The real VA scandal

It should be no surprise that the VA is so overwhelmed with vets seeking treatment that some VA bureaucrats "cook the books", hiding the long wait time for patient treatment to make the problem, in their mind, "go away". This was graphically highlighted by the CBS 60 Minutes story Sunday "The War Within: Treating PTSD". It followed the intensive seven week VA treatment given to severe cases of PTSD, estimated to afflict 400,000 Iraq and Afghan war vets, 20% of all those who served. The new program, which forces PTSD victims to repeatedly relive their traumatic experiences over and over till they can achieve some form of closure, is modeled on intensive therapy given rape victims. Listening and watching outwardly tough soldiers break down sobbing till they had to walk out of the filming was heartbreaking enough. Even more heartbreaking is the primary truth that this handful of victims and the 400,000 others were mentally shattered in totally senseless, unnecessary wars. The 60 Minutes story gave only one reason for this massive number: repeated deployments in both Iraq and Afghanistan with little recovery time in between. It would have been impolitic for CBS, a loyal member of the Fawning Corporate Media which never investigates the American war party, to offer this primary reason for a 20% PTSD rate. Economists have estimated that the real cost of these needless wars is several trillion more in long term health care to the soldiers duped into fighting them. This cost will last for much of the 21st century. That is the real VA scandal. The war party can strong arm Congress and a gullible populous for a trillion dollars or two to fight their phony wars, but they can't get either to face up to the long term dollars needed to repair the infinite misery they inflicted on the brave youngsters who fought them.

Every politician and pundit planning to use the dueling treatment-time books to score political points against the administration should ask themselves what they did to end or prevent senseless wars, and what they did to fund adequate treatment for its victims. If they did there would be deafening silence about the current VA scandal.