A SOLDIER'S PERSPECTIVE
THE WEB'S LEADING MILITARY BLOG SINCE 2004
So, yesterday as I’m leaving for the day, I get a call from VFW-PAC reference my angry email, phone call, and blog post. I ask how the hell the VFW can endorse people like Harry “The War Is Lost” Reid, Barbara “Call Me Senator” Boxer and others.
The response he gives me is that VFW-PAC picks eight key pieces of legislations that the VFW endorsed and congressmen and women are scored based on voting for or against that legislation. It does NOT take into effect anti-military legislation that the VFW didn’t necessarily have a stance on. It doesn’t take into effect statements, briefings, testimonies, and other actions that the Congress critter may have taken outside of that legislation.
Another problem with VFW-PAC’s little formula is that it only takes into effect those that actually were able to vote on that legislation. For example, Sharon Angle isn’t an elected official in Congress, so her stance on that same legislation that would have given her a higher score than “The War Is Lost” Reid isn’t even taken into account. Therefore, their endorsement are skewed towards incumbents.
When I mentioned this the person on the other end of the phone, the response was, “well, that’s how we do it.” I asked if he thinks that maybe they need to change their formula and he responded with the one of the dumbest reasons for doing anything: “we’ve been doing it that way for years.” It reminds me of a story I’ve written about before:
Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana.
As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all the other monkeys with cold water. After a while another monkey makes the attempt with same result, all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it.
Now, put the cold water away. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs.
To his shock, all of the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs he will be assaulted.
Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one.
The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm.
Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs he is attacked.
Most of the monkeys that are beating him up have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey. After replacing all of the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the banana.
Why not?
Because as far as they know, that is the way it has always been done around here.
Basically, the VFW-PAC is a cage full of monkeys. I want nothing to do with monkeys and organizations that endorse them or give them any of my hard-earned money. This bothers me because I love my local chapter and unfortunately, they are the ones that will be most affected by this decision. However, if I pay them my dues, I know that a portion goes to the National VFW and that some money from National goes to the PAC.
[Author's Note: The OPINIONS expressed here are solely those of the author and do not represent those of any agency of the United States Government, expressly including, but not limited to, the Department of Defense or the United States Army. This site is not designed, authorized, sanctioned, or affiliated, by or with, any agency of the United States Government, expressly including, but not limited to, the Department of Defense or the United States Army. This post is in accordance with DODD 1344.10, which expressly permits me to "express a personal opinion on political candidates and issues, but not as a representative of the Armed Forces." Therefore, I hereby declare that I do not write this post as a representative of the Armed Forces. Since I no longer own this site, consider this post also in compliance with the provisions of paragraph 4.1.1.6 of DODD 1344.10.]
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Anatomy of a Military Dating Scam
to Anonn, thank you. i thought so. i just want a clear picture of his
Military Dating Scams (More Nigerian Scammers)
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Anatomy of a Military Dating Scam
New Scam to be aware of……….I am 2LT. Anderson Darrell Clinton , an off
[UPDATE] The "Face" of Military Dating Scams - The Wall of Shame
New Scam to be aware of……….I am 2LT. Anderson Darrell Clinton , an off
WAYNE KLOTZ
VFW NEEDS TO LOOK AT AMERICA’S FUTURE NOT JUST FOR ITSELF…
A VIETNAM VET
ponsdorf
CJ, That sounds like what I’ve gleaned as well.
No leftist take over, and no obvious conspiracy.
It’s the bane of every group of more than two people (or monkeys?) in history.
Inertia! Or in this case, bureaucratic inertia – arguably the hardest kind to deal with.
I sure dunno what the answer here might be, but I don’t want to ‘throw the baby out with the bath water’ either.
T. Folan
CJ
Please take VFW off of the
Military Support Groups on
the Right side of your web
site. (Below the Blogroll)
Pingback: VFW Wakes Up | A Soldier's Perspective
Pingback: VFW Fires PAC Directors
NY-David
That’s all you got? You’re withdrawing from supporting a vets org because of two elected officials that you don’t vote for?
Kind of like my giving up my NRA membership because two idiots shot their foot off.
NY-David
CJ
Oh, it was far more than just two. But even if were just two, it’s THESE TWO that pounded that last nail in the coffin.
An Actual Combat Infantryman
So much for the VFW’s claim of “Respect[ing] the diversity of veterans opinions.” Is this what it means to be an American Vet now? “If you don’t say what I want you to, I am going to destroy you?”
