[lbo-talk] Who knew? John McCain on disability, gets checks

[John Thornton]

B. wrote:
> Carrol,
>
> Could you please stop saying "such and such should not
> be a left position," etc. and instead say something
> like "such and such would not be the best position to
> take, because..."
>
> That is, just explain why something is desirable,
> good, or bad, or not. Not whether it properly
> constitutes being "left," or not. Especially since
> "the left" also, confusingly, doesn't exist to you, if
> I remember right.
>
> John's notion that military and civilian disabilities
> ought to be assessed by the same criteria seems
> sensible to me. (Or should I say it sounds "properly
> leftist" to me?) Different standards for the warrior
> caste, who it seems we are supposed to treat with
> deference, aren't right.
>
> Someone getting PTSD and thus becoming disabled from
> committing a war crime doesn't get much sympathy from
> me, in any event. Anyone assessed the levels of PTSD
> among Iraqis...?
>
> -B.
>   

I wouldn't think you'd want to exempt people from disability benefits 
because they committed a crime.
You can reserve your sympathy for whomever you wish but the above 
suggests that because a soldier commits a crime in the service they 
perform they may be less entitled to disability benefits and I'm not 
sure you really mean to say that.
I have a great deal of sympathy for service persons. I know firsthand 
the level of indoctrination they receive.
Like other criminal enterprises it correlates strongly with poverty.
Do you judge all criminals as harshly?
Even the ones who haven't been subjected to months of physical and 
psychological abuse to break them and turn them into obedient servants?

John Thornton