the drunken and deranged McCarthy with venomous attacks on people deserving his respect.  Recently, we've written of his manic diatribes against the Older Women's League and seniors, working people and retirees everywhere and the outrage expressed by leaders from many national organizations.

But now, like McCarthy he has gotten carried away with himself, and has attacked veterans as being one of the causes of the current financial mess.  You breathed agent orange--it's your fault, Jack!  You have PTSD, or lost an arm or leg, or suffer a head injury, or are blinded, scalded, burned or otherwise maimed?  Too bad, so sad--you're costing this country a boatload of money!

Now, let me pause and quickly answer the above question.  No, the ridiculous old bastard has no sense of decency at all! 

Simpson: "The irony (is) that the veterans who saved this country are now, in a way, not helping us save the country in this fiscal mess."

Outrageous in it's implications that veteran's with health problems, and who are using the benefits they were promised and earned, are somehow at the root of the country's financial mess; the statement demonstrates a callous disconnect from reality.

Simpson, is a former Republican Senator, now serving on the President's deficit commission is a veteran himself and was once chairman of the Senate's Veteran's Affairs Committee.  He really ought to know better.  Which leaves us believing that his tawdry hi-jinks are not mere lapses in self-restraint, but more along the order of a major deterioration of his mental capacities.  Either that, or he's another example of the willful ignorance of the right-wing ideologues.

The accusation is scurrilous and appalling.  This is particularly true when we have, over the past decade, created ten of thousands of new combat veterans with service connected health problems.  Is it his plan to scapegoat veterans as he already has seniors, retirees, the elderly, the disabled, orphans and widows(ers)?

Obviously so!  No, no decency at all!

 .