The Problem with John Stewart

milktree

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Last night I watched episode 1 of "The Problem with John Stewart" (Apple TV) , which was about burn pits in places like Iraq, and the appalling health effects they have on those stationed near them. I know most of NES thinks John Stewart is a commie pinko socialist and all, but this episode (I haven't watched any other episodes) is not even remotely commie pinko socialist etc. Worth a watch.

What appalled me is how the VA is refusing to treat people affected by the toxic shit from the burn pits because "a causal link has not been established between the symptoms and military service." This position looks like absolute penny-pinching bullshit.

What really surprised me is that there was even any question. I thought the VA provided health care for veterans, period. Or maybe "veterans who were deployed to a combat theater" (as opposed to those who work at the Pentagon or a base in Germany) But that doesn't appear to be true. These are guys who were sent to Iraq, had to sleep and work next to burn pits filled with body parts, jet fuel, tires, radioactive waste (as asserted by the show, I assume depleted uranium ammunition) vehicles, etc, got all sorts of diseases easily connected to the burn pits by the DoD's own documentation, and they're denied coverage. I thought veterans got VA healthcare just by being veterans. Has that ever been true? Is it true for some subset of veterans?

I'm not and have never been military. My closest connections are a few friends and that my father served in peace-time Germany, post Korea and pre-Vietnam for a couple years after ROTC. So his experience doesn't even remotely count as "combat theater" I have no direct experience to know what I'm talking about and I'm not going to pretend I do.
 
Wait.

The VA is screwing vets over the long-term health effects of incidental contact with something? STOP THE PRESSES!

VA care is good for injuries caused by metal things. Their record on everything else is suspect.
 
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