Obama makes VA PTSD benefits more liberal.

[BenBurch]

Good. This should have been done a long time ago.

Why do you suppose it took a Democrat to do it?

 

[BenBurch]

What about those who got dishonorable discharges for behavior associated with PTSD?

That is something else that needs to be addressed.

 

[Complexity]

There is no excuse for the way the Shrub treated the soldiers he used for his harebrained schemes.

I absolutely agree. Bush was a disgrace.

There is also no excuse for Obama having taken so long to begin to remedy this travesty.

 

[Schrodinger's Cat]

... and maybe if we wasted less money on stupid inappropriate government initiatives, we'd have more money to spend on the few essential responsibilities of government--such as caring for the troops we've put in harm's way.

I certainly hope the Republicans support this. I am the wife of a veteran. However, considering that McCain, Bush, and other notable Republicans opposed Webb's GI bill a couple years ago, and their recent opposition to the Homeless Women Veterans and Homeless Veterans with Children Act, I have very little faith in the Republican Party sticking up for our veterans.


Not that I have a lot of faith in either political party to do right by any of us, to be sure.

 

[Schrodinger's Cat]

I have a very difficult time accepting a lot of soldiers claims for PTSD simply because of the experiences I have had with it. For example, when I first took over a tank platoon there were 4 specialists in the middle of going through the medical board process for PTSD. One thing they all had in common was that they hated the Army. The Army decided that they had PTSD and put them on lots of meds, gave them a profile which stated that they could only work between the hours of 0900 and 1700, and they were not allowed to be around weapons. Since a tank is a weapon, they couldn't even do anything on those. A lot of good those guys did me huh?

So for the next four months they went on about their days going to their various doctors appointments for treatments and check ups and left the rest of the platoon very shorthanded. Well eventually these guys got out of the Army. All four of them admitted to their buddies that there was not a thing wrong with them. They just simply wanted to get out of the Army and wanted their benefits. Complete S bags.

So that's why I examine soldiers very closely when they claim PTSD. I believe that it is a real condition, but I also believe there are many people who abuse it for their benefit.

That's really a universal when it comes to disability, not specific to soldiers. I work in health care, and while we have many truly disabled people, we still have people try and get disability benefits who are definitely not disabled, they just want to get out of working. Unfortunately, you're going to have hoaxers when you're giving out money. I agree that really anyone, not just soldiers, who claims disability should be looked at closely...in my experience, sometimes they are, sometimes they're totally given a pass, unfortunately, and get away with it. It depends heavily on their individual doctor and case worker.

 

[Quad4_72]

That's really a universal when it comes to disability, not specific to soldiers. I work in health care, and while we have many truly disabled people, we still have people try and get disability benefits who are definitely not disabled, they just want to get out of working. Unfortunately, you're going to have hoaxers when you're giving out money. I agree that really anyone, not just soldiers, who claims disability should be looked at closely...in my experience, sometimes they are, sometimes they're totally given a pass, unfortunately, and get away with it. It depends heavily on their individual doctor and case worker.

Problem with PTSD is that it's SOOO easy to fake. Simply say that you have recurring nightmares of the same event and cannot sleep. Also say you panic in crowded places and get flashbacks when you hear explosions.

 

[thaiboxerken]

Shouldn't a doctor be the one to determine PTSD, not government beaurocrats?

 

[GreNME]

I wonder what will get up the Left's nose the most, over the next few weeks:

I'm not "the Left" but I've been accused of it enough, so let's check out your list:

• Tea Partiers praising Obama when he does something they think is praiseworthy;

Feel free to let us know when they-- as a group or even as individuals in a national public forum (like a TV interview or magazine article or televised speech)-- are capable of praising Obama for anything without couching it in demonization. I doubt we'll hear much of any famous Tea Partier offering any praise, but by all means share if you come across some.

• Tea Partiers having a thoughtful, nuanced opinion that recognizes some government spending as necessary and appropriate; or

It would certainly be a first and would stand out as a paradigm shift for the Tea Party. Again, let us know when that happens.

• Tea Partiers thinking that soldiers are worth spending money on.

Actually, considering the anti-immigration, federal-government-should-send-troops position that most Tea Partiers seem to have I would say that "soldiers are worth spending money on" has been there from the start. I mean, despite its inconsistency with the whole "small government" stance I'd say the general TP opinion on spending inordinate sums of money on military spending is pretty much in line with the Cold War Conservative thinking that their Goldwater-esque ideology is based on.

Don't forget to let us know when the first two things happen.

 

[Quad4_72]

Shouldn't a doctor be the one to determine PTSD, not government beaurocrats?

Doctors are the ones that determine who has PTSD...

 

[thaiboxerken]

Doctors are the ones that determine who has PTSD...

Well, they are now. Before, Vets had to prove it, not just have a diagnosis from doctors.

 

[Quad4_72]

Well, they are now. Before, Vets had to prove it, not just have a diagnosis from doctors.

Yeah I misinterpreted what he posted. I thought he meant that the beaurocrats were the only ones who decided if Vets have PTSD.

 

[joobz]

Just because something is important doesn't mean there's no waste there. Bureaucrat's job is to increase their budgets next year, so they must spend every penny this year. There is only upward pressure on costs, no downward.

Thus, my company once did a job at Fermilab (federal government funding) where we tore down a wall in a conference room, and replaced it with a new wall exactly 6 inches from the old one. They were quite frank that this project was solely to spend the rest of the money in their budget.

Because, you know, not spending all the money in your budget means you've failed as a bureaucrat.

That's a great point. Do you think it impossible to develop a system which elliviates that unidirectional pressure?