American Voters Screw the Military Again

I used to be a little confused as to why some veterans took offense to people thanking them for their service then I read this article and it hit me like a ton of bricks.  The article is titled “The biggest and most disruptive layoffs in America are coming from the military” written by Lydia DePillis in it we learn that “The Army has already discharged 80,000 troops. The next 40,000 will be harder, especially for the communities that depend on them.  As troops poured into the Army base at Fort Drum, the rural area developed at a breakneck pace. With help from state tax breaks, developers built 3,800 units of brand-new housing and 600 hotel rooms. Troops depended on the local hospital system, which received $100 million in upgrades. The school system took on thousands more students. In an area where the last big industry — paper mills — had disappeared decades ago, the infusion of people and cash was welcome.  Now, however, the citizens of Jefferson County are bracing for a collapse. In the next few weeks, the Army is expected to announce 40,000 troop cuts to comply with Congressional budget mandates, along with many thousands more pink slips for civilian support staff. At Fort Drum, estimates suggest that 16,000 of 19,000 could leave the base, as a worst-case outcome. Counting spouses and kids, about 40,000 people — a third of the county’s population — would vanish, unless they found other employment nearby.  With permission from Congress, the Defense Department has gone through a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process five times since 1988, helping it more efficiently allocate forces after periods of rapid change. Over the past few years, while budgeting for troop levels to decline from a wartime high of 570,000 in 2012 to 450,000 by the end of fiscal year 2017 — and possibly 420,000 if budget caps aren’t lifted — lawmakers have been reluctant to grant the military’s request for the ability to close bases.”

So you say you love the troops and you thank us for willing to die so that you can continue to enjoy your lives and the freedoms that you now take more for granted than ever.  You want us to believe that when you go out and vote for politicians who do this.  You want us to believe you when you put people in office who promise to do better but do worse and for them there is no penalty.  You want us to believe you and then you turn around and place people in positions of authority that could care less about what you may have wanted in return for a few more dollars.  If you voted for and keep voting for people who say they care about the troops but when given a chance to prove it chooses to throw them under the bus then you are just as guilty as they are so do us a favor.  When it comes to thanking us for the sacrifice that we were willing to make and for the ultimate sacrifice that many of our brothers and sisters did make, don’t.  It sounds as hollow as the political promises made by those who kiss your ring for your vote but kiss the butt of those with deep pockets whose primary goal is nothing more than to increase their holdings. 

If this article sounds hostile then you can rest assured that even if you were wrong with your vote, you are right about this article.  I guess that is something you can be proud of.