Let’s face it, this is the work of the far right, who use anger and fear to get what they want, have no respect for both the differing opinions of others and the AMERICAN RIGHT to have a differing opinion, who continue to claim a strict adherence to the constitution and yet blatantly support policies and ideologies that undeniably violate the constitutional rights of others, whose incredible lack of knowledge of the US constitution is becoming increasingly apparent, whose constant use of rhetoric and outright lies clearly reflect the lack of values within movements such as the Tea party, and whose inability to accept facts that do not lend support to their political ideologies is absolutely mind-bogglingly disgusting.
The worst part is that the gross majority of those who identify with these right wing movements are being dupped, despite the plethra of factual information to the contrary, into believing that what is best for the corporate wealthy is best for everyone else. They are just as divisive and destructive to this nation as those on the far left.
I only wonder how much worse the far right will make things before people start owning up to being fooled.
The size of our government is directly related to the amount of responsibility and sacrifice the people of this nation are willing to take, and currently, on both sides of the political aisle, the majority of the people of this nation want all the benefits of sacrifice without having to actually make any sacrifice.
This country and its governement and constitution are based on a social contract model, espoused by the political philosophers upon which much of our government was formed, such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, etc, wherein the people of a nation accept certain sacrifices in return for the order, protection, and service the central government maintains to support the welfare of the nation. Without the one, you cannot have the other. You cannot claim to support the troops while avoiding paying taxes.
If the private sector continues to demonstrate a lack of ethics and consideration for the people of its country, to such an extent that masses of people begin to suffer, the government must then expand in order to protect the people.
It is true that our nation cannot continue to maintain its present course: the government cannot afford to offer ever-increasing support to the people where the private sector has failed, and as long as the private sector continues to put profits for the few before prosperity for the most, a smaller, limited government will fail too.
Do the research on your own. Stop believing what you’re told and find out for yourself. Health care in this country, for instance, is a perfect example: without reform, we were paying far more and getting far less than every other advanced nation on the planet. With almost 45,000 people a year dying due to lack of health insurance (according to a Harvard study in 2009), and 62% of all bankruptcies in 2007 due to medical costs (according to studies by Harvard Law, Cambridge, and Ohio Universities), you’re simply lying to yourself if you think going back to that system is the best interests of anyone else than insurance company CEOs.
This isn’t the real GOP anymore. The GOP is dead. The GOP would NOT have blocked tax cuts for almost all small businesses simply because the cuts did not include the most wealthy if they truly served the best interests of the people. Just because one can acknowledge that the current GOP is a farce DOES NOT make that one a liberal.
It’s up to you in the end. How much longer do you want to be raped by people who claim to put the people first? How much longer do you want to reward companies for sending jobs to China? How much worse do things have to get before allowing yourself to see the truth? If the facts don’t support your political beliefs, will you be man enough to admit it, or will you claim the facts are lies?
Supporting the troops takes more than putting a sticker on your car.
An Actual Combat Infantryman
So much for the VFW’s claim of “Respect[ing] the diversity of veterans opinions.” Is this what it means to be an American Vet now? “If you don’t say what I want you to, I am going to destroy you?”
Let’s face it, this is the work of the far right, who use anger and fear to get what they want, have no respect for both the differing opinions of others and the AMERICAN RIGHT to have a differing opinion, who continue to claim a strict adherence to the constitution and yet blatantly support policies and ideologies that undeniably violate the constitutional rights of others, whose incredible lack of knowledge of the US constitution is becoming increasingly apparent, whose constant use of rhetoric and outright lies clearly reflect the lack of values within movements such as the Tea party, and whose inability to accept facts that do not lend support to their political ideologies is absolutely mind-bogglingly disgusting.
The worst part is that the gross majority of those who identify with these right wing movements are being dupped, despite the plethra of factual information to the contrary, into believing that what is best for the corporate wealthy is best for everyone else. They are just as divisive and destructive to this nation as those on the far left.
I only wonder how much worse the far right will make things before people start owning up to being fooled.
The size of our government is directly related to the amount of responsibility and sacrifice the people of this nation are willing to take, and currently, on both sides of the political aisle, the majority of the people of this nation want all the benefits of sacrifice without having to actually make any sacrifice.
This country and its governement and constitution are based on a social contract model, espoused by the political philosophers upon which much of our government was formed, such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, etc, wherein the people of a nation accept certain sacrifices in return for the order, protection, and service the central government maintains to support the welfare of the nation. Without the one, you cannot have the other. You cannot claim to support the troops while avoiding paying taxes.
