McCain and the GI Bill..
April 24th, 2008 | by Dusty |For a military man to pull this bullshit..well, its down right pathetic and a travesty. The bi-partisan bill sponsored by Chuck Hagel and Jim Webb puts no limitations on the benefits for our returning soldiers who want to receive an education.
McCain didn’t like that, so he has now sponsored his own bill that puts caps on what our Iraq and Afghanistan veterans would receive. From the Washington Independent link above:
Funny, then, that the benefits in McCain’s bill fall well short of those provided by the proposal he refused to endorse. That bill, sponsored by Sens. James Webb (D-Va.) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), offers Iraq and Afghanistan vets full tuition, room, board and supplies at any state school, despite the cost. It also makes no distinction between active-duty troops and members of the Guard and Reserves — a provision added in recognition of the unprecedented reliance of today’s volunteer military on those service-members.
In fact, one of the central criticisms of the Webb-Hagel bill — from both the White House and many congressional Republicans — is that it’s too generous, and therefore will encourage service-members to abandon the military in favor of college. Offer a lesser benefit package, the theory goes, and the troops are more likely to stay in their boots. (Supporters of the Webb-Hagel bill, including a number of veterans advocacy groups, say the better benefits will encourage recruitment, therefore nullifying any retention problems that might occur on the other end.)
We can never be too generous to our returning soldiers. Not. Fucking. Ever. To even suggest that is tantamount to heresy and dare I say it…a shitty and completely bogus way to support our troops.
4 Responses to “McCain and the GI Bill..”
By Chell on Apr 25, 2008 | Reply
That’s just so fundamentally wrong! A soldier puts no caps on what he’s willing to volunteer of himself for his country. There seem to be no caps on the amount of years this insane war goes on, no caps on what this government will demand of our soldiers. Yet there should be caps on education benefits (at state schools, no less, and I don’t think that’s too extravagant) for veterans?! That’s an awful theory, that if troops are provided less of a future in return for their service, they will “stay in their boots.”
By Dusty on Apr 25, 2008 | Reply
I think you said it pretty well Chell, our soldiers do not put ‘caps’ on what they will do.
Only five percent of the population has a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan. So, this bs won’t really get much notice by the public at large.
By Chris Radulich on Apr 25, 2008 | Reply
But the Republican support our troops. Except if they need care, or armament,or anything else that cost money. Of course that is only true for the troops. For defense contractors there is no limit to their support.
By Dusty on Apr 25, 2008 | Reply
Ain’t that the damn truth Christopher. Bastids all.