THE STORY MAINSTREAM POLITICIANS, MEDIA & CORPORATE AMERICA PRETEND ISN’T THERE
Benefits
•President Obama’s yearly salary: $400,000.00. On top of the salary and expense accounts, the U.S. president is given free housing with amenities. The White House has 132 rooms, 32 bathrooms, a movie theater, bowling alley, billiards room, tennis court, jogging track, basketball court, and putting greens. The President also has use of Camp David, the presidential retreat.
•Enlisted Infantry Soldier with 20 yrs. Service (E-8): $57,204. Housing provided.
•Air Force Veteran Dr. Ron Paul’s proposed Presidential salary: $39,336 …which Paul maintains is about equal to the median personal income of the American worker.
•Romney Tax Returns Show 2-Year Income of $45 Million (http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/24/romney-tax-returns-to-give-view-of-family-wealth/).
Military Experience
•Obama’s military experience: N/A
•Romney’s military experience: N/A
•Ron Paul’s military experience: Vietnam era (1963-1968) Air Force Flight Surgeon
•American service-members’ military experience: Currently at War
Health
•President Obama’s health: Reported by his doctors to be “excellent.” In fact, it seems he enjoys basketball so much that we fortunate Americans even get to see Obama’s smiling face popping up everywhere, filling us with hope and change, while we watch the NCAA tournament.
•Dr. Ron Paul’s health: (while standing on the debate stage with Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, & Rick Santorum) “I’m willing to challenge any of these gentlemen here to a 25 mile bike ride any time of the day in the heat of Texas.” -Ron Paul, Veteran
•Health of America’s troops: (from the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan currently)
About 1,300 amputees.
About 2,000 cases of TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury).
About 150,000 diagnosis of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).
Since the start of operations in Afghanistan in 2001, the overall divorce rate among military members has risen from 2.6 % in 2001 to 3.7 % in 2011. While the year-to-year rise is statistically small, the big picture view shows a military force replete with struggling marriages. Prescription drug abuse doubled among U.S. military personnel from 2002 to 2005 and almost tripled between 2005 and 2008. In fiscal year 2010, the rate of confirmed spouse abuse was 11.2 per one-thousand couples, up from 10.1 per thousand in 2009 and 9.4 per thousand in 2008. Also, 2010 saw an increase in the number of substantiated child maltreatment cases. In 2010, the number of suicides increased by 59, from 242 to 301, an increase of 24.4 percent. Almost twice as many guardsmen and reservists committed suicide — 145 in 2010, 80 in 2009 — as the year before. Among the active-duty force, 156 soldiers committed suicide in 2010. About 6,000 dead.
Military Strategy
•Obama’s military strategy: Same as George W. Bush – Pre-emptive wars of aggression w/o Constitutionally mandated Congressional Declaration of War, perpetual overseas military occupations for world policing and nation-building, and disregard for the young patriots under the charge of the Commander-In-Chief who the young service-members need to be able to trust not to put them in harm’s way unless it is in the sovereign national self-defense interests of the people of the United States.
•Romney’s military strategy: Apparently, whatever his handlers tell him to say. Also, fingering many former Bush administration officials for his own possible future as Commander-In-Chief; Engaged in the escalation of war rhetoric regarding Iran.
•Military Veteran Dr. Ron Paul’s military strategy: Stop wasting lives and fortune on unnecessary and unconstitutional wars for empire, and practice non-intervention wherever possible.
•The “boots on the ground” soldier in the fight’s strategy: Stay alive and watch your buddy’s back until the politicians quit jerking one another off.
President Obama sits in an ivory tower, enjoying the trappings of fame, fortune, power, and luxury. He dines on fine cuisine with heads of state and enjoys the comforts of home under the competent and protective guardianship of the Secret Service. Somewhere in Afghanistan a soldier who hasn’t had access to a shower in weeks, a home-cooked meal in months, or anything you might call ‘comfortable’ for a long time, is missing home while sweating in the Middle-Eastern sun and being shot at for a living. He voted for Obama in 2008 on the promise that Barack H. Obama would pull troops out of Afghanistan and bring them home immediately. It’s now 2012, and something just isn’t right with this picture. Or, is it just me?
By: Adam G. House,
CVRP2012
Revolution Free Press 