If the private sector continues to demonstrate a lack of ethics and consideration for the people of its country, to such an extent that masses of people begin to suffer, the government must then expand in order to protect the people.
It is true that our nation cannot continue to maintain its present course: the government cannot afford to offer ever-increasing support to the people where the private sector has failed, and as long as the private sector continues to put profits for the few before prosperity for the most, a smaller, limited government will fail too.
Do the research on your own. Stop believing what you’re told and find out for yourself. Health care in this country, for instance, is a perfect example: without reform, we were paying far more and getting far less than every other advanced nation on the planet. With almost 45,000 people a year dying due to lack of health insurance (according to a Harvard study in 2009), and 62% of all bankruptcies in 2007 due to medical costs (according to studies by Harvard Law, Cambridge, and Ohio Universities), you’re simply lying to yourself if you think going back to that system is the best interests of anyone else than insurance company CEOs.
This isn’t the real GOP anymore. The GOP is dead. The GOP would NOT have blocked tax cuts for almost all small businesses simply because the cuts did not include the most wealthy if they truly served the best interests of the people. Just because one can acknowledge that the current GOP is a farce DOES NOT make that one a liberal.
It’s up to you in the end. How much longer do you want to be raped by people who claim to put the people first? How much longer do you want to reward companies for sending jobs to China? How much worse do things have to get before allowing yourself to see the truth? If the facts don’t support your political beliefs, will you be man enough to admit it, or will you claim the facts are lies?
Supporting the troops takes more than putting a sticker on your car
CJ
I am opposed to the VFW having ANY PAC, regardless of whether their endorsements are left or right. This is the problem when a veterans organization gets in the politics business. This also isn’t a left or right issue. This is an issue of endorsing candidates (many of whom happen to be left) that do and say things outside their legislative votes that are anti-military in nature.
Richard Cortell
I am a combat veteran, VFW and DAV member who adamantly opposed any veterans organization endorsing any candidate for public office regardless of their political party. So far as I understand military service in the United States, it is our role as members of the country’s armed forces to defend the US Constitution, not the political parties. I’d like to know who agrees with this perception, and I’d like to know what they will do about it.
Sincerely,
Richard cortell
Mud eating Marine
VFW PAC should be ashamed and dissolved. It was a stupid idea anyways. Tell me why in the hell a PAC board made up of members from RI, MA, NJ, TX and MI has any business endorsing a person from NC anyways. They can’t vote outside theirs own state, so they need mind there own business. They have know idea what’s going on in this state as well as other states outside there own. How is a jackass from RI going to know what best for the people and vets in NC. If anything, and I know it not allowed be done, but it should be left to the individual VFW Post to make an endorsement of someone in their own area. After all they are the one that live there.
Bandy 15
VFWPAC just like everything else political, been around too long and started playing the Washington game. VFWPAC doesn’t care about the VFW, Vets or the Troops. If it did, it would have asked for their opinion. They didn’t. The PAC had their own agenda.
And in response to An Actual Combat Infantryman. You claim that the GOP is is a lie and misleading and that people need “see the truth” I ask you, who’s truth are you talking about. I too can “cut and paste” and regurgitate info the way you did. But who’s to say the info that you used isn’t slightly bias if not and out right lie itself. Maybe instead of plagiarizing,,, oops, sorry, I guess you did credit Harvard on their study. Maybe you need take your own advice and start thinking for yourself. Who’s to say that your Harvard, Cambridge and Ohio studies didn’t have a little bias spin on them. Where did those numbers come from? Who’s to say some grad student didn’t fudge the numbers to make it more interesting, a little more dramatic. Here, I got a study.
Study in 2007 shows that it is more likely that my dog will take a dump in my neighbors lawn 67% of the time on the 2nd Wednesday of every month who’s name ends with ER.
See I just made that up out of the blue, but some moron is going to see that and say,”" see see, I told you.. I read a study about that and it said 67% of the time. It gotta to be true. They did a study. In 2007. Yep yep. They sure did. Let me cut and paste it just to prove my point.
Walter Sandell
At the VFW Convention in 2008, the receptions given President Bush and Senator McCain were enthusiastic, even though both ignored the situations being exposed at our military hospitals.
Senator (now President) Obama was given an icy reception by those on the podium, even when he advocated support for VFW agenda concerns.
I came away disgusted with the National leadership. It’s the members of my post that keep me going.
When I came back from VN, I was not welcomed by the VFW or the American Legion. After eligibility was changed, it was several years before I finally joined.